Looking Forward to High School and College: Middle Grade Indicators of Readiness in Chicago Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allensworth, Elaine M.; Gwynne, Julia A.; Moore, Paul; de la Torre, Marisa

2014-01-01

There is a very large population of students who struggle with the transition from the middle grades to high school, raising concerns that high school failures are partially a function of poor middle grade preparation. As a result, middle grade practitioners are grappling with questions about what skills students need to succeed in high school,…

An epidemiological study of sleep quality in adolescents in South China: a school-based study.

PubMed

Zhou, H-Q; Shi, W-B; Wang, X-F; Yao, M; Cheng, G-Y; Chen, P-Y; Li, D-G

2012-07-01

This study explored the prevalence of disturbed sleep and investigated its distribution characteristics and associated factors in adolescents in South China. Junior middle school and senior high school students (n = 1221) were recruited from schools in Shanghai, China. Students completed a questionnaire using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and factors associated with disturbed sleep. The prevalence of a tendency towards poor sleep was 34.32% [95% confidence interval (CI): 31.66-36.98] with no significant difference between genders. This tendency increased with age, yielding a significant group effect (P < 0.01). In middle school and high school, the propensity towards poor sleep was 31.34% (95% CI: 28.29-34.39) and 42.22% (95% CI: 36.92-47.52) respectively. The factors associated with poor sleep were more television viewing during weekdays [odds ratio (OR): 1.56, CI: 1.36-1.71], more frequent computer/Internet use (OR: 1.25, CI: 1.08-1.39), earlier school starting time (OR: 1.12, CI: 1.07-1.28), and more time on homework during weekdays (OR: 1.78, CI: 1.51-1.98) and weekends (OR: 1.35, CI: 1.21-1.52) A tendency towards poor sleep is common in adolescents in South China and its incidence increases with age. The factors associated with this phenomenon indicate that poor sleep in adolescents could be improved, at least partly, by reducing the use of visual technologies and by changing school timetables. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Who Are the Low-Performing Students? PISA in Focus. No. 60

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2016

2016-01-01

Far too many students around the world are trapped in a vicious cycle of poor performance and demotivation that leads only to more bad marks and further disengagement from school. Students who perform poorly at age 15 face a high risk of dropping out of school altogether. By the time they become young adults, poor proficiency in numeracy and…

Linking Family Characteristics with Poor Peer Relations: The Mediating Role of Conduct Problems

PubMed Central

Bierman, Karen Linn; Smoot, David L.

2012-01-01

Parent, teacher, and peer ratings were collected for 75 grade school boys to test the hypothesis that certain family interaction patterns would be associated with poor peer relations. Path analyses provided support for a mediational model, in which punitive and ineffective discipline was related to child conduct problems in home and school settings which, in turn, predicted poor peer relations. Further analyses suggested that distinct subgroups of boys could be identified who exhibited conduct problems at home only, at school only, in both settings, or in neither setting. Boys who exhibited cross-situational conduct problems were more likely to experience multiple concurrent problems (e.g., in both home and school settings) and were more likely than any other group to experience poor peer relations. However, only about one-third of the boys with poor peer relations in this sample exhibited problem profiles consistent with the proposed model (e.g., experienced high rates of punitive/ineffective home discipline and exhibited conduct problems in home and school settings), suggesting that the proposed model reflects one common (but not exclusive) pathway to poor peer relations. PMID:1865049

High School Dropout in Proximal Context: The Triggering Role of Stressful Life Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dupéré, Véronique; Dion, Eric; Leventhal, Tama; Archambault, Isabelle; Crosnoe, Robert; Janosz, Michel

2018-01-01

Adolescents who drop out of high school experience enduring negative consequences across many domains. Yet, the circumstances triggering their departure are poorly understood. This study examined the precipitating role of recent psychosocial stressors by comparing three groups of Canadian high school students (52% boys; M[subscript…

A Collaboration for Health and Physical Education in High-Need Schools and Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doolittle, Sarah; Beale, Angela; DeMarzo, Jenine

2009-01-01

Teacher education programs have a long history of producing excellent health and physical education (HPE) teachers for suburban school districts. But graduates who start their career at high-need schools often feel poorly prepared to face the challenges of low-income school districts, schools, and students. This article is directed primarily to…

High School Reform and High School Afterschool: A Common Purpose. Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afterschool Alliance, 2005

2005-01-01

High school students and those who try to educate them have a tall order to fill. High schools must help create the workforce of the future by turning out graduates who have the 21st century skills that colleges and employers demand, while overcoming the achievement gap that exists for poor and minority students and fighting social pressures such…

[Knowledge about viral hepatitis in a sample of Brazilian students from Vale do Araguaia, Legal Amazonia].

PubMed

Ferrari, Carlos K B; Savazzi, Kamirri; Honorio-França, Adenilda C; Ferrari, Graziele S L; França, Eduardo L

2012-06-01

Viral and non-viral hepatitis are of great concern among developing nations because of their pathogenicity and virulence, and also their wide spreading by contaminated blood, food or water. The objective of this work was to evaluate the knowledge about hepatitis of academic students from three life/health sciences courses and also students from the last year of high school To measure the students' knowledge on hepatitis an instrument containing 22 questions was applied. Surprinsingly, it was verified that 41.9% of students had poor knowledge of viral hepatitis. Among the high school students, 31.8% ignored that viral hepatitis are infectious and transmissible diseases. Considering hepatitis symptomatology, just 18% of high school students declared knowledge of the symptons, but none of those cited the ictericia. Among the academic students, 75.9% of nursing students had adequate knowledge of hepatitis, followed by pharmacy (51.3%), and biology students (18.2%). Nursing students had also higher scores of right answers regarding viral hepatitis and chronic disease. On contrary, biology and high school students had poor knowledge of that matter (37% and 44.5%, respectively). Less than 15% of nursing and pharmacy students did not know that viral hepatitis are sexually transmissible, whereas 78.6% of the 3rd year and 52.4% of the 4th year biology course ignored the sexual transmission of viral hepatitis. Still considering the same question, 54.5% of the high school students also ignored that viral hepatitis are sexually transmitted diseases. Important conclusions can be drawn from this study, since the higher hepatitis knowledge scores were found among nursing students, followed by pharmacy academics. However, biology students, which will serve as high school teachers, had poor and insufficient knowledge on hepatitis. This finding could explain the same poor disease knowledge among high school pupils.

The Boundaries around Schools and the Living Radius and Mobility of the Schools' Constituents: The Case of a Rural School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xizhen, Zhuang

2007-01-01

This article presents a preliminary analysis of a rural junior high school. This school is situated in S town, J county, Shandong province, and, in keeping with the procedure followed for naming the majority of schools in China by location of school + type of school, this school is called S Junior High. J county is one of Shandong's poor counties,…

Women Secondary Principals in Texas: A Longitudinal Study of Differences in Personal, Professional, Leadership, and School Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marczynski, Jean Christina

2011-01-01

Despite movement toward equity given the institutionalization of affirmative action programs and policies, researchers document continued underrepresentation of women principals in secondary schools. Gender equity in the high school principalship possesses the key to unlocking many problems including poor outcomes for high school students to low…

Advancing Adolescent Literacy in Urban Schools. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snipes, Jason; Horwitz, Amanda

2008-01-01

The lack of sufficient literacy skills is a major factor contributing to poor performance in high school and post-secondary education. Many students, particularly those in urban schools, lack the foundational literacy skills necessary to read and comprehend the academic texts appropriate for high school and beyond. This brief provides a synthesis…

Co-Occurring Cyberbullying and School Bullying Victimization and Associations With Mental Health Problems Among Canadian Middle and High School Students.

PubMed

Sampasa-Kanyinga, Hugues

2017-08-01

This study examined the associations between co-occurring cyberbullying and school bullying victimization with poor self-rated mental health, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation and attempts among 4,886 Canadian students in Grades 7-12 and tested whether these associations differed between middle and high school students. There are 12.2% of students who were victims of both cyberbullying and school bullying. After adjusting for covariates, victims of both cyberbullying and school bullying presented the highest odds of poor self-rated mental health (odds ratio [OR] = 5.02; 95% CI [3.75, 6.74]), psychological distress (OR = 5.91; 95% CI [4.38, 7.96]), and suicidal ideation (OR = 6.17; 95% CI [4.44, 8.56]) and attempts (OR = 7.68; 95% CI [3.95, 14.93]). These associations were stronger among middle-school youth than their high school counterparts. Results suggest that victims of both cyberbullying and school bullying may constitute the most vulnerable group and that there is a need for intervention programs addressing both forms of bullying simultaneously, particularly among middle school students.

Reducing School Factors That Lead to Student Dropout at Sussex Central High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jerns, Pamela Renee

2012-01-01

The focus of this Executive Position Paper (EPP) is to address the dropout rate at Sussex Central High School (SCHS) in the Indian River School District (IRSD). Studies conducted for this EPP align with current research--student dropout is a result of culminating school-based factors that include poor attendance and lack of exposure to rigorous…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Kansas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Arkansas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Alabama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Connecticut

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Oregon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Georgia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Missouri

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Colorado

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on New Jersey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Florida

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Illinois

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Ohio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on New York

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Massachusetts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Arizona

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Montana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Kentucky

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Louisiana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Maryland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Alaska

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Idaho

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Maine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Hawaii

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Oklahoma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on New Hampshire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on North Dakota

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on North Carolina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Delaware

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Mississippi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Indiana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on New Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Minnesota

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Nebraska

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Nevada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Federal High School Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Michigan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Work Begins at School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casto, James E.

2001-01-01

Students at Clay County High School (West Virginia) get real-world work experience through the school's comprehensive School-to-Work program, now in its third year. Given the limited job availability in this poor rural area, the school supplements work-site experiences with school-based business enterprises, student construction projects, and…

One-on-One: Adopting Middle Level At-Risk Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maggi, Bob

1991-01-01

Volunteer staff members at a Missouri junior high school met one on one with 25 students selected because of poor academic performance and poor attendance records. Meetings were held at least once per week to discuss personal and school-related happenings. By the end of a year grades improved and absences decreased. (MLF)

Beating the Odds: High-Achieving Elementary Schools in High-Poverty Neighborhoods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connell, Noreen

This report examines elementary schools serving poor neighborhoods in New York City that have been able to bring their students up to or above the average for the city on standardized tests in the 1996-1997 school year to see how teachers, parents, students, and principals have worked together. After eliminating schools with new principals and…

Why Some Schools with Latino Children Beat the Odds...and Others Don't

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waits, Mary Jo; Campbell, Heather E.; Gau, Rebecca; Jacobs, Ellen; Rex, Tom; Hess, Robert K.

2006-01-01

Throughout Arizona and the Southwest, the odds are against high achievement in schools with a mostly Latino, mostly poor student enrollment. Some schools, however, "beat the odds" and achieve consistently high results or show steady gains. Why do these schools succeed where others fail? Using the methodology of business guru Jim Collins…

The Effects of Out-of-School Suspension on High School Students: An Inside View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scelso, Alicia K.

2013-01-01

This study examined the effects of out-of-school suspension on high school students. Its purpose was to determine if exclusionary discipline practices led to negative consequences such as poor academic achievement and juvenile delinquency. The study also hoped to generate new insight into current disciplinary practices in order to yield a better…

School dropout: a major public health challenge: a 10-year prospective study on medical and non-medical social insurance benefits in young adulthood, the Young-HUNT 1 Study (Norway).

PubMed

De Ridder, Karin A A; Pape, Kristine; Johnsen, Roar; Westin, Steinar; Holmen, Turid Lingaas; Bjørngaard, Johan Håkon

2012-11-01

School and work participation in adolescence and young adulthood are important for future health and socioeconomic status. The authors studied the association between self-rated health in adolescents, high school dropout and long-term receipt of medical and non-medical social insurance benefits in young adulthood. Self-rated health in adolescence was assessed in 8795 adolescents participating in the Norwegian Young-HUNT Study (1995-1997). Linkages to the National Education Database and the National Insurance Administration allowed identification of school dropout and receipt of long-term medical and non-medical benefits during a 10-year follow-up (1998-2007). The data were explored by descriptive statistics and by multinomial logistic regression. A total of 17% was registered as being high school dropouts at age 24. The predicted 5-year risk of receiving benefits between ages 24-28 was 21% (95% CI 20% to 23%). High school dropouts had a 5-year risk of receiving benefits of 44% (95% CI 41 to 48) compared with 16% (95% CI 15 to 17) in those who completed high school (adjusted for self-rated health, parental education and sex). There was a 27% school dropout rate in adolescents who reported poor health compared with 16% in those who reported good health. The predicted 5-year risk of receiving any long-term social insurance benefits in adolescents who reported poor health was 33% (95% CI 30 to 37) compared with 20% (95% CI 19 to 21) in those who reported good health. The strong association between poor self-rated health in adolescence, high school dropout and reduced work integration needs attention and suggests preventive measures on an individual as well as on a societal level.

Does poor school performance cause later psychosocial problems among children in foster care? Evidence from national longitudinal registry data.

