Participating School Districts Research Articles

The Teachers Institute Approach to Professional Development

The core activity of a Teachers Institute takes place in seminars. Each seminar is led by a faculty member from a participating university or college, with up to a dozen Fellows, teachers from participating school districts. Local seminars will meet on a regular schedule, typically for two hours or more at one time, over a period of months. In New Haven, seminars meet in 12 two-hour sessions, running from March through early July. The National Initiative also runs seminars, for teachers from all participating districts. These National Seminars have preliminary meetings in early May, and their main work is done in a two-week Intensive Session in mid-July.The distinguishing feature of a Teachers Institute is that, rather than provide evidence of mastery of the seminar topic by examination or other means internal to the seminar, the primary obligation of each seminar Fellow is to write a curriculum unit based on the seminar. This structure obviates questions as to what seminar material is mastered by a fellow, and also the question of whether the seminar affects classroom practice: it automatically does.The Teachers Institute approach is based on a cooperative partnership between a college or university and a school district. (It is possible to have multiple partners on either side of the partnership, but for simplicity we will ignore that possibility here.) Faculty members from the higher education partner contribute their subject matter expertise by offering seminars in relevant topics, and teachers contribute their classroom expertise to create sequences of lessons that incorporate the insights afforded by the seminar. Fellows in a given seminar will typically represent all grade levels, from the primary grades through high school. It follows that seminar themes must be educationally robust: they must have potential for enriching instruction for students of all ages. Seminars can be built around recent advances in a field, especially in science or technology. They may also be built around enduring issues: important perspectives that may escape attention in standard courses, or fundamental ideas that are relatively neglected in existing curricula. The seminars offered in the National Initiative in 2011 were:The Art of Reading PeopleLove and Politics in the SonnetThe Big Easy: Literary New Orleans and Intangible HeritageChemistry of Everyday ThingsGreat Ideas of Primary MathematicsOrgans and Artificial OrgansI have been the main leader of seminars in mathematics for the National Initiative for the past several years. The seminars I have offered in previous years areThe Art and Craft of Word ProblemsEstimationThe Mathematics of WallpaperA strong feature of a Teachers Institute is the key role played by teachers in all activities. Seminar topics are offered by faculty, but the decisions as to which seminars will run is in the hands of a committee of Teacher Representatives, who canvas their colleagues throughout the district as to which of the proposed topics have the most potential to raise the level of instruction. After seminars are selected, the same committee accepts and vets applications to participate in the selected seminars, and determines seminar membership. Each seminar also has one Fellow who serves as coordinator, ensuring good communication between the Seminar Leader and the Fellows, and especially, that the complex task of unit writing proceeds on schedule, with each Fellow having adequate guidance and support.In this spirit, the seminars themselves are highly collegial affairs, with regular participation from all Fellows as well as the Seminar Leader. In particular, seminars include time for Fellows to share with each other their plans for their units, and to provide feedback and mutual support for their projects. Discussions initiated during seminar time may well lead to further exchanges between Fellows outside of seminar meetings. …

Immediate Effects of a Program to Promote School Readiness in Low-Income Children: Results of a Pilot Study.

Children from low-income backgrounds demonstrate poorer school readiness skills than their higher-income peers. The Kids in Transition to School (KITS) Program was developed to increase early literacy, social skills, and self-regulatory skills among children with inadequate school readiness. In the present study, 39 families participated in a pilot efficacy trial conducted through a community collaboration to examine the feasibility and impact of the KITS program with families from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Participating families were demographically representative of the larger populations in the participating school districts. Children who received the intervention demonstrated significantly greater improvements in letter naming, initial sound fluency, and understanding of concepts about print than their peers who did not participate in the intervention, as well as decreases in aggressive responses to peer provocation and increases in self-regulation skills. Results suggest that a brief, focused school readiness intervention is feasible to conduct with low-income families and may improve critical skills.

