School Start Research Articles

675 COVID-19 Instruction Style (In-Person, Virtual, Hybrid), School Start Times, and Sleep in a Large Nationwide Sample of Adolescents

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted how and when adolescents attended school. This analysis used data from the Nationwide Education and Sleep in TEens During COVID (NESTED) study to examine the association of instructional format (in-person, virtual, hybrid), school start times, and sleep in a large diverse sample of adolescents from across the U.S.MethodsIn October/November 2020, 5346 nationally representative students (grades 6–12, 49.8% female, 30.6% non-White) completed online surveys. For each weekday, participants identified if they attended school in person (IP), online-scheduled synchronous classes (O/S), online-no scheduled classes (asynchronous, O/A), or no school. Students reported school start times for IP or O/S days, and bedtimes (BT) and wake times (WT) for each applicable school type and weekends/no school days (WE). Sleep opportunity (SlpOpp, total sleep time proxy) was calculated from BT and WT. Night-to-night sleep variability was calculated with mean square successive differences.ResultsSignificant differences for teens’ sleep across instructional formats were found for all three sleep variables. With scheduled instructional formats (IP and O/S), students reported earlier BT (IP=10:54pm, O/S=11:24pm, O/A=11:36pm, WE=12:30am), earlier WT (IP=6:18am, O/S=7:36am, O/A=8:48am, WE=9:36am), and shorter SlpOpp (IP=7.4h, O/S=8.2h, O/A=9.2h, WE=9.2h). Small differences in BT, but large differences in WT were found, based on school start times, with significantly later wake times associated with later start times. Students also reported later WT on O/S days vs. IP days, even with the same start times. Overall, more students reported obtaining sufficient SlpOpp (>8h) for O/S vs. IP format (IP=40.0%, O/S=58.8%); when school started at/after 8:30am, sufficient SlpOpp was even more common (IP=52.7%, O/S=72.7%). Greater night-to-night variability was found for WT and SlpOpp for students with hybrid schedules with >1 day IP and >1 day online vs virtual schedules (O/S and O/A only), with no differences in BT variability reported between groups.ConclusionThis large study of diverse adolescents from across the U.S. found scheduled school start times were associated with early wake times and shorter sleep opportunity, with greatest variability for hybrid instruction. Study results may be useful for educators and policy makers who are considering what education will look like post-pandemic.Support (if any):

238 Adolescent Sleep Variability, Social Jetlag, and Mental Health during COVID-19: Findings from a Large Nationwide Study

IntroductionAdolescents are vulnerable to short, insufficient sleep stemming from a combined preference for late bedtimes and early school start times, and also circadian disruptions from frequent shifts in sleep schedules (i.e., social jetlag). These sleep disruptions are associated with poor mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted education nationwide, including changes in instructional formats and school schedules. With data from the Nationwide Education and Sleep in TEens During COVID (NESTED) study, we examined whether sleep variability and social jetlag (SJL) during the pandemic associate with mental health.MethodsAnalyses included online survey data from 4767 students (grades 6-12, 46% female, 36% non-White, 87% high school). For each weekday, participants identified if they attended school in person (IP), online-scheduled synchronous classes (O/S), online-no scheduled classes (asynchronous, O/A), or no school. Students reported bedtimes (BT) and wake times (WT) for each instructional format and for weekends/no school days. Sleep opportunity (SlpOpp) was calculated from BT and WT. Weekday night-to-night SlpOpp variability was calculated with mean square successive differences. SJL was calculated as the difference between the average sleep midpoint on free days (O/A, no school, weekends) versus scheduled days (IP, O/S). Participants also completed the PROMIS Pediatric Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Short Form. Data were analyzed with hierarchical linear regressions controlling for average SlpOpp, gender, and school-level (middle vs high school).ResultsMean reported symptoms of anxiety (60.0 ±9.1; 14%≧70) and depression (63.4 ±10.2; 22%≧70) fell in the at-risk range. Shorter average SlpOpp (mean=8.3±1.2hrs) was correlated with higher anxiety (r=-.10) and depression (r=-.11; p’s<.001) T-scores. Greater SlpOpp variability was associated with higher anxiety (B=.71 [95%CI=.41-1.01, p<.001) and depression (B=.67 [.33-1.00], p<.001) T-scores. Greater SJL (mean=1.8±1.2hrs; 94% showed a delay in midpoint) was associated with higher anxiety (B=.36 [.12-.60], p<.001) and depression (B=.77 [.50-1.03], p<.001) T-scores.ConclusionIn the context of system-wide education changes during COVID-19, students on average reported at-risk levels of anxiety and depression symptoms which were associated with greater variability in sleep opportunity across school days and greater social jetlag. Our findings suggest educators and policymakers should consider these sleep-mental health associations when developing instructional formats and school schedules during and post-pandemic.Support (if any)T32MH019927(P.W.)

