Developing transformative schools : a resilience-focused paradigm for education

For the better part of the past century, the field of education has witnessed repeated calls and initiatives for change, reform and improvement of our schools. Yet today, the problems of improving academic achievement and social adjustment among youth continue unabated. An explanation for this ‘change without change’ phenomenon is offered which differentiates innovative change from transformative change processes. A review of the research evidence regarding resilience and positive youth development, both academically and socially, is utilized to formulate a conceptual framework for guiding educators in creating resilience-focused, transformative schools. Specific attention is addressed to the application of such concepts as mindsets, resilience, socialemotional competencies, and supportive social environments (family and school) in adopting a new, transformative paradigm for developing more effective schools and more capable youth.peer-reviewe

Editorial: Approaches to research in the education and learning of adults

With distinctively different traditions of and influences to the academic study of the education and learning of adults in the field over the years, generalizations in narrations of approaches to research or change across Europe are bound to be reductive and flawed. The direction of approaches to research and scholarly activity in Europe have emerged in distinctive ways in different geographical locations. Events and trajectories could perhaps best be traced and characterized for the field through a focus on local histories; pursing the question of the intellectual resources emerging and drawn on at different times and places. Questions for ‘the field’ are then perhaps those over the approaches to research and scholarship that emerge to dominate in differing locations; approaches marginalized in this, the local histories and contestations and struggles for recognition entailed, the limitations and productivities in relation to specific purposes, agendas and concerns and the affordances that emerge with new local developments. This also raises questions about the ability of any ‘field’ to inquire into its direction or engage critically in this. In this issue we have wanted to create space for those in the field to highlight their own trajectories and agendas in research and scholarship and scholarly reflections and deliberation with regard to these sorts of questions. In this Editorial we will introduce five articles that draw on theory and traditions from distinct locations. (DIPF/Orig.

Editorial: Approaches to research in the education and learning of adults

With distinctively different traditions of and influences to the academic study of the education and learning of adults in the field over the years, generalizations in narrations of approaches to research or change across Europe are bound to be reductive and flawed. The direction of approaches to research and scholarly activity in Europe have emerged in distinctive ways in different geographical locations. Events and trajectories could perhaps best be traced and characterized for the field through a focus on local histories; pursing the question of the intellectual resources emerging and drawn on at different times and places. Questions for ‘the field’ are then perhaps those over the approaches to research and scholarship that emerge to dominate in differing locations; approaches marginalized in this, the local histories and contestations and struggles for recognition entailed, the limitations and productivities in relation to specific purposes, agendas and concerns and the affordances that emerge with new local developments. This also raises questions about the ability of any ‘field’ to inquire into its direction or engage critically in this. In this issue we have wanted to create space for those in the field to highlight their own trajectories and agendas in research and scholarship and scholarly reflections and deliberation with regard to these sorts of questions. In this Editorial we will introduce five articles that draw on theory and traditions from distinct locations. (DIPF/Orig.

Experimental determination of layer cloud edge charging from cosmic ray ionisation

The cloud-air transition zone at stratiform cloud edges is an electrically active region where droplet charging has been predicted. Cloud edge droplet charging is expected from vertical flow of cosmic ray generated atmospheric ions in the global electric circuit. Experimental confirmation of stratiform cloud edge electrification is presented here, through charge and droplet measurements made within an extensive layer of supercooled stratiform cloud, using a specially designed electrostatic sensor. Negative space charge up to 35 pC m−3 was found in a thin (<100 m) layer at the lower cloud boundary associated with the clear air-cloud conductivity gradient, agreeing closely with space charge predicted from the measured droplet concentration using ion-aerosol theory. Such charge levels carried by droplets are sufficient to influence collision processes between cloud droplets

