Prevent School Failure Research Articles

Результаты качественного исследования представлений учителей и родителей учащихся начальной школы о профилактике и преодолении школьной неуспешности учащихся

<p>We present the results of a qualitative research of the perceptions, attitudes, experiences of teachers and parents of elementary school students on the practices used to overcome school failure. We comapred these practices with the recommended methods that have been shown to be effective in various studies. The sample consisted of 35 female informants living in big cities, regional centers, districts, and rural areas, with different levels of education: 20 teachers (M=38) and 15 parents (M=29) of primary school-aged children were recruited for this study. We gathered information by in-depth interview method, teachers and parents shared their views on the methods which help to overcome and prevent school failure in the context of elementary school. Collected interviews were studied using the method of content analysis and comparison of the obtained data by using the coding technique (A. Strauss and J. Corbin). The date revealed the attitudes of teachers and parents about the concept of school failure, reasons for its occurrence and ways to overcome it, we compared the results with the results of national and international researches on this topic. Summarizing the results of the study, we can conclude that, in general, teachers and parents use school failure overcoming strategies according to their own experience, intuition and sometimes use tools and approaches described in scientific studies. The results of this study can be used for building strategies of interaction between schools and families and for planning professional development of teachers.</p>

The impact of an interaction-based classroom program on executive function development in low-SES preschoolers: first support for effectiveness

Studies have shown that children from a low socioeconomic status (SES) family are likely to have lower academic scores, indicating an SES-achievement gap. This inequality already starts in preschool and persists throughout children’s lives. Since executive functions (EFs) have been put forward as contributing factors in this SES-achievement gap, it is crucial to target early EF development to remediate the adverse effects of poverty. In this quasi-experimental study, a classroom program delivered by teachers (i.e., “Put your EF glasses on”) was implemented to strengthen preschoolers’ EFs, consistent with the idea that well-developed EFs can foster school readiness and prevent school failure. The program aimed to boost children’s EFs through high-quality teacher-child interactions, EF-supporting activities (e.g., games), and a supportive classroom structure. Teachers (n = 24) and children (n = 224, Mage = 52.61 months) from 8 Belgian schools participated in this quasi-experimental pilot study and were divided into experimental and control groups. Teachers in the experimental group carried out the program (receiving materials and coaching to support implementation), whereas teachers in the control group practiced teaching as usual. Before and after the program, all teachers filled out the BRIEF-P, a questionnaire about daily executive problems in preschool children. We compared the effect of the classroom program in low-SES versus middle-to-high-SES children on EF problem scores. Results revealed that all low-SES children started with significantly higher EF problems (total problem score, working memory, inhibition, and planning and organizing) scores than middle-to-high-SES children. A positive effect of the program was found among low-SES children. More specifically, EF problems (total problem score, working memory, shifting, and planning and organizing) remained stable over time in the low-SES group in the experimental group, but there was no program effect on emotional control and inhibition. In the control group, these EF problems increased for low-SES children, expanding the gap between low and middle-to-high-SES children. There were no program effects for middle-to-high-SES children. These results show that a teacher-mediated classroom program can support EF development, especially in preschoolers at sociodemographic risk.

Youth at Risk in Higher Levels of Upper Secondary Education: A Supportive Intervention to Prevent School Failure and Drop Out

This study addresses the question of how learners whose parents have a migration background can be supported in upper secondary education to prevent their dropping out of education. To that end, we conducted interventions in an upper secondary education setting in order to improve school grades, subject-specific self-conceptions of ability in mathematics and German, motivation to study, and perceived self-efficacy and we evaluated the effects on learner achievements. We applied a two-phase process: a more virtual approach during restrictions imposed during COVID-19 and a more face-to-face approach in which learners were tutored by teachers. The intervention showed an improvement in grades in German and in the self-conception of ability in mathematics. However, this was only established during the face-to-face intervention phase. During the COVID-19 phase, and thus when there was no possibility of standardized intervention, no specific effects were observed.