647 Adolescent and Young Adult Sleep and Sleep-Related Behaviour Change During the COVID-19 Pandemic

IntroductionSleep disturbance, poor sleep quality, and dissatisfaction with sleep are common among adolescents and young adults (AYAs; e.g., Becker et al., 2018; Hicks et al., 2002; Hysing et al., 2013). Environmental and behavioural factors (e.g., early school start times, evening technology use and social pressures) are barriers to healthy sleep among AYAs that contribute to a “perfect storm” of sleep disturbance during this period (Carskadon, 2011; Crowley et al., 2018). Notwithstanding, few AYAs have access to sleep treatments. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns decreased academic and scheduling demands, providing an opportunity to study unconstrained AYA sleep and potentially facilitating better access to sleep interventions (Simpson & Manber, 2020). This study evaluated differences in baseline sleep and sleep-related behaviour change (i.e., how AYAs use an evidence-based app for sleep disturbance) before vs. during the lockdown.MethodsParticipants between the ages of 15 and 24 (M=20.66, SD=2.38) completed a 4-week feasibility study evaluating a free, transdiagnostic sleep self-management app (DOZE) before the lockdown (“Pre-Lockdown”; n=51) or during the lockdown (“Lockdown”; n=29). After 2 weeks of completing baseline sleep diaries, participants could set goals based on feedback and access tips, followed by 2 more weeks of completing sleep diaries.ResultsCompared to Pre-Lockdown, Lockdown demonstrated less variability in their sleep schedules (ps≤.011), less napping (p=.002), but increased time in bed (TIB; p<.001) and total wake time (p=.007). Total sleep time, lingering in bed in the morning, and sleep efficiency did not differ between groups. Relative to Pre-Lockdown, Lockdown showed a greater tendency to set goals to reduce schedule variability (p=.010) and to restrict excessive TIB (p=.005). Rates of goal setting for lingering in bed in the morning, sleepiness, naps, and sleep-interfering substance use did not differ between groups. Rates of accessing tips did not differ between groups.ConclusionEffects of COVID-19 lockdown on AYA sleep included less variability in their schedule and a decreased need for naps, but negative effects on TWT and TIB. As a result, AYAs set different goals during the COVID-19 lockdowns, focusing more on restricting excessive TIB than on schedule variability.Support (if any)Canadian Institutes of Health Research eHealth Innovation Partnership Program (#143551).

