The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a needs assessment matrix for secondary specialized literacy professionals that identified the professional learning needs of literacy coaches. This tool was developed in order to inform school districts and secondary specialized literacy professionals about the types of professional learning support they will need for them to effectively meet the literacy needs of teachers in secondary schools. The Secondary Literacy Professionals Needs Assessment Matrix (SLPNAM) was created using a variety of methods. A synthesis of literature regarding school improvement, adolescent literacy, 21st century skills, adult learning, literacy coaching and the 2017 International Literacy Association's Standards for Specialized Literacy Professionals was used to provide the conceptual framework for the SLPNAM. The SLPNAM items were developed by interviewing coaching and content experts, going through several iterations before the final instrument was developed. Construct validity was established through exploratory factor analysis, and internal reliability was determined through Cronbach's Alpha. Sixty-four participants from 18 school districts in Florida responded to the SLPNAM. Data analysis indicated that the SLPNAM had a high level of internal reliability, and data reduction was used to ensure that items correlated with constructs it was intended to correlate with. Data from the exploratory factor analysis of the SLPNAM confirmed that construct validity was established. The results from this study provide opportunities for school districts to differentiate professional learning for literacy professionals. It also provides data for school administrators to define the role of the coach and assists secondary literacy professionals in setting professional learning goals specific to their roles.

Introduction Persons with disability make up the largest minority group in the world yet there is a dearth of research both internationally and nationally on how disability is included in professional training curricula for medical doctors. Aim of the study The purpose of this study is to add to the body of knowledge that would facilitate the inclusion of disability in the undergraduate medical curriculum in South Africa. Methods This is a mixed method, sequential study – Phase one followed by Phase two. Phase one, data was collected - via focus groups and in-depth interviews - from Medical Doctors, Medical Students, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists and Persons with disability. Phase two used a modified Delphi Method with an expert panel of disabled and abled Disability Studies Academics, Medical Educators, Disability Rights Activists and Medical Doctors. The experts were asked to rate – using a 5-point Likert Scale - each competency according to its importance and language clarity. They were also asked in open-ended questions, to make any suggestions relating to the language of each competency and whether any competencies could be combined. 2 Findings Four main themes emerged from Phase one data: Experience of disability, Attitudes towards disability, Knowledge about Disability and Life beyond the disability. Data from these four themes contributed to the generation of an initial competency set – 17 competencies and 13 sub-competencies. In Phase two the initial competency set was presented to an expert panel as part of a modified Delphi Method. In the first iteration consensus was regarding the importance of each competency. In the second iteration consensus was reached regarding the language of each competency and a final competency set – containing 13 competencies and 9 sub-competencies - was generated. Competencies and sub-competencies 1-6 are clustered as knowledge competencies, 7-10 as attitudes and 11-13 as skills. Conclusion This study sets an important precedent for the inclusion of the subject of disability in undergraduate medical curricula. It proposes an approach to teaching and learning about disability inclusion for medical students. The list of disability specific competencies set forth by this study are a steppingstone in the process of curriculum transformation. The use of this guideline to improve the understanding of disability, and as a catalyst for undergraduate medical curriculum review is recommended.

This study investigated the effect of teaching parents/caregivers to read alphabet books using dialogic techniques, on preschool children's alphabet skills, phonological awareness, and oral language skills. The independent variable was a one hour scripted information session where parents/caregivers viewed a parent training video Read Together, Talk Together Parent Training Video (Pearson Early Learning, 2004) and learned how to use dialogic reading techniques which they then applied at home during an eight week intervention. Thirty-one parent/caregiver-child dyads were recruited from four East Tennessee preschools designated to serve high need populations. The study utilized a Pre-Post Test Control Group Design. Primary research questions for this study were: (1) Does dialogic reading using alphabet books, between parents and 4–5 year old preschool children have an effect on children's letter identification skills? (2) Does dialogic reading using alphabet books between parents and 4–5 year old preschool children have an effect on children's phonological awareness? (3) Does dialogic reading using alphabet books between parents and 4–5 year old preschool children have an effect on children's expressive language development? (4) Do parents/caregivers who participate in videotape training and implementation of dialogic reading with 4–5 year old children apply the strategies to focus on letters, letter sounds, or initial sounds when they read alphabet books? (5) To what degree are parents able to follow a schedule of reading books at least three times per week using dialogic reading strategies during the eight-week intervention? Results indicated that the intervention had a significant effect (U=63.5, p<.05) related to child skills only on the Picture Naming Fluency measure for expressive language. Other effects were not statistically significant. A significant difference between the treatment group and control group parents was found for asking dialogic questions about letters (U=13.00, P=.004) and general dialogic questions (U=7.5, P=.000) but not for dialogic questions about sounds. Most parents read to their children at least three times per week. Parents were highly satisfied with the initial training, the eight-week program, the materials provided, and the child outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a mandated and highly structured program for early literacy development, IBM's Writing to Read Program, could bring about desired changes in teacher attitudes towards and behaviors in literacy instruction. The study responds to the need for change in our attitudes towards language development and in the way we teach young children to read and write. An analysis of the Writing to Read Program explored its philosophy and pedagogical methods, demonstrating that it was an essentially sound program, eclectic in its approach, based in proven practice and research, and extensively field-tested. A review of the literature presented an historical perspective of reading instruction in the United States, current research findings in the specific area of emerging literacy, and an analysis of the degree to which the theoretical and pedagogical bases of Writing to Read are consistent with that research. The study focused on the effects on teachers of Writing to Read staff development and program implementation within a single school system. A survey questionnaire, interviews and school records were the sources of data collection. The survey questionnaires and interviews were utilized to assess teacher opinion of the Writing to Read Program and the degree of change in teacher attitudes towards literacy learning and behaviors in literacy instruction which could be ascribed to experience with the program. Additionally the study sought to assess the effects of background factors such as teacher longevity, professional experiences, teaching assignment and previous literacy training in teacher attitudes and behaviors. The Chi-Square Test of Statistical Significance was applied to eighty-four variables which assessed teacher opinions, attitudes and behaviors. The study confirmed the effectiveness of the Writing to Read Program in producing changes in teacher attitudes and behaviors in literacy instruction. The major findings focus on the program's effects in changing attitudes and behaviors towards the role of writing in literacy instruction. The study's findings on the program's effects on attitudes and behaviors towards reading instruction were inconclusive. The significant contribution of this study is to document the effects of the Writing to Read Program on teachers.

