Readiness Standards Research Articles

Effects of AAC Intervention on School Readiness Skills from Young Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Introduction Young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have limited speech and language require access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention, including technology and instruction. While research shows that AAC intervention can effectively support communication from children with IDD, research on its impact on school readiness skills is limited. Methods Two preschool aged children with IDD participated in this study. Using a single case, multiple baseline across responses design for each participant, this study evaluated the effectiveness of an AAC intervention, including a high-tech AAC with a personalized color photo visual scene display with modeling, time delay, prompting, and social praise. The targeted responses were three questions from the participants' state kindergarten readiness standards, including: "What is your first name?"; "What is your last name?"; and "How old are you?". Results In baseline, both participants demonstrated little success communicating answers to questions. During intervention, both participants mastered the school readiness skill of responding accurately and independently to the targeted questions. Conclusion The current study shows that with early access to AAC intervention, children with IDD may begin to build communication skills that align with school readiness standards, providing them increased opportunity to participate fully and meaningfully in general education curricula, upon entering kindergarten. Keywords: school readiness, augmentative and alternative communication, intellectual and developmental disability.

US Army Accession and Retention Standards: Impact on Obesity and Medical Readiness

ABSTRACT Introduction Military body fat standards were implemented in the 1980s to prevent obesity and associated poor military readiness. In the past 2 decades, enforcement of existing Army body composition standards has been eroded by the steady increase in national obesity rates, the demand for new recruits especially during the 2007 surge in Iraq, and the COVID epidemic in 2020. The diminishing qualified recruit pool puts a new focus on accession standards. The purpose of accession standards is to ensure that recruits will meet soldier standards, but accession standards have been relaxed to improve recruitment with an assumption that most recruits will achieve the retention standards during initial entry training. A new method of percent body fat estimation (%BF) adopted by the Army in 2024 further liberalizes both accession and retention standards. This study examined the impact of current accession and retention %BF standards on the proportion of the US population that would be disqualified from Army service. Methods This analysis was based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) statistical sampling of the US population, where height, weight, abdominal circumferences, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) %BF data were available (n = 26,090, including 13,302 men and 12,788 women). The proportion of individuals in the NHANES data failing to meet weight screen and %BF standards based on age and sex categories were calculated using DXA and the new Army anthropometric method. A recent large dataset from another service was used to compare the new method to DXA. Results Near one-third to one-half of American men and women failed to meet the current Army body composition standard (29, 39, 48, and 50% of men and 39, 45, 46, and 50% of women for age groups 17–20, 21–27, 28–29, and 40–59). More men than women benefited from more liberal accession standards to enter the Army above the retention standard to which they will be held after initial entry training (an additional 12, 11, 15, and 15% of men and 7, 1, 2, and 1% of women who met accession standards exceeded retention standards and would be expected to lose %BF after entry). Approximately one-fourth of women exceeded %BF but were under the height–weight screen; <10% of men were in this category. No men but 16% of the youngest women had low lean mass (<35 kg). Discussion Army body composition standards are generous, extending to the limits of increased metabolic health risks and providing underestimates of actual %BF based on the behavior of circumference-based methods of body fat estimation. However, current standards do not accurately select or track physical readiness, especially for women, and should be updated. Modernization of physical readiness standards to meet the needs of the Army of 2030 could include adoption of new technologies that directly assess central adiposity, adequate muscle mass, and replace fitness testing with cardiac output metrics. With half of US adults projected to be obese by 2030, it is time for a review of the strategic goals of modernized military readiness standards.

Body composition of extreme performers in the US Marine Corps

BackgroundThe creation of highly muscled and strong fighters is a recurring theme in human performance enhancement concepts. Physical readiness standards, intended to prevent obesity in the military, produce contradictory objectives,...

A raciolinguistic perspective on career readiness standards in career and technical education: Professionalism and communication skills as white linguistic practices

A raciolinguistic perspective on career readiness standards in career and technical education: Professionalism and communication skills as white linguistic practices

Developing Our Teaching Praxis Using a Japanese Lesson Study Model Applied to Corequisite Mathematics

In 2003, the Texas State Legislature enacted the Texas Success Initiative (TSI). The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) coordinates the implementation of this mandate at both universities and community colleges across the state. Upon entering a postsecondary institution, non-exempt students are tested using the TSI Assessment (TSIA2), a 2021 revision of the initial TSI Assessment. A student’s scores are used to assist Texas public institutions of higher education in determining if students are prepared for introductory college coursework in the areas of English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) and mathematics. Students can be exempted from the TSIA2 if they meet college readiness standards on the SAT, ACT, or endof- course examinations in math and language arts or successfully complete a Texas high school college preparatory course, which is available to all students enrolled in a public Texas high school.