674 Changes in Objectively-Measured Adolescent Sleep and Light Exposure During the COVID-19 Pandemic

IntroductionU.S. adolescents have high rates of insufficient sleep. School closures and stay-at-home orders were implemented to mitigate disease spread during the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Without the restriction of imposed early school start times, we hypothesized that adolescents would have longer, later, and less variable sleep compared to pre-COVID-19. We further hypothesized these changes would be associated with increased and later light exposure.MethodsHigh school students age 14–19 years with <7h sleep on school nights completed two weeks of at-home monitoring. The Pre-COVID-19 week took place between October 2018-February 2020 and the COVID-19 week occurred in May 2020 during state-wide stay-at-home orders. Participants wore an accelerometer to assess sleep and light exposure while completing a concurrent sleep log. Paired-samples t-tests examined differences in sleep and light between Pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19. Pearson correlations assessed associations between change in sleep and change in light.ResultsParticipants (N=16) were 16.5 ±1.2-years-old at Pre-COVID-19, 70.6% female, 68.8% White, and 25.1% Hispanic. Youth were participating in online learning due to in-person school closures and only 2 participants (14.3%) had a set start time, while the remainder reported learning per their own schedule. Youth obtained approximately one hour more weekday sleep per night during the COVID-19 week compared to Pre-COVID-19 (p<0.001). Bed and waketimes were significantly delayed on weekdays and weekends during COVID-19 compared to Pre-COVID-19 (p< 0.01). The greatest change was a delay in weekday waketime of 2.9□0.9h (p<0.001). Social jetlag during COVID-19 was reduced by 1/3 compared to Pre-COVID-19 (p=0.02). Average 24h lux levels were 2.5x higher during the COVID-19 week compared to Pre- COVID-19 (p=0.008). Change in average lux and timing of light were not significantly associated with change in sleep duration or timing.ConclusionAn unintended effect of the switch to online learning may have been affording adolescents the opportunity to obtain longer and more regular sleep. Understanding the impact of these changed sleep behaviors on daytime functioning, academic performance, and health outcomes is particularly urgent as schools plan for the remainder of the academic year and eventual return to in-person learning.Support (if any)K23DK117021 to SLS

687 Changes in adolescent sleep habits during the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents have experienced significant lifestyle changes. With an increase in technological dependency and changes in school formats, sleep behaviors may be altered. As individuals with overweight or obesity (OWOB) already report higher rates of sleep issues, they may be particularly at risk during this time. However, to date, there are no data on changes in sleep behavior in adolescents with OWOB during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsParticipants included 10 adolescents with BMI ≥85th percentile (Mage=16.30 years, SDage=1.06; 60% male; 70% African American). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, participants completed sleep diaries twice per day for one week, noting caffeine intake, bedtime, naps, perceived sleep quality, and media use in bed. Participants then completed sleep diaries again during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five separate paired-samples t-tests assessed differences in sleep behaviors and quality.ResultsA paired-samples t-test demonstrated significantly earlier average bedtime before (M=11:20 PM, SD=55.16 minutes) than during (M=12:29 AM, SD=71.27 minutes) COVID-19 (t(9)=-3.0, p=0.015). A second paired-samples t-test demonstrated lower average media use in bed before (M=11.67, SD=10.97 minutes) than during (M=32.13, SD=27.28 minutes) the COVID-19 pandemic (t(9)=-2.3, p=0.050). No other significant differences were found.ConclusionAdolescents engaged in later bedtimes and increased media use in bed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests adolescents’ sleep schedules have shifted later during the COVID-19 school year, due to either later wake times associated with virtual schooling or disruption in typical daily schedule as a result of the pandemic. However, no differences were found regarding caffeine intake, number of naps, and sleep quality. The significant findings regarding later adolescent bedtimes may reflect delayed sleep phase or possibly improved circadian alignment due to delayed school start times and at-home classes. The null findings regarding naps and caffeine intake may be reflective of the stability of daytime sleepiness. While we would expect daytime sleepiness to improve with increased circadian alignment, the effects may be diminished by increased media use in bed and decreased energy expenditure during the day. Given the observed relationships, current sleep hygiene interventions may require a focus on stimulus control and reducing time with media in bed.Support (if any):