Inteligencia emocional, compromiso y autoeficacia académica. Análisis de mediación en universitarios ecuatorianos

The intrapersonal and self-influence elements of individuals are necessary to know the impact they maintain in the educational context, because they are strong internal motivators that direct the behaviour of the individual to carry out various activities, as well as their achievement and success. There is evidence of the capacities that students have to monitor, control and regulate their own behaviours in the learning process. Although historically academic performance has been associated with intelligence in general, elements such as self-monitoring, self-control, self-regulation, self-motivation and others are key pieces to prevent school failure and maintain an adequate school performance. Within educational research, phenomena such as emotional intelligence, engagement and academic self-efficacy stand out due to their impact on academic performance. There are several studies that analyse the existing dynamics of these three variables, although separately, so a multifactorial study could expand the current conception of these internal elements and their effect on education. This investigation’s objectives are to identify the current state of emotional intelligence, engagement and academic self-efficacy in a sample of university students from Ecuador, as well as the relationship between these variables and the indirect effect of emotional intelligence on academic self-efficacy through academic engagement. Thus, this study is a descriptive correlational, determination and partial mediation analysis, carried out through SEM using the Brief Emotional Intelligence Inventory for Senior Citizens, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Scale of Perceived Self-efficacy Specific to Academic Situations. The sample was made up of 500 students (57.5 % women and 42.4 % men), between 18 and 45 years old (M = 24.5 years; SD = 6.9), from two universities in Ambato and Quito in Ecuador and 11 undergraduate majors. The participants were selected through an intentional non-probabilistic sampling with inclusion criteria, which were: (a) be legally enrolled in one of the universities in this study; (b) voluntary participation in the study; (c) signed participation consent; and (c) be of legal age. In general, the levels of emotional intelligence, engagement and self-efficacy are normal among students; however, in academic engagement, 30 % are in a risk zone. The relationship between emotional intelligence (r = 0.522; p < .01) and academic engagement (r = 0.326; p < .01) in academic self-efficacy is confirmed. Together, these variables form an explanatory model that can predict changes in variance by 30.6 %. The theoretical model proposed by means of structural linear regression has an adequate adjustment indicator χ 2 = 252.9; p < .001; df = 116; χ 2 /df = 2.1; CFI = .96; TLI = .95; RMSEA = .049 [.040 - .057]; SRMR = .042. In addition, emotional intelligence has an indirect effect on academic self-efficacy through academic engagement (ab = .0031; p < .01). Among the conclusions of the study, it is mentioned that emotional intelligence and academic engagement are predictors of academic self-efficacy. Therefore, their interest and management in the educational context is relevant. Moreover, the academic engagement is a partial mediation variable between emotional intelligence and academic self-efficacy in university students in Ecuador. Emotional intelligence has the ability to exert not only direct effects, but also partial indirect effects through a third variable. One of the implications of the study is that the use of more contemporary methods such as SEM allows a broader vision of the modelling of academic behaviour, which is an important contribution because it significantly reduces measurement bias. In addition, these results contribute to the future development of psychoeducational intervention processes that contribute to the improvement of the academic performance of students and to the teaching-learning processes in general. Finally, it is important to replicate similar studies in order to generalize these findings. https://doi.org/10.16888/interd.2022.39.2.16

A longitudinal investigation of cognitive functioning and its relationship to symptom severity and academic functioning in treatment seeking youth with ADHD

Background:Children with ADHD tend to present with poorer cognitive functioning leaving them more vulnerable to a range of negative outcomes. To date, only a handful of longitudinal studies have examined the stability of Wechsler composite scores in children and adolescents with ADHD, and none of them used a more recent version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC), than the WISC-III.Objective:The present study investigates the cognitive stability and its longitudinal relationship with the severity of the child’s ADHD symptoms and school grades.Method:Cognitive functioning was measured with the fourth editions of the WISC-IV or the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales (WAIS-IV) at baseline and at a 3-4-year follow-up in children with ADHD (n = 125, mean age = 11.40 years, SD = 3.27) and a Control group of schoolchildren (n = 59, mean age = 11.97 years, SD = 2.15). The stability of cognitive functioning and the relationship between cognitive functioning, ADHD and grades were evaluated using linear mixed models and logistic regression.Results:Standardized composite scores of Full scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension, and Processing Speed declined between baseline and follow-up in the ADHD group. ADHD symptom scores were associated with Working Memory scores. Together, the severity of concurrent ADHD symptoms and lower scores for verbal comprehension at baseline and follow-up were associated with an increased risk of not achieving grades at follow-up in youth with ADHD.Conclusions:Youth with ADHD often present with cognitive impairments, not improved over time. Together these increase the risk of poorer academic outcomes. Concurrent evaluation of symptom severity and cognitive functions can add potentially useful information in terms of treatment planning, and school supports to prevent school failure.