PubMed

Forsman, Hilma; Brännström, Lars; Vinnerljung, Bo; Hjern, Anders

2016-07-01

Research has shown that children in foster care are a high-risk group for adverse economic, social and health related outcomes in young adulthood. Children's poor school performance has been identified as a major risk factor for these poor later life outcomes. Aiming to support the design of effective intervention strategies, this study examines the hypothesized causal effect of foster children's poor school performance on subsequent psychosocial problems, here conceptualized as economic hardship, illicit drug use, and mental health problems, in young adulthood. Using the potential outcomes approach, longitudinal register data on more than 7500 Swedish foster children born 1973-1978 were analyzed by means of doubly robust treatment-effect estimators. The results show that poor school performance has a negative impact on later psychosocial problems net of observed background attributes and potential selection on unobservables, suggesting that the estimated effects allow for causal interpretations. Promotion of school performance may thus be a viable intervention path for policymakers and practitioners interested in improving foster children's overall life chances. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High School Drop Out Factors and Effects: An Analysis of a Small School in Rural Illinois.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jancek, Richard L.

All dropouts from Hiawatha High School (Kirkland, Illinois) in the last 3 years were surveyed to determine why they dropped out and what the school could do to deter students from dropping out. Nationally, dropping out is related to poverty, lack of parental support, drug abuse, learning disabilities, and a history of poor school performance.…

Aztec Middle College: High School Alternatives in Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsen, Lynette

2010-01-01

The traditional high school model derived from the factory deficit model of the early 1900s has left many students, mainly minorities and/or low socioeconomic students, disenfranchised. This is evident in the poor school performance and high dropout rates of such students. Whereas the factory deficit model was created to promote only a few high…

Sociodemographic factors associated with sleep quality and sleep duration in adolescents from Santa Catarina, Brazil: what changed between 2001 and 2011?

PubMed

Hoefelmann, Luana Peter; Lopes, Adair da Silva; da Silva, Kelly Samara; Moritz, Pablo; Nahas, Markus Vinicius

2013-10-01

We aimed to identify and compare the sociodemographic and economic factors associated with perceived sleep quality and sleep duration in high school students from Santa Catarina, Brazil (2001 and 2011). Our study used a school-based, cross-sectional survey administered in 2001 and 2011 to high school students aged 15-19 years (n=5028 in 2001; n=6529 in 2011) enrolled in public schools in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The students responded to a questionnaire that asked about the number of hours slept on school days (insufficient, <8 h; sufficient, > or = 8 h), perceived sleep quality (adequate or poor), sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, and area), economic factors (work and family income), and school-related variables (grade and shift). The prevalence of poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep increased by 31.2% and 45.9%, respectively, between 2001 and 2011. Remunerated employment, urban environment, male gender, and high family income were strongly associated with these outcomes. There was a notable increase in insufficient sleep and the perception of poor sleep quality among the students in Santa Catarina in the last decade. Public policies are needed to ameliorate this situation, which has disastrous consequences for the health of adolescents. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Color Blind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Karla Scoon

2004-01-01

This article talks about a colorblind plan that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district adopted for student assignment in 2002 that is producing more racially isolated schools, like Selwyn Elementary School, and more schools enrolling high concentrations of poor children. The 2-year-old plan gives parents a choice of schools and provides all…

Positive Outcomes from Poor Starts: Predictors of Dropping Back In

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Lauren E.; Jepsen, Christopher

2007-01-01

A vast body of research finds an association between missteps taken during the teen years (such as motherhood or dropping out of high school) and poor economic and educational outcomes. However, youth who take major missteps as teens often have subsequent success in school or the labor market. This paper attempts to draw lessons from youth who…

The Course of True Love: Marriage in High School Textbooks. A Report to the Nation from the Council on Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitz, Paul C.; Mack, Dana, Ed.; Gallagher, Maggie, Ed.

This report is a summary opinion of current high school health textbooks. The report states that although high school health textbooks generally treat marriage respectfully they are intellectually weak, often poorly informed, and marred by factual errors. The 11 topics discussed include: (1)"Why Textbooks Matter"; (2) "The Good…

Lessons from High-Performing Hispanic Schools: Creating Learning Communities. Critical Issues in Educational Leadership Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyes, Pedro, Ed.; Scribner, Jay D., Ed.; Scribner, Alicia Paredes, Ed.

The current poor condition of education for Hispanic students need not exist. This book reports on high-performing schools along the Texas-Mexico border that have achieved schoolwide success by creating communities of learners. Three elementary, three middle, and two high schools in the border region were selected for study based on the following…

The Relationship between Self-Perceptions of Accountability by High School Principals and Student Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koester, Edward L.

2010-01-01

The high school principalship has been designated an area of professional shortage by many states. Resignations and terminations have been numerous as a result of poor student test performance. The purpose of this ex post facto correlation study was to investigate the self-perceptions of accountability by high school principals as they related to…

Student Success: Stories That Inform High School Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepard, Jerri; Salina, Chuck; Girtz, Suzann; Cox, Jonas; Davenport, Nika; Hillard, Tammy L.

2012-01-01

Sunnyside High School in rural Washington faces many tough issues common to urban schools but has shown a remarkable ability to help students at risk for academic failure. The Sunnyside Intervention Program was developed for students with a history of poor academic performance, many of whom were involved in dangerous activities, including gangs.…

Sexual Harassment Victimization, School Belonging, and Depressive Symptoms Among LGBTQ Adolescents: Temporal Insights.

PubMed

Hatchel, Tyler; Espelage, Dorothy L; Huang, Yuanhong

2017-06-15

Peer victimization and the associated poor outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth have been the focus of countless studies. School climate is a factor that has garnered significant attention. Perceptions of school contexts may even be mechanisms that define how victimization relates to poor outcomes. However, there is a lack of rigorous scholarship that could demonstrate directionality and therefore further augment our understanding of these relations. Specifically, it is not clear if victimization is strictly an antecedent to mental health issues like depressive symptoms. This longitudinal study examined the associations among sexual harassment victimization, school belonging, and depressive symptoms among LGBTQ high school students (n = 404). Self-report measures were completed at 3 time points across 3 school years in 6 Midwest high schools. Structural equation modeling indicated that peer victimization was an antecedent to depressive symptoms, and that school belonging mediated the association. Implications and future directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Bullying and School Attendance: A Case Study of Senior High School Students in Ghana. CREATE Pathways to Access. Research Monograph No. 41

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunne, Mairead; Bosumtwi-Sam, Cynthia; Sabates, Ricardo; Owusu, Andrew

2010-01-01

This monograph analyses the effects of bullying on school attendance among senior high school students in Ghana. A strong correlation is found between being bullied and having poor attendance. The effects of emotional problems and of peer friendships on this correlation are then examined. For both boys and girls, having emotional problems is…

Charting a Path to Graduation. The Effect of Project GRAD on Elementary School Student Outcomes in Four Urban School Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snipes, Jason C.; Holton, Glee Ivory; Doolittle, Fred

2006-01-01

In the past decade, school districts around the country have sought to improve struggling urban high schools, where high dropout rates, poor student achievement, and low rates of graduation and college-going remain all too prevalent. In a field crowded with reform initiatives, Project Graduation Really Achieves Dreams (GRAD) stands out as…

High Risk Behavior among Adolescent Mothers: The Problem in Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kissman, Kris

1998-01-01

Discusses the particular consequences of high-risk behavior for adolescent women, including unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, school dropout and poverty, developmental disabilities, and poor school performance. Considers the role of male partners in teenage women's high risk behavior. Describes prevention efforts such as…

Improving School Climate in an Urban Junior High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Robert C.

The problem of poor school climate in an eighth- and ninth-grade center was addressed by the implementation of a school climate improvement project. The following are the primary goals of this practicum: (1) improve school attendance; (2) reduce out-of-school suspensions; and (3) improve student and teacher morale. To address these goals, a…

"If I Should Stop Teaching Now, Where Will I Go?" Turnover Intentions among High School Teachers in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adusei, Henry; Sarfo, Jacob Owusu; Manukure, Portia; Cudjoe, Josephine

2016-01-01

Teachers form one of the essential professional groups in the development domain of every country. Although most senior high school teachers in Ghana complains about poor conditions of service, a lot of them are still at post. The key research goal was to explore the retaining factors of senior high school teachers, within their existing…

Achieving Excellence at Scale: State Support for High-Performing Charter School Expansion. Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloomberg, Laura; Nathan, Joe; Berman, Ilene

2009-01-01

In communities nationwide, public charter schools are meeting the growing demand for high-quality education opportunities. This is especially true in communities with underperforming public district schools that are not meeting the academic needs of students, including poor and minority students. Forty states and the District of Columbia have laws…

Sleuths Seek Secrets of High-Flying Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Lynn

2005-01-01

This article reports on the increasing attempts to identify what have been dubbed high-flying schools and figure out what makes them tick to bring all students to higher levels of achievement. A free Web site, launched by the New York City-based Standard & Poor's, began providing a tool that enables users to identify schools that do better…

A Study of a High Performing, High Poverty Elementary School on the Texas-Mexico Border

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Cynthia Iris

2012-01-01

Transforming low performing schools to ensure the academic success of Hispanic children situated in poverty remains an educational challenge. External factors impacting student learning are often targeted as the main reasons for poor academic achievement, thereby advancing the culturally deficit model. This study is about an elementary school that…

Perceptions of Elementary School Principals: Turning High Poverty Elementary Schools in South Carolina into High-Performing Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barber, Katie W.

2013-01-01

There is no question that economic deprivation has an adverse impact on student achievement. In the United States, the gaps in achievement among poor and advantaged students are substantial. Through multiple studies, the United States Department of Education (2006) indicated results that "clearly demonstrated that poverty adversely affected…

Chaotic Homes and School Achievement: A Twin Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanscombe, Ken B.; Haworth, Claire M. A.; Davis, Oliver S. P.; Jaffee, Sara R.; Plomin, Robert

2011-01-01

Background: Chaotic homes predict poor school performance. Given that it is known that genes affect both children's experience of household chaos and their school achievement, to what extent is the relationship between high levels of noise and environmental confusion in the home, and children's school performance, mediated by heritable child…

Letting Teachers Specialize

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butzin, Sarah M.; Carroll, Robin; Lutz, Bridget

2006-01-01

Six years ago, South Heights Elementary School was the lowest-performing school in Kentucky's Henderson County School District. Teachers blamed poverty lack of parent involvement, poor discipline, and high staff turnover for the situation. Few expected to meet the state goals. Yet by 2004, South Heights was the fifth-highest-performing school in…

Astrobiology: A pathway to adult science literacy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, C. A.; Fergusson, J.

2007-10-01

Adult science illiteracy is widespread. This is concerning for astrobiology, or indeed any other area of science in the communication of science to public audiences. Where and how does this scientific illiteracy arise in the journey to adulthood? Two astrobiology education projects have hinted that science illiteracy may begin in high school. This relationship between high school science education and the public understanding of science is poorly understood. Do adults forget their science education, or did they never grasp it in the first place? A 2003 science education project raised these questions when 24 16-year-olds from 10 Sydney high schools were brought into contact with real science. The unexpected results suggested that even good high school science students have a poor understanding of how science is really undertaken in the field and in the laboratory. This concept is being further tested in a new high school science education project, aimed at the same age group, using authentic astrobiology cutting-edge data, NASA Learning Technologies tools, a purpose-built research Information and Communication Technology-aided learning facility and a collaboration that spans three continents. In addition, a first year university class will be tested for evidence of science illiteracy immediately after high school among non-science oriented but well-educated students.

Early high school engagement in students with attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Zendarski, Nardia; Sciberras, Emma; Mensah, Fiona; Hiscock, Harriet

2017-06-01

Students with attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continue to languish behind their peers with regard to academic achievement and education attainment. School engagement is potentially modifiable, and targeting engagement may be a means to improve education outcomes. To investigate school engagement for students with ADHD during the crucial high school transition period and to identify factors associated with low school engagement. Participants are adolescents (12-15 years) in the first and third year of high school with diagnosed ADHD (n = 130). Participants were recruited from 21 paediatric practices. Cross-sectional study assessing school engagement. Data were collected through direct assessment and child, parent, and teacher surveys. School engagement is measured as student attitudes to school (cognitive and emotional) and suspension rates (behavioural). Multivariable regression analyses examined student, family, and school factors affecting engagement. In comparison with state data, students with ADHD in the first year of high school were less motivated (p < .01) and less connected to peers (p < .01). Overall, there was no discordance in third year attitudes. There were high rates of suspension in both years in comparison to state-wide suspensions (21% vs. 6%, p < .01). Explanatory factors for poor attitudes include adolescent depression, poor adolescent supervision, and devaluing education. Conduct problems and increased hyperactivity were related to increased likelihood of being suspended, whilst higher cognitive ability, family socio-economic status, and independent schools reduced risk. Potentially modifiable individual and family factors including adolescent depression, behavioural problems, education values, and family supervision could be targeted to better manage the high school transition for students with ADHD. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Implementation of Low-Fat, Low-Sugar, and Portion-Controlled Nutrition Guidelines in Competitive Food Venues of Maine Public High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whatley Blum, Janet E.; Davee, Anne-Marie; Devore, Rachel L.; Beaudoin, Christina M.; Jenkins, Paul L.; Kaley, Lori A.; Wigand, Debra A.