634 Impact of Changing School Start Times on Drowsy Driving and Teen Motor Vehicle Crashes: A Longitudinal Examination

Abstract Introduction Early high school start times are associated with insufficient adolescent sleep, which in turn is associated with motor vehicle crashes [MVC]. This analysis examined the impact of a 70-minute delay in high school start times on student-reported drowsy driving and department of transportation MVC rates before and for 2 years after start time changes. Methods Self-reported sleep duration and drowsy driving data were drawn from a longitudinal study of changing high school start times (n=2099–4092/year) in the Cherry Creek School District (Arapahoe County [AC]). The Colorado Department of Transportation provided frequency/timing of weekday MVC data for teen (16–18 years) and adult drivers in AC and four neighboring counties in metro Denver (Other Counties [OC]). MVC rates per 1000 licensed drivers were calculated. Outcomes are reported for three school years: 2016–17 (pre-change), 2017–18 (post change), and 2018–19 (follow-up). Chi-square analyses examined drowsy driving frequency (at least once/week vs. less than once/week) by sufficient weeknight sleep duration (&amp;lt;8 hours vs. 8+ hours). Two-proportion z-tests compared MVC rates by county, as well as teens vs. adults. Results Compared to pre-change (29.3%), fewer students reported drowsy driving at post-change (20.3%) and follow-up (23.7%). Students who reported insufficient sleep also reported more frequent drowsy driving across all years (p’s&amp;lt;0.001 to 0.037). AC’s teen crash rate decreased from 78.9/1000 to 76.6/1000 post-change, with a further reduction to 68.7/1000 at follow-up. Pre-change crash rates did not differ between counties (p=0.444); however, they were significantly lower in AC vs. OC at both post-change (p=0.048) and follow-up (p=0.046). Adult crash rates remained consistent over three years in both counties. Morning crash rates per hour did not differ pre-change; at both post-change and follow-up OC’s morning crash rates peaked one hour earlier than AC’s (7:00-7:59am vs. 8:00-8:59am). Conclusion This study extends previous reports by finding that later school start times are associated with decreased drowsy driving and fewer teen motor vehicle crash rates for up to 2 years post-change. Early school start times is an important public policy that benefits adolescent sleep, health, and well-being through decreased drowsy driving and motor vehicle crashes. Support (if any) Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Evidence for Action Program

Examining the joint development of antisocial behavior and personality: Predictors and trajectories of adolescent indirect aggression and machiavellianism.

Indirect aggression has been associated with antisocial personality traits like Machiavellianism, but there is a lack of evidence on their longitudinal development across adolescence. Therefore, the joint developmental trajectories of adolescent indirect aggression and Machiavellianism across 3 years of high school (Grades 10 to 12) were investigated. Predictors of joint trajectory groups at the start of high school (Grade 9) were also explored. Participants included a sample of 513 individuals (Mage = 14.95 in Grade 10; SD = .37; 56.7% girls; 76.4% White) recruited from a school district that completed self-report measures of indirect aggression and Machaivellianism annually. Self- and parent-report measures of individual differences (e.g., approval seeking), peer relations (e.g., school bonding), and psychological features (e.g., anxiety) were explored as predictors of the trajectory groups. As predicted, a small subgroup of individuals indicated a high-risk joint trajectory pattern of moderate stable indirect aggression and high stable Machiavellianism. Additional trajectory patterns included a low-risk group indicating low stable indirect aggression and low stable Machiavellianism, and a high Machiavellianism only group indicating low stable indirect aggression and high stable Machiavellianism. Moderate indirect aggression was a better indicator of high Machiavellianism than the reverse. Individual differences, peer relations, and psychological features differentiated these trajectory groups. Findings have implications for the prevention of antisocial traits and behavior among young people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Changing school start times: impact on sleep in primary and secondary school students.

Study ObjectivesTo examine the impact of changing school start times on sleep for primary (elementary school: ES) and secondary (middle and high school: MS/HS) students.MethodsStudents (grades 3–12) and parents (grades K-12) were surveyed annually, before and for 2 years after school start time changes (ES: 60 min earlier, MS: 40–60 min later; HS: 70 min later). Student sleep and daytime sleepiness were measured with school-administered student surveys and parent-proxy online surveys.ResultsApproximately 28,000 students annually completed surveys (~55% White, ~21% free/reduced lunch [FRL]). One-year post-change, weekday bedtimes and wake times were slightly earlier for ES students, with an 11-min decrease in sleep duration. MS and HS students reported slightly later weekday bedtimes, significantly later wake times, and significantly longer sleep duration (MS: 29 min; HS: 45 min). The percent of ES students reporting sufficient sleep duration, poor sleep quality, or daytime sleepiness did not change, but the percent of MS and HS students reporting sufficient sleep duration significantly increased and clinically significant daytime sleepiness decreased. All results were maintained at the 2-year follow-up. Benefits of later start times were similar across racial and free/reduced lunch groups.ConclusionsThis is the first large scale, longitudinal, and representative study to concurrently examine the impact of changing school start times across students in primary/secondary school. Findings suggest a minimal impact of earlier start times on ES students’ sleep or daytime sleepiness, while further supporting the significant benefits of delaying MS and HS start times on student sleep and daytime sleepiness.