PREVENCIJA ŠKOLSKOG NEUSPEHA: ZNAČAJ PORODICE

U pedagoškoj literaturi školski neuspeh se najčešće definiše kao neispunjavanje minimuma zahteva u sticanju znanja i ostvarivanju vaspitno-obrazovnih zadataka tokom nastavnog procesa. Porodica, kao osnovno socijalno okruženje u kome dete stiče prva iskustva, prve modele i uzore, prepoznaje se kao jedan od najznačajnijih faktora školskog neuspeha učenika. Istraživački cilj ovog rada predstavlja pregled faktora porodične sredine koji utiču na pojavu školskog neuspeha, kao i značaja, odnosno mogućnosti uspostavljanja partnerstva porodice i škole u cilju prevencije školskog neuspeha. Istraživački cilj se ostvaruje na teorijskom nivou, uz primenu metode teorijske analize. Na osnovu proučavanja relevantne literature izvodi se zaključak da su sledeći faktori prepoznati kao dominantni: socioekonomski status, struktura porodice, vaspitni stil roditelja, njihova uključenost u obrazovanje dece, očekivanja i emocionalna podrška. Svesni činjenice da savremeni način života stavlja roditelje pred raznovrsne izazove i otežava ostvarenje njihove uloge, istraživači školskog neuspeha su ispitivali mogućnosti uspostavljanja partnerstva porodice i škole u cilju prevladavanja školskog neuspeha, te su u radu, između ostalog, predstavljene i dve strategije partnerstva: koncept roditeljske uključenosti i savetodavne strategije.

Education and Attachment: Guidelines to Prevent School Failure

Portuguese schools have high student failure and early school leaving rates (Pordata, 2017) giving rise to a number of initiatives aimed at their reduction. The “Alternative Curricular Course” (ACC) promotes the learning of basic skills, specifically in Portuguese language and Mathematics, to support logical reasoning and artistic, vocational, and professional development. Its main goal is the fulfilment of compulsory schooling and the reduction of academic failure. Research based on attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969) suggests that different internal working models of attachment are associated with different characteristics of social, academic, emotional, and behavioural competencies that may interfere in the quality of relationships that young people establish in school, especially with teachers, and also influence their academic performance. This study evaluates the relationship between internal working models of students, their perceptions of the quality of their relationships with teachers, and their academic performance using three measures: (i) the “Inventory of Attachment in Childhood and Adolescence” (IACA) measure, (ii) the “Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment” (IPPA) measure—concerning the attachment to teacher”, and (iii) a socio-demographic questionnaire on a sample of 305 students from the 8th grade of regular education (RE) and the ACC. The results reveal that students on the ACC exhibit a less secure internal working model than students in RE, and that the perception of the quality of the student-teacher relationship, regarding the dimension of acceptance and understanding by the teachers, is associated with a better academic performance. These results align with those of other recent studies in support of the conclusion that the process of attachment has a significant influence on educational contexts, consistent with attachment and related theories.

A National Early Intervention System as a Strategy to Promote Inclusion and Academic Achievement in Portugal.