2007-01-01

Background: The prevalence of childhood "overweight" and "at risk for overweight" has become a major public health concern. School food environments can affect key nutritional risk factors, especially in high schools where foods of poor nutrient value are pervasive in a la carte and vending programs. This study examines a la…

Applying an Implementation Science Framework for Adoption of a Comprehensive Program for High School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odom, Samuel L.; Duda, Michelle A.; Kucharczyk, Suzanne; Cox, Ann W.; Stabel, Aaron

2014-01-01

Post-school outcomes for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are exceedingly poor. The convergence of adolescence as a development period, the expression of ASD during adolescence, and the complicated logistic nature of high schools create a perfect storm of complexity that may pose challenges and establish barriers to…

Perceptions, Attitudes and Institutional Factors That Influence Academic Performance of Visual Arts Students in Ghana's Senior High School Core Curriculum Subjects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Opoku-Asare, Nana Afia; Tachie-Menson, Akosua; Essel, Harry Barton

2015-01-01

Senior High School (SHS) students in Ghana are required to pass all core and elective curricula subjects in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to qualify for higher education. Unfortunately, many Visual Arts students perform poorly or fail in English, Mathematics, Integrated Science and Social Studies, which constitute…

Short Sleep Duration Among Middle School and High School Students - United States, 2015.

PubMed

Wheaton, Anne G; Jones, Sherry Everett; Cooper, Adina C; Croft, Janet B

2018-01-26

Insufficient sleep among children and adolescents is associated with increased risk for obesity, diabetes, injuries, poor mental health, attention and behavior problems, and poor academic performance (1-4). The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that, for optimal health, children aged 6-12 years should regularly sleep 9-12 hours per 24 hours and teens aged 13-18 years should sleep 8-10 hours per 24 hours (1). CDC analyzed data from the 2015 national, state, and large urban school district Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBSs) to determine the prevalence of short sleep duration (<9 hours for children aged 6-12 years and <8 hours for teens aged 13-18 years) on school nights among middle school and high school students in the United States. In nine states that conducted the middle school YRBS and included a question about sleep duration in their questionnaire, the prevalence of short sleep duration among middle school students was 57.8%, with state-level estimates ranging from 50.2% (New Mexico) to 64.7% (Kentucky). The prevalence of short sleep duration among high school students in the national YRBS was 72.7%. State-level estimates of short sleep duration for the 30 states that conducted the high school YRBS and included a question about sleep duration in their questionnaire ranged from 61.8% (South Dakota) to 82.5% (West Virginia). The large percentage of middle school and high school students who do not get enough sleep on school nights suggests a need for promoting sleep health in schools and at home and delaying school start times to permit students adequate time for sleep.

Examining the Role of the Principal: Case Study of a High-Poverty, High-Performing Rural Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coleman, Howard D.

2013-01-01

Since the inception of high-stakes standardized testing, schools have been labeled as either succeeding or failing based on student standardized assessment performance. If students perform adequately, the building principal receives acknowledgement for being an effective instructional leader. Conversely, if students perform poorly, the principal…

My Future, My Family, My Freedom: Meanings of Schooling for Poor, Rural Chinese Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xiang, Xin

2018-01-01

In this article, Xin Xiang investigates what dushu, or "schooling," means for rural senior secondary school students in a high-poverty county in southwestern China. With the persistence of China's rural-urban education inequality and alarming reports about secondary school dropout rates, rural students' and their families' attitudes…

Childhood Obesity in the Testing Era: What Teachers and Schools Can Do!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winter, Suzanne M.

2009-01-01

In this era of increasing accountability and high-stakes testing in schools, a serious paradox has surfaced. Children are becoming overweight at an alarming rate, and mounting evidence points to a relationship between obesity and poor school performance. Ironically, pressure to improve children's academic achievement has led many schools to adopt…

[Study on the relationship among lifestyle, self-esteem and life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents].

PubMed

Li, Xiao-miao; Zhang, Fang-fang; Sun, Xin-ying; Gao, Wen-bin

2010-06-18

To explore the relationship between lifestyle, self-esteem and life satisfaction among Chinese adolescents. 10 899 adolescents in middle schools and colleges from 9 provinces in China were investigated by using Chinese Adolescent Lifestyle Scale (CALS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES). The distribution of adolescents in the four groups divided by lifestyle and life satisfaction scores were different regarding the area and grade of these students(chi(2)=248.93, P<0.01;chi(2)=568.53, P<0.01). A high percentage of adolescents in cities (58.9%) reported a healthy life style with high life satisfaction while most adolescents in rural areas (58.9%) reported poor life styles with little satisfaction. A high percentage of junior high school students (61.8%) reported a healthy life style with high life satisfaction, but this percentage among senior high school and college students was down to 48.5% and 21.3% respectively. About 7.6% of senior high school students reported a healthy life style but poor satisfaction, a little higher than that of junior high school students (4.1%) and college students (3.6%). Moreover, there were 71.6% college students reported that they lead a poor life style with little satisfaction. The lifestyle is significantly correlated with self-esteem (r=0.472, P<0.01) and life satisfaction(r=0.636, P<0.01), and self-esteem is also significantly correlated with life satisfaction (r=0.450, P<0.01). self-esteem was the mediator of the other two parameters. The lifestyle predicts life satisfaction through self-esteem. Area and grade differences have to be taken into consideration when introducing programs on health promotion, and attention should be attached to the influence of psychological factors.

The Case for an Arts-Based Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuht, Amy Colcord; Gates, Janie Yuguchi

2007-01-01

Continuation schools were developed to enable students to continue earning a high school diploma while they worked, often full time, to support themselves and their families. Traditionally, continuation schools were home to poor teachers, narrowed curriculum and an unwelcoming culture. Intuitively, students attending today's continuation schools…

The Need for Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margolis, Jane; Goode, Joanna; Bernier, David

2011-01-01

Broadening computer science learning to include more students is a crucial item on the United States' education agenda, these authors say. Although policymakers advocate more computer science expertise, computer science offerings in high schools are few--and actually shrinking. In addition, poorly resourced schools with a high percentage of…

American education: the challenge of change.

PubMed

Griffith, J E; Frase, M J; Ralph, J H

1989-12-01

The American education system is being challenged to raise the academic achievement of students to prepare them for the jobs of the future. Yet many demographic, as well as economic and social factors, are making the task more difficult. Low birth rates, especially among non-Hispanic whites, along with high immigration rates, have increased the share of minority and non-English students in public schools. The rise in single-parent families has increased the number of poor students and migration from the cities to the suburbs has concentrated poor and minority students in inner city schools. These same children will make up a greater share of the future labor force. At the same time, the aging of the general population may lessen the commitment of homeowners- -whose taxes pay between 1/3 and 1/2 of education costs. The aging labor force may bring a shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in specialized subject areas. Poor and minority students generally have below average academic skills and are more likely to drop out of high school than non-minority students. However, the skills of American students rank below those of most other industrialized nations, calling into question the ability of Americans to succeed in an increasingly international economic system. How can schools be improved and minority student achievement be enhanced? Reforms of education finance systems, court-ordered integration, and stiffer requirements for teachers and for graduation from high school are among many attempts to meet the immense challenges faced by American schools.

"STEMming" the Swell of Absenteeism in Urban Middle Grade Schools: Impacts of a Summer Robotics Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mac Iver, Martha Abele; Mac Iver, Douglas J.

2014-01-01

Attendance is probably the most fundamental behavioral indicator of student engagement with school. Though many students fall off-track to success for the first time in ninth grade, poor attendance patterns often begin increasing in middle school and become worse in high school. Missing school during the secondary grades can often be traced to low…

Does Moving to Better Neighborhoods Lead to Better Schooling Opportunities? Parental School Choice in an Experimental Housing Voucher Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLuca, Stefanie; Rosenblatt, Peter

2010-01-01

Background: Previous research has demonstrated that children growing up in poor communities have limited access to high-performing schools, while more affluent neighborhoods tend to have higher-ranking schools and more opportunities for after-school programs and activities. Therefore, many researchers and policy makers expected not only that the…

Raising the Awareness of Sexual Harassment and Preventing Its Occurrence in the Junior/Senior High School Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraus, Pamela

The problem of sexual harassment in junior and senior high schools is addressed in this practicum. Its major goals were to raise the awareness and understanding of sexual harassment and to create a school environment that does not tolerate sexual harassment. It was found that both students and staff possessed a poor understanding of what defines…

Problems with the rush toward advanced physics in high schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gollub, Jerry

2003-04-01

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program has a major impact on the physics experience of many high school students. It affects admission to college, course choices and performance in college, and subsequent career decisions. A study committee of the National Research Council published a review of these programs in 2002, and concluded that while the program has many positive features, important problems need to be addressed. [1] The programs are not currently consistent with what we have learned about student learning from cognitive research. Students are often poorly prepared for AP courses, because of lack of coordination within schools. The Physics AP-B (non-calculus) program is too broad to allow most high school students to achieve an adequate level of conceptual understanding. Participation by minority students in these programs is far below that of other students. The AP exams need to be re-evaluated to insure that they actually measure conceptual understanding and complex reasoning. The AP exams are sometimes used inappropriately to rate teachers or schools. College and high school courses are poorly coordinated, with the result that students often take an introductory physics survey as many as three times. Policies on college credit for AP courses differ widely. These problems cannot be fixed by the College Board alone. [1] Jerry P. Gollub and Robin Spital, "Advanced Physics in the High Schools", Physics Today, May 2002.

Federal Graduation Rate Policies and the Impact on Iowa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2009

2009-01-01

In today's economy, employers increasingly demand that workers have a high school diploma, yet America's graduation rates are unacceptably low, particularly among poor and minority students. Nationally, only about 70 percent of students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma; for African American and Hispanic students, this…

Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted infections among High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nsuami, M. Jacques; Sanders, Ladatra S.; Taylor, Stephanie N.

2010-01-01

Background: It has not been determined conclusively whether greater knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is associated with lower rates of STIs. Purpose: This study sought to determine STI knowledge among high school students and factors associated with such knowledge, and to determine whether poor STI knowledge is associated with…

Urban High School Classroom Management: A Humanistic Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matus, Don E.

This paper identifies conditions in the lives of poor urban high school students that may cause classroom management problems. Urban student teachers are urged to look at these conditions from a humanistic perspective to help them understand their students and deal effectively with those problems. Specific urban secondary classroom management…

Computer Lab Modules as Problem Solving Tools. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ignatz, Mila E.; Ignatz, Milton

There are many problems involved in upgrading scientific literacy in high schools: poorly qualified teachers, the lack of good instructional materials, and economic and academic disadvantages all contribute to the problem. This document describes a project designed to increase the opportunities available to the high school science student to…

Generalised Ethnocentrism among High-School Students in a Multicultural Setting: The Role of the Degree of Multilingualism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Göncz, Lajos

2018-01-01

Within psychological consequences of multiculturalism, it is often emphasised that multiculturalism and interculturalism decreases ethnocentrism, and increases openness towards other cultures, and, consequently, ethnic, linguistic and religious tolerance. We tested this empirically poorly supported assumption on high-school students from South…

The prevalences of and association between nonmedical prescription opioid use and poor sleep among Chinese high school students

PubMed Central

Tang, Daiting; Li, Pengsheng; Guo, Lan; Xu, Yan; Gao, Xue; Deng, Jianxiong; Huang, Jinghui; Huang, Guoliang; Wu, Hong; Yue, Yue; Lu, Ciyong

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalences of and association between nonmedical prescription opioid use (NMPOU) and sleep quality among Chinese high school students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Chongqing high school students in 2012, and questionnaires from 18,686 students were completed and eligible for this study. Demographic and NMPOU information was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index (CPSQI) was used to assess the occurrence of poor sleep. Among the total sample, 18.0% were classified as poor sleepers (27.4% of the subjects with past-month NMPOU), and the prevalences of lifetime, past-year and past-month NMPOU were 14.6, 4.6 and 2.8% across the entire sample, respectively. The most commonly used medicine was licorice tablets with morphine (9.1, 2.5 and 1.5% for lifetime, past-year and past-month, respectively), followed by cough syrup with codeine, Percocet, diphenoxylate and tramadol. After adjustment for potential confounders, the association between past-month NMPOU and poor sleep remained significant (AOR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.85). Programs aimed at decreasing NMPOU should also pay attention to sleep quality among adolescents. PMID:27467181

The prevalences of and association between nonmedical prescription opioid use and poor sleep among Chinese high school students.

