Developing a Performance Assessment System From the Ground Up: Lessons Learned From Three Linked Learning Pathways

This document is designed to offer practitioners -- teachers, principals, and central office administrators -- models, tools, and examples from the Linked Learning field for developing a performance assessment system. This document describes the challenges and successes practitioners encountered when developing and implementing authentic performance-based assessment practices and systems in Linked Learning pathways as well as the conditions that enabled this work. It is the product of a 1-year study of three grade-level teams, located in three different Linked Learning pathways across California. These teams participated in a 2-year performance assessment demonstration project led by ConnectEd and Envision

Literature Review on Drosophila Research in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. It is characterized by its main symptom of a tremor that usually starts in one limb. The four cardinal symptoms of PD are tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. While the four cardinal symptoms are all motor symptoms there are non-motor symptoms for PD which include cognitive changes, sleeping disorders, lightheadedness, early satiety, and mood disorders. PD is characterized by dopaminergic (DA) neuron loss and the accumulation of Lewy bodies (LB) which are predominantly composed of α-synuclein (α-Syn) protein. α-Syn is a protein found abundantly in the brain. It is characterized by an amphipathic lysine-rich amino terminus which plays a role in modulating its interactions with membranes. This protein is also characterized by its acidic carboxy-terminal tail, which plays a role in regulating its nuclear localization and interactions with metals, small molecules and proteins (Lashuel et al.). The misfolding of α-Syn can cause aggregates allowing damage to the cells that it is found in, which has been shown to be a cause of PD. Mutation in α-Syn was first noted in 1997, where an amino acid substitution change was noted producing an autosomal-dominant pattern of inheritance for PD (Stefanis). There are two types of PD, familial PD where a mutation can be passed on through generations. Sporadic PD, the second type of PD, is when the mutations occur in patients without the familial connection to PD. Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have also been linked to the cause of autosomal dominant PD. Additionally, LRRK2 has been linked to tau and α-Syn pathologies, suggesting that possibly LRRK2 mutations are players in cell degeneration or cell death. Mitochondrial dysfunction can also lead to PD, therefore the pathway that leads to this dysfunction needs to be explored more

The General Assembly\u27s Structural Conflicts of Interest

Virginia is not a state saddled with a reputation of ethically challenged legislators, but our part-time citizen legislature is structurally conducive to conflicts of interest. This reality was brought to the forefront in November 2009 when Delegate Phillip Hamilton resigned from the House of Delegates following revelations that he directed state appropriations into his own pocket. There is little doubt that the majority of legislators are scrupulous in their efforts to avoid such conflicts, but they must navigate treacherous waters to do so. Significant modifications to the structure and ethical standards of the General Assembly are necessary to correct this problem

The General Assembly\u27s Structural Conflicts of Interest

Virginia is not a state saddled with a reputation of ethically challenged legislators, but our part-time citizen legislature is structurally conducive to conflicts of interest. This reality was brought to the forefront in November 2009 when Delegate Phillip Hamilton resigned from the House of Delegates following revelations that he directed state appropriations into his own pocket. There is little doubt that the majority of legislators are scrupulous in their efforts to avoid such conflicts, but they must navigate treacherous waters to do so. Significant modifications to the structure and ethical standards of the General Assembly are necessary to correct this problem

Fifty-Sixth Biennial Report of the Mississippi State Hospital, Whitfield, Mississippi, from July 1, 1965 to June 30, 1967

Now in its second century of service to the mentally ill of Mississipp

Fifty-Third Biennial Report of the Mississippi State Hospital, Whitfield, Mississippi, from July 1, 1959 to June 30, 1961

More than a century of service to the mentally ill of Mississipp

Fiftieth Biennial Report of the Mississippi State Hospital, Whitfield, Mississippi, from July 1, 1953 to June 30, 1955

Centennial Number 1855-1955 One Hundred Years Of Service To The Mentally Ill of Mississipp

Coherent Assistance in Education Improvement: How Foundations Can Help

Philanthropic organizations are experimenting with ways to support capacity building in order to scale innovations and leverage funding for greater social impact. Increasingly, philanthropies are also attending to their own organizational needs for learning in order to inform strategy, shape future work, and measure effectiveness. This article shares the lessons of the Aligned Partners Project, a three-year study of a foundation-funded interorganizational collaboration to align the work of three technical assistance organizations to meet the needs of one school district. It identifies challenges to providing coherent assistance as well as grantmaking practices that could address them. A foundation seeking to fund an educationimprovement project is encouraged to work with all key stakeholders in the earliest stages to establish a learning agenda; hire a partner outside the project to facilitate that agenda’s development, and involve district stakeholders in project goals and design. This article also argues for awarding research grants as a capacity-building strategy to support grantees and grantmaking organizations, and to yield greater impact in the field

Parents\u27 Perception of Athletic Trainers in the High School Setting

Context Parents have the legal responsibility to give the athletic trainer (AT) consent to treat their child. It is important they understand the scope of practice of an AT in order to trust them with the health of their child. Objective To gather knowledge about parents\u27 perceptions of the skills and qualifications of a full-time high school AT. Design Cross-sectional survey study. Setting In person at local high school football games and online using SurveyMonkey. Participants 11 parents whose children participated in a minimum of 1 high school sport. Data Collection and Analysis A Parents\u27 Perceptions and Knowledge of Certified Athletic Trainers Survey consisting of 32 questions, divided into 3 sections (demographics, perceptions, and knowledge), was given to parents of high school athletes. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the data. Results 55% of parents always perceived the secondary school AT as a healthcare professional, 55% always felt society needs ATs and 55% of parents did not always trust the AT\u27s opinion. Conclusions Parents\u27 perceptions of the qualifications and skills of the high school AT were split between understanding and not understanding. ATs should educate parents on their roles and responsibilities in order to provide better health care for athletes. Key Words: high school, perception, athletic training, parent