Early intervention with children at risk or facing developmental problems is a practice defined by three fundamental characteristics: being family-centered, being based on the community and on the child’s life context, and being conducted by a team with transdisciplinary practice. In this paper we wish to present how the SNIPI-National System of Early Intervention, implemented in Portugal over the past 15 years, contributes to promote maximum development and the full inclusion of children up to 6 years of age and works to prevent school failure. The SNIPI covers the entire territory and intends to respond to the needs of children with developmental disorders or those in at risk situations. This community-based early intervention model is linked to the health, education and social care systems, involving the three responsible Ministries. In the present community case study, we present the implementation of this program in the Alentejo region, involving 31 local teams and almost 2500 children. Through the regional structure’s reports and the responses of parents and professionals in impact studies, we demonstrate how the system is established and how it tackles school failure and improves the educational inclusion of these children. The impact of this Early Intervention model has been significant not only on children’s developmental outcomes, but also for the health, education and social care professionals who work in a transdisciplinary perspective, as well as for the families who became more skilled at evaluating the children’s needs and the support provided. This approach to implementing a family-centered Early Intervention program can contribute to full inclusion. It facilitates the transition to schooling based on a non-discriminatory approach and educational achievement by aiding development and an adapted contextualization in pre-school education. This program system introduces significant innovation within the framework of existing educational policies that promote development and inclusion, and has therefore earned the interest of the scientific community and policy-makers alike. It has been possible to implement some of principles already studied but it had never been tested. The Early Intervention program in Alentejo, as part of the SNIPI, can be an example of good practices, with its own characteristics that allowed to create a network of integrated and comprehensive responses to the needs of the population in this region.

Self-Regulation, Cooperative Learning, and Academic Self-Efficacy: Interactions to Prevent School Failure.

Learning to learn and learning to cooperate are two important goals for individuals. Moreover, self regulation has been identified as fundamental to prevent school failure. The goal of the present study was to assess the interactions between self-regulated learning, cooperative learning and academic self-efficacy in secondary education students experiencing cooperative learning as the main pedagogical approach for at least one school year. 2.513 secondary education students (1.308 males, 1.205 females), 12–17 years old (M = 13.85, SD = 1.29), enrolled in 17 different schools belonging to the National Network of Schools on Cooperative Learning in Spain agreed to participate. They all had experienced this pedagogical approach a minimum of one school year. Participants were asked to complete the cooperative learning questionnaire, the strategies to control the study questionnaire and the global academic self-efficacy questionnaire. Participants were grouped based on their perceptions on cooperative learning and self-regulated learning in their classes. A combination of hierarchical and κ-means cluster analyses was used. Results revealed a four-cluster solution: cluster one included students with low levels of cooperative learning, self-regulated learning and academic self-efficacy, cluster two included students with high levels of cooperative learning, self-regulated learning and academic self-efficacy, cluster three included students with high levels of cooperative learning, low levels of self-regulated learning and intermediate-low levels of academic self-efficacy, and, finally, cluster four included students with high levels of self-regulated learning, low levels of cooperative learning, and intermediate-high levels of academic self-efficacy. Self-regulated learning was found more influential than cooperative learning on students’ academic self-efficacy. In cooperative learning contexts students interact through different types of regulations: self, co, and shared. Educators should be aware of these interactions, symmetrical or asymmetrical, because they determine the quality and quantity of the students’ participation and achievements, and they are key elements to prevent school failure.

Teaching and learning based on peer review: a realistic approach in forensic sciences

Teaching and learning methods need a continuous upgrade in higher education. However it is also true that some of the modern methodologies do not reduce or prevent school failure. Perhaps the real limitation is the inability to identify the true reasons that may explain it or ignore/undervalue the problem. In our opinion, one of the current constraints of the teaching/learning process is the excess of and inadequate bibliography recommended by the teacher, which results in continuous student difficulties and waste of time in searching and selecting useful information. The need to change the paradigm of the teaching/learning process comes also from employers. They claim forensic experts armed with useful knowledge to face professional life. It is therefore mandatory to identify the new needs and opportunities regarding pedagogical methodologies. This article reflects on the recent importance of peer review in teaching/learning forensic sciences based on the last 10 years of pedagogical experience inseparably from the scientific activity.

Teaching and learning based on peer review: a realistic approach in forensic sciences.

Teaching and learning methods need a continuous upgrade in higher education. However it is also true that some of the modern methodologies do not reduce or prevent school failure. Perhaps the real limitation is the inability to identify the true reasons that may explain it or ignore/undervalue the problem. In our opinion, one of the current constraints of the teaching/learning process is the excess of and inadequate bibliography recommended by the teacher, which results in continuous student difficulties and waste of time in searching and selecting useful information. The need to change the paradigm of the teaching/learning process comes also from employers. They claim forensic experts armed with useful knowledge to face professional life. It is therefore mandatory to identify the new needs and opportunities regarding pedagogical methodologies. This article reflects on the recent importance of peer review in teaching/learning forensic sciences based on the last 10 years of pedagogical experience inseparably from the scientific activity.