PubMed

Tang, Daiting; Li, Pengsheng; Guo, Lan; Xu, Yan; Gao, Xue; Deng, Jianxiong; Huang, Jinghui; Huang, Guoliang; Wu, Hong; Yue, Yue; Lu, Ciyong

2016-07-28

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalences of and association between nonmedical prescription opioid use (NMPOU) and sleep quality among Chinese high school students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Chongqing high school students in 2012, and questionnaires from 18,686 students were completed and eligible for this study. Demographic and NMPOU information was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index (CPSQI) was used to assess the occurrence of poor sleep. Among the total sample, 18.0% were classified as poor sleepers (27.4% of the subjects with past-month NMPOU), and the prevalences of lifetime, past-year and past-month NMPOU were 14.6, 4.6 and 2.8% across the entire sample, respectively. The most commonly used medicine was licorice tablets with morphine (9.1, 2.5 and 1.5% for lifetime, past-year and past-month, respectively), followed by cough syrup with codeine, Percocet, diphenoxylate and tramadol. After adjustment for potential confounders, the association between past-month NMPOU and poor sleep remained significant (AOR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.85). Programs aimed at decreasing NMPOU should also pay attention to sleep quality among adolescents.

Predictors of Poor School Readiness in Children Without Developmental Delay at Age 2

PubMed Central

Dudovitz, Rebecca N.; Coker, Tumaini R.; Barnert, Elizabeth S.; Biely, Christopher; Li, Ning; Szilagyi, Peter G.; Larson, Kandyce; Halfon, Neal; Zimmerman, Frederick J.; Chung, Paul J.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Current recommendations emphasize developmental screening and surveillance to identify developmental delays (DDs) for referral to early intervention (EI) services. Many young children without DDs, however, are at high risk for poor developmental and behavioral outcomes by school entry but are ineligible for EI. We developed models for 2-year-olds without DD that predict, at kindergarten entry, poor academic performance and high problem behaviors. METHODS: Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), were used for this study. The analytic sample excluded children likely eligible for EI because of DDs or very low birth weight. Dependent variables included low academic scores and high problem behaviors at the kindergarten wave. Regression models were developed by using candidate predictors feasibly obtainable during typical 2-year well-child visits. Models were cross-validated internally on randomly selected subsamples. RESULTS: Approximately 24% of all 2-year-old children were ineligible for EI at 2 years of age but still had poor academic or behavioral outcomes at school entry. Prediction models each contain 9 variables, almost entirely parental, social, or economic. Four variables were associated with both academic and behavioral risk: parental education below bachelor’s degree, little/no shared reading at home, food insecurity, and fair/poor parental health. Areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve were 0.76 for academic risk and 0.71 for behavioral risk. Adding the mental scale score from the Bayley Short Form–Research Edition did not improve areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for either model. CONCLUSIONS: Among children ineligible for EI services, a small set of clinically available variables at age 2 years predicted academic and behavioral outcomes at school entry. PMID:27432845

Sleep complaints affecting school performance at different educational levels.

PubMed

Pagel, James F; Kwiatkowski, Carol F

2010-01-01

The clear association between reports of sleep disturbance and poor school performance has been documented for sleepy adolescents. This study extends that research to students outside the adolescent age grouping in an associated school setting (98 middle school students, 67 high school students, and 64 college students). Reported restless legs and periodic limb movements are significantly associated with lower GPA's in junior high students. Consistent with previous studies, daytime sleepiness was the sleep variable most likely to negatively affects high school students. Sleep onset and maintenance insomnia were the reported sleep variables significantly correlated with poorer school performance in college students. This study indicates that different sleep disorder variables negatively affect performance at different age and educational levels.

Second Chances Academy: Alternative School or Pathway to Prison?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horsford, Sonya Douglass; Powell, Keyona L.

2016-01-01

This case considers the leadership challenge facing district officials in a mid-sized urban-suburban school district receiving negative media coverage for the overrepresentation of poor, Black, and Latino males in its alternative high school, Second Chances Academy. Many of its students also qualify for special education and English learner…

Improving Diagrammatic Reasoning in Middle School Science Using Conventions of Diagrams Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, B. W.; Cromley, J. G.; Newcombe, N. S.

2016-01-01

Visual representations are essential for science understanding, but many students have poor diagrammatic reasoning skills. Previous research showed that teaching high school and college students about the conventions of diagrams (COD) can improve diagrammatic reasoning. In this study, middle school science students received COD instruction…

Correlation of Understanding of Physics and Psychological Symptoms among High-School Students in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aggeliki, Anagnostopoulou; Miltiades, Kyprianou; Antigoni-Elisavet, Rota; Evangelia, Pavlatou; Loizos, Zaphiris

2017-01-01

Depression may essentially influence cognitive function contributing to poor school performance. The present study undertakes to determine the existence and strength of correlation between depressive symptomatology and other mental conditions with the acquired level of understanding of Newtonian physics taught in schools. The current study…

Child Poverty and Its Lasting Consequence. Low-Income Working Families. Paper 21

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratcliffe, Caroline; McKernan, Signe-Mary

2012-01-01

One in six newborns were born poor over the past 40 years, and nearly half remained poor half their childhoods. These persistently poor children are nearly 90 percent more likely than never-poor children to enter their 20s without completing high school and are four times more likely to give birth outside of marriage during their teenage years.…

[Adolescents' knowledge and behavior on sexuality, infectious transmitted diseases, and human papillomavirus vaccination: results of a survey in a French high school].

PubMed

Grondin, C; Duron, S; Robin, F; Verret, C; Imbert, P

2013-08-01

Teenager sexuality is a public health issue. In teenagers attending a high school, we assessed their knowledge and behavior on sexuality, infectious transmitted diseases, human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination, and cervical cancer. Then in girls, we estimated the anti-HPV vaccination coverage and focused on factors associated with poor knowledge of these topics. This was a knowledge, attitudes, and practices cross-sectional study conducted at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year in the Saint-Cyr military high school, using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Among 669 adolescents (M/F sex-ratio, 2.3; mean age, 17 years [IC 95%, 15-20]), 40% had already had sex and 92% had used contraception. Boys and girls had a poor level of knowledge on infectious transmitted diseases. Regarding knowledge on HPV and cervical cancer, a better level was significantly associated with female gender (P=10(-4)). In multivariate analysis, male gender, age under 18 years, lack of dialogue with parents on these subjects, low socioeconomic status of parents, and absence of health education were significantly associated with poor knowledge on these topics. These data should help healthcare providers better target access and content of sexual health education training. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Marketing Small Schools in New York City: A Critique of Neoliberal School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shiller, Jessica

2011-01-01

The objective of this article is to critically examine a school reform effort that has taken hold in New York City over the past seven years. A largely privately funded venture, the New Century Schools Initiative (NCSI), opened hundreds of new small high schools in poor urban communities in New York City starting in 2002. The theory behind opening…

Reading Habits of Secondary School Teachers: A Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Addis Ababa and Dessie

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassen, Rukya

2016-01-01

This study is a small-scale study of an exploration of reading habit of high school teachers. Fifty-four teachers from five schools who teach in different schools in Addis Ababa and Dessie participated in this study. Data were collected through questionnaire and in-depth interview. The result of the study shows that reading is poorly developed…

Children's school performance: impact of general and oral health.

PubMed

Blumenshine, Stephanie L; Vann, William F; Gizlice, Ziya; Lee, Jessica Y

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine: a) the sociodemographic and health factors associated with poor school performance among North Carolina children; and b) the impact of poor oral health status on school performance while controlling for other health and sociodemographic factors. We used data from the 2005 Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program, a follow-back telephone survey to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System involving parents/guardians of children 0 to 17. This project includes sections on oral health and school performance. Our principal outcome variable was school performance and our major explanatory variable was children's oral health status, based upon parental report. Our sample consisted of 2,871 school children, weighted to reflect the North Carolina census. Bivariate analysis revealed that sex, race, parental education, low socioeconomic status, poor general health, poor oral health, and the interaction of poor oral health and general health were significantly related to school performance (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis demonstrates the effects of poor oral health and general health on school performance. Children with both poor oral health and general health were 2.3 times more likely to report poor school performance. Children with either poor oral health or general health were only 1.4 times more likely to report poor school performance. Our results show that children who have both poor oral health and general health are more likely to have poor school performance. Our findings suggest that the improvement of children's oral health may be a vehicle to improve their educational experience.

Adolescent Health and High School Dropout: A Prospective Cohort Study of 9000 Norwegian Adolescents (The Young-HUNT)

PubMed Central

De Ridder, Karin A. A.; Pape, Kristine; Johnsen, Roar; Holmen, Turid Lingaas; Westin, Steinar; Bjørngaard, Johan Håkon

2013-01-01

Background High school dropout is of major concern in the western world. Our aims were to estimate the risk of school dropout in adolescents following chronic somatic disease, somatic symptoms, psychological distress, concentration difficulties, insomnia or overweight and to assess to which extent the family contributes to the association between health and school dropout. Methods A population of 8950 school-attending adolescents (13–21 years) rated their health in the Young-HUNT 1 Study (90% response rate) in 1995–1997. High school dropout or completion, was defined with the Norwegian National Education Database in the calendar year the participant turned 24 years old. Parental socioeconomic status was defined by using linkages to the National Education Database, the National Insurance Administration and the HUNT2 Survey. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios and risk differences of high school dropout, both in the whole population and among siblings within families differentially exposed to health problems. Results All explored health dimensions were strongly associated with high school dropout. In models adjusted for parental socioeconomic status, the risk differences of school dropout according to health exposures varied between 3.6% (95% CI 1.7 to 5.5) for having ≥1 somatic disease versus none and 11.7% (6.3 to 17.0) for being obese versus normal weight. The results from the analyses comparing differentially exposed siblings, confirmed these results with the exception of weaker associations for somatic diseases and psychological distress. School dropout was strongly clustered within families (family level conditional intraclass correlation 0.42). Conclusions Adolescent health problems are markers for high school dropout, independent of parental socioeconomic status. Although school dropout it strongly related to family-level factors, also siblings with poor health have reduced opportunity to complete high school compared to healthy siblings. Public health policy should focus on ensuring young people with poor health the best attainable education. PMID:24086408

Adolescent health and high school dropout: a prospective cohort study of 9000 Norwegian adolescents (the Young-HUNT).

PubMed

De Ridder, Karin A A; Pape, Kristine; Johnsen, Roar; Holmen, Turid Lingaas; Westin, Steinar; Bjørngaard, Johan Håkon

2013-01-01

High school dropout is of major concern in the western world. Our aims were to estimate the risk of school dropout in adolescents following chronic somatic disease, somatic symptoms, psychological distress, concentration difficulties, insomnia or overweight and to assess to which extent the family contributes to the association between health and school dropout. A population of 8950 school-attending adolescents (13-21 years) rated their health in the Young-HUNT 1 Study (90% response rate) in 1995-1997. High school dropout or completion, was defined with the Norwegian National Education Database in the calendar year the participant turned 24 years old. Parental socioeconomic status was defined by using linkages to the National Education Database, the National Insurance Administration and the HUNT2 Survey. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios and risk differences of high school dropout, both in the whole population and among siblings within families differentially exposed to health problems. All explored health dimensions were strongly associated with high school dropout. In models adjusted for parental socioeconomic status, the risk differences of school dropout according to health exposures varied between 3.6% (95% CI 1.7 to 5.5) for having ≥ 1 somatic disease versus none and 11.7% (6.3 to 17.0) for being obese versus normal weight. The results from the analyses comparing differentially exposed siblings, confirmed these results with the exception of weaker associations for somatic diseases and psychological distress. School dropout was strongly clustered within families (family level conditional intraclass correlation 0.42). Adolescent health problems are markers for high school dropout, independent of parental socioeconomic status. Although school dropout it strongly related to family-level factors, also siblings with poor health have reduced opportunity to complete high school compared to healthy siblings. Public health policy should focus on ensuring young people with poor health the best attainable education.

Ethnic/racial discrimination moderates the effect of sleep quality on school engagement across high school.

PubMed

Dunbar, Margaret; Mirpuri, Sheena; Yip, Tiffany

2017-10-01

Previous research has indicated that school engagement tends to decline across high school. At the same time, sleep problems and exposure to social stressors such as ethnic/racial discrimination increase. The current study uses a biopsychosocial perspective to examine the interactive and prospective effects of sleep and discrimination on trajectories of academic performance. Growth curve models were used to explore changes in 6 waves of academic outcomes in a sample of 310 ethnically and racially diverse adolescents (mean age = 14.47 years, SD = .78, and 64.1% female). Ethnic/racial discrimination was assessed at Time 1 in a single survey. Sleep quality and duration were also assessed at Time 1 with daily diary surveys. School engagement and grades were reported every 6 months for 3 years. Higher self-reported sleep quality in the ninth grade was associated with higher levels of academic engagement at the start of high school. Ethnic/racial discrimination moderated the relationship between sleep quality and engagement such that adolescents reporting low levels of discrimination reported a steeper increase in engagement over time, whereas their peers reporting poor sleep quality and high levels of discrimination reported the worse engagement in the ninth grade and throughout high school. The combination of poor sleep quality and high levels of discrimination in ninth grade has downstream consequences for adolescent academic outcomes. This study applies the biopsychosocial model to understand the development and daily experiences of diverse adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Unhealthy lifestyle, poor mental health, and its correlation among adolescents: a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Tanihata, Takeo; Kanda, Hideyuki; Osaki, Yoneatsu; Ohida, Takashi; Minowa, Masumi; Wada, Kiyoshi; Suzuki, Kenji; Hayashi, Kenji

2015-03-01

The objective was to study the relationship between mental health and lifestyles of adolescents using samples representative of Japanese adolescents nationwide. The survey was conducted between December 2004 and January 2005 among students enrolled in randomly selected junior and senior high schools. Self-administered questionnaires addressed lifestyles, sleeping habits, and mental health status. Of 103 650 questionnaires collected, 85 158 were analyzed. Population characteristics associated with poor mental health were being female, being a senior high school student, skipping breakfast, not participating in extracurricular activities, not consulting parents about personal matters, parental smoking, students' smoking or alcohol use, poor subjective sleep assessment, and short or long sleeping duration. Smoking and anxiety disorders are associated with an elevation in acculturative stress in adolescents. Prepossessing adolescents are in subclinical depression. Results suggest that lifestyles approaches in preventions that target students can be effective in reaching high-risk populations. © 2012 APJPH.

