Effects of the National School Meal Option, Provision 2, on Academic Achievement in Literacy and Mathematics

The purpose of this dissertation was to provide research-based information to educational leaders to assist them in making informed decisions relating to the participation in the National School Lunch Special Assistance Provision 2 Meal Option in the state of Arkansas. This study consists of four, rural Arkansas elementary schools that are all at a 70% or higher free-reduced meal status for the qualifying student population. Data were collected from the 2010 ACTAAP test scores from 193 Grade 4 students in literacy and mathematics from the four Arkansas elementary schools. Demographics from the four elementary schools were similar based on free-reduced meal status, race, gender, and overall student population to assist in determining relevancy of the study. This study used a casual comparative strategy and used a 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance to analyze the data collected for each of the four hypotheses. The results of the study showed no significant interaction effects between Provision 2 and gender or race on literacy or mathematics. However, the main effects of gender and race on literacy were significant. In addition, the main effect of gender on mathematics was not significant but was significant for race. Therefore, the data indicated that future studies vii might investigate more in the area of girls performing better compared to boys in the area of literacy and mathematics for fourth-grade students whether the school participated in Provision 2 or did not participate. In addition, Black students scored higher compared to the White students in both participating Provision 2 schools and non-participating schools for literacy and mathematics. The participating Provision 2 females outscored their peers and the boys from both races in literacy and mathematics

The Relationship Between Military Deployment and Spouses\u27 Anxiety, Depression, and Stress

Military families experience increased levels of stress during times of deployment. Previous research has examined the effect of deployment on female spouses but not on male spouses. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between military deployment and male and female spouses\u27 anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. The theoretical framework used for this study was the contextual model of family stress and coping. The research questions focused on whether military deployment, gender, communication ability, and coping skills were related to spouses\u27 depression, anxiety, and stress. Multiple regression was used to examine the relationships among the variables. A cross sectional design was used. Six male and 123 female military spouses participated in the study. Results demonstrated a positive relationship between emotion coping and depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress levels. Results showed that as military spouses\u27 emotion coping increased, their levels of depression, anxiety, and stress increased. Communication ability had a positive relationship with anxiety symptoms. The results showed that as military spouses\u27 communication ability increased, their anxiety symptoms increased. Task coping had a negative relationship with stress levels. The results showed that as military spouses\u27 task coping increased, their levels of stress decreased. This research could assist professionals working with military spouses during a deployment to develop skills to assist with coping with depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress levels

Attitudes of Oklahoma Women in Advertising Concerning Equality in the Workplace

This study attempted to analyze attitudes of women in the advertising industry towards equality in the workplace. The objective was to determine attitudes toward various aspects of equality in the specific place of employment, as well as in the industry in general. The study also sought to determine the relevance of several variables, including age, occupation, and income upon expressed attitudes.Mass Communication

Persuasive impact of one-sided videos on reasoning about abortion

A study was conducted to assess the volatility of college students\u27 reasoning about abortion. It is widely believed that individuals\u27 views on this controversial issue have crystallized and are resistant to persuasion. The study investigated the persuasive impact of an opposing argument on subjects\u27 current beliefs on the abortion issue. Thirty-three unpaid students of either gender at a private liberal arts college were shown a one-sided video on abortion presenting either the pro-life argument or the pro-choice argument. Subjects were Christians of various denominations. Abortion attitude was measured before and after the video using the Reasoning About Abortion Questionnaire (Parson, Richards, and Kanter, 1990). A gain/loss score was calculated for each subject to represent the degree and direction of attitude change. The results suggested that the videos had greater impact on liberal Christians (Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians) than on conservative Christians (Baptists or Catholics). A positive gain-score for the pro-choice video group (M = +8.09) and a negative gain-score for the pro-life video group (M = -15.13) suggested that each video helped to shift the viewers\u27 reasoning in the direction it advocated. Each video had persuasive impact on viewers but the persuasion was asymmetrical. A significant (video x test) interaction, F (1, 31) = 59.523, p \u3c .001 was obtained. It was concluded that college students\u27 reasoning on abortion is less rigid than has been previously suggested, and that students respond to persuasive appeals

Scaling Up Psychological Treatments: A Countrywide Test of the Online Training of Therapists.