Cómo evalúa el profesorado de Geografía e Historia de Enseñanza Secundaria

La finalidad de este artículo es analizar los procedimientos e instrumentos de evaluación que emplea el profesorado de Geografía e Historia de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO) de la Región de Murcia. Los datos han sido extraídos mediante técnica de encuesta, tras un análisis descriptivo. Los resultados indican que en los docentes, en general, predomina una concepción tradicional de la evaluación, traducida en el hecho de que estos piensan que no deben cambiar su evaluación al cambiar su práctica docente o al innovar. Por otro lado, aunque consideran que es necesario emplear gran variedad de instrumentos para evaluar bien y para evitar el fracaso escolar, siguen empleando mayoritariamente el examen como el instrumento más objetivo e imprescindible en la evaluación, tanto que no llega a practicarse la evaluación continua, sino continuos exámenes. La puesta en marcha de investigaciones similares en otros territorios o en otras materias del currículo mostraría la existencia o no de contrastes en las prácticas de evaluación del profesorado.

Learning to write and get school success: A quasi-experimental study among 9th formers

1 IntroductionWhat is now proved was once, only imagin'd William Blake, Marriage of Heaven and - Proverbs of Hell (Erdman 1998:36)Portuguese is the 6th most spoken language in the world (Ethnologue, 20141) and it is one of the official languages in the European Union2. As such there is a deep concern by Portuguese authorities to assess language skills in the mother tongue so as to promote individuals' language fluency in a plurilingual and multicultural context. The results of the 2001 International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), conducted every five years since 2001, has shown poor results Portuguese students have in national assessment. Poor writing skills were further flashed out in the Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA), as reported in the study by OECD (2004, 2007). On a national level school achievement and literacy skills have been at the core in the agenda in the educational policy, particularly at the time the case study addressed in this paper was designed, i.e., 2007-2008. Seventh and eighth formers have been singled out in several studies for their poor writing skills. National assessment of educational progress implemented every year since 2000 has indicated that Portuguese fourth graders have difficulty with bridging the gap between literal meaning and referential meaning, with making inferences, interpreting texts and writing cohesive and coherent texts (Ministerio da Educacao 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004). Later on, the study undertaken in 1700 Portuguese schools, by the Secretary of Education (GAVE/IAVE 2010, 2012), also indicated that students from the 8th to the 12th forms have shown poor lexical and syntactic competence as well as poor writing skills, particularly concerning writing a coherent and cohesive text3 (2012). Students' poor writing skills are correlated with low achievement and, in many cases, with high early school dropout rate4 along with poor basic qualifications (CNE - Conselho Nacional de Educacao 2011).In the 1991 Reading Literacy Study, conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, Portuguese students were reported to have performed below the international average in writing (Elley 1992). PIRLS 2001, 2006 might have provided further reliable longitudinal data necessary to assess students' progress and to identify areas of strength and weaknesses. However, these studies did not cover the Portuguese context in 2001, 2006. The few indicators available then only considered the fourth form. PISA results (2006) drawing on fifteen year-old informants' written output suggest that Portuguese students have specific difficulties with interpreting and writing cohesive and coherent texts. For example, PISA 2003 and PISA 2006 results show that most students are able to retrieve explicit information and to develop textbased interpretations, but have difficulties with relating textual information to extratextual data, notably, background information (and schemata at large), with an impact on poor writing skills (OECD, 2004, 2007). In fact, this case study intends to focus on the group of students not addressed in the previous national/international reports, but having been broadly assessed as poor writers. For this purpose, and in order to narrow down the scope of analysis for reliability issues, the current paper covers the 9th formers having been identified in 2006-2007 by a group of teachers of Portuguese as mother tongue under the auspices of the Regional Board of Education in Madeira (Portugal) in 2006. At the core of stands out the research question: how can Portuguese students, particularly, 9th formers, improve their writing skills and school achievement and thus prevent school failure?2 Literature ReviewDumber than We Thoughti (1993) and Adding-Up the Under-Skilled5 (1993) raised public awareness in many countries two decades ago6. According to the US Department of Education, it is not enough to learn the basic R's ( i. …

