High School Freshmen Research Articles

Enhancing Readability of Online Patient-Facing Content: The Role of AI Chatbots in Improving Cancer Information Accessibility.

Internet-based health education is increasingly vital in patient care. However, the readability of online information often exceeds the average reading level of the US population, limiting accessibility and comprehension. This study investigates the use of chatbot artificial intelligence to improve the readability of cancer-related patient-facing content. We used ChatGPT 4.0 to rewrite content about breast, colon, lung, prostate, and pancreas cancer across 34 websites associated with NCCN Member Institutions. Readability was analyzed using Fry Readability Score, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook. The primary outcome was the mean readability score for the original and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content. As secondary outcomes, we assessed the accuracy, similarity, and quality using F1 scores, cosine similarity scores, and section 2 of the DISCERN instrument, respectively. The mean readability level across the 34 websites was equivalent to a university freshman level (grade 13±1.5). However, after ChatGPT's intervention, the AI-generated outputs had a mean readability score equivalent to a high school freshman education level (grade 9±0.8). The overall F1 score for the rewritten content was 0.87, the precision score was 0.934, and the recall score was 0.814. Compared with their original counterparts, the AI-rewritten content had a cosine similarity score of 0.915 (95% CI, 0.908-0.922). The improved readability was attributed to simpler words and shorter sentences. The mean DISCERN score of the random sample of AI-generated content was equivalent to "good" (28.5±5), with no significant differences compared with their original counterparts. Our study demonstrates the potential of AI chatbots to improve the readability of patient-facing content while maintaining content quality. The decrease in requisite literacy after AI revision emphasizes the potential of this technology to reduce health care disparities caused by a mismatch between educational resources available to a patient and their health literacy.

The Role of High School Freshman Grades, Socioeconomic Status, and School Location on College Enrollment

Prior research underscores the pivotal role high school freshman grade-point averages (FGPA) play in college enrollment, with a focus predominantly on urban settings. This study broadens this perspective, employing a diverse Arkansas sample (n = 33,207), spanning rural, suburban, and urban high school students and filling a notable literature gap. Utilizing a logit analysis, we found that high school students with an A FGPA were 23% more likely to enroll in college than B FGPA peers. Those failing a course in their high school freshman year were 13% less likely to enroll in college. Among similar academic ability students, economically disadvantaged students were 15% less likely to enroll in college. Locale classifications showed no significant enrollment variations. We conclude that FGPA and socioeconomic status (SES) are stronger enrollment predictors than locale classifications, finishing with intervention recommendations for lower-SES students in exploring college options.

Modelling-based pedagogy as a theme across science disciplines–Effects on scientific reasoning and content understanding

Due to the increased use of scientific models and modelling in K-12 education, there is a need to uncover its effects on students over time. Prior research has shown that the use of scientific modelling in K-12 classes is associated with improved conceptual knowledge and problem-solving skills. However, few studies have explicitly tested the longitudinal benefits of using model-based instruction on students’ scientific reasoning skills (SRS) and content knowledge. This paper studies the effects of the use of modelling-based pedagogy in a longitudinal comparative case study on students’ SRS using hierarchical linear modeling. Our findings showed that initial exposure to modelling-based instruction increased scientific reasoning scores significantly. By the end of their first year of science instruction, the average high school freshman in our study achieved the scientific reasoning level of many undergraduate STEM majors. More importantly, students in the lowest quartile of scientific reasoning demonstrated increased scores over the three years of the modeling-based course sequence. In addition, reasoning scores in the modelling classes were a significant predictor of post-content knowledge in all subjects. Our results suggested that students should be exposed to model-based instruction early and consistently to achieve equity in science instruction.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears in the Adolescent Population: Injury Demographics and Risk of Reinjury Among High School Athletes.