Sibling care, school performance, and depression among adolescent caretakers in Cambodia.

PubMed

Yi, Siyan; Poudel, Krishna C; Yasuoka, Junko; Palmer, Paula H; Yi, Songky; Yanagisawa, Satoko; Jimba, Masamine

2012-06-01

In many resource-poor countries, home-based care for young children is crucial. Yet little has been known about the negative impacts of sibling caretaking on mental health conditions of adolescent student caretakers. This study explored associations between sibling caretaking, school performance, and depression among 1943 students randomly selected from 11 junior high and high schools in Cambodia. The Asian Adolescent Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms. In bivariate analyses, we used χ(2) test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and t-test or one-way analysis of variance for continuous variables. Multiple linear regression models were then constructed. Of total, 60.1% of our participants took care of their younger sibling(s) regularly during the past one year. The number of siblings under their care ranged from one to nine, and the time they spent for sibling care ranged from one to 10h per day. After adjustment, increased levels of depressive symptoms remained significantly associated among boys with sibling caretaking (p<0.001), as well as poor school performance (p=0.001) and perceived likelihood of dropping out of school in the near future (p=0.002). Among girls, increased levels of depressive symptoms retained their significant association with sibling caretaking (p<0.001); also poor school performance (p<0.001). Sibling care responsibility might have negative impact on school performance and the mental health condition of adolescent caretakers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transition from High School to College. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Howard

2010-01-01

What does the literature say about effective transition between the high school and post-secondary education? A disturbing number of students leave college without completing their degree or earning the credential they sought. This problem, which is especially acute for poor, minority and rural students, results in a colossal waste of talent,…

Helping Hispanic Students to Complete High School and Enter College. ERIC/CUE Digest Number 20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ascher, Carol

Demographically, mainland Hispanic Americans constitute a population that is economically and educationally diverse. Nonetheless, a cluster of related findings indicates that Hispanic students are more poorly prepared for college than non-Hispanic White students. More Hispanic high school seniors than White non-Hispanics are enrolled in vocational…

Effects of a Rational-Emotive Mental Health Program on Poorly Achieving, Disruptive High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Block, Joel

1978-01-01

Failure- and misconduct-prone black and Hispanic high school students were given five weekly sessions of rational-emotive education. Comparisons were made with alternate treatment and on-treatment controls. The rational-emotive groups showed greatest improvement on all dependent variables over an extended period of time. (Author/MFD)

Bridging Troubled Waters: Helping Students Make the Transition from High School to University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pancer, S. Mark; Pratt, Michael; Hunsberger, Bruce; Alisat, Susan

2004-01-01

This article discusses recent programs and procedures based at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, designed to help students' transition from high school to university. Students are poorly prepared for university, and the meagre assistance they get from pre-university orientations, or even from longer-term programs such as University…

Beyond "Doing School": From "Stressed-out" to "Engaged in Learning"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pope, Denise

2010-01-01

A study of over 5,000 students in 13 high-achieving public and private middle and high schools in the United States found evidence of disengagement and poor physical and mental health. The students in the study were exhausted, many getting significantly less than the recommended nine hours of sleep each night. More than 70% of the high school…

The High Return to Private Schooling in a Low-Income Country. Africa Growth Initiative. Working Paper 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bold, Tessa; Kimenyi, Mwangi; Mwabu, Germano; Sandefur, Justin

2013-01-01

Existing studies from the United States, Latin America and Asia provide scant evidence that private schools dramatically improve academic performance relative to public schools. Using data from Kenya--a poor country with weak public institutions--we find a large effect of private schooling on test scores, equivalent to one full standard deviation.…

The Narrowing Gap in New York City Teacher Qualifications and Its Implications for Student Achievement in High-Poverty Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Donald; Lankford, Hamilton; Loeb, Susanna; Rockoff, Jonah; Wyckoff, James

2008-01-01

Understanding what makes an effective teacher, as well as how teachers sort by their effectiveness across schools, is central to understanding and addressing student achievement gaps. Prior studies have found substantial sorting of teachers across schools, with the schools with the highest proportions of poor, non-white, and low-scoring students…

School Vending Machine Purchasing Behavior: Results from the 2005 YouthStyles Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Olivia M.; Yaroch, Amy L.; Moser, Richard P.; Rutten, Lila J. Finney; Agurs-Collins, Tanya

2010-01-01

Background: Competitive foods are often available in school vending machines. Providing youth with access to school vending machines, and thus competitive foods, is of concern, considering the continued high prevalence of childhood obesity: competitive foods tend to be energy dense and nutrient poor and can contribute to increased energy intake in…

Movie Lessons: Cultural Politics and the Visible Practices of Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saltmarsh, David

2011-01-01

This article examines teaching practices and pedagogies shown in three Hollywood movies. Although some government reports and the media articles may assert that the quality of teaching in public schools is poor, by contrast mainstream movies of the "urban high school" genre often champion teachers who are able to make a difference in…

Closing the Achievement Gap: Views from Nine Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of Accountability.

This study examined North Carolina schools serving large numbers of poor and minority students, emphasizing nine schools where black student achievement was especially high, where black students had made strong gains, or where the black-white achievement gap was closing faster than the state average. Between 1999-00, research teams visited each…

[Fundamentals of socio-hygienic monitoring of environmental conditions for students of higher education schools].

PubMed

Blinova, E G; Kuchma, V R

2012-01-01

Socioeconomic transformations and the poor environment of an industrial megalopolis negatively affected quality of life and morbidity rates in students (n = 2160). Academic intensity contributed to an increase in overall morbidity and morbidity from nervous system involvement. The regional sociohygienic monitoring of high-school training conditions within the framework of the surveillance system substantiates programs to prevent worse health and life quality in high school students.

The Rate of Return to Schooling and the Business Cycle: Additional Estimates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kniesner, Thomas J.; And Others

1980-01-01

Illustrates that the business cycle does indeed disturb relative Black/White rates of return to schooling. Blacks fare relatively poorly in times of high unemployment. Data tables and formulas are presented to support the argument. (CT)

Comparison of Motivational Factors between Japanese and United States High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavanaugh, Debbie

2009-01-01

Spanning multiple subjects and age groups, U.S. students rate poorly while Japanese students rate highly when subject to international testing. Japanese children complete twice as much homework as their U.S. counterparts and sometimes attend school on Saturdays. The literature review looks at motivation in both U.S. American and Japanese students…

TPACK in Elementary and High School Teachers' Self-Reported Classroom Practices with the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lefebvre, Sonia; Samson, Ghislain; Gareau, Alexandre; Brouillette, Nancy

2016-01-01

The interactive whiteboard (IWB) is increasingly used for teaching and learning in the classroom. Nevertheless, the ways that teachers incorporate this tool within their teaching practices remain poorly understood. This paper examines elementary and high school teachers' self-reported practices with the IWB. The conceptual framework centers on…

A Study of Black Adolescent Males' Literacy Experiences in Middle College High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anthony, Janet

2013-01-01

Middle College High Schools have contributed to the academic success of at-risk minority students across the country. This educational reform model has been recognized as having a positive impact on minority and poor students. However, an exhaustive search of the literature revealed no documented research to date interpreting the effects of this…

Consumer Problems of the Poor. Expanded Programs of Consumer Education. (Series)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Secondary Curriculum Development.

The fourth in a series of modules--Expanded Programs of Consumer Education--this material is designed to help the poor make better use of their income and to stimulate those of high income to a greater understanding of the problems of their fellow-citizens. The modules are prepared for high school students as separate publications to provide…

Test-retest reliability and responsiveness of gaze stability and dynamic visual acuity in high school and college football players.

PubMed

Kaufman, Denise R; Puckett, Mallory J; Smith, Mitchell J; Wilson, Kyle S; Cheema, Rebecca; Landers, Merrill R

2014-08-01

The purpose of this study was to establish reliability and responsiveness of the dynamic visual acuity test (DVAT) at head speeds of 150-200 degrees per second (deg/s) and the gaze stabilization test (GST) in high school and college football players. Reliability design. Fifty high school and college football athletes completed the DVAT and GST in both the yaw (horizontal) and pitch (vertical) planes twice within two weeks. Test-retest reliability for the DVAT was good in yaw, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) = 0.770, and moderate/good in pitch, ICC = 0.725. Minimal detectable change (MDC) was 0.16 logMAR for yaw and 0.21 logMAR for pitch. GST reliability was moderate in yaw, ICC = 0.634, and poor in pitch, ICC = 0.411. MDCs were 73.4 deg/s (yaw) and 81.2 deg/s (pitch). The DVAT is reliable at high head speeds in high school and college football athletes in both yaw and pitch. GST head speeds were higher than previously reported in the literature, but reliability of this tool for this population was poor to moderate. From a clinical perspective, DVAT may be reliably used in the assessment of high school and college football athletes; however, GST requires further evaluation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Children exposure to atmospheric particles in indoor of Lisbon primary schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almeida, Susana Marta; Canha, Nuno; Silva, Ana; Freitas, Maria do Carmo; Pegas, Priscilla; Alves, Célia; Evtyugina, Margarita; Pio, Casimiro Adrião

2011-12-01

Evidence continues to emerge showing that poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) can cause illness requiring absence from schools, and can cause acute health symptoms that decrease students' performance. Since children spend on average 7-11 h per weekday at school, the IAQ in classrooms is expected to play a key role in the assessment of the effects of their personal exposure to air pollution. Within this context the present study was conducted in order to fulfill three primary objectives 1) to measure the levels and the element composition of PM 2.5 and PM 2.5-10, in three primary schools placed in Lisbon, in order to assess the children exposure to these pollutants; 2) to study the relationship between indoor and outdoor atmospheric particles concentrations and 3) to investigate the sources of high aerosols concentrations in classrooms. In the studied classrooms, the concentrations of coarse particles significantly exceeded the ambient levels. Element concentrations suggested that the physical activity of students highly contributed to the re-suspension of sedimented particles. The high levels of CO 2 indicated that in these schools the ventilation was inadequate. This fact contributed to the establishment of poor IAQ.

Improving Academic Achievement of Students with Problematic Attendance by Implementing a Multisystemic School-Based Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kay, James Edward

2010-01-01

This study addressed the problem of poor attendance adversely affecting grades and learning. Current school policies do not address problematic attendance for all school-aged children, perpetuating trends of academic failure. The research objective was to determine if unexcused absences had a greater negative impact on a high-stakes test compared…

A Case Study of District Decentralization and Site-Based Budgeting: Cordell Place School District.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fermanich, Mark; Odden, Allan; Archibald, Sarah

A previously high-ranking suburban school district with declining student achievement changed to site-based budgeting. The account of the change may also be a cautionary tale about change taken too rapidly. Although a poor economy, the annexation of two Department of Defense schools, and organizational stagnation helped to create lower student…

Retaining Effective Urban Teachers in the Age of Accountability: How Do Successful Urban Schools Address Staffing Challenges?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Cove Johnstone

2010-01-01

Many urban schools struggle to retain their best teachers because of challenging work environments, poor salaries, and ineffective school leadership. The additional requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation for teachers to be highly qualified and the increased academic requirements of raising students to a proficient level in reading…

Re-Engaging School Dropouts with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkins, Julia; Bost, Loujeania Williams

2015-01-01

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders have the highest dropout rates of any student group--about 40%. The outcomes for students who drop out of school are dire but are particularly bleak for students with poor academic, interpersonal, and decision-making skills. Helping students earn a high school diploma and gain the skills needed to…

School Start Times, Sleep, Behavioral, Health, and Academic Outcomes: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheaton, Anne G.; Chapman, Daniel P.; Croft, Janet B.