Effects of a tobacco control intervention for teachers in India: results of the Bihar school teachers study.

We assessed a school-based intervention designed to promote tobacco control among teachers in the Indian state of Bihar. We used a cluster-randomized design to test the intervention, which comprised educational efforts, tobacco control policies, and cessation support and was tailored to the local social context. In 2009 to 2011, we randomly selected 72 schools from participating school districts and randomly assigned them in blocks (rural or urban) to intervention or delayed-intervention control conditions. Immediately after the intervention, the 30-day quit rate was 50% in the intervention and 15% in the control group (P = .001). At the 9-month postintervention survey, the adjusted 6-month quit rate was 19% in the intervention and 7% in the control group (P = .06). Among teachers employed for the entire academic year of the intervention, the adjusted 6-month abstinence rates were 20% and 5%, respectively, for the intervention and control groups (P = .04). These findings demonstrate the potent impact of an intervention that took advantage of social resources among teachers, who can serve as role models for tobacco control in their communities.

Short‐ and Long‐Term Outcome Results from a Multisite Evaluation of the G.R.E.A.T. Program

Criminology & Public PolicyVolume 12, Issue 3 p. 375-411 RESEARCH ARTICLE Short- and Long-Term Outcome Results from a Multisite Evaluation of the G.R.E.A.T. Program Finn-Aage Esbensen, Corresponding Author Finn-Aage Esbensen University of Missouri—St. LouisDirect correspondence to Finn-Aage Esbensen, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri—St. Louis, One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121-4499 (e-mail: esbensen@umsl.edu).Search for more papers by this authorD. Wayne Osgood, D. Wayne Osgood Pennsylvania State UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorDana Peterson, Dana Peterson University at AlbanySearch for more papers by this authorTerrance J. Taylor, Terrance J. Taylor University of Missouri—St. LouisSearch for more papers by this authorDena C. Carson, Dena C. Carson University of Missouri—St. LouisSearch for more papers by this author Finn-Aage Esbensen, Corresponding Author Finn-Aage Esbensen University of Missouri—St. LouisDirect correspondence to Finn-Aage Esbensen, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri—St. Louis, One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121-4499 (e-mail: esbensen@umsl.edu).Search for more papers by this authorD. Wayne Osgood, D. Wayne Osgood Pennsylvania State UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorDana Peterson, Dana Peterson University at AlbanySearch for more papers by this authorTerrance J. Taylor, Terrance J. Taylor University of Missouri—St. LouisSearch for more papers by this authorDena C. Carson, Dena C. Carson University of Missouri—St. LouisSearch for more papers by this author First published: 18 December 2013 https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12048Citations: 52 This research was made possible, in part, by the support and participation of seven school districts, including the School District of Philadelphia. This project was supported by Award No. 2006-JV-FX-0011 from the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice or of the seven participating school districts. We would like to express our appreciation to the students who made this project possible by completing the student questionnaires. And this project would have been impossible without our team of colleagues and research assistants; special thanks to Adrienne Freng, Kristy Matsuda, J. Michael Vecchio, and Stephanie A. Wiley for their invaluable assistance. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume12, Issue3August 2013Pages 375-411 RelatedInformation

The Impacts of Budget Reductions on Indiana’s Public Schools

In recent years, economic downturn and changes to Indiana’s school funding have resulted in significant financial reductions in General Fund allocations for many of Indiana’s public school corporations. The purposes of this three-year statewide study are to explore the possible impacts of these budget changes on class sizes, teaching position reductions, and student achievement indicators. Methods of data collection include a superintendent’s survey, a compilation of student standardized test scores, and an evaluation of financial records for participating school districts. Currently, year two is complete with 87 school corporations participating in both years of the study. Descriptive statistics reveal sizeable budget cuts across the state, significant reductions in instructional personnel, a rise in average class sizes, and an increase in standardized test scores. This inquiry provides needed information regarding the depth and breadth of school budget cuts, instructional position reductions, and current data regarding average class sizes for Indiana’s public schools.