Analyzing the success of Hispanic boys in meeting college and career readiness standards in rural Texas high schools

Examined in this investigation were the percentages of Hispanic boys who were college ready or not college ready as a function of the district’s rural setting for three consecutive school years (i.e., 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019). Descriptive statistics were calculated for all three rural school district types combined and then separately for the three rural school districts (i.e., Rural Remote, Rural Distant, and Rural Fringe). With respect to this investigation, 41% of Hispanic boys met a College, Career, and Military Readiness indicator in mathematics. All three rural school district types had positive trends or negligent changes over the three consecutive school years for Hispanic boys who met a College, Career, and Military Readiness indicator in mathematics. More than a third, 34.36%, of Hispanic boys from rural distant school districts met a college readiness indicator in mathematics. Similar percentages were present for Hispanic boys in rural remote school districts, 35.74%, and for Hispanic boys in rural fringe school districts, 36.01%. However, approximately two-thirds of Hispanic boys did not meet a college readiness indicator in mathematics in any of the three rural district type settings over three consecutive years. As such, educational leaders are encouraged to expand their efforts in this area, along with evaluating the efficacy of their current strategies.

Forensic neuropsychopathological analysis on altered brain structures in combat veterans: A systematic review

American combat veterans who served in OIF and OEF were diagnosed with severe neuropsychopathologies due to combat exposure and trauma. Studies on how combat exposure and trauma alter brain cortical structures were explored. The objective was to examine if combat veterans can remain on active duty or if they are predisposed to commit violent crimes was considered. However, limited data raised concerns about criminal responsibility for violent crimes. As evident, combat veterans with severe neuropsychopathologies do not meet personnel readiness standards, impacting military service obligations and national security operations. A systematic literature review included combat exposure effects and trauma on the brain. Data analysis processes were utilized using the PRISMA model to review pre-existing studies. Results revealed PTSD, mTBI, and depression comorbidities were leading neuropsychopathologies among combat veterans. Findings uncovered altered frontal lobes and anterior prefrontal cortex regions. Also, evidence showed combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD and depression were more likely to commit violent crimes. However, preliminary research could not determine if combat veterans are criminally liable, although they met the criteria for the insanity defense. Forensic neuropsychopathology identified the relationship between these conditions and the military legal system. Further research is recommended to examine severe neuropsychopathologies and affected brain regions through neuroimaging and advanced neuropsychological initiatives to improve mental healthcare practices within DoD.

Optimizing combat readiness for military surgeons without trauma fellowship training: engaging the 'voluntary faculty' model.

Appropriate operative volume remains a critical component in mitigating surgical atrophy and maintaining clinical competency. The initiation of military-civilian surgical partnerships (MCP) has been proposed for addressing knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) metrics in order to address concerns over operational readiness and the low acuity experienced by military surgeons. This study investigates the first partnership for Navy surgical staff at a non-academic Military Treatment Facility (MTF) with a regional academic Army MTF and a civilian, non-academic level II trauma center devised to improve operational readiness for attending surgeons. We hypothesize that a skill sustainment MCP will allow military surgeons to meet combat readiness standards as measured by the KSA metric. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was initiated between the Navy MTF (NMTF), the Army MTF (AMTF), and the civilian level II trauma center (CTC). The single military surgeon in this study was classified as 'voluntary faculty' at the CTC. Total case volume and acuity were recorded over an 11-month period. KSA metrics were calculated utilizing the standard national provider number (NPI) and the novel case-log based method. 156 cases were completed by a single surgeon over the study period, averaging 52 cases per institution. Significantly more KSAs were obtained at the CTC compared to NMTF (5954 v 2707; p < 0.001). Significantly more emergent cases were observed at the CTC compared to the MTFs (X2 = 7.1, n = 96, p < 0.05. At a single site, AMTF, a significant difference in the calculated KSA score was observed between the NPI and case-log methods (5278 v 3297; p = 0.04). The skill sustainment MCP between NMTF and CTC increased surgical readiness and exposed surgeons to increased operative acuity. The 'voluntary faculty' model reduces direct litigation exposure and encourages clinical competency for military surgeons, while remaining a deployable asset to the global military effort. IV, Therapeutic/Care Management.