COVID-19 and sleep patterns in adolescents and young adults

ObjectiveIn March 2020, the world experienced a global pandemic, which involved the shutdown of schools or a transposition to remote teaching in most countries. The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic related lockdown on sleep patterns and sleep quality in adolescents and young adults. MethodsAn online survey was conducted in June 2020 with adolescents and young adults (n = 498) aged 12–25 years. Participants had to answer questions on sleep, first retrospectively, referring to the time prior to the pandemic, and then referring to the time during the pandemic. ResultsA pronounced shift towards later sleep combined with an increase in sleep duration was found during the pandemic. However, these changes in sleep habits were more pronounced in adolescents than in young adults and seem to occur mostly during weekdays compared to weekends. During the pandemic, teens also reported an improvement in daytime sleepiness and subjective sleep quality, while young adults reported an increase in sleep difficulties associated with sleep onset difficulties, nocturnal and early morning awakenings, and nightmares. ConclusionsThe COVID-19 related lockdown seems to have had a beneficial effect on sleep in adolescents. In young adults, benefits are not as obvious. These results support that later school start times would be beneficial for adolescents. However, in young adults it could be important to investigate the effects of other situational or interindividual factors (stress, lifestyle habits, employment, etc.).

Predicting failure before it happens: A 5-year, 1042 participant prospective study

Purpose of the article Students who fail assessments are at risk of negative consequences, including emotional distress and cessation of studies. Identifying students at risk of failure before they experience difficulties may considerably improve their outcomes. Methods Using a prospective design, we collected simple measures of engagement (formative assessment scores, compliance with routine administrative tasks, and attendance) over the first 6 weeks of Year 1. These measures were combined to form an engagement score which was used to predict a summative examination sat 14 weeks after the start of medical school. The project was repeated for five cohorts, giving a total sample size of 1042. Results Simple linear regression showed engagement predicted performance (R 2 adj = 0.03, F(1,1040) = 90.09, p < 0.001) with a small effect size. More than half of failing students had an engagement score in the lowest two deciles. Conclusions At-risk medical students can be identified with some accuracy immediately after starting medical school using routinely collected, easily analysed data, allowing for tailored interventions to support students. The toolkit provided here can reproduce the predictive model in any equivalent educational context. Medical educationalists must evaluate how the advantages of early detection are balanced against the potential invasiveness of using student data.

To play or not to play: teachers’ and headteachers’ perspectives on play-based approaches in transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1 in England

ABSTRACT This study explores the place of play in KS1 classrooms and the perspectives of teachers and headteachers in adopting play-based practices at the start of primary schooling. Data were collected from a survey of KS1 teachers asking for their views of play as an integral part of KS1 pedagogy. This was followed by interviews with eleven headteachers of schools where a play-based approach is embedded. Findings revealed that whilst teachers were in favour of play in KS1, policy constraints and, in particular, the beliefs of their own headteachers, very often acted as a barrier to the implementation of play in their school. The interviews with the headteachers of schools where a play-based approach is encouraged, reveal the influences on their thinking and beliefs, which include the advocacy of their own teachers.

Sleep Duration, Bedtime Consistency, and School Readiness: Findings from the 2016 to 2018 National Survey of Children's Health.

