Reading Fluency and the Implications it has on Student Achievement

The development of literacy skills is a primary goal of the elementary curriculum . Reading, writing, speaking and listening are codependent skills that are necessary in every academic area and aspect of life. Reading fluency plays an integral role in the reading process. Without accuracy, appropriate rate and expression, the heart of fluency, is lost and comprehension is negatively impacted. Since reading fluency is a critical skill for elementary aged students to master, it is important that teachers are informed of strategies and techniques that can be implemented in order to promote this important life skill. This research will attempt to share the importance of fluency within the classroom with an emphasis on its connection to comprehension. It will also uncover several ways to effectively integrate reading fluency techniques into daily instruction without interrupting the curriculum. Finally it will provide different forms of assessment that will aid in the development of reading fluency

Progress and bottlenecks in the early domestication of the perennial oilseed Silphium integrifolium, a sunflower substitute

Silflower (Silphium integrifolium Michx.) is in the early stages of domestication as a perennial version of oilseed sunflower, its close relative. Grain crops with deep perennial root systems will provide farmers with new alternatives for managing soil moisture and limiting or remediating soil erosion, fertilizer leaching, and loss of soil biota. Several cycles of selection for increased seed production potential following initial germplasm evaluation in 2002 have provided opportunities to document the botany and ecology of this relatively obscure species, to compare agronomic practices for improving its propagation and management, and to evaluate the differences between semi-domesticated and wild accessions that have accrued over this time through intentional and unintentional genetic processes. Key findings include: domestication has increased aboveground biomass at seedling and adult stages; seed yield has increased more, achieving modest improvement in harvest index. Harvest index decreases with nitrogen fertilization. Silflower acquires nitrogen and water from greater depth than typical crops. In agricultural silflower stands within its native range, we found that Puccinia silphii (rust) and Eucosma giganteana (moth) populations build up to unacceptable levels, but we also found genetic variation for traits contributing to resistance or tolerance. Breeding or management for reduced height and vegetative plasticity should be top priorities for future silflower research outside its native range.Fil: Vilela, Alejandra Elena. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: González Paleo, Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; ArgentinaFil: Turner, Kathryn. The Land Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Peterson, Kelsey. The Land Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Ravetta, Damián Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; ArgentinaFil: Crews, Timothy E.. The Land Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Van Tassel, David. The Land Institute; Estados Unido

Clarifying water clarity: A call to use metrics best suited to corresponding research and management goals in aquatic ecosystems

Water clarity is a subjective term and can be measured multiple ways. Different metrics such as light attenuation and Secchi depth vary in effectiveness depending on the research or management application. In this essay, we argue that different questions merit different water clarity metrics. In coastal and inland waters, empirical relationships to estimate light attenuation can yield clarity estimates that either under- or overestimate the underwater light climate for restoration goals, such as potential habitat available for submerged aquatic vegetation. Best practices in reporting water clarity measurements include regionally specific, temporally representative calibrations and communicating the metric that was actually measured. An intentional choice of the water clarity metric best suited to the research or management question yields the most useful results

Learning from the Land: The Application of Archaeology and Land-Based Learning as an Experiential Learning Tool for Building Intercultural Competency

The written nature of Western society and oral basis of Indigenous society present a key difference in the way we approach the world (Duarte and Belarde-Lewis 2015; Kovach 2021; Scully 2012). Within an Indigenous ontology, there is an inseparable relationship between story and knowing and a holistic nature to this knowledge (Kovach 2021). Stories become a valuable tool for teaching and learning, which can also be used in other areas where value is placed on contextualized knowledge. Through the inclusion of Siksika (Blackfoot) Elders in our archaeology field school on the Siksika Nation, we attempt to present culturally appropriate curricula which increases student’s intercultural competency. Our study sought to evaluate our teaching pedagogy and to understand what value students attach to instructional methods which incorporate Indigenous teachers. Using the First Nations Holistic Lifelong Learning Model (Canadian Council for Learning 2007) as a guide, we examine data from student reflective journals to evaluate the cultural inclusivity of the curricula developed and its efficacy in increasing student’s intercultural competency. We demonstrate that the holistic curricula provided was highly valued, and that the land-based and immersive learning environment created allowed students to reframe their own previous biases and understandings which ultimately increased their intercultural competency

Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: a systematic review and meta-analysis