The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries is increasing among the adolescent population with a peak occurring in the high school age range. To characterize recent epidemiologic trends of ACL injuries, ACL reconstruction (ACLR), and retear rates in high school adolescents based on age, participating sport, and mechanism of injury. Retrospective case series. A prospectively maintained institutional database was retrospectively reviewed for all patients 18 or younger who underwent primary ACLR between 2015 and 2020. Odds ratios were calculated for baseline patient characteristics and their association with risk of retear. Multivariate regression analysis was also performed to identify the relationship between retear and specific categorical variables. A total of 482 patients were included, with a mean follow-up time of 13.0 ± 11.8 months. Patients were an average age of 16.1 ± 1.3 years old (range: 13 to 18 y). Initial presentation of ACL injuries in high school athletes often occurred at 16 years old regardless of the sport played. Based on age, high school freshmen and seniors are found to have an increased risk of ACL retear. One hundred three patients (21.6%) completed at least 2 or more years of follow-up after ACLR. Of these patients, 38.8% received a bone-tendon-bone (BTB) autograft, 36.9% hamstring autograft, 14.6% quadriceps tendon autograft, and 3.9% received hamstring allograft or other graft (eg, tibialis anterior and BTB allograft), respectively. There were 25 ipsilateral ACL retears that occurred in the patient cohort (5.2%). Thirteen (52%) of retears were females. Football and soccer were the most common sports played by patients with a retear of the ipsilateral knee (31.8% and 27.3%, respectively). Patients who were 13 to 14 or 18 years old ( P = 0.009 and 0.035, respectively) or who received a tibialis anterior/BTB allograft ( P = 0.002) were found to have increased risk of ACL retear compared with other age groups. When evaluating by sex, female soccer players had a greater risk of retear compared with male soccer players ( P = 0.007). When adjusting for multiple variables, (including age, sex, body mass index, primary reconstruction graft choice, sport, and length of follow-up), the odds of ipsilateral retear in patients who received hamstring autograft ( P = 0.02), sustained a contralateral ACL tear ( P = 0 .04), or a contact injury ( P = 0.01) were increased. Initial presentation of ACL injuries in high school athletes often occurs at 16 years old regardless of the sport played. Based on age, high school freshmen and seniors are found to have an increased risk of ACL retear. However, the overall rate of ACL retear in high school athletes of all ages is low. Patients who underwent ACLR with hamstring tendon autograft had a greater risk of retear compared with other graft types. Female soccer players also had a greater risk of ACL retear. High school athletes must take caution when in the early high school years (underclassman) and more senior years (upperclassman), as susceptibility for ACL retears is elevated. Level IV.

The status and influencing factors of adolescents' mental health in a province of China: A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo understand the mental health status of adolescents in China and its influencing factors. MethodsThe stratified cluster sampling method was used to evaluate the mental health status of 5633 adolescents using the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90). ResultsThere were statistically significant differences in the overall mean score of SCL-90 and the mean score of each subscale among adolescents in gender, grade, family, and region. The mean score of the interpersonal sensitivity and phobic anxiety subscales of the adolescents with rural household registration was higher than that of the urban household registration. Except for hostility and phobic anxiety subscales, there was a significant difference between junior high school and senior high school students in the remaining subscales. There were significant differences between only children and non-only children in the obsessive-compulsive symptoms and phobic anxiety subscales. The mean scores of depression, phobic anxiety, and other subscales of left-behind adolescents were significantly different from those of non-left-behind adolescents. Female gender (OR = 1.789), different-grade (junior high school sophomore: OR = 2.201; junior high school third grade: OR = 2.004; high school freshman: OR = 2.279; high school sophomore: OR = 2.947; high school senior: OR = 2.112), different-region (central region: OR = 1.302; southern region: OR = 1.925) and high school (OR = 1.281) adolescents had a higher risk of mental health problems, while those from two-parent families (OR = 0.68) had a lower risk. LimitationsThis study is a cross-sectional study and not widely representative. ConclusionGender, grade, region, and academic period are risk factors, and a two-parent family is a protective factor for adolescents' mental health.

Half Of Adolescents Never Met Physical Activity Guidelines Over A Nine Week Period

PURPOSE: Consistency in physical activity is crucial to acquire maximum health benefits. The current physical activity (PA) recommendation for adolescents is to accrue 420 minutes of PA a week. The purpose of this study was to examine proximal changes in adolescent physical activity. METHODS: Adolescents in a freshman high school health class answered Exercise Vital Sign (EVS) questions over the course of nine weeks. Minutes of PA per week was calculated by multiplying days of PA by minutes of PA. Participants were then categorized as meeting (≥420 minutes/week) or not meeting (<420 minutes per week) current PA guidelines. An alluvial diagram was created to perform exploratory visual analysis of the magnitude and variability in meeting and not meeting PA trajectories across the four time points. RESULTS: Of the twenty-five who participated, 21 had EVS data at four points in time. The average PA across all time points was 312 ± 272 minutes per week. PA between the time points ranged from 245-355 minutes per week. 14% of adolescents always met PA recommendations and 48% never met PA recommendations. 10% of adolescents missed the recommended PA only once, 24% missed twice, and 5% missed PA recommendations three times. From Time Point 1 to Time Point 4 the percentage of adolescents who did not meet PA recommendations were 57%, 71%, 71%, and 62%, respectfully. DISCUSSION: The benefits of regular, consistent exercise include improved mood, physical fitness and sleep quality as well as a decreased risk of chronic diseases. Adolescence is a key developmental stage because developed health behaviors often translate into adulthood. A large majority (86%) did not meet PA guidelines at least once during the study. There may be differences between those who never meet and those who sometimes meet the recommended PA levels. Individual Trajectories of Meeting and Not Meeting PA Guidelines over Four points in Time