This descriptive study examined turnover intention for wait staff working at independent and regional chain restaurants in central Florida. The purpose of this dissertation in practice was to understand the role that stress, Person-Environment Fit, and demographics play in turnover intention. A self-report questionnaire was distributed to wait staff in central Florida via social media websites. The self-report questionnaire consisted of the Perceived Person-Environment Fit Scale (PPEFS), the General Workplace Stress Scale (GWSS), and the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6). A total of 265 responses were collected from participants and the responses were analyzed using a stepwise regression and two multilinear regressions. The analysis of the data revealed that stress and Person-Supervisor Fit were the two strongest predictors of turnover intention. The data revealed that demographics, particularly age and gender, did not influence turnover intention. This study provides unique insights on the central Florida restaurant industry, particularly when examining how stress and Person-Environment Fit influence turnover intention. The findings of this study indicate a need for further investigation on how to decrease stress and improve employee-manager relationships for servers at central Florida restaurants.

This research study assessed a sample of school districts in Massachusetts who have curricula which encompasses a thinking skills approach to instruction. An exhaustive review of literature clearly points to agreement among researchers and educators that this method of delivering instruction produces a literate and independent population. It is also an effective method for dealing with an ever increasing pool of information, and rapidly changing world events that cause textbooks to be outdated before they are even printed. By means of a survey questionnaire and an observation instrument designed for on-site visits the quantity and quality of available programs in Massachusetts schools was evaluated. Also of interest was the method used to implement such programs; that is, were they infused into course content material or was the program separate and distinct from the already established curriculum. Given the extensive number of commercially prepared programs now available that are designed to teach thinking skills, the research depicted the number of school officials who are using the prepared programs versus those who have opted to design their own program. The most recognizable and accepted thinking behaviors were charted in the form of a frequency distribution and polygons so that appropriate skills could be replicated in school systems contemplating the implementation of a thinking skills curriculum. The study examined, therefore, the number of school districts who teach thinking skills, how they are taught, and which behaviors displayed by both teachers and students are common to this type of instruction.

This study attempts to determine the changes in content of the Political Education as revealed in the national entrance examinations from 1985 to 1990. An attempt was made to analyze the content in an effort to answer the question of whether there is a relationship between the changes in leadership, content of the curriculum, and the examination. The author has obtained and translated six examinations and official answers into English which could be helpful to those who are concerned professionally. The study is divided into six chapters. Chapter I is an introduction briefly describing the problems, the hypothesis, sources and methods used in this study. Chapter II analyzes examination format. Chapter III focuses on the presence of themes that are consistent over the years, the determination of whether or not there are changes in emphasis and if there were inherent contradictions. Chapter IV explores the relationship between the changes of the content in the examination, political events including the changes of the leadership. In Chapter V, the major topic is to connect the Political Education of present day China with its historical antecedents. The premise being that one can not understand today's Political Education without taking into consideration China's past. Chapter VI is a summary of the major findings of the study. The primary finding of the study is that there is a positive correlation between the Party Leadership, the Political Education content and the national college entrance examination. The content of the curriculum in secondary school only changes when the political leadership desire such a change. The national entrance examination reflects and reinforces the thinking of the Party's leadership and its philosophy. Political Education in the People's Republic of China is to insure the continuance of the Party and therefore is designed to develop conformity.

Substance use disorders are a growing concern within the United States, especially with the increasing deaths from drug overdose. Currently, there is a lack of thorough addiction education and training, especially for psychiatry residents. A training program was created to address this need by providing evidence-based addiction training through an integrative behavioral health model while using a culturally responsive approach. This training program was called ACCESS (Achieving Culturally Competent and Equitable Substance Use Services). The training program was offered to psychiatry residents to participate in for an academic year. During this time, the residents engaged in didactic lectures, provided care at an experiential site, and led a quality improvement or clinical innovation project. After completing of the program, the residents took part in a qualitative interview with the purpose of seeing how their experiences in the program aligned with the program’s purpose. The ACCESS Program successfully provided the residents with addiction training through an IBH model. However, moving forward, the program may need to fine-tune its qualitative measure to be more reflective of its aims. In addition, the program may need to be carried out in different settings that could provide a more substantial and less biased sample of residents.

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The purpose of this interdisciplinary project on human impacts on the environment was threefold. First, I sought to deepen students’ three-dimensional science learning by purposefully integrating related English Language Arts (ELA) standards. The reading and writing standards reinforced the science and engineering practice of obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information and the crosscutting concept of cause and effect (NRC 2012) within the context of Earth science. Second, I wanted to broaden students’ understanding of human impacts on the environment; this is important not only from an academic learning standpoint but also from a global citizenship standpoint. Finally, I wanted students to engage in a meaningful opportunity to use coding to demonstrate their science and ELA learning.