Sustainable School Food Procurement in Large K—12 Districts: Prospects for Value Chain Partnerships

Many scholars and activists are interested in the potential for school-based childhood nutrition programs to positively impact the U.S. agri-food system. This paper explores efforts of a national K-12 school food collaborative to procure more sustainably grown and healthful food products. After a review of literature on transaction cost theory and school food procurement, the paper examines the potential of strategic partnerships in a value chain framework to meet procurement change goals. Results from a qualitative study of two participating school districts suggest that partnerships can offer potential solutions to recurring procurement barriers found in previous research.

Comparison of Indoor Air Quality Management Strategies Between the School and District Levels in New York State

Good school indoor air quality (IAQ) can affect the health and functioning of school occupants. Thus, it is important to assess the degree to which schools and districts employ strategies to ensure good IAQ management. We examined and compared the patterns of IAQ management strategies between public elementary schools and their school districts in New York State. District-level information obtained from surveys of district facilities managers in 326 districts was described and stratified by district size and socioeconomic status. School-level information obtained from surveys of head custodians in 770 elementary schools was then compared with the district-level information in 241 districts. About 47% of participating school districts reported having a district-wide IAQ program, with a large range in the prevalence of specific IAQ management strategies. Airing out newly painted areas was the most commonly reported (92%) and having a classroom animal policy was the least commonly reported (29%). Larger districts and districts with a district-wide IAQ program were more likely to report certain IAQ strategies than other districts. Elementary schools and their districts were most likely to report airing out newly painted areas (76%). The most common area of disagreement was construction after hours (50%). The top strategy not reported at either level was having an IAQ coordinator (53%). Many school districts lack key IAQ management strategies, and differences exist between district-level policy and school-level practice. Districts and schools should work together to formalize and expand existing IAQ policies and inform stakeholders about these strategies.

A Qualitative Analysis of Success Stories From Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute Participants

The purpose of this study was to detect and document common themes among success stories, along with challenges, as related by participants in the Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute. Four-member teams from 18 Michigan and Indiana school districts participated in semiannual Institute workshops over a 3-year period and were tasked with implementing Coordinated School Health Programs (CSHPs). Qualitative methods were used to generate themes from interviews. Data were gathered through a combined survey/interview process related to programmatic successes, evidence of success, and implementation challenges. One participant from 11 of 18 participating school districts completed the survey/interview. Each participant reported at least 1 success that had a positive effect on students and/or staff, many of which were related to the federally mandated wellness policy. With some notable exceptions, success was based on subjective judgments rather than systematically collected data. Unanimous expression of time constraints and being overworked in their current positions constituted major challenges. Although the Institute required only process evaluation, some participants collected outcome data, a task that is important in validating the benefits of CSHPs. Most districts were not able to hire the recommended coordinator to ensure implementation of health program planning initially developed during the institute. Encouragingly, at the time of data collection many teams were still acting to ensure health programming remained a priority. Nevertheless, without the network of social support provided by the Institute, some respondents struggled to maintain momentum.

Paving the Way

Partnerships between colleges and universities and K-12 school districts attempt to improve access to higher education by tailoring college outreach and teacher professional development programs to local needs as well as aligning high school curricula with higher education admissions criteria. In this article, we conduct a quasi-experimental evaluation of partnerships between universities and school districts in California. Our fixed-effects models indicate that comprehensive K-16 partnerships substantially increase student graduation and nonselective university enrollment rates in participating school districts, but that these effects take time. We argue that local partnerships are an effective, but resource- and time-intensive, K-16 school reform strategy.

