Response To Intervention: Understanding School Counselors\u27 Awareness, Involvement, And Experiences

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to better clarify the role and experiences of school counselors within the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. This study explored school counselors\u27 involvement with and understanding of the RtI model. An integrative approach of both quantitative and qualitative methods was used as part of this mixed method study. As part of the design, quantitative data collection was the priority method for the study, folloby qualitative data collection to continue to explore and expand upon the results from the quantitative section (Creswell, 2009). The quantitative data was obtained from the author originated Response to Intervention Survey. The survey results were formed into a descriptive analysis; the qualitative data in the study was used to expand upon information found in the quantitative portion of the study. Interviews were conducted with practicing school counselors regarding their experiences working within the RtI model and completed the qualitative portion of the study. The research findings in my study provide a foundation for understanding how school counselors are involved with, perceive, and experience the RtI model. These findings add to the knowledge of how school counselors operate and assume roles within the RtI process

Insect enemies of the corn earworm (Heliothis obsoleta Fabr.)

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Comparing Redistricting Outcomes Across States: A Comparison of Commission, Court, and Legislative Plans

The question of redistricting reform has become an important topic in many states throughout the country. At the heart of the matter is how to effectively deal with the perceived detrimental effects of allowing legislators control over selecting their own constituencies. The most common prescription is to remove legislative influence by handing over control to nonpolitical or bipartisan commissions. However, little empirical evidence exists comparing the outcomes of commission plans versus legislative plans. In this paper, I address this question by examining the role of commissions throughout the states. I argue an important aspect to limiting the problems of redistricting and promoting strong representation between legislator and constiment is not necessarily who draws the lines, but rather the rules they must follow when putting the maps together. My results show that these rules do a better job of promoting of preserving important aspects of representation than does removing legislative control over the process

A Strengths-based Approach to Minority Youth Development: Examining Spirituality and Critical Consciousness as Predictors of Positive Youth Development and Contribution in Youth of Color

Spirituality and critical consciousness have been linked to positive outcomes in the lives of youth of color. Spirituality is connection to a higher power or sense of profound meaning beyond everyday life (transcendence), devotion to their morals and beliefs (fidelity), and awareness of others needs and feelings (contribution) (King et al., 2017). Spirituality can support positive outcomes in youth such as contribution to their community and increased levels of positive youth development (PYD) (Furrow, King, & White, 2004). Critical consciousness is the ability to reflect and take action on inequalities and injustices in society and can provide marginalized and/or oppressed people with the agency to overcome structural and cultural constraints that affect their lives (Freire, 1973). Critical consciousness enables youth to identify the structural and social inequalities present in their lives and in society and equips them with the ability to challenge them. Few studies, however, examine the relations among spirituality and critical consciousness, and their links to PYD and contribution in youth of color. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to explore how spirituality and critical consciousness support PYD and contribution in a sample of academically high-achieving youth of color (46.2% African-American/Black and 36.9% Latinx) who attended an afterschool college preparatory program (N = 136; 64.6 % female; Mage = 14.5) over an academic year. Results pointed to the importance of spirituality in promoting PYD and contribution in youth of color but indicated no significant relations between critical consciousness and subsequent thriving. Spirituality was found to be especially important for females, as spirituality was strongly linked to PYD in females, but not males. Males on average reported higher levels of PYD than females; however, this difference was driven by females who reported low levels of spirituality also reporting low levels of PYD. Females who reported high levels of spirituality did not differ from males on PYD. In addition, a significant negative relation was found between critical consciousness and subsequent spirituality in female youth. Implications for these findings include the development of church or spiritual community partnerships with youth programs or church-based youth programs to support spirituality and its associated positive outcomes

Nicotine Dependence from Electronic Cigarettes Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents

