Low-dose computerized tomography of the jaw bone in pre-implantation diagnosis. Limits of dose reduction and accuracy of distance measurements

This commentary on the issues and challenges related to the provision of sex education in US schools opens by using a 1997 action of the Franklin County, North Carolina, school board as an example of the controversy. In this case, the school board ordered the removal of chapters on sex behavior, contraception, AIDS, and sexually transmitted diseases from its 9th grade health text book to comply with a new state law requiring public schools to teach sexual abstinence until marriage. While most US adults approve of sex education in schools, the abstinence-only movement has orchestrated a highly organized, successful campaign to remove information from schools and has garnered a $250 million commitment from the federal government to promote abstinence until marriage as part of welfare reform efforts. The commentary continues with a review of efforts to undermine sexuality education starting in the 1960s and sketches the current state of sex education efforts. The next section looks at the new strategy used by sex education opponents, which led them to refocus efforts on local school boards and state legislatures instead of national policies. Remaining topics include the other tactics used by sex education opponents, the heightened fear of teachers to discuss controversial subjects, the lack of teacher training to discuss sexuality, and the consequences of this situation in the classroom. Recommendations to redress this situation include improving professional training, forming local advisory committees, encouraging parental involvement, and promoting the benefits of comprehensive programs.     

Menstruation, menarche, and sexuality in the public school curriculum: school nurses' perceptions

Nurses employed by schools and health departments have varying responsibilities for curricula related to menstruation, menarche, and sexuality. Nevertheless, the school nurse is usually a source of information on these subjects whether employed full-time in school health or also participating in other nursing roles in the community. This survey examines the involvement of school nurses in curricula related to human reproduction including contraception. Data about their involvement in these classroom topics provides a basis for evaluating their roles and making recommendations for subsequent continuing education programs for school health nurses.     

The influence of accreditation on educational change in U.S. medical schools

The authors examined the influence of accreditation on educational change and reform in U.S. medical schools in the past decade, by reviewing the survey databases and site visit reports of 90 schools that had comprehensive accreditation surveys by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) between July 1992 and June 1997. In this study, substantive change was defined as centralizing the design and management of the curriculum, as well as one or more of the following reforms: integrating basic and clinical science instruction and/or conversion to interdisciplinary courses; implementing methods of active, small-group, independent, and hypothesis-based learning; and substantially increasing students' exposure to ambulatory and primary care. Accreditation reports were reviewed to determine the extent to which the LCME previously had admonished schools for shortcomings in their educational programs and advised curricular changes. Notice was taken of grant support by national foundations promoting educational reform, in relation both to the correction of accreditation deficiencies and to curricular reform undertaken by schools on their own initiative. The study also scrutinized the evolution of accreditation standards promoting educational reform, and the LCME's support of initiatives for shortening the period of medical education and promoting performance-based teaching and the assessment of clinical skills. On entering the 1990s, the LCME toughened the standards for design and management of the medical curriculum and for the evaluation of educational program effectiveness that schools must conduct. The greater assessment rigor identified educational shortcomings in 61 of 90 medical schools coming up for accreditation surveys during 1992-1997. On those occasions, 34 of the 61 schools had instituted reforms or were on the verge of doing so. Twenty-five of the schools carrying out reforms (73%) had received major foundation grants, compared with ten of the 27 schools (37%) that had accomplished little. Fifteen schools that had not been reproached earlier were found on the 1992-1997 surveys to have undertaken substantial innovation on their own initiative, five with the help of major foundation awards. The study also shows that a number of schools implemented parts of more sweeping reforms with the help of smaller foundation grants for more discrete purposes. In some instances, it has not been possible to differentiate the influence of the LCME as a force for educational reform from the incentives for change created by national foundations. Overall, the LCME, through its standards and assessment practices, and in synergy with schools and kindred agencies promoting change, is now on the leading edge of improved education and evaluation in the nation's medical schools.     

G. Michael Pressley (1951-2006).

Presents an obituary for G. Michael Pressley. Although he was a prolific scholar, George Michael Pressley was not an armchair professor. His favorite place to be was in K-12 schools, working to improve schooling in America by studying outstanding practice. His work in schools served as the catalyst for his most important scholarly contributions. These spanned a broad range of topics, including children's memory development, the characteristics of highly effective students, reading assessment and instruction, the attributes of exemplary teachers and schools, and the interplay between motivation and learning. Michael made basic theoretical contributions in each of these fields, but in keeping with his passion to improve education, he devoted much of his time to identifying effective instructional practices in each area. Many of these practices have been adopted by schools, incorporated into educational materials, and integrated into teacher preparation programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to the ministries' reactions to the Canadian Psychological Association's position paper on beginning reading instruction.

