Integrating 21st-Century Skills into the General Curriculum: Evidence from Public Schools in Alabama

In the last century, humanity witnessed a drastic change from an agrarian society to a manufacturing culture; now the world is experiencing the same type of change, but with more complexity toward a society based on information. Concerned educators and citizens have acknowledged the future of competitive global economics that the current generation is moving towards. A call has been put forth for policy makers, administrators, and educators to collaborate in designing a curriculum that will prepare students to build the skills required for the new century. The current study expands the view by revealing the voices of students and reporting students’ ratings of their own 21st century skills. Students in three public schools in rural Alabama in grades 3-6 rated their abilities and enjoyment in using 21st century skills. Findings can help educators address the gap between the current school curriculum and the needed skills for the 21st century, as well as determine how prepared children in low-resource schools are to face the challenges of the new century. Keywords: 21st century skills, assessment, standards. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-12-01 Publication date: April 30th 202

Special Education Program at Princess Nourah University: Evaluation of Program Alignment with the Standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

The research is financed by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia. Abstract This study evaluated the extent to which the special education program in the College of Education at Princess Nourah University (PNU) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aligns with the standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The research utilized a mixed-method approach to examine the preparedness of pre-service special educators currently enrolled in their last year of the special education program. Surveys were used to explore the perceptions of five hundred pre-service teachers of their teacher preparation program as related to the seven standards from CEC’s initial special educator preparation standards. Keywords: pre-service special education teachers, and Council for Exceptional Children, CEC’s initial special educator preparation standards. DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-14-01 Publication date:July 31st 202

Hidden Curriculum in a Special Education Context: The Case of Individuals With Autism

This article examines the issue of hidden curriculum as it pertains to the experiences of individuals with disabilities, primarily those diagnosed with autism disorders. Examining the assumptions regarding the hidden curriculum, this article explores the challenges these assumptions create for individuals with autism. We provide suggestions for how these challenges could be overcome through the use of specific strategies

Mentoring New Faculty: An Appreciative Approach

During this period of dramatic social and institutional change in higher education, positive induction and ongoing support for early-career and faculty members new to the campus community is essential. Disparities remain in the recruitment, development, retention, and promotion of diverse faculty, in large part because of the lack of mentoring. The purpose of this article is to enhance approaches for supporting early-career and otherwise new faculty members. Based upon the principles and processes of Appreciative Inquiry, the Appreciative Mentoring Model is presented. Each of the Appreciative Inquiry “D-phases” is described in detail together with research-based best practices that can be employed in mentoring. Prompts, questions, and specific examples designed to support the growing need for a more collaborative, fluid, dynamic, and transformative approach to mentoring are provided.

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts.The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that -80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAFPeer reviewe

Sex differences in oncogenic mutational processes

Funder: Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100002790Funder: Genome Canada (Génome Canada); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100008762Funder: Canada Foundation for Innovation (Fondation canadienne pour l'innovation); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000196Funder: Terry Fox Research Institute (Institut de Recherche Terry Fox); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004376Abstract: Sex differences have been observed in multiple facets of cancer epidemiology, treatment and biology, and in most cancers outside the sex organs. Efforts to link these clinical differences to specific molecular features have focused on somatic mutations within the coding regions of the genome. Here we report a pan-cancer analysis of sex differences in whole genomes of 1983 tumours of 28 subtypes as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium. We both confirm the results of exome studies, and also uncover previously undescribed sex differences. These include sex-biases in coding and non-coding cancer drivers, mutation prevalence and strikingly, in mutational signatures related to underlying mutational processes. These results underline the pervasiveness of molecular sex differences and strengthen the call for increased consideration of sex in molecular cancer research

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Sex differences in oncogenic mutational processes

Sex differences have been observed in multiple facets of cancer epidemiology, treatment and biology, and in most cancers outside the sex organs. Efforts to link these clinical differences to specific molecular features have focused on somatic mutations within the coding regions of the genome. Here we report a pan-cancer analysis of sex differences in whole genomes of 1983 tumours of 28 subtypes as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium. We both confirm the results of exome studies, and also uncover previously undescribed sex differences. These include sex-biases in coding and non-coding cancer drivers, mutation prevalence and strikingly, in mutational signatures related to underlying mutational processes. These results underline the pervasiveness of molecular sex differences and strengthen the call for increased consideration of sex in molecular cancer research.Sex differences have been observed in multiple facets of cancer epidemiology, treatment and biology, and in most cancers outside the sex organs. Efforts to link these clinical differences to specific molecular features have focused on somatic mutations within the coding regions of the genome. Here we report a pan-cancer analysis of sex differences in whole genomes of 1983 tumours of 28 subtypes as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium. We both confirm the results of exome studies, and also uncover previously undescribed sex differences. These include sex-biases in coding and non-coding cancer drivers, mutation prevalence and strikingly, in mutational signatures related to underlying mutational processes. These results underline the pervasiveness of molecular sex differences and strengthen the call for increased consideration of sex in molecular cancer research.Peer reviewe