BACKGROUND: A major barrier to the widespread dissemination of psychological treatments is the way that therapists are trained. The current method is not scalable. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to conduct a proof-of-concept study of Web-centered training, a scalable online method for training therapists. METHODS: The Irish Health Service Executive identified mental health professionals across the country whom it wanted to be trained in a specific psychological treatment for eating disorders. These therapists were given access to a Web-centered training program in transdiagnostic cognitive behavior therapy for eating disorders. The training was accompanied by a scalable form of support consisting of brief encouraging telephone calls from a nonspecialist. The trainee therapists completed a validated measure of therapist competence before and after the training. RESULTS: Of 102 therapists who embarked upon the training program, 86 (84.3%) completed it. There was a substantial increase in their competence scores following the training (mean difference 5.84, 95% Cl -6.62 to -5.05; P<.001) with 42.5% (34/80) scoring above a predetermined cut-point indicative of a good level of competence. CONCLUSIONS: Web-centered training proved feasible and acceptable and resulted in a marked increase in therapist competence scores. If these findings are replicated, Web-centered training would provide a means of simultaneously training large numbers of geographically dispersed trainees at low cost, thereby overcoming a major obstacle to the widespread dissemination of psychological treatments

Increasing the Availability of Psychological Treatments: A Multinational Study of a Scalable Method for Training Therapists.

BACKGROUND: One of the major barriers to the dissemination and implementation of psychological treatments is the scarcity of suitably trained therapists. A highly scalable form of Web-centered therapist training, undertaken without external support, has recently been shown to have promise in promoting therapist competence. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to conduct an evaluation of the acceptability and effectiveness of a scalable independent form of Web-centered training in a multinational sample of therapists and investigate the characteristics of those most likely to benefit. METHODS: A cohort of eligible therapists was recruited internationally and offered access to Web-centered training in enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy, a multicomponent, evidence-based, psychological treatment for any form of eating disorder. No external support was provided during training. Therapist competence was assessed using a validated competence measure before training and after 20 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 806 therapists from 33 different countries expressed interest in the study, and 765 (94.9%) completed a pretraining assessment. The median number of training modules completed was 15 out of a possible 18 (interquartile range, IQR: 4-18), and 87.9% (531/604) reported that they treated at least one patient during training as recommended. Median pretraining competence score was 7 (IQR: 5-10, range: 0-19; N=765), and following training, it was 12 (IQR: 9-15, range: 0-20; N=577). The expected change in competence scores from pretraining to posttraining was 3.5 (95% CI 3.1-3.8; P<.001). After training, 52% (300/574) of therapists with complete competence data met or exceeded the competence threshold, and 45% (95% CI 41-50) of those who had not met this threshold before training did so after training. Compliance with training predicted both an increase in competence scores and meeting or exceeding the competence threshold. Expected change in competence score increased for each extra training module completed (0.19, 95% CI 0.13-0.25), and those who treated a suitable patient during training had an expected change in competence score 1.2 (95% CI 0.4-2.1) points higher than those who did not. Similarly, there was an association between meeting the competence threshold after training and the number of modules completed (odds ratio, OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.07-1.15), and treating at least one patient during training was associated with competence after training (OR=2.2, 95% CI 1.2-4.1). CONCLUSIONS: Independent Web-centered training can successfully train large numbers of therapists dispersed across a wide geographical area. This finding is of importance because the availability of a highly scalable method of training potentially increases the number of people who might receive effective psychological treatments

The Landscape of Noncredit Workforce Education: State Policies and Community College Practices

Postsecondary noncredit education has become increasingly common in recent years, and at many community colleges, noncredit programs enroll more students than do credit programs (Bailey et al., 2003). Courses connected with workforce instruction and contract training account for much of this growth (Dougherty and Bakia, 1999), and such courses are noted for their important role in responding flexibly to shifting workforce demands. Still, the growth in community college noncredit workforce education raises questions about whether the colleges are keeping pace with student and industry needs, using resources efficiently, and providing adequate access to all students. The answers to these questions may challenge current state policies and college practices