Introduction. The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has been increasing among adolescents in the United States population since they were first introduced to the US market in 2007. With depression as a major risk factor for suicide in adolescents, this study examined nicotine dependence from the use of e-cigarettes and depressive symptoms among adolescents. Methods. The authors conducted a retrospective patient chart review at a pediatric clinic in the Midwestern United States, from May 2021 to September 2021. As a standard practice, the clinic uses the adapted Penn State Nicotine Dependency Index to evaluate its patients’ nicotine dependence from the use of e-cigarettes and the PHQ-9 modified for teens to screen for depressive symptoms of its patients. Data on 69 patients were included in the study. The authors used standard descriptive statistics and an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) to analyze the data on the 69 adolescents.  Results. The mean age of the adolescents was 17.6 (SD = 2.3), 46.4% (n = 32) were female, and 53.6% (n = 37) were male. More than 88% (n = 61) of the adolescents met criteria for high nicotine dependence from e-cigarette use and 30.4% (21 of 69) of them screened positive for depression. Findings of the mixed model analyses indicated that there was not a statistically significant association between nicotine dependence from e-cigarette use and depressive symptoms (aOR = 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.93-1.23; P = .0365). Conclusions. Our findings show that while a third of the adolescents screened positive for depression and the majority (88%) depended on nicotine from e-cigarettes, there was no association between the outcomes. Future larger multicenter studies are needed to better understand the association between nicotine dependence from e-cigarettes and depressive symptoms as reported in the literature.&nbsp

The Value Added of Honors Programs in Recruitment, Retention, and Student Success: Impacts of the Honors College at the University of Mississippi

In a recent essay, M. Roy Wilson (2015), President of Wayne State University, and Jerry Herron, Dean of the Honors College, discuss the value added of honors programs in terms that should be familiar to numerous constituencies associated with honors education. Wilson and Herron write about honors education largely in terms of the experiences it provides students: the [honors] college is not tied to any particular academic discipline; instead, it represents the virtues of a liberal education that reaches across departments, schools, and colleges. For our students, the aim is to integrate the specialized—and essential—knowledge of the disciplines into a broader understanding of themselves, our community, and the world. With understanding comes engagement. The honors experience at Wayne State is based on four pillars—community, service, research, career— which define the curricular and co-curricular elements of our program and also highlight the distinctive strengths of this university, at the same time making real the value added, high-impact practices that define the very best of undergraduate education. (pp. 172–73

The Relationship Between Witnessing Bullying, Defending Targets, and Internalizing Symptoms: An Analysis of Gender Differences Among Sixth-Grade Students

We examined the moderating effect of gender on witnessing bullying, defending, and internalizing symptoms among sixth-grade students at one middle school in the northwestern United States. Results indicated that for females, witnessing bullying was positively associated with depressive symptoms and social anxiety, whereas for males, defending was positively associated with depressive symptoms. Findings suggest the importance of equipping female students with strategies to cope with witnessing bullying and providing male students with appropriate intervention skills for defending targets

Examining Empathy and Advocacy Competencies in Professional School Counselors

In this quantitative study, the relationship between levels of empathy and perceptions of advocacy competencies among a national sample of professional school counselors are examined. Results of this study indicate there is a statistically significant relationship between school counselor’s level of empathy according to the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI) and level of advocacy according to the Advocacy Competencies Self-Assessment (ACSA). Professional implications as well as implications for training future school counselors are explored

The Relationship between Workaholism Tendencies and Stage of Development in a K-12 Teacher Population

Workaholism has been defined as a compulsive devotion to work that significantly impairs other areas of an individual’s life (Selinger, 2007). Since this disorder was first conceptualized by Oates (1971), few articles have been published on the nature of workaholism tendencies for workers employed in specific occupations. A Mississippi sample was utilized for this study, for the purpose of exploring workaholism tendencies in a kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) teacher population. Results indicate that elementary school teachers in particular may exhibit workaholism tendencies. Additionally, beginning teachers, those with more than 10 years of teaching experience, and those who teach in struggling school districts, may be the most likely to struggle with work addiction. We recommend future research be conducted on interventions that can be used within the school system itself to help work-addicted teachers develop a greater work-life balance