TOPIC: This systematic review and meta-analysis summarises evidence relating to the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Indigenous Australians suffer disproportionately from diabetes-related complications. Exploring ethnic variation in disease is important for equitable distribution of resources and may lead to identification of ethnic-specific modifiable risk factors. Existing DR prevalence studies comparing Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians have shown conflicting results. METHODS: This study was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute guidance on systematic reviews of prevalence studies (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022259048). We performed searches of Medline (Ovid), EMBASE, and Web of Science until October 2021, using a strategy designed by an information specialist. We included studies reporting DR prevalence among diabetic patients in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian populations. Two independent reviewers performed quality assessments using a 9-item appraisal tool. Meta-analysis and meta-regression were performed using double arcsine transformation and a random-effects model comparing Indigenous and non-Indigenous subgroups. RESULTS: Fifteen studies with 8219 participants met criteria for inclusion. The Indigenous subgroup scored lower on the appraisal tool compared to the non-Indigenous subgroup (mean score 50% vs 72%, p=0.04). In the unadjusted meta-analysis, DR prevalence in the Indigenous subgroup (30.2% [95%CI: 24.9-25.7]) did not differ significantly (p=0.17) from the non-Indigenous subgroup (23.7% (95%CI: 16.8-31.4]). After adjusting for age and for quality, DR prevalence was higher in the Indigenous subgroup (p-values<0.01), with prevalence ratio point estimates ranging between 1.72-2.58, depending on the meta-regression model. For the secondary outcomes, prevalence estimates were higher in the Indigenous subgroup for diabetic macular oedema (8.7% vs 2.7%, p=0.02) and vision-threatening DR (8.6% vs 3.0%, p=0.03), but not for proliferative DR (2.5% vs 0.8%, p=0.07). CONCLUSION: Indigenous studies scored lower for methodological quality, raising the possibility that systematic differences in research practices may be leading to underestimation of disease burden. After adjusting for age and for quality, we found a higher DR prevalence in the Indigenous subgroup. This contrasts with a previous review which reported the opposite finding of lower DR prevalence using unadjusted pooled estimates. Future epidemiological work exploring DR burden in Indigenous communities should aim to address methodological weaknesses identified by this review

Multiteam systems in an agile environment: a realist systematic review

Article describes a collaborate study between University of North Texas and Toyota Connected focusing on how to structure and manage multiteam systems (MTSs)

Writing Terminology Compared: WRITING Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Oregon Writing Standards

In April 2011, representatives from higher education, districts, and Education Service Districts collaborated to design and draft transition resources for the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (CCSS). As context for this work, comparisons between the Common Core (adopted in October 2010) and Oregon’s English language arts standards (adopted in 2003) were reviewed using the ELA Crosswalk

Probing Star Formation at Low Metallicity: The Radio Emission of Super Star Clusters in SBS0335-052

We present high-resolution radio continuum observations of the nascent starburst in the metal-poor galaxy SBS 0335-052. These radio data were taken with the Very Large Array and include observations at 0.7cm, 1.3cm, 2cm, 3.6cm, and 6cm. These observations enable us to probe the thermal radio nebulae associated with the extremely young star-forming regions in this galaxy. Two discrete and luminous star-forming regions are detected in the south of the galaxy that appear to be associated with massive star clusters previously identified at optical wavelengths. However, the remaining optically-identified massive star clusters are not clearly associated with radio emission (either thermal or non-thermal) down to the sensitivity limits of these radio data. The spectral energy distributions of the two radio-detected clusters are consistent with being purely thermal, and the entire region has an inferred ionizing flux of ~1.2 x 10^ 53 s^-1, which is equivalent to ~12,000 "typical" O-type stars (type O7.5 V). The observations presented here have resolved out a significant contribution from diffuse non-thermal emission detected previously, implying a previous episode of significant star formation. The current star formation rate (SFR) for this southern region alone is ~1.3 M_sun yr^-1, or ~ 23M_sun yr^-1 kpc^-2. This SFR derived from thermal radio emission also suggests that previous optical recombination line studies are not detecting a significant fraction of the current star formation in SBS 0335-052. From model fits to the radio spectral energy distribution, we infer a global mean density in the two youngest clusters of n_e > 10^3-10^4 cm^-3. In addition, a comparison between the compact and diffuse radio emission indicates that up to ~50% of the ionizing flux could be leaking out of the compact HII regions.Comment: accepted AJ, 14 pages, 5 figure

Examining the antecedents of challenge and threat states: The influence of perceived required effort and support availability

To date, limited research has explicitly examined the antecedents of challenge and threat states proposed by the biopsychosocial model. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the influence of perceived required effort and support availability on demand/resource evaluations, challenge and threat states, and motor performance. A 2 (required effort; high, low) � 2 (support availability; available, not available) between-subjects design was used with one hundred and twenty participants randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions. Participants received instructions designed to manipulate perceptions of required effort and support availability before demand/resource evaluations and cardiovascular responses were assessed. Participants then performed the novel motor task (laparoscopic surgery) while performance was recorded. Participants in the low perceived required effort condition evaluated the task as more of a challenge (i.e., resources outweighed demands), exhibited a cardiovascular response more indicative of a challenge state (i.e., higher cardiac output and lower total peripheral resistance), and performed the task better (i.e., quicker completion time) than those in the high perceived required effort condition. However, perceptions of support availability had no significant impact on participants' demand/resource evaluations, cardiovascular responses, or performance. Furthermore, there was no significant interaction effect between perceptions of required effort and support availability. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting a challenge state should include instructions that help individuals perceive that the task is not difficult and requires little physical and mental effort to perform effectively