The focus of this study is to assess the link between sleep duration, bedtime consistency, and school readiness among a nationally representative sample of preschool-age children in the United States. A sample of 15,402 preschool-age children (3 to 5 years old) from the 3 most recent cohorts (2016-2018) of the National Survey of Children's Health was used. Information about sleep duration, bedtime consistency, and school readiness was obtained from surveys administered to primary caregivers. Four distinct domains of school readiness were examined: early learning skills, self-regulation, social-emotional development, and physical health and motor development. The findings reveal that children who obtain 7 or fewer hours of sleep per night exhibit significant reductions in school readiness both within and across all 4 domains. Similar but more modest patterns emerge among children with inconsistent bedtimes. Given the potential implications of young children's sleep for school readiness, pediatricians should be prepared and trained to effectively counsel parents about children's sleep patterns during routine well-child visits. Future research should examine whether improvements in sleep hygiene education for parents, behavioral sleep interventions, and/or later school start times once children enter preschool might enhance school readiness by improving children's health and well-being as they enter school.

Experimentally imposed circadian misalignment alters the neural response to monetary rewards and response inhibition in healthy adolescents.

Sleep and circadian timing shifts later during adolescence, conflicting with early school start times, and resulting in circadian misalignment. Although circadian misalignment has been linked to depression, substance use, and altered reward function, a paucity of experimental studies precludes the determination of causality. Here we tested, for the first time, whether experimentally-imposed circadian misalignment alters the neural response to monetary reward and/or response inhibition. Healthy adolescents (n = 25, ages 13-17) completed two in-lab sleep schedules in counterbalanced order: An 'aligned' condition based on typical summer sleep-wake times (0000-0930) and a 'misaligned' condition mimicking earlier school year sleep-wake times (2000-0530). Participants completed morning and afternoon functional magnetic resonance imaging scans during each condition, including monetary reward (morning only) and response inhibition (morning and afternoon) tasks. Total sleep time and circadian phase were assessed via actigraphy and salivary melatonin, respectively. Bilateral ventral striatal (VS) activation during reward outcome was lower during the Misaligned condition after accounting for the prior night's total sleep time. Bilateral VS activation during reward anticipation was lower during the Misaligned condition, including after accounting for covariates, but did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Right inferior frontal gyrus activation during response inhibition was lower during the Misaligned condition, before and after accounting for total sleep time and vigilant attention, but only during the morning scan. Our findings provide novel experimental evidence that circadian misalignment analogous to that resulting from school schedules may have measurable impacts on healthy adolescents' reward processing and inhibition of prepotent responses.

Medical School Accreditation Factors Associated With Certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG): A 10-Year International Study.

In 2024, international medical graduates seeking Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification will be required to graduate from an accredited medical school. This study's goal was to examine relationships between medical school accreditation variables and ECFMG certification for a global sample. Using ECFMG databases, the authors created a 10-year cohort (January 1, 2007-December 31, 2016) of certification applicants, defined as individuals who had attempted at least 2 examinations required for certification. The authors aggregated applicant data at the school level, excluding schools with < 80 applicants. School accreditation statuses were based on agency websites. School region, age, and time of first accreditation were included. Analyses included descriptive and bivariate statistics and multiple linear regressions adjusting for school start year and year of first accreditation. The cohort included 128,046 applicants from 1,973 medical schools across 162 countries. After excluding low-volume schools, 318 schools across 81 countries remained. These provided 99,598 applicants and 77,919 certificate holders, three-quarters of whom came from the Caribbean, South-Central Asia, and West Asia regions. Two hundred and fifty (78.6%) schools were accredited; 68 (21.4%) were not. Most ECFMG applicants (n = 84,776, 85.1%) and certificate holders (n = 68,444, 87.8%) attended accredited medical schools. Accredited schools had higher rates of ECFMG certification among graduates than nonaccredited schools in comparisons that included all schools (75.0% [standard deviation (SD) = 10.6%] vs 68.3% (SD = 15.9%), P < .001), and for countries that had both accredited and nonaccredited schools (73.9% [SD = 11.4%] vs 67.3% [SD = 16.8%], P = .023). After adjusting for age of school, longer duration of accreditation was associated with higher certification rates (P < .001). Accreditation had a positive association with ECFMG certification rates. Future studies should investigate how accreditation processes might account for higher certification rates.

