Public infrastructure and regional economic development: a simultaneous equations approach

A study of how public capital stock impacts regional economic development, which jointly models the effects of local public infrastructure on personal income and the effect of personal income on the allocation of local public outlays.Infrastructure (Economics) ; Regional economics ; Income

Levumi: A Web-Based Curriculum-Based Measruement to Monitor Learning Progress in Inclusive Classrooms

Our paper introduces and assesses the Levumi platform’s web-based assessment of reading fluency. One challenges of inclusive education is meeting the needs of the learners with special education needs (SEN). Children with SEN and other risk factors face an increased risk of failing in schools and manifesting academic and social problems over the time. Web-based curriculum-based measurement (CBM) can provide an effective tool to track progress of learners and limit such risks. In particular, it can ease the challenges of test administration in inclusive classrooms through automation and providing multiple difficulty levels without the need of different paper-forms. Furthermore, Levumi can help educators track children and thus provide support for learners. Levumi takes advantage of the strengths of web-based CBM to assess reading fluency in primary school students. We confirmed the reading fluency test’s test-retest reliability (n = 334), its ability to measure learning over time in individual learners with SEN (n = 8, across 14 MPs), and its applicability to learners with SEN (n = 300, including n = 46 with SEN). We evaluate Levumi’s overall usefulness in assessing different types of learners, and discuss its contributions to CBM research

Assessment and intervention issues and models in School Psychology : the case of Europe and North America

As práticas da Psicologia Escolar parecem ser cada vez mais marcadas pelas necessidades de referenciação/diagnóstico de crianças para o subsistema de educação especial, em detrimento do desenho e implementação de intervenções dirigidas aos problemas específicos dos alunos. A aparente insatisfação dos psicólogos escolares com essa tendência, bem como as dificuldades na utilização de modelos categoriais de diagnóstico em contexto escolar, têm dado origem à progressiva implementação de modelos alternativos de avaliação e intervenção, principalmente de modelos Response to Intervention, Curriculum-Based Measurement e Problem Solving. A controvérsia quanto à natureza verdadeiramente alternativa desses modelos parece, no entanto, longe de se esgotar. Neste artigo são discutidas vantagens e limitações dos diferentes modelos, de acordo com a melhor evidência disponível na literatura, e são ainda equacionadas as suas implicações nas práticas da Psicologia Escolar. Practices in School Psychology seem to be increasingly restricted to referrals/diagnosis of children for the sub-system of special education instead of being focused on the design and implementation of interventions for students with specific problems. The apparent dissatisfaction of school psychologists with this trend and the difficulties dealing with categorical diagnostic models within the school context have stimulated a movement toward the implementation of alternative assessment and intervention models, such as Response to Intervention, Curriculum-Based Measurement and Problem-Solving. However, the controversy about the true alternative nature of these models seems far from being exhausted. The aim of this paper is to discuss the benefits and limitations of the different models according to the best evidence available. We also consider the implications for practices in School PsychologyPractices in School Psychology seem to be increasingly restricted to referrals/diagnosis of children for the sub-system of special education instead of being focused on the design and implementation of interventions for students with specific problems. The apparent dissatisfaction of school psychologists with this trend and the difficulties dealing with categorical diagnostic models within the school context have stimulated a movement toward the implementation of alternative assessment and intervention models, such as Response to Intervention, Curriculum-Based Measurement and Problem-Solving. However, the controversy about the true alternative nature of these models seems far from being exhausted. The aim of this paper is to discuss the benefits and limitations of the different models according to the best evidence available. We also consider the implications for practices in School Psychology(undefined

Monitoreo del progreso del alumno en la identificación de riesgo en la lectura

Este estudo tem por nalidade analisar o uso da monitorização com base no currículo como sistema escolar de identi cação de alunos em risco na leitura, no contexto de um modelo educativo baseado no grau de resposta à intervenção. Realizou-se uma investigação quantitativa em que participaram todos os alunos do 3o ano (82 alunos) de um agrupamento de escolas do norte de Portugal. O tratamento de dados foi feito com recurso à estatística descritiva e inferencial. Destacam-se, entre outras conclusões, a existência de dez alunos em risco na leitura durante todo o ano letivo e o facto de, no nal do 3o ano de escolaridade, a média de resultados dos alunos que nunca estiveram em risco ser superior ao dobro da média de resultados dos alunos que estiveram em risco todo o ano.This study aims to analyze the use of curriculum-based monitoring as a school system to identify students at risk in reading, in the context of an educational model based on the degree of response to intervention. A quantitative investigation was conducted with all third grade students (82 students) from a group of schools in the north of Portugal. Data processing was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. Among the conclusions, the following stand out: the existence of ten students at risk in reading throughout the school year and the fact that, at the end of the third year of schooling, the mean results of students who were never at risk was more than double the mean results of students who were at risk for the entire year.Cette étude a pour but d’analyser l’usage du contôle ayant pour base le coursus comme système scolaire d’identification des élèves présentant des risques dans la lecture, dans le contexte d’un modèle éducatif fondé sur le degrée de réponse à l’intervention. On a fait une investigation quantitative à laquelle ont participé tous les élèves de CM1 (82 élèves) d’un groupement d’écoles du nord du Portugal. Le traitement des données a été fait à l’aide de la statistique descriptive et inférentielle. On souligne, entre autres conclusions, l’existence de dix élèves en risque dans la lecture pendant toute l’année scolaire et le fait qu’à la fin de la troisièmme année de scolarité, la moyenne des résultats des élèves n’ayant jamais été en risque soit supérieur au double de la moyenne des résultats des élèves qui ont été en risque toute l’année.Este estudio tiene la finalidad de analizar el uso del monitoreo del currículo como sistema escolar de identificación de alumnos en riesgo en la lectura, en el marco de un modelo educativo basado en el grado de respuesta a la intervención. Se llevó a cabo una investigación cuantitativa en la que participaron todos los alumnos del 3er año (82 alumnos) de un agrupamiento de escuelas del norte de Portugal. El tratamiento de datos se efectuó por medio de la estadística descriptiva e de inferencias. Se destacan, entre otras conclusiones, la existencia de diez alumnos en riesgo en la lectura durante todo el año lectivo y el hecho de que, al final del 3er año de escolaridad, el promedio de resultados de los alumnos que nunca estuvieron en riesgo era superior al doble del promedio de resultados de los alumnos que estuvieron en riesgo todo el año.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Plant cell culture technology in the cosmetics and food industries : current state and future trends

The production of drugs, cosmetics, and food which are derived from plant cell and tissue cultures has a long tradition. The emerging trend of manufacturing cosmetics and food products in a natural and sustainable manner has brought a new wave in plant cell culture technology over the past 10 years. More than 50 products based on extracts from plant cell cultures have made their way into the cosmetics industry during this time, whereby the majority is produced with plant cell suspension cultures. In addition, the first plant cell culture-based food supplement ingredients, such as Echigena Plus and Teoside 10, are now produced at production scale. In this mini review, we discuss the reasons for and the characteristics as well as the challenges of plant cell culture-based productions for the cosmetics and food industries. It focuses on the current state of the art in this field. In addition, two examples of the latest developments in plant cell culture-based food production are presented, that is, superfood which boosts health and food that can be produced in the lab or at home