Unraveling the Nature of Hyperactivity in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Seated hyperactivity is a defining feature of the combined and predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but its underlying nature is unknown. To determine whether hyperactivity is a consequence of an impaired ability to inhibit activity to low levels or to maintain positional stability. Case-control study. Academic research center and school. Sixty-two boys 9 to 12 years of age (of 73 screened), recruited from the community by advertisement, who met DSM-IV criteria for ADHD combined subtype on structured interview. Sixty-two controls were selected by matching for age and sex from a community sample of 1168 subjects in 3 participating school districts. Pupils with Conners' Teacher Rating Scores Revised within +/-1 SD of the mean for age were eligible for randomized matching. Intervention Infrared motion analysis of head-marker movements (50 Hz) during performance of a 15-minute cognitive control task. Subjects with ADHD were tested at least 18 hours following their last dose of methylphenidate and again 120 minutes after a 0.4-mg/kg probe dose. Inhibitory control (spike and basal amplitude) and head-marker stability (approximate entropy, Lyapunov, and spectral exponents). Inhibitory control measures were 2-fold higher in subjects with ADHD (d' = 0.63-0.95). Group differences in head-marker stability were even greater (d' = 2.20-4.71; receiver operating characteristic area = 0.956-1.0). Methylphenidate restored inhibitory ability to control levels but only partially corrected stability deficits, which still distinguished subjects with ADHD from controls (receiver operating characteristic area = 0.722-0.995). Children with ADHD have a deficient ability to inhibit activity to low levels and unstable control of head-marker position characterized by deterministic chaos (sensitivity to initial conditions). These deficits differed in degree of correctability by methylphenidate, suggesting that they may be mediated by different neural circuits (eg, corticostriatal vs cerebrovestibular).

Building Local Infrastructure for Coordinated School Health Programs: A Pilot Study

Coordinated school health programs (CSHPs) provide an organizational framework for school health practice by combining health education, health promotion, disease prevention, and access to health services in an integrated, systemic manner. This project examined the effects of a regional 2-year training program to increase local school districts' CSHP infrastructure as measured by the establishment of four structures essential to the CSHP model. These structures include a (a) school health advisory council, (b) school health coordinator, (c) school-based health teams, and (d) school board policy. Nine participating school districts were compared to seven nonparticipating districts. The nine participating districts demonstrated a significant increase in school health services and their infrastructure for CSHP as measured by the establishment of the four essential structures. Academic and physical fitness gains were noted for both the participating and nonparticipating districts. These results suggest that an intervention to increase school districts' infrastructure for CSHP show promise and provide an impetus for continued efforts at national, regional, and local levels.

AN URBAN SCHOOLS–UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP THAT PREPARES AND RETAINS QUALITY TEACHERS FOR “HIGH NEED” SCHOOLS

This article describes a full-time teaching internship program, where, in lieu of student teaching, interns serve as classroom teachers in urban area schools. Through a partnership between a university and participating school districts, all interns received intensive mentoring and induction during their first year. Among the program results, were a 100% retention rate of interns in the teaching profession, significant growth in teaching interns' confidence, readiness, and self-efficacy regarding their abilities to teach successfully. In addition, school administrators consistently rated interns as proficient teachers using a state-approved evaluation instrument. Implications for continuing the internship program are presented.

The relationship between work permits, injury, and safety training among working teenagers

No information exists on the differences between teenagers with work permits and teenagers without work permits in regards to workplace injury, near-miss incidents, and safety training. In May 2003, an anonymous questionnaire was administered to 7,506 teens attending high school throughout the five public health regions of Wisconsin. All students in the participating school districts were invited to respond. The questionnaire included questions about employment, injury, safety and health training, and school performance. Overall, 6,382 teens participated in the survey and 49% reported working during the school year. Seventy percent of all working teens reported having a permit. Females were more likely to have work permits compared with males (71% vs. 68%, P = 0.018). The percentages of teens with permits varied by job and ranged from 55% for teens working in tree-trimming/cutting to 85% for teens working in restaurants or fast food establishments. Teens with work permits were no less likely to be injured than those without permits (AOR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.85-1.33) and no less likely to have a near-miss incident (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.99-1.63). However, teens with permits were significantly more likely to be given safety training than teens without permits (AOR = 2.61, 95% CI: 2.21-3.10). Although teens with work permits were more likely to report receiving safety training than teens without permits, the occurrence of injury was no different among the groups.