Significance and Challenges of Formative Ipsative Assessment in Inquiry Learning: A Case Study of Writing Activities in a “Contemporary Society” Course in a Japanese High School

The theory of formative assessment highlights the importance of ipsative assessment, which uses internally generated criteria and goals to compare students’ performance with their past performance. This study designed a formative ipsative assessment practice as part of inquiry learning in high school and clarified its significance and challenges. The results of three rounds of academic writing for high school freshmen showed that the practice gradually improved students’ overall writing skills; thus, qualitative improvement and transformation in performance-centered learning were expected. In high schools, where a single teacher is responsible for many students and is constrained by external standards such as university entrance exams, one strategy is to align learning and assessment by developing abstract higher-order criteria and then developing them into concrete lower-order criteria appropriate for each student. This paper presents five challenges and these solutions.

Estudo de caso sobre estratégias de ação do PIBID no ensino de Geografia a partir da percepção de alunos.

This paper discusses the experience gotten on PIBID (Scholarship Institutional Program for Teaching Initiation) from 2018 to January 2020 at the State School Francisco Bernardino in Juiz de Fora city, Minas Gerais. We sought to capture the perception of both the 6th-grade elementary school and freshman high school students and point out alternatives for more attractive classes that would approach their daily lives. Subsequently, it was identified clues of practical and theoretical alternatives for materials making and didactical methods that would provide dynamism to the content discussed in the 6th-grade classes. The main notes for more attractivity were the thematic closer to the students’ daily lives; better exposure of social and natural phenomena of the environment they live in; more extracurricular (outside school) activities. Some workshops were performed back in 2019 like poetry and music; “the globe in your hands”; the Landscape Geographic Game; the elaboration of the Francisco Bernardino’s School Atlas; fieldworks like a field trip to the UFJF (Federal University of Juiz de Fora) Climatological Station; and the study of the relief and its interaction with the urban area of Juiz de Fora City, using models and maps for that. It has been concluded that the elaboration of didactical activities set for geography teaching, taking as reference the school students’ interests linked to the “PIBIDians” academic knowledge, has significantly contributed to a more fluid Teaching-Learning process.

Molly McCarthy, MBA, BSN, RN, RN-BC

Molly McCarthy, MBA, BSN, RN, RN-BC

The Effect of Single Sport Specialization in Youth Sports: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives:Large numbers of youth participate in both team and individual sports. In recent years, sports specialization has become increasingly popularized in younger athletes. There is concern that early sports specialization increases the risk of overuse injuries in youth athletes. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of sport specialization in youth athletes, and prospectively examine whether specialization correlates with an increased incidence of athletic injury.Methods:895 high school freshman athletes were enrolled starting in 2016, with the intent of following them through the completion of their high school careers. They were recruited from 3 high schools within the same school district. Sports specialization was defined as participating in a single sport in excess of 6 months of the year at the exclusion of other sports. Athletes’ demographic information, sport commitment and injury history were collected through a sports specialization and injury survey. The same athletes were queried again at the conclusion of each season to collect injury information. Athletic training records were used to corroborate, in order to ensure capture of all injuries reported to health care personnel.Results:Of the 895 athletes, 216 (24.1%) reported sport specialization at some point during their high school sports careers. Specialized athletes were exposed to significantly more sports activity (8.41 hours/week vs 7.10 hours/week, p<0.00001 ). They were also much more likely (70.6% vs 25.1%, p< .00001) to compete on a club or travel team for their sport. Male athletes were more likely to specialize than females (27.0% vs 19.3%, p<0.0072). Baseball (12.1% of specialized athletes vs 4.9% of all athletes, p<0.000032) main sport athletes were the only athletes significantly more likely to report specialization. Specialized athletes were significantly more likely than their nonspecialized counterparts to report an injury (39.8% vs 33.2%, p< 0.0271). These athletes suffered from higher severity injuries, requiring more time to recover than their peers. (p<0.0483). Despite the higher propensity for injury in specialized athletes and greater tendency for specialization in males, female athletes were more likely to report injures (p<0.0053). The most common reported injuries were of the knee, ankle, and head (18.6%, 18.2%, 16.6% of all injuries respectively). Season ending injuries were also most commonly knee, ankle, and head injuries (48.5%, 15.2%, 12.1% respectively), with 30.3% of all reported season ending injuries being ACL tears.Conclusions:Specialized student athletes tend to have significantly more injuries than non-specialized athletes, as well as more severe injuries than non-specialized athletes. This is one of the largest and most comprehensive studies to date, evaluating the effect of sports specialization on the incidence of athletic injury in high school athletes.