Reactions to the position paper (M. L. Simner; see record 1994-03519-001) approved by the Canadian Psychological Association on beginning reading instruction were received from 8 ministries (departments) of education. Despite widespread media and public support for the Association's claim that the level of phonics instruction in whole language is insufficient to meet the needs of many beginning readers, the majority of the ministries took issue with this claim. The present article clarifies the Association's stand by drawing attention to the differences between the phonics exercises that research shows should be employed in beginning reading instruction and the phonics exercises that teachers are being encouraged to employ as a result of the ministries' endorsement of whole language. Four additional measures are provided that the Association now asks the ministries to adopt to avoid having more children suffer the consequences of improper beginning reading instruction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The physician assistant in South Carolina

This article provides an overview of the physician assistant profession in general and in South Carolina. Information on the educational program at the Medical University of South Carolina and the results of a study of the satisfaction and contribution of the physician assistant as perceived by a sample of South Carolina supervising physicians is included. The study demonstrates that the physician assistant makes an important contribution to health care in South Carolina.     

Pharmacological analysis of intracellular Ca2+ signalling: problems and pitfalls

Sexual coercion, a topic of relevance to school health personnel, may be as common in high school populations as in university populations. Twenty-one sexuality education curricula were examined for information on the topics of date rape, stranger rape, pressure, incest, sexual harassment, unwanted/inappropriate touch, and exploitation/victimization. Curricula scoring highest in total coverage also were the most comprehensive with six of the seven sexual coercion topics covered. Overall, pressure and exploitation/victimization received the greatest attention, while sexual harassment was not covered in any of the curricula. Common themes occurring within the coercion topic areas included guilt, communication/assertiveness skills, blame, drug use, premeditation, fear, sources of help. Results suggest sexuality education curricula have not responded to the increased concern regarding sexual harassment in schools.     

Personal and family backgrounds of first-year veterinary science students at the University of Queensland

OBJECTIVE: To provide information on changes in the social and educational backgrounds of veterinary students over a 10 year period in an effort to determine the extent to which they are representative of the community. METHODS: Questionnaires were completed by first-year veterinary students at The University of Queensland in 1985 and 1986 (152 students), and 1995 and 1996 (154), and the data were analysed using the SAS System for Windows. RESULTS: The gender ratio of first-year veterinary students was 50:50 (male:female) in 1985 and 1986 but 10 years later it had changed to 38:62. In 1985 and 1986 77% had come directly from school, with 43% of the total coming from government schools, 17% from Catholic schools and 34% from other private (independent) schools. A decade later the percentage coming directly from school had decreased to 40%, that from Independent schools increased to 45% and that from cities increased from 53% to 64%. The educational backgrounds of parents varied widely though a high percentage had university degrees; mothers had received less formal education than fathers, and the educational attainments of both parents were higher at the beginning than at the end of the study. More than half (57% initially; 67% 10 years later) the fathers were in professional or managerial occupations, and a similar number (50% initially; 48% 10 years later) of mothers were teachers, nurses or clerks. The number of males from country areas decreased from 26 to 16 over this period. CONCLUSION: These veterinary students differed from the community generally in that progressively more were female, more were from Independent schools, their parents had more formal education and more of their parents were in professional, managerial or clerical occupations.     

Using audioteleconferencing to link occupational therapy graduate students in the United States and Canada

Lack of access to graduate education in the United States and Canada is a frustration for many occupational therapists who wish to further their careers. One way to overcome lack of access is to use technology to bridge the distances. The occupational therapy schools at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, have collaborated for several years to provide graduate occupational therapy courses via audioteleconferencing. A general overview of the progress made in the project, as well as its design and unique features, is discussed. The major recommendation is that more occupational therapy schools could use distance education to collaborate when resources are few and needs are great. Such efforts benefit both faculty members and students.     