AIDS Surveillance in Africa

Surveillance of the AIDS pandemic in Africa has always posed formidable problems for epidemiologists. Diagnostic accuracy-according to the case definitions for AIDS used in industrialised countries-is impossible to achieve in all but a few places with the right diagnostic facilities. Responding to the urgent need for surveillance, the World Health Organisation drew up a clinical case definition (the WHO/Bangui definition), which depended on clinical criteria without the need for serological verification.'2 Judged by its use, the WHO/Bangui definition has been successful-52 African countries have reported cases ofAIDS using mainly this definition.3 Some countries have modified it to fit local circumstances, removing a defining symptom here, adding the need for an extra sign there, and many now accept or encourage a positive result of an HIV test as supportive evidence. (At least one, COte d'Ivoire, requires such a result.2) Inevitably the definition has its limitations, and two papers in this week's journal discuss these at length (p 11852, p 11894). Because of limited laboratory facilities published evaluations of the WHO/Bangui definition have been mainly restricted to groups of sick patients using HIV positivity as the reference standard. The definition's sensitivity and specificity have been calculated as being between 60% and 90%2 5- useful for purposes of surveillance, but leaving uncertainty over whether this surveillance tool is intended to monitor trends in cases of AIDS or HIV infection. Other problems exist with the WHO/Bangui definition. Because many doctors lack diagnostic facilities they use the definition for diagnosis. The title "clinical case definition" encourages this confusion. The misuse is disturbing as the probability that a patient who fulfils the WHO/Bangui definition tests positive for HIV may fall well below 50% when seroprevalence is low.5 Another problem of using the definition is the delayed and incomplete picture that it gives of the spread of infection.6 Far preferable for surveillance of infection is the unlinked anonymous testing for HIV of sentinel groups attending health services67 (such as pregnant women and people with sexually transmitted diseases), which has now begun in several African countries89 using the same methods as in industrialised countries.'° Where does this leave the WHO/Bangui definition? De Cock and colleagues rehearse the overwhelming case for AIDS reporting to continue and suggest a thoughtful redesign of the definition, which includes the requirement for a positive HIV test result.3 Insisting on positive test results in all circumstances, however, is impractical: HIV tests are already limited and are lioely to become more so as AIDS funding to Africa inevitably falls. As a provisional solution to the problem of surveillance the WHO/Bangui definition has been useful, but the time has come for its reappraisal

Remote sensing of cloud base charge

Layer clouds are abundant in the Earth's atmosphere. Such clouds do not become sufficiently strongly charged to generate lightning, but they show weak charging along the upper and lower cloud boundaries where there is a conductivity transition. Cloud edge charging has recently been observed using balloon-carried electrometers. Measurement of cloud boundary charging without balloons is shown to be possible here for low altitude (<1km) charged cloud bases, through combining their effect on the surface electric field with laser time of flight cloud base height measurements, and the application of simple electrostatic models.Comment: Proceedings of the Electrostatics Society of America conference, Ottawa, June 201

The distinctive challenges and opportunities for creating leadership within social enterprises

Purpose The purpose of this study is to present a systematic assessment of the distinctive challenges and opportunities associated with creating leadership within the realm of social enterprise. A modified and expanded form of Grint’s leadership lenses heuristic framework (i.e. person, position, process, performance, purpose and place) is used to examine and highlight what is particular about creating leadership in social enterprises by virtue of their distinctive missions, strategic contexts, legal forms and organisational structures and cultures. Based on this initial exploration, five research priorities are identified to better understand and then develop leadership practice in the social enterprise realm. Design/methodology/approach An enhanced heuristic framework for systematically examining leadership within the social enterprise research literature has been applied, drawing on the leadership practice literature. The application is illustrated through six instrumental case studies. Findings While there are a number of similarities between leading in the social enterprise realm and leading within the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, the levels of complexity, ambiguity and the lack of an established theoretical and practical knowledge base makes creating leadership in the social enterprise sector that much more challenging. On the positive side of the ledger, the fact that the purpose is at the core of social enterprise means that it is relatively easier to use the purpose to create a basis for common meaningful action, compared to leadership within the private and public sectors. Related to this, given the strongly local or “glocal” nature of social enterprise, a ready opportunity exists for leaders to draw upon a place as a strategic resource in mobilising followers and other stakeholders. The novel, uncertain and pioneering nature of a social enterprise is also arguably more tolerant and accommodating of a leadership mindset that focuses on posing questions regarding “wicked” problems compared to public, private for-profit and, indeed, traditional not-for-profit sector organisations. Originality/value As far as we can ascertain, this is the first systematic attempt to examine the distinctive challenges and opportunities associated with creating leadership within the social enterprise realm. The application of the heuristic framework leads to the identification of five key inter-related lines of empirical research into leadership practices within social enterprises. </jats:sec

Exact renormalization group equation for the Lifshitz critical point

An exact renormalization equation (ERGE) accounting for an anisotropic scaling is derived. The critical and tricritical Lifshitz points are then studied at leading order of the derivative expansion which is shown to involve two differential equations. The resulting estimates of the Lifshitz critical exponents compare well with the $O(\epsilon ^{2})$ calculations. In the case of the Lifshitz tricritical point, it is shown that a marginally relevant coupling defies the perturbative approach since it actually makes the fixed point referred to in the previous perturbative calculations $O(\epsilon)$ finally unstable.Comment: Final versio

The Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2006-2007: An Assessment of Progress on Housing in the Greater Boston Area

Presents an annual survey of the state of housing in Greater Boston: market conditions; housing production; rents, home prices, and affordability; and public spending and support. Notes sliding home prices, tight mortgage markets, and falling production