From “Robot” to “Rejuvenating Warrior”: An EFL Learner’s Conceptual Metaphors During School Transition

Drawing on conceptual metaphor theory, I investigated the school transition experience of an English as a foreign language (EFL) learner. In this narrative case study, the participant’s emotion labor was followed throughout his first semester at a high school in Turkey. Exploring narrative journals, conceptual metaphors, and interviews, I examined his dynamic emotional states. The findings revealed that school transition may entail inhibiting emotion labor for high school freshman EFL learners. Moreover, it was also shown that these emotions may force adolescent learners to reconceptualize foreign language learning with a negative perspective and develop surviving learner’s strategies that may support them in terms of getting satisfactory grades in a summative assessment culture but may jeopardize language learning in the long run.

Dual Credit Courses and Legislation: Does Public Policy Align with Academic Outcomes?

The opportunity to earn college credit while in high school is an attractive option for high school students to start a college career. The process is referred to as dual credit courses. In 2015 Texas law from House Bill 505 allows for high school freshmen and sophomores to take college courses to increase certificate and degree completion, thus meeting the goals of the Texas higher education masterplan. The purpose of the study was to examine how student characteristics among 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade high school students relate to academic success in a dual credit environment. However, results showed a lack of participation grounded in the foundation of House Bill 505. Results of statistical and policy analyses show the law falls short of its intended outcomes and may have adverse effects.

Korean language math-to-speech rules for digital books for people with reading disabilities and their usability evaluation

Although Digital Accessible Information System, an international digital talking book standard, is conducting active research on upper level education for people with reading disabilities, special components like images or formulas are difficult to read aloud in Korean. Therefore, this paper defines Korean math-to-speech rules for Contents Mathematical Markup Language based on the formulas used in the Korean middle school and high school freshman curriculum. Based on the proposed rules, a program that turns formulas expressed in Contents Mathematical Markup Language into speech was also designed through Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations. Finally, a performance test was conducted to determine both the accuracy of the transformed formulas and the clarity of formulas when read aloud.

AmericCamus 1959: Albert Camus en Amérique maccarthyste par Alek Baylee Toumi

Reviewed by: AmericCamus 1959: Albert Camus en Amérique maccarthyste par Alek Baylee Toumi E. Nicole Meyer Toumi, Alek Baylee. AmericCamus 1959: Albert Camus en Amérique maccarthyste. L'Harmattan, 2020. ISBN 978-2-343-20398-0. Pp. 102. Given Toumi's five previous plays featuring Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus, the latter being the topic of the author's research, the reader understands this play is imaginary, albeit containing factual links to Camus. Toumi sets up the play's action through three constructs. First, several quotes orient our reading of the play. This highlights Camus's appreciation of humour as well as his distaste for contemporary intellectual society "où le réflexe a remplacé la réflexion, où l'on pense à coup de slogan et où la méchanceté essaie de se faire passer trop souvent pour l'intelligence" (7). Second, the cast list includes well-known scholar, Germaine [End Page 266] Brée, and Camus, as well as Gerry and Judy, two former colleagues of the author. Inconsistencies appear. For instance, Toumi mentions that Brée arrives in 1960 to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his alma mater. However, the action of the play occurs there in November 1959. Third, the "présentateur" sets up the premise of the return of La peste "Trumpism" as a parallel to McCarthyism of the era represented in the play. Toumi argues that Camus's joy, sense of humor, and passion for life remain the ultimate form of pacifist Resistance. Constructed in four "Tableaux," the first and by far the longest, is composed of four scenes, the others each of two. The first Tableau shares Camus arrival, banal exchanges, and quotidian details (sandwich, shower, unseasonably warm weather). Certain recognizable details add veracity—the location of a now defunct train station, the Italian deli where Brée buys her bread. Within a few pages, the character Camus and Brée chat. Camus critiques mediocre, mean intellectuals. An interesting, albeit wide ranging discussion ensues; topics include Algeria, Spanish fascism, his Nobel Prize, and various authors they have read. The rapid jumps in subjects might appear more an exercise in namedropping to some. Clever wordplay will appeal to others. Central themes include Camus's passion for writing, family (especially his former and now current partner, Maria), and his love for Algeria despite his prediction that in becoming an "Algérie arabe, d'exclusions et de haines" (42), it will autodestruct. Lacking transition, scene 4 commences with Camus singing Georges Brassens's songs to Brée, who criticizes American conservatism and their lack of appreciation. The second Tableau brings both to campus. Scène 2 introduces Gerry and Judy who dine with the duo that evening. They barely speak—Gerry tells several "Frenchie jokes," while Judy comes off as silly. Of all of the named characters, she is the only one still living, and in November 1959, was a high school freshman. One wonders why these characters are named at all. The last two Tableaux leave politics aside and are the most successful. A conversation with students and professors in the penultimate is followed by a job interview in which Camus hides his identity. Toumi's affinity for Camus, and their mutual love of Algiers and Algeria come through well, helping the reader to understand an era of the past, as well as its link to our current times. E. Nicole Meyer Augusta University (GA) Copyright © 2021 American Association of Teachers of French