Risk factors in dropping out of nursing studies

School failure is a worrying phenomenon of the educational system that affects most sectors of the education regarding parents, teachers and students and covers education at all levels, from basic education levels to higher levels. One of the levels where there is a high incidence of this problem is in university education, where dropout rates at university are between 25% and 50% in the early formative years. Therefore, it is considered that this phenomenon of school failure and dropout must be addressed and treated from all support systems and services that merge at school, because there are many interests involved not only in the student who fails himself, but also in society in general. The objective of this survey is finding out the effects of anxiety and personal problems in ULPGC nursing students and the consequences that can bring in their academic performance. The results obtained show direct influence of variables such as attendance, studies organization, disappointment feelings, approaching dropout and others, however the hypotheses that were not met differentially, offer us relevant information, for better understanding and making decisions to prevent school failure at university.

L’aide aux devoirs. Dispositif de lutte contre l’échec scolaire ou caisse de résonance des difficultés non résolues au sein de la classe ?

Cet article présente l’analyse d’un dispositif d’aide aux devoirs au travers des deux grands systèmes de contraintes auxquels il est soumis. L’étude du premier de ces systèmes nous permet de mettre en évidence différentes sources de tension venues de la classe (faible maîtrise des notions, opacité des consignes, etc.) qui se cumulent et dessinent une situation initiale très déterminée. Le second, propre au dispositif, découle des partis pris qui y sont mis en oeuvre, en particulier de la forte individualisation du travail et du contexte de son organisation. Dans les quartiers populaires où nous avons enquêté, ces deux systèmes entrent en résonance et laissent peu de liberté aux intervenants, dès lors moins enclins à centrer leur action sur les apprentissages qu’à développer des stratégies de survie dont le bénéfice pour les élèves n’est pas toujours évident.

Low expectations equal no expectations: Aspirations, motivation, and achievement in secondary school

Underachievement and failure to complete school have long-term negative consequences for students. Aspirations regarding completion of secondary school that predict achievement outcomes are related to factors amenable to intervention. This study investigates relationships between academic achievement and self-reported educational aspirations, motivation, affiliation with peers and teachers, and attributions. Survey participants were 5369 Year 10 and Year 11 students at 19 nationally representative secondary schools in New Zealand, and available achievement records were sourced for 2439 Year 11 students. Survey data were factor analyzed followed by further examination of relationships across demographic factors, self-reported aspirations, motivational factors (Doing My Best and Doing Just Enough), attributions, and interpersonal affiliations (Teacher and Peer). For Year 11 students, relationships between different factors and subsequent achievement were also analyzed. Students who indicated no aspiration to complete a school qualification were indistinguishable from those with low or moderate aspirations, and the analyses supported only two divergent groups comprising students with either low or high aspirations to complete qualifications. Aspirations were significantly related to different patterns of motivation, affiliation, and attributions predictive of academic achievement. Students of different ethnicity and gender also fell unequally across the two groups. These results suggest that promoting low or even moderate expectations and aspirations for student achievement may actually reinforce lower academic achievement. Instead, teachers and schools should communicate high expectations to prevent school failure and effective interventions to enhance student outcomes.

School Bullying: Why Quick Fixes Do Not Prevent School Failure

School bullying is a serious problem. It is associated with negative effects for bullies, targets, and bystanders. Bullying is related to school shootings, student suicides, and poor academic outcomes. Yet, this issue cannot be solved by way of simple, one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, school bullying is a complex, systemic issue that requires a deep understanding of the multiple variables with which it is associated. Furthermore, effective interventions require systematic, whole-school initiatives. In this article, the author identifies types of school bullying and defines participant roles. In addition, she discusses the complex nature of this issue and briefly examines its short- and long-term effects. Further, the author presents and discusses various school-based bullying interventions. Last, she provides recommendations concerning effective interventions to combat school bullying.

The fickle fates of push and pull in the dissemination of mental health programs for children.