Palliative care in undergraduate medical education. Status report and future directions

OBJECTIVE: To describe the status of palliative care education in the undergraduate medical curriculum and to offer recommendations for improvement. DATA SOURCES: Review of literature on palliative care and of recently submitted grants on medical education for end-of-life care. STUDY SELECTION: English-language reports of educational programs targeted toward medical students were examined, as well as surveys of medical schools. DATA EXTRACTION: Studies were reviewed by the authors to assess the quality of the educational program, evaluation methodology, and conclusions. From over 9000 citations on palliative care and related topics that were retrieved from MEDLINE searches from 1980 through 1995, and from reviewing 14 palliative care journals published from 1985 through 1996, 310 articles were identified that addressed medical education for end-of-life care, and 180 were carefully examined. DATA SYNTHESIS: While nearly all medical schools offer some formal teaching about end-of-life care, there is considerable evidence that current training is inadequate, most strikingly in the clinical years. Teaching about palliative care is received favorably by students, positively influences student attitudes, and enhances communication skills. However, curricular offerings are not well integrated; the major teaching format is the lecture; formal teaching is predominantly preclinical; clinical experiences are mostly elective; there is little attention to home care, hospice, and nursing home care; role models are few; and students are not encouraged to examine their personal reactions to these clinical experiences. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing attention to palliative care education has created major opportunities for improving education about care at the end of life. Educational programs should be rigorously evaluated to identify best educational practices.     

Adoption of the International Residential Code in a High Natural Hazards Region—An Overview

South Carolina was among the first jurisdictions to adopt the 2000 International Residential Code (IRC). The adoption of this statewide building code met with significant opposition and resulted in moratoria being placed on all seismic design and wind-borne debris provisions in the code. A study was conducted to determine how well the IRC has been adopted by coastal South Carolina communities, with the discovery that most plan preparers and building departments are not following the IRC. This paper documents some of the activities and observations made during this process. The observations are troubling and point to a significant need for ongoing professional education. The findings also demonstrate the need for greater resources to be allocated not only to educational needs, but also to code enforcement.     

The North Carolina High School Athletic Injury Study: design and methodology

PURPOSE: Organized interscholastic athletics are an integral part of the educational program at almost every school level. With this growing popularity of sports and their inclusion in more public school programs, it becomes increasingly apparent that additional consideration must be given to the injury problem associated with sport. The North Carolina High School Athletic Injury Study (NCHSAIS) was undertaken to identify patterns of injury among male and female athletes in North Carolina high schools participating in any of 12 sports. Specific aims are to measure the incidence, severity and etiology of injuries; to determine the relationship of demographic factors and protective equipment, exposure to play, and school characteristics to injuries; to study the relationship of coaches' training and experience to injury occurrence; and to compare the incidence and severity of injury among female and male athletes in the same or comparable sports. METHODS: A two-stage cluster sample of 100 high schools in North Carolina was selected for this 4-yr prospective study. RESULTS: Participation by the initial sample or a random replacement was achieved for 91 of the 100 schools. Nonresponse occurred at multiple levels of the sample for this study, and the weekly participation form posed the greatest respondent burden. CONCLUSIONS: The NCHSIAS offers a successful methodology for addressing sports injuries. In this paper we describe the design, methodology, and implementation issues that emerge in conducting a large scale epidemiological study in a population of high school athletes.     

Public schools and four year olds: A teacher's view.

The question of opening public schools to four-year-olds is examined by the president of the National Education Association. Arbitrary, age-based models of appropriate instruction are criticized, and an educational philosophy based on the ideal of lifelong learning is advanced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (tick-borne typhus) in South Carolina: an educational program and tick/rickettsial survey in 1973 and 1974

Because the incidence of spotted fever is increasing in South Carolina, campaigns were carried out in 1973 and 1974 to provide the public and medical practitioners, through pamphlets and news media, with information about spotted fever and the ticks which transmit the causative agent, Rickettsia rickettsii. People were also invited to save and submit live ticks removed from vegetation, animals and humans, for examination by the hemolymph test. A total of 1,186 ticks consisting of 987 Dermacentor variabilis, 103 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and 96 Amblyomma americanum were examined. Rickettsiae identified by direct immunofluorescence as members of the spotted fever group were detected in 49 (4.9%) of the D. variabilis, and 16 (16.6%) of the A. americanum ticks. Two hundred and twenty (199 D. variabilis, 17 A. americanum, and 4 R. sanguineus) were recorded as having been attached to 199 persons. Nine of these ticks (8 D. variabilis, and 1 A. americanum) were hemolymph test-positive for spotted fever-group rickettsiae. Infected ticks originated from each of the three major South Carolina biogeographic regions, namely Piedmont, Sandhill, and Coastal Plain. Since education is the first and most important step in preventing spotted fever, educational programs and tick examination services similar to those decribed, are suggested for other states with high spotted fever incidence.     