Expectancy–value theory as a framework to understand the relation between domain‐specific perfectionism and internalizing symptoms in freshman high school students

AbstractThis study explored how domain‐specific perfectionism (academic, social, physical appearance) among high school freshmen relates to internalizing symptoms using critical elements of expectancy–value theory (i.e., domain value and competence) as moderators. Results indicate that perfectionism across all domains was positively and significantly related to internalizing symptoms. Within the social domain, social value was a significant moderator of the relation between perfectionism and internalizing symptoms, and perceived social competence was a significant moderator of that moderation effect (i.e., at higher levels of social value and lower levels of perceived social competence, the relation between perfectionism and internalizing symptoms was the strongest). These findings provide support for the use of the expectancy–value model to predict mental health symptoms in the social domain and suggest the importance of addressing domain‐specific perfectionism in the schools.

Correlates of the Mental Fitness of Female High School Freshmen: Focus on Multidimensional Empathy and Brain Function.

We examined the association between multidimensional empathy, brain function, and mental fitness and identified correlates of mental fitness. In total, 146 female high school freshmen from a South Korean school participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected from March to April 2019, using a self-report questionnaire and quantitative electro-encephalographic data (QEEG). Instruments included the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Mental Fitness Scale, to access multidimensional empathy and mental fitness. Prefrontal cortex brain function was assessed with the brain quotient measure from the QEEG during free time after school. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. Mental fitness had statistically significant relationships with multidimensional empathy (r = 0.36, p < 0.001) and brain quotient (r = 0.23, p = 0.005). Demographic factors affecting mental fitness included satisfaction with school life (β = 0.23, p = 0.001) and economic status (β = 0.17, p = 0.024). Factors from the subscales of multidimensional empathy included perspective taking (β = 0.26, p = 0.001), fantasy (β = 0.22, p = 0.004), and personal distress (β = −0.19, p = 0.010); and the brain function factor was brain quotient (β = 0.14, p = 0.038). The explanatory power of the model was 49.4% (F = 14.44, p < 0.001). There is a need for a concrete and objective understanding of mental fitness in adolescents to develop intervention programs for freshmen with various maladaptation problems.

The effects of peer mentoring in a Midwestern high school

ABSTRACT We investigated the effects of mentoring on selected attributes among high-school mentors. Three attributes were explored: altruism, diligence, and student leadership. Sixty-eight high-school juniors and seniors participated as mentors to high-school freshman students. Mentors participated in a leadership training program prior to beginning their mentoring activities. Pre- and post-test measures of the three attributes were administered using a paired t-test. Results showed no significant increase in diligence scores, and a significant increase in the perception of leadership scores. Unexpectedly, the mentoring experience produced a significant decrease in altruism scores throughout the 2015–2016 school-year. Implications for implementing a mentoring program in a high school setting are discussed.