2016-01-01

Background: Insufficient sleep in adolescents has been shown to be associated with a wide variety of adverse outcomes, from poor mental and physical health to behavioral problems and lower academic grades. However, most high school students do not get sufficient sleep. Delaying school start times for adolescents has been proposed as a policy…

School-Based Health Centers and Academic Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, 2012

2012-01-01

Poor academic outcomes and high dropout rates are major concerns of educators, policy makers, and parents alike--and poor health severely limits a child's motivation and ability to learn. Recent research confirms that "health disparities affect educational achievement". Improving students' health is integral to education reform.…

Catching Up: Impact of the Talent Development Ninth Grade Instructional Interventions in Reading and Mathematics in High-Poverty High Schools. Report 69

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balfanz, Robert; Legters, Nettie; Jordan, Will

2004-01-01

Concerns that higher standards and demanding high-stakes tests will disadvantage students who have attended weak, unsuccessful, or under-resourced schools have typically been met with the counter-claim that poorly prepared students will be provided with the extra help and support they need to succeed. Efforts to provide extra help are in their…

The Land of Confusion? High School Students and Their Use of the World Wide Web for Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenzen, Michael

2002-01-01

Examines high school students' use of the World Wide Web to complete assignments. Findings showed the students used a good variety of resources, including libraries and the World Wide Web, to find information for assignments. However, students were weak at determining the quality of the information found on web sites. Students did poorly at…

Attending High School Algebra I: In Search of Well-Managed, Engaging, Culturally Relevant, and Caring Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gannett, Cassandra Dunn

2012-01-01

The inequities in learning between the rich and the poor have become pervasive in United States. This is evidenced by the high school graduation rates, college attendance percentages, and employment statistics. Upon another wave of reform, the Common Core State Standards in mathematics are currently being adopted in hopes of increasing learning…

Test Anxiety Interventions for Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Treatment Studies from 2000-2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von der Embse, Nathaniel; Barterian, Justin; Segool, Natasha

2013-01-01

High-stakes tests have played an increasingly important role in how student achievement and school effectiveness are measured. Test anxiety has risen with the use of tests in educational decision making. Students with high test anxiety perform poorly on tests when compared to students with low test anxiety. School psychologists can play an…

Resistance and Assent: How Racial Socialization Shapes Black Students' Experience Learning African American History in High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornhill, Theodore E.

2016-01-01

African American history is often taught poorly in high school U.S. history courses. However, we know little about how Black students perceive and experience this situation. I use a refined racial socialization framework and interview data with 32 Black college students in the Northeast to investigate how familial racial socialization shapes their…

Poor School Satisfaction and Number of Cannabis Using Peers within School Classes as Individual Risk Factors for Cannabis Use among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoff, Dominic A.; Andersen, Anette; Holstein, Bjorn E.

2010-01-01

There is little information available on the topic of poor school satisfaction as a risk factor for cannabis use among adolescents. We examined if there was an association between poor school satisfaction, school class cannabis use and individual cannabis use. Further, we investigated if many cannabis users within the school class statistically…

Experimental Effects of the Strategic Adolescent Reading Intervention on Reading Performance in High Poverty Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemphill, Lowry; Kim, James; Yudron, Monica; LaRusso, Maria; Donovan, Suzanne; Sabatini, John; O'Reilly, Tenaha

2015-01-01

The roughly one-quarter of U.S. eighth graders who score below basic on national assessments of reading are poorly equipped for the reading demands of secondary school. They struggle with summarizing and making text-based inferences (NCES, 2013). Intervention in middle school needs to be comprehensive, both because of the heterogeneity of the…

The Impact of Perceived Discrimination and Social Support on the School Performance of Multiethnic Sexual Minority Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Shelley L.; Smith, Mark S.

2014-01-01

Sexual minority youth are known to face increased risk of poor school performance; however, little research has focused on the educational experiences of multiethnic sexual minority youth (MSMY) in particular. Using venue-based sampling approaches, this study surveyed 255 MSMY at 15 urban high schools. The majority of participants identified as…

The association between higher body mass index and poor school performance in high school students.

PubMed

Tonetti, L; Fabbri, M; Filardi, M; Martoni, M; Natale, V

2016-12-01

This study aimed to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and school performance in high school students by controlling for relevant mediators such as sleep quality, sleep duration and socioeconomic status. Thirty-seven high school students (mean age: 18.16 ± 0.44 years) attending the same school type, i.e. 'liceo scientifico' (science-based high school), were enrolled. Students' self-reported weight and height were used to calculate BMI. Participants wore an actigraph to objectively assess the quality and duration of sleep. School performance was assessed through the actual grade obtained at the final school-leaving exam, in which higher grades indicate higher performance. BMI, get-up time, mean motor activity, wake after sleep onset and number of awakenings were negatively correlated with the grade, while sleep efficiency was positively correlated. When performing a multiple regression analysis, BMI proved the only significant (negative) predictor of grade. When controlling for sleep quality, sleep duration and socioeconomic status, a higher BMI is associated with a poorer school performance in high school students. © 2015 World Obesity Federation.

Academic performance in adolescents with delayed sleep phase.

PubMed

Sivertsen, Børge; Glozier, Nick; Harvey, Allison G; Hysing, Mari

2015-09-01

Delayed sleep phase (DSP) in adolescence has been linked to reduced academic performance, but there are few population-based studies examining this association using validated sleep measures and objective outcomes. The youth@hordaland-survey, a large population-based study from Norway conducted in 2012, surveyed 8347 high-school students aged 16-19 years (54% girls). DSP was assessed by self-report sleep measures, and it was operationalized according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders - Second Edition. School performance (grade point average, GPA) was obtained from official administrative registries, and it was linked individually to health data. DSP was associated with increased odds for poor school performance. After adjusting for age and gender, DSP was associated with a threefold increased odds of poor GPA (lowest quartile) [odds ratio (OR) = 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.03-4.30], and adjustment for sociodemographics and lifestyle factors did not, or only slightly, attenuate this association. Adjustment for nonattendance at school reduced the association substantially, and in the fully adjusted model, the effect of DSP on poor academic performance was reduced to a non-significant level. Mediation analyses confirmed both direct and significant indirect effects of DSP on school performance based on school absence, daytime sleepiness, and sleep duration. Poor academic performance may reflect an independent effect of underlying circadian disruption, which in part could be mediated by school attendance, as well as daytime sleepiness and short sleep duration. This suggests that careful assessment of sleep is warranted in addressing educational difficulties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Epidemiological Study of Poor Visual Acuity among Schoolchildren in Bonin Islands].

PubMed

Ito, Misae; Shimizu, Kimiya; Kawamorita, Takushi; Shoji, Nobuyuki

2016-04-01

To investigate the change in uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) among schoolchildren in Bonin Islands. UCVA of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14 years, was collected from reports of School Health Examination Surveys conducted from 1981 to 2012. The proportion of schoolchildren with poor UCVA in the Bonin Islands was compared with those in metropolitan Tokyo. The results in Bonin Islands were also divided into two groups, before- and after-1996 when terrestrial television broadcasting service has been started, and the data of those two groups were compared. The proportion of schoolchildren with poor UCVA in Bonin Islands was lower than that in Tokyo. Among the residents of Bonin Islands, the proportion of schoolchildren with UCVA of < 1.0 was higher in the after-1996 group than in the before- 1996 group, with a clear increase in schoolchildren with poor UCVA after 1996 (p < 0.01, Fisher's exact test), examined among the 4th grade of elementary school or above. After 1996, 26.6% of first graders at a public junior high school had poor UCVA of < 0.7, whereas before 1996 no such case could be detected. The present study revealed that the proportions of schoolchildren with poor UCVA in Bonin Islands was lower than that in Tokyo; but in the residents of Bonin Islands after 1996, the proportion of the schoolchildren with poor UCVA increased.

HEPA Help

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rathey, Allen

2006-01-01

Poor indoor air quality in school facilities can detract from the health and productivity of students, teachers and other employees. Asthma--often triggered or aggravated by dust--is the No. 1 cause of chronic absenteeism in schools. Using vacuum cleaners equipped with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to clean education institutions…

Early Childhood Precursors and School age Correlates of Different Internalising Problem Trajectories Among Young Children.

PubMed

Parkes, Alison; Sweeting, Helen; Wight, Daniel

2016-10-01

It is unclear why trajectories of internalising problems vary between groups of young children. This is the first attempt in the United Kingdom to identify and explain different trajectories of internalising problems from 46 to 94 months. Using both mother- and child-reported data from the large Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) birth cohort (N = 2901; male N = 1497, female N = 1404), we applied growth mixture modelling and multivariable multinomial regression models. Three trajectories were identified: low-stable, high-decreasing and medium-increasing. There were no gender differences in trajectory shape, membership, or importance of covariates. Children from both elevated trajectories shared several early risk factors (low income, poor maternal mental health, poor partner relationship, pre-school behaviour problems) and school-age covariates (low mother-child warmth and initial school maladjustment) and reported fewer supportive friendships at 94 months. However, there were also differences in covariates between the two elevated trajectories. Minority ethnic status and pre-school conduct problems were more strongly associated with the high-decreasing trajectory; and covariates measured after school entry (behaviour problems, mother-child conflict and school maladjustment) with the medium-increasing trajectory. This suggests a greater burden of early risk for the high-decreasing trajectory, and that children with moderate early problem levels were more vulnerable to influences after school transition. Our findings largely support the sparse existing international evidence and are strengthened by the use of child-reported data. They highlight the need to identify protective factors for children with moderate, as well as high, levels of internalising problems at pre-school age, but suggest different approaches may be required.

The New Reality for Suburban Schools: How Suburban Schools Are Struggling with Low-Income Students and Students of Color in Their Schools. Counterpoints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shiller, Jessica T.

2016-01-01

Since the year 2000, the population of people of color and of poor families in the suburbs has been rapidly increasing, making these areas far more diverse than they were a generation ago. Along with the increase in diversity has come re-segregation, leaving some schools with very high concentrations of low-income students and students of color,…

Most U.S. School Districts Have Low Access to School Counselors: Poor, Diverse, and City School Districts Exhibit Particularly High Student-to-Counselor Ratios. National Issue Brief Number 108

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagnon, Douglas J.; Mattingly, Marybeth J.

2016-01-01

In this brief, the authors examine the level of access to school counselors, and how this access is mediated by district demographic and location characteristics. Using a large nationally representative data source compiled from the 2013-2104 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), the 2014 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), and 2007…

[Survey regarding mental health conditions of high school students and attitudes of students and their teachers toward students' mental health issues].

PubMed

Hattori, Isao; Fujii, Chiyo; Fukuzawa, Ayako

2013-01-01

We administered a self-reporting questionnaire survey regarding the mental health conditions of high school students and attitudes of students and their teachers toward students' mental health issues. In addition, we discussed the requirements for high school students' mental health support system. The subjects were 3,312 students and 208 teachers in four Shizuoka prefectural public high schools in 2009. University Personality Inventory (UPI) is usually conducted to assess university students' mental state and is a questionnaire that high school students can answer easily. Therefore, we adopted UPI for this survey. UPI was composed of 56 unhealthy and 4 healthy condition items. High school students completed the UPI and determined the sum of unhealthy condition items; a higher score indicated a poorer mental health status. The average UPI score of all students (n = 3,312) was 12.7 points, and that of females (n = 1,217)was 15.2 points, which was significantly higher than the 11.3 points of males (n = 2,095). Those with scores > or = 30 points (7.5%), which was more than half of the maximum score, were designated as the High Score (HS) group and considered to have poor mental health. Those with scores of > or = 40 (1.4%) seemed to have very poor mental health, and there was concern that they may be suffering from psychosis. Our observations indicated that HS students were likely to avoid seeking help regarding mental health issues, which was especially true for male HS students. The majority of students chose their friends and parents as advisers, but HS students were significantly more likely to choose advisers who were engaged in jobs related to medical work. Students in both the HS and non-HS groups who did not wish to consult anyone else about their mental conditions wanted to be approached by those around them. High school teachers hesitated to intervene with mentally disturbed students and attempted to resolve problems within the school. Thus, it appears necessary for families, school teachers, and psychiatrists to build closer relations with each other to promote mental health among high school students.

High Stakes: Time Poverty, Testing and the Children of the Working Poor. Working Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin, Margaret M.; Newman, Katherine S.

Two public policy shifts in the past 10 years--the move from welfare to work and the end of social promotion in school--are intertwined in their implementation in the lives of working poor families. This report draws on ethnographic data from a 6-year study of working poor families in New York City over the period in which welfare reform became a…

The Extremes of the Bell Curve: Excellent and Poor School Performance and Risk for Severe Mental Disorders. Maudsley Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacCabe, James H.

2010-01-01

It has long been claimed that there is a strong association between high intelligence, or exceptional creativity, and mental illness. In this book, James MacCabe investigates this claim, using evidence from Swedish population data. He finds evidence that children who achieve either exceptionally high, or very low grades at school, are at greater…

Teachers' wellbeing and depressive symptoms, and associated risk factors: A large cross sectional study in English secondary schools.