Healthy and Ready to Learn: Prevalence and Correlates of School Readiness among United States Preschoolers.

To assess the national and state prevalence of being "Healthy and Ready to Learn" (HRL) and associated sociodemographic, health, family and neighborhood factors. Cross-sectional analysis of the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative parent-reported survey administered by web and paper June 2016 to February 2017. Four domains were constructed from 18 items through confirmatory factor analyses: "Early Learning Skills", "Social-Emotional Development", "Self-Regulation", and "Physical Well-being and Motor Development." Each item and domain were scored according to age-specific standards as "On-Track", "Needs Support", and "At Risk" with overall HRL defined as "On-Track" in all domains for 7565 randomly selected children ages 3 to 5 years. In 2016, 42.2% of children ages 3 to 5 years were considered HRL with the proportion considered "On-Track" ranging from 58.4% for Early Learning Skills to 85.5% for Physical Well-being and Motor Development"; approximately 80% of children were considered "On-Track" in Social-Emotional Development and Self-Regulation, respectively. Sociodemographic differences were mostly non-significant in multivariable analyses. Health, family, and neighborhood factors (ie, special health care needs status/type, parental mental health, reading, singing and storytelling, screen time, adverse childhood experiences, and neighborhood amenities) were associated with HRL. HRL prevalence ranged from 25.5% (NV) to 58.7% (NY), but only 4 states were significantly different from the U.S. overall. Based on this pilot measure, only about 4 in 10 US children ages 3 to 5 years may be considered "Healthy and Ready to Learn." Improvement opportunities exist for multiple, modifiable factors to affect young children's readiness to start school.

Social disadvantage from the perspective of a teacher in preschool education

Introduction. The problematic of social disadvantaged children and compulsory pre-primary school year are actual theme not just for teachers in kindergartens. The aims of compulsory pre-primary school year are equalizing the developmental differences in children development, eliminate handicaps which they bring from families and easier the beginning of primary schooling. The main aim of the research in this chapter, is to highlight the issue of social disadvantaged children and their status in the kindergarten. Methodology. By using three case studies the author has found out how a status of a social disadvantaged child influence a child and its family. The children were from the second class of the kindergarten in the age 5-7. Also, how this problematic is seen by pedagogical workers in chosen kindergarten. As respondents were chosen two teachers in the kindergarten and one teacher assistant, who works directly with the children. The qualitative research was conducted in the kindergarten which is placed in small village with 700 habitats in Vysočina district, Czech Republic. Findings. According to the teachers it is crucial to work differently with the social disadvantaged children. It is important to keep the individual attitude to each child, use diverse method of work with children and keep the motivation high. The children from the social disadvantaged families not always visit the kindergarten. In the Czech Republic, it is an obligation to attend at least one year before the start of compulsory schooling. The environment where they live is not always stimulating enough for the equal development. The kindergarten is place where they can get the potential, familiarize with many activities and rituals. Conclusions. The main challenge is link families of children who visit the kindergarten and continue developing the idea of active family and child from social disadvantaged environment. Due to this attitude the next generation can be influence by this positive thinking. Thus, it can help to build next positive and engaging generation.

Comparative analysis of sleep patterns and attention components in high school and college adolescents.

Adolescence is a phase with physiological and behavioral changes. One of them occurs in the sleep-wake cycle pattern, manifested by a phase delay. However, morning school start time can decrease sleep duration during weekdays, impairing adolescent cognitive performance and well-being. Adolescents of different ages and educational level might suffer the impact of academic demand on sleep-wake cycle and cognition differently. Thus, the aim of this study is to compare the sleep habits and quality, sleepiness upon awakening and attention components among adolescents in the first years of high school and college. 71 adolescents participated in the study (45 girls and 26 boys), 44 enrolled in high school morning classes (G1 - 15.5±0.7 years), from a private school, and 27 college students enrolled in morning classes (G2 - 18.8±1.04 years), from biosciences courses from a public institution. The groups did not differ in bedtime, get up time, time in bed and sleep irregularity. However, both groups showed differences according to the day of the week, bedtime and get up time became later and time in bed extended on weekends. G1 presented worse sleep quality and regarding attention, showed higher percentage of omissions in all components and worse performance in sustained attention (ANOVA, p<0.05). The poorer sleep quality of high school adolescents and reduced attention may have a negative effect on school performance. Additional studies are needed to investigate the causes of these differences between these two educational levels.