Primary grade writing instruction: A national survey.

A random sample of primary grade teachers (N = 178; 97% female) from across the United States was surveyed about their classroom instructional practices in writing. Most of the participating teachers (72%) took an eclectic approach to writing instruction, combining elements from the 2 most common methods for teaching writing: process writing and skills instruction. Although 90% of the teachers reported using most of the writing instructional practices that were included in the survey, there was considerable variability between teachers in how often they used specific practices. The study provides support for the following 7 recommendations for reforming primary grade writing instruction: (a) increase amount of time students spend writing; (b) increase time spent writing expository text; (c) provide better balance between time spent writing, learning writing strategies, and teaching writing skills; (d) place more emphasis on fostering students' motivation for writing; (e) develop stronger connections for writing between home and school; (f) make computers a more integral part of the writing program; and (g) improve professional development for writing instruction in teacher education programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is reading important in reading-readiness programs? A randomized field trial with teachers as program implementers.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness and feasibility of phonological awareness training, with and without a beginning decoding component. 33 teachers in 8 urban schools were assigned randomly within their schools to 3 groups: control, phonological awareness training, and phonological awareness training with beginning decoding instruction and practice. Following training, teachers in the 2 treatment groups conducted the treatments for about 20 wks. In each teacher's class, pre- and posttreatment data were collected on 12–14 children (N?=?404); 312 children were tested again the following fall. At the end of kindergarten, the 2 treatment groups performed comparably and outperformed controls on the phonological awareness measures. On alphabetic (reading and spelling) tasks, however, the group participating in phonological awareness training with beginning decoding instruction did better than the other 2 groups. In the fall of the next year, many of these between-group differences remained but were less impressive. Implications are discussed for bridging research and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Flunking kindergarten after Head Start: An inquiry into the contribution of contextual and individual variables.

The author examined the extent that nonpromotion to 1st grade after kindergarten can be predicted from information about school and family contexts as well as Head Start children's individual characteristics. The sample comprised 261 Head Start children and parents who were participating in a study on the transition to school. Children who lagged behind their peers on academic achievement and social adjustment indicators were more likely to be in the nonpromoted group. Parental school involvement, parental estimates of children's school adjustment, and parental satisfaction with school programs were predictive of risk for nonpromotion. Head Start children were less likely to be retained in public schools that provided educational as well as family services intended to support the transition to public school. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrating behavioral technology into public schools.

Suggests 7 measures behavioral educators can take to make effective educational procedures available in public schools. Suggestions include making the 1st priority of behavioral educators the dissemination of effective technology, developing comprehensive educational systems, simplifying and beautifying existing effective procedures, creating a market for effective educational technology, obtaining new measures of educational success, beginning a program of educational activism, and foraging in new fields. These measures are offered in light of the fact that many urban youth face bleak futures, even though the educational technology to correct this problem has existed since the 1970s. Part of the problem is that public school teachers have the right to reject educational procedures that are unappealing to them, that are labor intensive, or that are seen as stifling their creativity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Outside the Budget Box—Public/Private Partnership as a Creative Vehicle for Finance and Delivery of Public School Facilities

Our public schools face almost irresistible pressures to upgrade and expand facilities and deliver better, more advanced, and higher-quality education while tax revenues and therefore budgets are shrinking each year. Class sizes grow in old and outdated facilities, and municipalities and school districts have few resources to address the pressing space needs. There is little public support for increased funding. However, there is a way to deliver educational facilities that uses less public capital than traditional project finance. Public/Private Partnership (PPP) is a delivery method that has traditionally been used on large infrastructure projects in developing nations, in order to allow more development for less public capital investment while maintaining the overall quality of construction. In recent years, PPP has gained acceptance in Europe and now in the United States as a means of public school finance and construction. This paper discusses PPP, its fundamental principles, and the various ways it can be employed in the delivery of educational facilities, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.