The Effects of Universal Pre‐K in Oklahoma: Research Highlights and Policy Implications

Oklahoma is one of only three states in the nation to offer a free pre‐kindergarten (pre‐K) program to all students in participating school districts on a voluntary basis. Fortuitous circumstances in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the state's largest school district, permitted an unusually rigorous evaluation of the pre‐K program in Tulsa. Because four‐year‐olds beginning pre‐K and five‐year‐olds beginning kindergarten were administered the same test in September 2001 and because strict eligibility cut‐offs were applied, based on date of birth, it was possible to control for selection effects, in addition to gender, race/ ethnicity, school lunch eligibility, and precise date of birth. The evaluation showed strong positive effects of the pre‐K program on children's language and cognitive test scores. Hispanic children benefited most from the program, and black children also showed sharp gains, especially when they attended full‐day programs. The results are discussed in light of contemporary controversies regarding targeted or universal pre‐K programs; full‐or part‐day programming; public school or multiple delivery sites; strategies for ensuring high quality, effective programs; and the need for rigorous program evaluations.

Does elementary school alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use increase middle school risk?

To assess whether alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use in elementary school may have serious implications for continued ATOD use in middle school and beyond. Longitudinal analyses were conducted on questionnaire data from 331 middle school students who had previously provided ATOD-use data during elementary school. Non-school personnel administered questionnaires in three participating school districts in three different states. The sample of students was ethnically and geographically diverse, including students from a range of low socioeconomic status backgrounds living in rural, urban or inner-city environments. Middle school alcohol use was almost three times as likely to occur if alcohol use had occurred in elementary school (OR = 2.94, p <.001). Elementary school use of tobacco and marijuana also greatly increased the likelihood of middle school use (OR = 5.35, p <.001 and OR = 4.25, p <.05, respectively). Early use of ATOD is associated with greatly increased odds of later use, which has important implications for the timing of drug prevention programs. Preventive interventions designed for use in pediatric practice settings should commence no later than elementary school, during the middle childhood years.

Teacher Fellows: A Graduate Program for Beginning Teachers

This article describes the Teacher Fellows Program, a unique school/university partnership that provides mentoring and induction at the graduate level. The program addresses first-year teacher needs based on a no-additional-cost exchange of resources between the university and partner school districts. Data collected on teacher retention rates, participants' reflections, school district evaluations, and on-going collaborations are discussed. An analysis of the data suggests that the Teacher Fellows Program benefits the various participants in the following ways: (a) the university gains additional teaching resources; (b) participating school districts become collaborative partners in the teacher preparation program; (c) first-year teachers have intensive support in their induction year and earn a Masters Degree in education; (d) master teachers participate in professional development and renewal experiences; and (e) university faculty see firsthand the complexities of today's classrooms. How can I get students to work independently without constantly reminding them? There's just no time for ME! Keeping children's attention and getting them to stay on task is a challenge. I feel overwhelmed by all of the paperwork I have to do!

Experimental Design and Methods for School-Based Randomized Trials: Experience from the Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project (HSPP)