Symbolic Magnitude Understanding Predicts Preschoolers’ Later Addition Skills

ABSTRACT Young children’s symbolic magnitude understanding, or knowledge of how written numerals and number words can be ordered and compared, is thought to play an important role in their mathematical development. There is consistent evidence that symbolic magnitude skills predict mathematical achievement in later childhood and adulthood. Yet less is known about symbolic magnitude understanding before the start of formal schooling, a time when children are rapidly developing knowledge of small whole numbers. In this study, preschoolers (N = 140, Mean age = 4 years, 5 months) were assessed using measures of numerical skills (cardinality, symbolic magnitude, addition) and executive functioning (working memory, inhibitory control, attention shifting) in the winter and spring of the school year. Symbolic magnitude predicted later addition skills, fully mediating the relation between children’s cardinality and addition skills. Moreover, children’s domain-general executive functioning skills and domain-specific numeracy skills explained a similar amount of variability in children’s later addition skills. Results highlight the role of symbolic magnitude in the development of children’s understanding of mathematics.

Bullying among middle school students: a cross sectional study

Background: Bullying is threat or physical use of force, aiming at the individual, another person, specific community or group which can result in injury, death, physical damage or some development disorders or deficiency. These actions can consist of physical contact, verbal, through obscene gestures, or through intentional exclusion from group. Despite the common assumption that bullying is a normal part of childhood and encompasses minor teasing and harassment, researchers increasingly find that bullying is a problem that can be detrimental to students’ well-being. Bullying is a psychological problem connected with public health. Keeping this background in mind, this study was conducted to find out the prevalence of bullying and its association with socio-demographic characteristics in school going children.Methods: This cross-sectional study was done among 921 students of Class VII and VIII, belonging to both Government and Private schools in Imphal West District, Manipur in 2017, using a self administered questionnaire. Data was entered in IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp software for windows. Descriptive statistics like mean, SD and percentage was used. Chi square test was used to test for association between proportions of the data. A probability value of &lt;0.05 was taken as significant.Results: Out of 921 participants, 32.4% were victims of bullying, 16.7% participants were both bully and victim. Decrease in self-confidence, reluctance to go to school and feeling unsafe at school were the consequences after getting bullied.Conclusions: Almost half of the students were victims of bullying. The high prevalence of bullying and victimization shown in this study suggests the need of prevention and intervention programs at the start of elementary school.

Sleep habits and circadian preferences in school-aged children attending a Mexican double-shift school system

ObjectiveTo determine the differences between sleep habits and circadian preference in school-aged children attending a Mexican double-shift school system. MethodsThis cross-sectional study consisted of 400 elementary public-school children (mean age = 10.77, SD = 0.70 y, from fourth, fifth and sixth grades) in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, in northeastern Mexico. Attending a double-shift school system: 200 from the morning shift and 200 in the afternoon shift. Specific questions regarding sleep habits were collected and for circadian preference, the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) was used. ResultsMultivariate analysis reported no sex differences. Children attending at the morning shift during weekdays rose earlier, reported shorter time in bed and earlier midpoint of sleep than those in the afternoon shift. On weekends, morning shift children went to bed later than afternoon shift. Morning shift reported greater social jetlag, shorter average sleep length and more sleep deficit than afternoon shift. During weekdays and weekends evening type children went to bed later, rose later and reported later midpoint of sleep. Also, evening type reported more social jetlag than morning types. ConclusionThis study suggests that early school start times can have a detrimental effect on Mexican children. Moreover, the morning shift children may be at more risk of poor health due to the higher social jetlag, as well as a higher tendency to be sleep deprived. On the other hand, the afternoon shift represents an important social environment that allows children to follow their natural physiological needs and a more optimal sleep health.