A Review of fluency research and practices for struggling readers in secondary school

Adolescents who struggle to read fluently face immense challenges in the secondary setting. Correlational evidence suggests that a lack of fluency contributes to poor comprehension and this has ramifications for a struggling reader in the secondary setting. Although there is a paucity of studies investigating fluency interventions for secondary struggling readers, there are congruent findings revealing effective methods for building fluency. The majority of these evidence-based fluency programs originate from interventions designed for primary students and/or primary classrooms. Directions for the future are discussed, particularly how fluency programs could be better suited to the unique needs of an older struggling reader and how implementation should demonstrate an awareness of the secondary learning environment.11 page(s

Diary of Social Legislation and Policy 1990

This Diary summarises the legislative and administrative changes made in the social policy field by the Commonwealth government during 1990. It provides a ready reference for research workers, and can also be used as a factual account of policy and major legislation announced during the year. The chief sources of information for entries are departmental press releases, annual reports, the Budget Papers and Budget Related Papers for the year. The first Diary in the present series covered events for the calendar year 1980. Subsequent editions have been published for the years 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985-86, 1987-88 and 1989, copies of which can be obtained from the Australian Institute of Family Studies and the Social Policy Research Centre. In the last few years the attention of the general public has been drawn to the issue of superannuation. Reports such as, Income Support for the Retired and the Aged: an Agenda for Reform, and Better Incomes: Retirement Income Policy into the Next Century, published in 1988, announced the Government's intention to promote national superannuation with the aim of achieving full coverage of the workforce and reducing dependence on the aged pension. Thus, although 'superannuation' does not come within the usual portfolio areas covered in the Diary, its potential impact on Government policies for income support of elderly Australians makes it an important new addition to this 1990 Diary edition

Diary of Social Legislation and Policy 1994

The Diary of Social Legislation and Policy is compiled annually to record changes made in Commonwealth government social policy and legislation. It provides a ready reference for researchers and workers in government and service organisations, as it draws together information from a range of sources relating to the development of new policy and legislation, funding of government programs, and recommendations for changes in policy and legislation from reviews, commissioned research and so forth. Significant events and government action occurred in a number of portfolio areas in 1994. Among the highlights were: the White Paper on employment and growth, Working Nation; the introduction of the Home Child Care Allowance, to be paid to low-income parents caring for children at home; the introduction of the Child Care Cash Rebate, to assist working parents or those looking for work in need of child care; the release of a National Youth Housing Strategy, providing new options and choices for young people; increased funding for citizenship and settlement activities, to encourage people to take up Australian citizenship; the work of the Australian Law Reform Commission, in examining and making recommendations on access to justice for women; the release of the first National Mental Health Report, monitoring the progress of the National Mental Health Policy; the House of Representatives Inquiry into Aspects of Youth Homelessness; the announcement of a major strategy to combat teenage smoking; the final report of the National Review of Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People; an Australian Disability Strategy, requiring all government programs to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992; and funding for a National Prevention Strategy for Child Abuse and Neglect

Safety and Efficacy of the Mycoplasma synoviae MS-H Vaccine in Turkeys

The live, attenuated, temperature-sensitive Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) vaccine strain MS-H is used to control virulent MS infection in commercial chicken flocks. However, the safety of this vaccine and its potential to prevent disease in turkeys have not been investigated. In this study, MS-H was shown to colonize the upper respiratory system and to induce an antibody response in turkeys but, even at the maximum release dose, was not found to cause air sac, joint, or tracheal lesions typical of wild-type MS infection. Histopathologic examinations of the vaccinated turkeys after exposure to a virulent MS challenge revealed that administration of the vaccine by aerosol, but not eye drop, at the dose recommended for chickens protected the birds against microscopic lesions and colonization of the virulent MS in trachea. It is concluded that MS-H vaccine is safe for use in turkeys and, when used as aerosol at the dose recommended for commercial chickens, can protect turkeys against tracheal lesions caused by a wild-type MS strain.Amir H. Noormohammadi, Farhid Hemmatzadeh and Kevin G. Whithea

Diary of Social Legislation and Policy 1991

The Diary of Social Legislation and Policy is compiled annually to record changes made in government social policy and legislation during the preceding year. It provides a ready reference for researchers and workers in government and service organisations and can also be used as a factual account of policy and major legislation announced during the year. The first Diary in the present series covered events for the calendar year 1980. Subsequent editions have been published for the years 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 198586, 1987-88, 1989, and 1990. Copies can be obtained from the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales and from the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Significant events and government action occurred in a number of portfolio areas in 1991. Among those recorded in this edition of the Diary are: the abolition on July 1 of the longstanding 'dole' or Unemployment Benefit (UB), and the introduction of 'active employment strategies' as advanced in the Newstart Allowance; the results of a major Mid Term Review of Aged Care; a series of background papers on the provision, quality and effectiveness of health services, commissioned to inform a National Health Strategy; the crisis of over enrolments and overcrowding in higher education; the release of a White Paper on Australia's language and literacy policy to address the critical shortcomings in competence in English and other languages; the announcement of the terms of reference of a Parliamentary Inquiry into the Family Law Act; the release of a number of reports from a National Housing Strategy set up to develop an integrated evaluation of housing needs and policy; and, the reduction in numbers of immigrants to be selected in 1991-92

Acute bronchopneumonia associated with Mycobacterium fortuitum infection in a dog

Mycobacterium fortuitum was isolated in a sample of bronchial fluid collected by transtracheal aspiration from a 1-year-old Corgi dog with a productive cough of 10 days' duration and with radiographic and cytological features of acute suppurative bronchopneumonia. The dog responded favourably to intravenous gentamicin and cephalexin for three days and a six week course of oral ciprofloxacin. Saprophytic mycobacterial pneumonia should be considered in cases of severe pulmonary consolidation in young dogs