Analysis of the U.S. Military Trauma System in Accordance With Doctrinal Levels of Warfare.

In recent conflicts, the Joint Theater Trauma System (JTTS) led the systematic approach to improve battlefield trauma care, substantially contributing to the unprecedented survival of combat casualties. The Joint Trauma System (JTS) was codified in 2016 to preserve the lessons learned and functions of the JTTS, including the Department of Defense Trauma Registry. Concurrently, Combatant Commands (CCMD) were directed to establish CCMD Trauma Systems (CTS) "modeled after the JTTS" and to maintain a baseline of core functions intended to rapidly scale as needed. The complex nature of both CCMDs and the military trauma system has challenged the full implementation of the CTS. Analyzing the historical experiences of the JTTS, JTS, and CTS within a military doctrinal framework might enable the further success of the military trauma system. The strategic, operational, and tactical levels of warfare, in accordance with Joint Publication 1-0, Doctrine of the Armed Forces of the United States, and Joint Publication 3-0, Joint Operations, established the analytic framework for this study. The literature regarding the JTTS, CTS, and JTS was reviewed for relevant information concerning organizational structure and functions of trauma system performance improvement (PI) capabilities. A comprehensive analysis was performed using a thematic approach to evaluating descriptive data contained within the collected data set. Deployed trauma system PI tasks, functions, and responsibilities were identified, defined, and correlated according to the respective levels of warfare. The comprehensive analysis revealed both discrete and overlapping tasks, functions, and responsibilities of the trauma system PI capabilities at each of the three levels of warfare. Strategic-level actions were categorized according to 12 distinct themes: reduce mortality; strategic reporting; centralized trauma registry; strategic communications; centralized organization; direct support to CCMDs; Department of Defense policy and doctrine; strategic-level PI; clinical practice guidelines; training and readiness standards; force structure, standardization, and interoperability; and research and development. Operational-level actions were categorized according to seven distinct themes: theater trauma system policies and requirements; theater trauma system leadership; stakeholder coordination; theater communication; theater standards for readiness and skill sustainment; trauma system planning; and medical logistics support. Tactical-level actions were categorized according to seven distinct themes: trauma system personnel; PI; documentation enforcement and patient care data collection; tactical planning recommendations for employing medical assets; research support; communication and reporting; and training and skills sustainment. The deployed U.S. military trauma system requires a robust PI capability to optimize combat casualty care. Policy updates, a joint military trauma system doctrine, and force design updates are necessary for deployed military trauma system PI capabilities to function optimally across all levels of warfare.

Cultivating Community through Language Learning in a Benedictine Seminary Network

St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, a seminary located in southern Indiana, was founded in 1857 by monks of the Benedictine order of Einsiedeln in Switzerland. The seminary has since been devoted to the education of faith leaders—priests, deacons, and graduate lay students. Due to the growth of underserved Latino populations in the Midwest region of the United States, there is a need to prepare future faith leaders to serve Latino congregations. This work provides an exploration into the ways in which language learning collaborations based on Benedictine hospitality can cultivate community. It outlines a Benedictine pedagogy of community that is threefold. First, given the importance of language to communicate with members of Latino communities in the United States, the cultivation of community is understood in terms of the world readiness standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Second, because Benedictine monasteries were founded on the value of hospitality, these interactions are imbued with Benedictine hospitality. Third, it is argued that Benedictine communities are contexts in which the liminal intertwines with the liminoid, resulting in fertile ground for the creation of what we call liminal/liminoid encounters that have the potential to level asymmetric power relations and lead to meaningful dialogue. The final section shows how this Benedictine pedagogy of community is enacted in one specific Spanish language learning immersion that takes place at a sister Benedictine Monastery abroad, Our Lady of Angels, in Cuernavaca, Mexico. It also provides a small sample of seven students’ responses to two critical questions from a survey questionnaire. Even though this small qualitative sample is not generalizable, it helps illuminate how these interactions may lead to the development of cultural sensitivity, of a sense of community, between students and members of this language learning immersion abroad. Responses indicate that students who participated in this program for at least eight weeks exhibit an interest in continuing to interact and collaborate in multicultural communities as well as a willingness to learn the target language beyond this experience.