Unloved, Unwanted, and Unsure: The Counternarratives of Incarcerated Youth

Background Black youth are five times more likely, Latinx twice as likely, and Native American youth three times as likely to be incarcerated as their White peers. One of the dire consequences of the prison-industrial complex is that countless youth of color have been disenfranchised and cast out of society. Purpose The purpose of this study is to document the features of a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project conducted by Leaders Organizing 2 Unite &amp; Decriminalize (LOUD) youth members, which is made up of allies, formerly incarcerated youth, and youth on probation, to provide a model that could be adaptable in similar other contexts. Setting This study takes place in the American Southwest in a state where marijuana is only medically legalized. Participants I worked primarily with five Latina women and three Latino men, one African American man, and one Diné woman. The ages of the LOUD members ranged from 15 to 20 years old and from a high school freshman to a first-year college student. Research Design As a co-facilitator for LOUD, I investigated how this YPAR project provided youth with the opportunity to shape and challenge current juvenile justice policies that detrimentally impacted youth for three years. YPAR endorses a collective process between the researcher and youth, allowing both parties to contribute meaningfully to all areas of research. Data Collection and Analysis Data were analyzed from three sets of semistructured interviews and 40 field notes taken over three years. I used a conventional content analysis approach to analyze both individual interview and weekly meeting transcriptions. Line-by-line coding was conducted through the use of Dedoose qualitative software. Results Through their YPAR investigation of the juvenile justice system, LOUD members were able to identify several key issues that affected system-involved youth such as being dehumanized, the mental, emotional, and spiritual toll, access to their lawyers, and unfair burdens placed on their families. LOUD members found their voice, became empowered to recommend changes in juvenile justice policies, and became social justice advocates for incarcerated youth through this process. Conclusions This project demonstrates how vulnerable marginalized youth became empowered by conducting and analyzing research, developing important recommendations, and being able to share their stories to change the juvenile justice system. We could choose to be a nation that extends care, compassion, and concern to those who are locked up and locked out or headed for prison before they are old enough to vote. We could seek for them the same opportunities we seek for our own children; we could treat them like one of “us.” We could do that. Or we can choose to be a nation that shames and blames its most vulnerable, affixes badges of dishonor upon them at young ages, and then relegates them to a permanent second-class status for life. That is the path we have chosen, and it leads to a familiar place. (Alexander, 2010, p. 206)

Addressing the Stigma Surrounding Serious Mental Illness in Adolescents: a Brief Intervention.

Stigma in mental illness is a problem fueled by misrepresentation by the media and the assimilation of parent opinion, noted in those as young as six years old. Intervening in adolescence is critical given juxtaposition of increased judgement/fear of judgement and the onset of serious mental illness. This paper details the efforts of an intervention designed to specifically target the perception of dangerousness, social distancing, and use of stigmatizing language. A total of 124 high school freshman participated in the interactive presentation delivered over the course of a typical 40min class period. An identical survey with a 5-point Likert scale was administered before and after to measure level of agreement with stigmatizing statements. Most participants reported prior exposure through the media (86.6%) and through conversations with family/friends (67.7%). Post intervention, improvement was seen in the perception of dangerousness (MD = 0.45, t = 4.435, p = <0.001), the need for social distancing (measure 1: MD = 0.148, t = 1.785, p = 0.039; measure 2: MD = 0.142, t = 1.773, p = 0.04), and understanding of the experience of those with serious mental illness (MD = 0.377, t = 3.378, p = <0.001). No significant difference was seen in terms of stigmatizing language use (MD = 0.114, t = 1.192, p = 0.118). This study supports the delivery of anti-stigma education to adolescents that avoids the biogenetic and contact approaches, embraces the continuum model of mental health, normalizes psychotic experiences, addresses dangerousness with data, identifies prominent figures with mental illness, and uses personalized statistics to demonstrate why this topic is of importance.

Teacher-student ratings of social, emotional, behavioural needs among high school freshmen students

ABSTRACT Students’ social, emotional, and behavioural (SEB) needs are associated with their academics and school behaviours, and teachers are in proximal roles to address students’ needs. However, it is unclear how teacher-student understanding of SEB needs relate to students’ academic achievement and behaviours. Based on 264 ninth-grade student-teacher dyads from one American semi-urban high school, teacher-student levels of SEB agreement were assessed and compared with students’ grade point averages, school attendance, and number of disciplinary referrals. Findings indicate that the degree of common agreement about SEB needs ranges from 48% (engagement) to 87% (bullying). Further, teacher-student agreement about externalising and bullying behaviours relates to students’ GPA and attendance. Agreement about an array of social skills also predicts students’ office disciplinary referrals. Understanding the level of agreement between teachers and students is critical in informing teacher professional development and SEB-related classroom instruction.