PubMed

Kidger, Judi; Brockman, Rowan; Tilling, Kate; Campbell, Rona; Ford, Tamsin; Araya, Ricardo; King, Michael; Gunnell, David

2016-03-01

Teachers have been shown to have high levels of stress and common mental disorder, but few studies have examined which factors within the school environment are associated with poor teacher mental health. Teachers (n=555) in 8 schools completed self-report questionnaires. Levels of teacher wellbeing (Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale-WEMWBS) and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-PHQ-9) were measured and associations between these measures and school-related factors were examined using multilevel multivariable regression models. The mean (SD) teacher wellbeing score (47.2 (8.8)) was lower than reported in working population samples, and 19.4% had evidence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 scores >10). Feeling unable to talk to a colleague when feeling stressed or down, dissatisfaction with work and high presenteeism were all strongly associated with both poor wellbeing (beta coefficients ranged from -4.65 [-6.04, -3.28] to -3.39 [-5.48, -1.31]) and depressive symptoms (ORs ranged from 2.44 [1.41, 4.19] to 3.31 [1.70, 6.45]). Stress at work and recent change in school governance were also associated with poor wellbeing (beta coefficients=-4.22 [-5.95, -2.48] and -2.17 [-3.58, -0.77] respectively), while sickness absence and low student attendance were associated with depressive symptoms (ORs=2.14 [1.24, 3.67] and 1.93 [1.06, 6.45] respectively). i) This was a cross-sectional study; causal associations cannot be identified ii) several of the measures were self-report iii) the small number of schools reduced study power for the school-level variables Wellbeing is low and depressive symptoms high amongst teachers. Interventions aimed at improving their mental health might focus on reducing work related stress, and increasing the support available to them. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Decision support system for determining Bantuan Siswa Miskin (BSM) receivers with profile matching method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Situmorang, B. H.; Pibriana, E.; Tosida, E. T.

2018-03-01

Bantuan Siswa Miskin (BSM) is a National Programs aimed at eliminating the barriers of poor students participating to school by helping poor students gain access to appropriate education services, prevent dropping out of school, attract poor students back to school, assis students in providing for learning activities, support the Nine Years Basic Education (and even up to senior high school) program, as well as helping to smooth the school programs [1]. Decision Support System is made by applying Profile Matching method to assist teachers or school operators in SMP PGRI Ciasmara in selecting prospective recipients of BSM program and providing recommendations in decision making. Profile Matching is used to compare the actual data value of a profile to be assessed by the expected profile value, so that it can be known the difference of competence (also called GAP). If the resulting value of GAP is smaller then the weight of value will be greater, which means it has a greater chance to be recommended as a potential recipient of the BSM program. Decision Support System for determining BSM receivers is only choosing the right alternatives to receive BSM according to the BSM quota given to SMP PGRI Ciasmara. The right alternatives to receive this BSM is the highest ranking alternatives.

"I'm Proud to Be Me": Health, Community and Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrrows, Lisette

2011-01-01

Health reportage in New Zealand's popular and professional media regularly features large, avowedly inactive, indigenous and/or "poor" people failing to nurture their children properly on account of their size. While well-meaning government and school-based initiatives explicitly target these so-called "high-need" communities,…

Voluntary Teacher Leadership: Key to Sustainable Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hickman, Wayne A.; Moore, Lynda C.; Torek, Tonya J.

2008-01-01

When the Burke County Board of Education mandated Burke County High School in Waynesboro, Georgia to "seek a solution" to its poor graduation rate--specifically, to change the school's schedule, teachers were given the responsibility and authority to plan and facilitate the transition. The transition process taught teachers and…

Alternative High School: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchanan, Kristen M.

2014-01-01

Many educators across the nation are struggling to teach and inspire students who are susceptible to school drop-out. These specific students are commonly dealing with poor parental involvement, low socioeconomic status, substance abuse issues, teenage pregnancy, behavioral infractions, and/ or mental health issues, which can affect them socially,…

Impact of an Intuitive Eating Education Program on High School Students' Eating Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healy, Nicole; Joram, Elana; Matvienko, Oksana; Woolf, Suzanne; Knesting, Kimberly

2015-01-01

Purpose: There is a growing need for school-based nutritional educational programs that promote healthy eating attitudes without increasing an unhealthy focus on restrictive eating or promoting a poor body image. Research suggests that "intuitive eating" ("IE") approaches, which encourage individuals to focus on internal body…

Improving Comprehension in Middle School Math by Incorporating Children's Literature in the Instruction of Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Shekitra

2013-01-01

Children from the United States score poorly on international math tests compared to their cohorts in other countries. These gaps grow as students enter high school and develop a dislike and fear of mathematics, suggesting the need to improve mathematics education in middle school. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of reading…

Effects of the 'Consumer Game' on Learning and Attitudes of Selected Seventh Grade Students in A Target-Area School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Karen C.

The following report describes one teacher's use of the Consumer Game in a class of seventh grade students in a target area school. These students were not highly motivated and displayed poor attitudes toward school, and it was hoped that a game experience might interest them. Despite unusual administrative conditions, the game appears to have…

The Narrowing Gap in New York City Teacher Qualifications and Its Implications for Student Achievement in High-Poverty Schools. Working Paper 10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Donald; Lankford, Hamilton; Loeb, Susanna; Rockoff, Jonah; Wyckoff, James

2007-01-01

Studies have found substantial sorting of teachers across schools, with the schools with the highest proportions of poor, non-white, and low-scoring students having the least qualified teachers as measured by certification, exam performance, and inexperience (Lankford, Loeb and Wyckoff, 2002). Yet, there have been substantial changes in the…

What Are New Zealand Children Eating at School? A Content Analysis of "Consumed versus Unconsumed" Food Groups in a Lunch-Box Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dresler-Hawke, Emma; Whitehead, Dean; Coad, Jane

2009-01-01

Eating patterns among school-aged children continue to be highly reliant on frequent consumption of food items that are perceived to have low or poor nutritional value. This has become a serious public health concern. In this New Zealand-based study, primary school children's food consumption behaviour was investigated via two sources: a…

The Impact of E-Education on At Risk High School Students' Science Achievement and Experiences during Summer School Credit Recovery Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Pamela Prevette

2015-01-01

Nationally, "at risk" students make up to 30% of U.S. students in public schools. Many "at risk" students have poor attendance, are disengaged from the learning environment and have low academic achievement. Educational failure occurs when students do not complete the required courses and as a result do not receive a high…

Bislama in the Educational System? Debate around the Legitimacy of a Creole at School in a Post-Colonial Country

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandeputte-Tavo, Leslie

2013-01-01

Education policy always appears to be controversial, especially in post-colonial nations. In Vanuatu, the dual educative system inherited from the period of colonization has raised many debates. The government of Vanuatu is certainly aware of national educational issues in the school system such as the poor literacy rate and high school fees but…

The impact of general anesthesia on child development and school performance: a population-based study.

PubMed

Schneuer, Francisco J; Bentley, Jason P; Davidson, Andrew J; Holland, Andrew Ja; Badawi, Nadia; Martin, Andrew J; Skowno, Justin; Lain, Samantha J; Nassar, Natasha

2018-04-27

There has been considerable interest in the possible adverse neurocognitive effects of exposure to general anesthesia and surgery in early childhood. The aim of this data linkage study was to investigate developmental and school performance outcomes of children undergoing procedures requiring general anesthesia in early childhood. We included children born in New South Wales, Australia of 37+ weeks' gestation without major congenital anomalies or neurodevelopmental disability with either a school entry developmental assessment in 2009, 2012, or Grade-3 school test results in 2008-2014. We compared children exposed to general anesthesia aged <48 months to those without any hospitalization. Children with only 1 hospitalization with general anesthesia and no other hospitalization were assessed separately. Outcomes included being classified developmentally high risk at school entry and scoring below national minimum standard in school numeracy and reading tests. Of 211 978 children included, 82 156 had developmental assessment and 153 025 had school test results, with 12 848 (15.7%) and 25 032 (16.4%) exposed to general anesthesia, respectively. Children exposed to general anesthesia had 17%, 34%, and 23% increased odds of being developmentally high risk (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.07-1.29); or scoring below the national minimum standard in numeracy (aOR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.21-1.48) and reading (aOR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.12-1.36), respectively. Although the risk for being developmentally high risk and poor reading attenuated for children with only 1 hospitalization and exposure to general anesthesia, the association with poor numeracy results remained. Children exposed to general anesthesia before 4 years have poorer development at school entry and school performance. While the association among children with 1 hospitalization with 1 general anesthesia and no other hospitalization was attenuated, poor numeracy outcome remained. Further investigation of the specific effects of general anesthesia and the impact of the underlying health conditions that prompt the need for surgery or diagnostic procedures is required, particularly among children exposed to long duration of general anesthesia or with repeated hospitalizations. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Oral Health Education Program for Latino Immigrant Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Ruth M.; Canham, Daryl; Cureton, Virginia Young

2005-01-01

A high prevalence of dental caries in the pediatric population is a major health problem. At highest risk are low-income minority groups, including refugee and immigrant populations. Consequences of oral disease include pain, difficulty eating and speaking, poor school performance, and poor self-esteem. Parent involvement in oral health education…

Tapped Out

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González-Rivera, Christian

2014-01-01

New York's community colleges have a key role to play in elevating poor and working poor New Yorkers into the ranks of the middle class. The economy is producing few decent-paying jobs for people with only a high school diploma, and community colleges offer the most accessible path for people to obtain a post-secondary credential. However, tens of…

Profiles of Kindergarten Classroom and Elementary School Contexts: Associations with the First-Grade Outcomes of Children Transitioning from Head Start

PubMed Central

Lee, Phyllis; Bierman, Karen L.

2018-01-01

Poor quality classroom and school contexts may impede the academic and behavioral adjustment of low-income students when they transition into kindergarten. Several studies have examined the impact of teacher-student interactions on student progress, whereas others have explored the impact of school-level adversity (e.g., student poverty, school achievement levels). Expanding on prior findings, this study used latent profile analysis to characterize kindergarten contexts in terms of both classroom teacher-student interaction quality and school-level adversity. Following 164 children longitudinally and accounting for functioning in Head Start prior to kindergarten entry, associations between kindergarten context profiles and first grade outcomes revealed that children who experienced dual-risk contexts in kindergarten (classrooms with poor quality teacher-student interactions in schools with high levels of adversity) demonstrated the greatest aggression and social difficulties in first grade. Associations between kindergarten context profiles and first grade academic outcomes were less clear. PMID:29731516

Dietary intake and risk factors for poor diet quality among children in Nova Scotia.

PubMed

Veugelers, Paul J; Fitzgerald, Angela L; Johnston, Elizabeth

2005-01-01

Public health policies promote healthy nutrition but evaluations of children's adherence to dietary recommendations and studies of risk factors of poor nutrition are scarce, despite the importance of diet for the temporal increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity. Here we examine dietary intake and risk factors for poor diet quality among children in Nova Scotia to provide direction for health policies and prevention initiatives. In 2003, we surveyed 5,200 grade five students from 282 public schools in Nova Scotia, as well as their parents. We assessed students' dietary intake (Harvard's Youth Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire) and compared this with Canadian food group and nutrient recommendations. We summarized diet quality using the Diet Quality Index International, and used multilevel regression methods to evaluate potential child, parental and school risk factors for poor diet quality. In Nova Scotia, 42.3% of children did not meet recommendations for milk products nor did they meet recommendations for the food groups 'Vegetables and fruit' (49.9%), 'Grain products' (54.4%) and 'Meat and alternatives' (73.7%). Children adequately met nutrient requirements with the exception of calcium and fibre, of which intakes were low, and dietary fat and sodium, of which intakes were high. Skipping meals and purchasing meals at school or fast-food restaurants were statistically significant determinants of poor diet. Parents' assessment of their own eating habits was positively associated with the quality of their children's diets. Dietary intake among children in Nova Scotia is relatively poor. Explicit public health policies and prevention initiatives targeting children, their parents and schools may improve diet quality and prevent obesity.