The World Languages Professional Life Survey: K–20 articulation through the 5 Cs and the Can‐Dos

AbstractThe overarching objective of the World Language Professional Life Survey (WLPLS) was to determine the K–20 World Language (WL) profession's familiarity with both the World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (5 Cs) and with the Can‐Do Statements (Can‐Dos). The survey strove to identify how both sets of principles might strengthen K–20 articulation in three ways: (1) WL teachers' level of formal training, (2) WL instructors' core beliefs about their pedagogical objectives, and (3) possible connections between their training and their core beliefs. The present study analyzes the findings from the survey. The researchers collected the data from the survey to determine what the relationships (if any) were between formal academic training and core pedagogical beliefs. The possible relationships check the pulse of WL professionals concerning their familiarity with the 5 Cs and the Can‐Dos which can lead to stronger articulation.

Validating HiSET® Tests as High School Equivalency Tests That Improve Educational, Vocational, and Quality‐of‐Life Outcomes

Results from two studies provided strong evidence for the validity of the HiSET® tests, thereby demonstrating that HiSET is a well‐developed battery of tests with passing and college and career readiness (CCR) standards that, when met, provide a pathway to postsecondary education, better employment opportunities and wages, and a better quality of life to those who are unable to experience a traditional high school education. Positive relationships exist between HiSET scores and both high school grades and ACT scores, including high levels of agreement between HiSET CCR indicators and ACT CCR indicators. Therefore, evidence supports the claim that HiSET scores are measures of high school equivalency, preparedness for middle skills jobs, and college readiness. Furthermore, there is evidence that passing the HiSET provides value to stakeholders. Passing the HiSET battery is associated with gaining academic and personal skills, college enrollment, employment gains (e.g., obtaining employment, obtaining more full‐time employment, wage increases, and improvement in a job or position), and quality‐of‐life improvements.

The Case for Inquiry-Based Practices in Social Justice Language Education

Methods of teaching and learning through inquiry have been used as long-standing instructional approaches in the sciences. This practice-oriented paper presents the work of a fully developed instructional unit that uses a guided-inquiry model as a method to implement social justice-oriented practices in an intermediate-level university Spanish conversation course. The paper outlines a clear connection to ACTFL’s World Readiness Standards and discusses tips and challenges in utilizing this method for language instruction.

Modeling of functional preparedness of women 25-35 years of different somatotypes

Background and Study Aim. The level of functional preparedness of the population is influenced by many factors. The greatest influence is exerted by the economic condition of the country, climatic features of the region, food quality, environmental factor, social status of the population. Therefore, functional readiness standards should be updated periodically. For an objective assessment of functional readiness, all energy potential should be considered: aerobic, anaerobic lactatic and alactatic. Women of different somatotypes have significant differences in the degree of development of indicators of functional preparedness. Hypothesis. The models of functional preparedness developed by us for women of different somatotypes will clearly demonstrate significant differences in the level of preparedness in representatives of different somatotypes. The aim of the study is to develop standards of functional readiness for women aged 25-35 and models of functional preparedness for women of different somatotypes.&#x0D; Material and methods. The study involved women aged 25-35 years (n = 392). Somatotype was determined in all subjects. The power of aerobic energy supply processes was determined by the method of bicycle ergometry according to the PWC 170 test. The threshold of anaerobic metabolism was determined by the test with a stepwise increasing load. The capacity of anaerobic lactatic energy supply processes of muscular activity was determined by a bicycle ergometric 60-second test. The power of anaerobic lactatic and alactatic energy supply processes was determined by Wingate anaerobic tests WAnT 30 and WAnT 10. Standards of functional preparedness were developed according to the author's method based on the rule 3σ.&#x0D; Results. Functional preparedness standards have been developed for women aged 25-35 according to the full range of muscular energy supply regimes. Models of functional preparedness for women 25-35 years of different somatotypes have been developed.&#x0D; Conclusions. The developed standards are based on modern experimental data and consider all human energy potential (aerobic, anaerobic lactatic and anaerobic alactatic). Standards of functional preparedness cannot be universal for different countries and even different regions of large countries.&#x0D; Models of functional preparedness of women of different somatotypes show a significant difference from the standards set for women without somatotype. Somatotype should be considered when assessing indicators of functional preparedness.

Operating room nurses' experience about patient cares for laparotomy surgeries: A phenomenological study.