As the demand for evidence-based programs has increased, considerable research has concentrated on the development and testing of innovative and promising prevention and treatment programs. However, a knowledge gap remains between research in children's mental health and the educational and health services providers who could use the programs produced. In contrast to the elaborate national system set up for monitoring and disseminating medications, the infrastructures to support the evaluation and dissemination of prevention and treatment programs targeting children's mental health have only begun to be developed. Based on my experiences in a community-based research project that has worked for the last decade to develop and evaluate the WITS (Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out, and Seek help) programs for the prevention of peer victimization, I illuminate obstacles to the dissemination of evidence-based prevention programs for children and solutions that are beginning to address these obstacles. In particular, I argue that enduring, integrated community, provincial and federal infrastructures are needed to improve program dissemination and to monitor their effects on children's well-being. Keywords: knowledge transfer, diffusion of innovation, mental health, children adolescence The reality that children and adolescents suffer from mental health problems is no longer questioned. There is also no doubt that the social, emotional and behavioural problems that are symptomatic of their mental health problems can have pervasive consequences for healthy child development: childhood and adolescent mental illnesses can disrupt school readiness and academic achievement; compromise relationships with family, teachers and peers; undermine attention; exacerbate physical complaints, and even damage the architecture of the developing brain (Gunner, 2007; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000; Tolan & Dodge, 2005). The fact that few children who have mental health problems receive the care that they need is also widely recognised. Canadian and United States data indicates that only 5-18% of children with a diagnosable psychological problem receive any form of treatment (Kirby & Keon, 2006; Tolan & Dodge, 2005). Two widely circulated reports Out of the Shadows at Last: Highlights and Recommendations of the Final Report on Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction (Kirby & Keon, 2006) and Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 1999) make clear that early detection of childhood mental health concerns can help to prevent school failure, poor employment opportunities and criminal activities. Considerable research also shows that even prodromal or subclinical symptoms, those that do not meet criteria for diagnosis of a disorder, can affect children's development and their relationships with their parents, peers, teachers, and so forth. However, universal mental health promotion programs or secondary prevention programs addressing these concerns are not widely available. What role can prevention programs play in the gathering momentum to improve children's mental health? Prevention of mental health problems in children shows benefits in reducing treatment costs in the United States (Weissberg, Kumpfer, & Selligman, 2003), but in Canada universal and even secondary prevention programs - particularly involving mental health concerns typically are not widely distributed and their effectiveness and cost savings are not monitored. Indeed, despite extensive research on the development and evaluation of innovative programs, only a few are adopted, often only locally, and typically for only short periods. In this paper, I argue that there are serious obstacles embedded in our traditional reliance on relationships between individual researchers and service providers for the development and dissemination of evidence-based programs to promote children's mental health and prevent illness. …

Providing a Sound Educational Framework for Foster Youth: A Proposed Research Agenda

Youth living in out-of-home care often have multiple risk factors for school failure. Family disruption and frequent moves between schools compromise a student's ability to succeed in school. When mental health and behavioral issues compound these risk factors, students are at even greater risk. Despite the poor academic outcomes for foster youth, few programs aim to reduce risk and promote school success for this population. Few researchers have evaluated the effectiveness of existing programs, and there is little evidence of the effectiveness of the strategies designed to prevent school failure for foster youth. This article identifies gaps in services to youth in out-of-home care and proposes a research agenda to build our knowledge and understanding of what is needed, and how to increase the use of effective practices.

Relationships Between Academics and Problem Behavior in the Transition from Middle School to High School

Given the increased risk factors in the transition from middle school to high school, this study tracked academic and school discipline records for students receiving general and special education services as they transitioned from Grade 8 to Grade 9. The authors employed analysis of variance and structural equation modeling to determine the significance and strength of the relationship between academic skills and behavior variables. Results indicated significant interactions between academic scores and office discipline referrals, both within and across grades. When controlling for the direct effects, crossover effects of Grade 8 discipline referrals on Grade 9 academic scores remained statistically significant, though effects of Grade 8 state reading assessment scores on Grade 9 discipline referrals did not. Results are discussed in terms of improving school environments and academic instruction to prevent school failure.