Nonadherence to accepted design principles for randomized trials has been a limitation of school-based intervention research. Designed to overcome these limitations, the Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project (HSPP) is a 15-year randomized trial to determine the extent to which a school-based (grades 3–12) tobacco use prevention intervention can deter youth tobacco use throughout and beyond high school. This paper presents the HSPP experimental design, together with methods for its implementation, and an evaluation of the degree to which HSPP has adhered to principles of randomized trials. Results from the experimental design and its conduct include (1) a recruitment rate of 97.6% (40 of 41 targeted school districts), (2) full and active participation for the trial's duration by 100% of the 40 school districts recruited, (3) implementation by virtually all teachers (99%+), with 86% implementation fidelity, and (4) outcome determination for 94.3% (7910) of 8388 original study participants identified 12 years previously at baseline. The high degree of rigor achieved by the HSPP experimental design ensures confidence in the trial's soon-to-be available intervention effectiveness results. Equally important, for future school-based trials, the HSPP design and its execution have illustrated that school-based research can adhere to the principles of rigorous randomized trials, with high rates of implementation, and very high rates of recruitment, maintenance, and follow-up of study participants, even for studies with decade-long follow-up periods. Rigor in school-based trials can be achieved through a combination of (1) commitment to the principles of randomized trials, (2) attention to the special challenges of trials specific to the school setting, (3) adoption and meticulous execution of proven methods for trial conduct, and (4) establishment at the outset of principles for maintaining positive collaborative relationships with participating school districts for the duration of the trial. These findings are important in light of the great potential for using the nation's schools to access youth for health promotion/risk-factor prevention. Control Clin Trials 2000;21:144–165

The Florida School Violence Policies and Programs Study.

The Florida School Violence Policies and Programs Study (FSVPPS) assessed characteristics of violence prevention and control policies and education programs in Florida's 67 public school districts. Data were collected using the Florida School Violence Policies and Programs Questionnaire (FSVPPQ). Instruments used in the national School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) served as the framework for item development. A questionnaire designed to solicit information about violence policies and education programs was mailed to all 67 school districts in Florida during spring 1996. Sixty-seven key informants were selected by asking district office personnel to identify the person with primary responsibility for violence prevention activities in their district. Fifty-five school districts returned completed questionnaires, yielding a usable response rate of 82%. Respondents included personnel of superintendent rank, district administrators and directors, instructional specialists, principals, and "Safe & Drug Free Schools" coordinators. Participating school districts were evenly distributed geographically across Florida. The FSVPPS data reported in this paper include administrative and programmatic information about violence prevention education.

Five Years after Implementation: The Role of the District in Maintaining an Ongoing School Improvement Process

ABSTRACT The longitudinal study reported here provides insight into the role of the school district in implementing and maintaining the essential elements of a nine‐year statewide improvement project called SPUR five years after the termination of state funding and external support. Key to the conceptualization of SPUR were findings from the comprehensive Rand Study (McLaughlin & Marsh, 1978) on successful change efforts emphasizing the importance of implementing an ongoing improvement process. On‐site visits to six districts and a follow‐up survey of all 66 participating school districts were used to determine maintenance of the process, factors facilitating/impeding maintenance, and long‐term benefits. Results suggest that SPUR represents a viable improvement process that can be implemented and maintained in districts and schools with positive outcomes. Individual and organizational efficacy as well as an increased capacity for change and innovation were found to be directly related to the level of district maintenance and support.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Kids in the Middle: A Field Test of a School-Based Consultation Model

A school-based collaborative consultation model was designed and field-tested to increase the core knowledge of AD/HD and effective intervention skills of middle and junior high school staff The model provided both direct and indirect consultation to school districts and included three levels of service: in-service training, on-site consultation, and advanced training witb follow-up consultation. Results of a field test are reported. Across a total of 57 participating school districts, 2,928 different personnel received contact with project activities. Most districts selected general in-service programs focused on knowledge dissemination to regular and special education teachers as well as consultation around individual students. In particular, self-management interventions for adolescents with AD/HD were implemented. Outcomes of the project as measured by consumer satisfaction ratings and 3-month follow-up data strongly suggest that the model was successful in substantially increasing core knowledge about and improving services to middle school students with AD/HD. Factors found to facilitate and maintain the knowledge base developed as a function of participating in the project are discussed and suggestions for implementation of this model of service delivery in school districts are presented.