Introduction:The primary purpose of the present study was to explain the lived experiences of operating room nurses in the field of patient care undergoing laparotomy surgeries.Methods:The analytical phenomenological method was used. Ten operating room nurses employed in the operating rooms were selected using purposeful sampling. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Data analysis was also applied using van Manen’s six-step test.Results:In this study, 749 initial codes were extracted, classified into three main themes and six sub-themes following the elimination of similar codes. The main themes included a positive view of patient care, preservation of the physical safety of patients, and consideration of patient vulnerability in the operating room. Moreover, responsibility, holistic care, readiness standards of the surgical environment, physical care provision, medical team malpractice, and lack of care context were considered as sub-themes.Conclusion:The operating room nurses’ experiences of patient care in operating rooms included a positive view of patient care, preservation of the patient’s physical safety, and consideration of patient vulnerability in the operating room.

Reforming Teacher and Leader Preparation to Improve Instruction and Schooling for Students With Disabilities: The CEEDAR Way

Effective preparation systems are critical for preparing teachers and school leaders who have the knowledge and skills to educate students with disabilities to achieve college and career ready standards. These systems must provide teachers and leaders with effective practice-based opportunities to learn about evidence-based and high-leverage practices in their initial preparation and throughout their careers. Creating such systems, however, depends on comprehensive systems change in which aligned research-based policy and preparation/induction practices are implemented in higher education and k-12 schools. This article describes the ingredients of effective systems change, and how the CEEDAR Center Technical Assistance approach is informed by implementation drivers, as articulated by the U.S. National Implementation Research Network. The outcomes achieved by the center thus far are also articulated as are challenges encountered.

Building on ELA Vocabulary Instruction to Develop Language Resources

AbstractThis article provides a “snapshot” of fourth grade English Language Arts (ELA) vocabulary instruction before and after implementation of college and career readiness standards. Our exploratory study's findings demonstrate the instructional shifts for teaching deep vocabulary knowledge as required by college and career readiness standards, including a greater frequency of oral discussions. Many emergent bilinguals are placed in classrooms where English‐medium instruction is the norm, preventing them from using their home language to make meaning and actively participate in the classroom; this stymies language learning and limits opportunities for developing deep vocabulary knowledge. Instructional strategies that build on the ELA vocabulary directives are suggested using a translanguaging perspective to develop emergent bilinguals’ language and vocabulary knowledge. These instructional suggestions can be implemented by all teachers serving bilingual learners, including those who are not bilingual in Englishmedium settings.

What We Know and Where To Go: A Systematic Review of the Rural Student College and Career Readiness Literature and Future Directions for the Field

College and career readiness has become a national education policy priority. With more than 9.3 million rural students in the United States, the college and career readiness of rural students is a warranted priority for rural education researchers. Using a combination of Conley’s (2012) college and career readiness model, Perna’s (2006) nested model of college choice, and Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent et al., 2014), we systematically reviewed and analyzed the extant literature on rural students’ college and career readiness. In addition to providing a comprehensive discussion of the prominent themes in the literature, we provide recommendations for future research on rural students’ college and career readiness as well as changes to college and career readiness standards and practices that would better align with the strengths and needs of rural students, schools, and communities.

Examining the Effect of an Interdisciplinary Literacy Program on Student Learning

The literacy design collaborative (LDC) was created to support teachers in implementing college and career readiness standards. Teachers work collaboratively with coaches to further develop their expertise and design standards-driven, literacy-rich writing assignments within their existing curriculum across content areas. The current paper reports on early student academic outcome results from a multi-year mixed methods study of the implementation and effect of LDC using a quasi-experimental design, as implemented in one large urban school district. We found LDC had statistically significant effects on Cohort 2 middle school students’ English language arts (ELA) performance, an effect size of (d = 0.15) for students receiving LDC instruction in the three core content areas LDC focuses on: ELA, science, and social studies/history.

College Ready or Not?

In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on ensuring that high schools across the United States focus on college readiness standards and skills, with the goal that more students will persist and find greater success in college. Despite this focus, there are still significant gaps among the students who are deemed “ready” and are actually persisting and finding that success, specifically for English language learners (ELLs). In this article, we illustrate the landscape of ELLs enrolled in institutions of higher education. We then explore how ELL students are classified and how these different profiles intersect with the limited range and types of English as a Second Language (ESL) support available at the institutional level. Finally, we contribute to the very limited practical knowledge base on ELLs in the college setting, with a summary of promising best practices for college faculty across disciplines to consider in their instruction.