Poor Schools, Poor Students, Successful Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gehrke, Rebecca Swanson

2005-01-01

Today, one out of four American children attends school in an urban district; one out of every six American children lives in poverty; and, in urban schools where most of the students are poor, two-thirds or more of the children fail to reach even the "basic" level of achievement on national tests. Urban schools are where most states face the…

Effects of Topic Familiarity and Training in Generative Learning Activities on Poor Readers' Comprehension of Comparison/Contrast Expository Text Structure: Transfer to Real-World Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weisberg, Renee; Balajthy, Ernest

A study investigated transfer effects of training below average high school readers in the use of graphic organizers and summary writing on their recognition of compare/contrast text structure. Subjects, 32 high school students with below-expectancy standardized test scores, were placed in two groups: an experimental group (five males and 11…

An Examination of the Characteristics and Determinants of At-Risk and Non-at-Risk Students in a Texas Independent School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roome, Anna Kathryn

2016-01-01

The issue within education reform of high dropout rates has been an enduring problem for education in the United States (U.S.) since the 1960s. Dropping out of high school is associated with a broad range of social pathologies in adulthood, including poor job prospects, the propensity to engage in criminal behavior, out-of-wedlock births, low…

The Effects of an Inquiry-Internet Research Project on Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Academic Autonomy in Heterogenously Grouped High School Latin I Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagman, Janet Campbell

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze and induce change to lessen the achievement gap in heterogeneously grouped high school Latin classes where some students may be at academic risk, due to insufficient knowledge, inability to connect with the subject, and poor performances. The researcher engaged in action research, a branch of qualitative…

Correlation of understanding of physics and psychological symptoms among high-school students in Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aggeliki, Anagnostopoulou; Miltiades, Kyprianou; Antigoni-Elisavet, Rota; Evangelia, Pavlatou; Loizos, Zaphiris

2017-09-01

Depression may essentially influence cognitive function contributing to poor school performance. The present study undertakes to determine the existence and strength of correlation between depressive symptomatology and other mental conditions with the acquired level of understanding of Newtonian physics taught in schools. The current study recruited 490 students (262 girls, 228 boys) attending the first semester of the Greek Second Grade of General Lyceum School. Force Concept Inventory (FCI) tested the depth of the students’ understanding of Newtonian Physics. Symptom Checklist-90-R assessed general mental status. The tests took place in the classroom during a 1 h session. Low FCI scores significantly correlated with mental conditions, with depression ranking first. Girls had higher scores in all nine symptoms scales of SCL-90 and lower FCI scores. Stepwise regression models proved that the gender effect on FCI could be effectively explained through the significant effect of depression. An understanding of Newtonian physics among high school students may be restricted by common problematic mental conditions, with depression being the greatest among all. Further research, using a more systematic approach to measure depression among adolescents with poor understanding of physics, would help to elucidate the nature of the effect.

The Relationship between Student Psychological Wellbeing, Behaviour and Educational Outcomes: A Lesson from the MindMatters plus Demonstration Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Sarah

2005-01-01

The aim of the MM+ initiative is to build the capacity of secondary schools to ensure optimal outcomes of students with high needs in the area of mental health. This is important for many reasons including the fact that poor psychological wellbeing in students has been found to lead to behavioural difficulties at school that can then serve as…

Education Myths: What Special Interest Groups Want You to Believe about Our Schools--And Why It Isn't So

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Jay P.

2005-01-01

How can we fix America's floundering public schools? The conventional wisdom says that schools need a lot more money, that poor and immigrant children cannot do as well as most American kids, that high-stakes tests just produce teaching to the test, and that vouchers do little to help students while undermining our democracy. But what if the…

Building a Network of Support for New Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkins, Elizabeth A.; Clift, Renee T.

2007-01-01

In response to the high attrition rate of new teachers, more and more induction programs are being implemented across the country. Current financial constraints, coupled with no systematic way to coordinate resources across schools and state organizations, present a challenge to many small or poorly funded schools and districts. In this article,…

Do Preschool Programs Affect Social Disadvantage? What Social Workers Should Know

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman-Smith, Robert

2013-01-01

The majority of children from lower income families enter elementary school well behind their peers in reading, math, and general knowledge. Poor academic achievement in the early grades is associated with a range of social problems such as failure to complete high school, increased risk of unintended pregnancy, increased criminal activity, and…

Helping Students Get Past Math Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarpello, Gary

2007-01-01

Math anxiety can begin as early as the fourth grade and peaks in middle school and high school. It can be caused by past classroom experiences, parental influences, and remembering poor past math performance. Math anxiety can cause students to avoid challenging math courses and may limit their career choices. It is important for teachers, parents…

Launching a Principal Preparation Program for High Needs Rural Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pijanowski, John C.; Peer, Diana K.

2016-01-01

This paper describes the first two years of planning and launching a full scholarship principal preparation program aimed at developing leaders to work in poor rural schools throughout Arkansas. The founding principles that guided the program are explored as well as how those principles were challenged and retained from the initial proposal…

School Finance Reform: Do Equalized Expenditures Imply Equalized Teacher Salaries?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Streams, Meg; Butler, J. S.; Cowen, Joshua; Fowles, Jacob; Toma, Eugenia F.

2011-01-01

Kentucky is a poor, relatively rural state that contrasts greatly with the relatively urban and wealthy states typically the subject of education studies employing large-scale administrative data. For this reason, Kentucky's experience of major school finance and curricular reform is highly salient for understanding teacher labor market dynamics.…

Mathematics Performance of the Primary School Students: Attention and Shifting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poorghorban, Maryam; Jabbari, Susan; Chamandar, Fatemah

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between executive functions and mathematical abilities to determine the contribution of these functions to math performance. In this study, 30 students were selected from among 4th graders of elementary school, in two groups with low achievement in mathematics (poor) and high achievement…

Why Can't Johnny Read? The Abell Report. Volume 23, No.7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Joan

2010-01-01

Baltimore's school-based vision-screening program may be leaving thousands of children with uncorrected eyesight problems. Vision screening in public schools is essential for students to learn, especially when low-income children face a high rate of eyesight problems and have poor access to health care. Left undetected and uncorrected, vision…

Fidelity Assessment to Improve Teacher Instruction and School Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenna, John William; Parenti, Melissa

2017-01-01

Teachers must provide high-quality instruction based on evidence-based practices to provide students meaningful opportunities to learn and to improve school outcomes. Although teachers have access to a variety of resources on evidence-based practices, poor implementation may limit the effectiveness of teacher practices, as indicated by low levels…

Redefining the Repertoire of Reluctant Readers at the Secondary School Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstead, Major, Jr.

An inservice program designed to assist teachers to develop instructional strategies for high school students with poor cognitive skills is described in this paper. The discussion focuses on the employment of a "prima-facie analysis technique" designed to give the teacher and student immediate feedback about the student's reading behavior, to…

The Effectiveness of a High School Mathematics Remediation Program on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kingsborough, Joseph

2011-01-01

The landmark educational reform legislation known as the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) brought sweeping change to the educational establishment through clearly defined learning goals and equally clear consequences for poorly performing schools. The present study sought to determine the impact of a remediation program in mathematics at a suburban…

Class Matters--In and out of School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd-Zaharias, Jayne; Pate-Bain, Helen

2008-01-01

Low achievement and high dropout rates among poor and minority students continue to plague U.S. society. While much attention over the past quarter century has focused on reforming the schools these students attend, little or no progress has been made in actually closing the achievement gaps or reducing the number of dropouts. Why? Aren't…

School Readiness Factors for Predicting High and Low Achieving Students in First Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davion, Edward, Jr.

2011-01-01

When analyzed according to race and ethnicity, poverty level, parental education level, as well as other related factors in schools in America, academic achievement disparities negatively impact educational outcomes for poor children and children of color on a consistent basis. At all educational levels, academic achievement and attainments of…

Math Anxiety--Contributing School and Individual Level Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radišic, Jelena; Videnovic, Marina; Baucal, Aleksander

2015-01-01

PISA 2003 survey data indicate high levels of mathematics anxiety among students in Serbia. More than a half of Serbian students are concerned with whether they will have difficulties in a mathematics class or earn poor marks. At the same time, the achievement on the mathematical literacy scale is very poor. Building on control-value theory, the…

How Do Some Students Overcome Their Socio-Economic Background? PISA in Focus. No. 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing (NJ1), 2011

2011-01-01

Are socio-economically disadvantaged students condemned to perpetuate an intergenerational cycle of poor academic achievement, poor job prospects and poverty? Not if they attend schools that provide them with more regular classes. Resilient students in the 2006 and 2009 PISA surveys displayed high levels of academic achievement despite the fact…

Addressing the Problem of Poorly Preserved Zoological Specimens: A Case Study with Turtles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Robert A.; Thomas, Aimée K.

2015-01-01

We present a new use for a poorly preserved turtle specimen that teachers can easily use in demonstrating vertebrate anatomy or adaptive herpetology at the high school or college level. We give special attention to illustrating the sigmoid flexure of the neck as certain turtles withdraw their heads. This ability is anatomically and biologically…

The Relationship between Board of Management's Involvement in the Recruitment Process and Their Levels of Education: A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Wareng Sub County in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wainaina, Isabellah Wanjiku

2015-01-01

Boards of Managements (B.O.M) carry with them the success or failure of the schools' management. The success of B.O.M is portrayed through good academic performance and high discipline standards in schools. Poor management on the other hand, may lead to the dissolution of the Board and nomination of another to manage the school. Performance of the…

Room To Grow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rake, Melissa

1999-01-01

A West Virginia study that found that smaller poor schools did better academically than larger poor schools is being replicated in four states. Discusses the survival and successes of one tiny Ohio school, the role of small schools' social capital in compensating for poverty, a small-school researcher's recommended school sizes, and changing…

Prevalence and risk factors associated with dry eye syndrome among senior high school students in a county of Shandong Province, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Ying; Chen, Hongmei; Wu, Xinyi

2012-08-01

To determine the prevalence and risk factors for dry eye syndrome (DES) among senior high school students in Shouguang, a county of Shandong Province, China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in July 2010, and 1902 senior high school students were selected by multi-stage sampling to answer a questionnaire assessing the prevalence and risk factors for DES. DES was defined as the presence of a previous clinical diagnosis of DES or severe symptoms (both dryness and irritation constantly or often). Risk factors associated with DES were evaluated with a χ(2) test and logistic regression analyses. The prevalence of DES was 23.7%. In univariate analysis, myopia (P < 0.0001), contact lens wear (P = 0.020), inadequate refractive correction (P < 0.0001), frequent self-administered topical ophthalmic medications (P < 0.0001), and poor sleep quality (P = 0.007) were significantly associated with DES. In multivariate analysis, inadequate refractive correction (P < 0.0001, odds ratio, OR 1.980; 95% confidence interval, CI 1.577-2.488), frequent self-administered topical ophthalmic medications (P < 0.0001, OR 1.838; 95% CI 1.399-2.410), and poor sleep quality (P = 0.001, OR 1.342; 95% CI 1.054-1.709) were significant risk factors for DES. Senior high school students are a neglected population with a high prevalence of DES. Preventive measures directed against risks factors for DES among senior high school students may help reduce the prevalence and provide a positive impact on students' health.

Minorities, the Poor and School Finance Reform. Vol. 3: The Impact of California's 1972 School Finance Reform on Poor and Minority Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singleton, Robert; And Others

Examination of California's experience with school finance reform was part of a nine-volume, six-state study of the impact of finance reform on poor and minority students. Researchers used correlation coefficients and measures of central tendency and dispersion to analyze data on educational revenues, school district wealth, tax effort, district…

The Advantages of High/Scope: Helping Children Lead Successful Lives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweinhart, Lawrence J.; Weikart, David P.

1999-01-01

The High/Scope educational approach emphasizes child-initiated learning activities for preschool/elementary school children. A research study shows that compared to children receiving direct instruction, High/Scope kids later showed more prosocial and less antisocial behaviors. Another study showed that poor High/Scope students had better…

Associations between sleep disturbance and mental health status: a longitudinal study of Japanese junior high school students.

PubMed

Kaneita, Yoshitaka; Yokoyama, Eise; Harano, Satoru; Tamaki, Tetsuo; Suzuki, Hiroyuki; Munezawa, Takeshi; Nakajima, Hiromi; Asai, Takami; Ohida, Takashi

2009-08-01

A limited number of longitudinal studies have addressed the association between sleep disturbance and mental health status among adolescents. To examine whether each of these is a risk factor for the onset of the other, we conducted a prospective longitudinal study of Japanese adolescents. In 2004, we performed a baseline study of students attending three private junior high schools in Tokyo, and in 2006, a follow-up study was performed on the same population. The mean age of the subjects was 13 years. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate sleep disturbance, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire was used to evaluate mental health status. The subjects were 698 students, of whom 516 were suitable for analysis. The incidence of newly developed poor mental health status during the 2 years leading to the follow-up study was 35.1%. New onset of poor mental health status was significantly associated with new onset of sleep disturbance and lasting sleep disturbance. The incidence of sleep disturbance during the 2 years leading to the follow-up study was 33.3%. New onset of sleep disturbance was significantly associated with new onset of poor mental health status and lasting poor mental health status. Sleep disturbance and poor mental health status increase each other's onset risk.

U.S. elementary and secondary schools: equalizing opportunity or replicating the status quo?

PubMed

Rouse, Cecilia Elena; Barrow, Lisa

2006-01-01

Although education pays off handsomely in the United States, children from low-income families attain less education than children from more advantaged families. In this article, Cecilia Elena Rouse and Lisa Barrow investigate why family background is so strongly linked to education. The authors show that family socioeconomic status affects such educational outcomes as test scores, grade retention, and high school graduation, and that educational attainment strongly affects adult earnings. They then go on to ask why children from more advantaged families get more or better schooling than those from less advantaged families. For low-income students, greater psychological costs, the cost of forgone income (continuing in school instead of getting a job), and borrowing costs all help to explain why these students attain less education than more privileged children. And these income-related differences in costs may themselves be driven by differences in access to quality schools. As a result, U.S. public schools tend to reinforce the transmission of low socioeconomic status from parents to children. Policy interventions aimed at improving school quality for children from disadvantaged families thus have the potential to increase social mobility. Despite the considerable political attention paid to increasing school accountability, as in the No Child Left Behind Act, along with charter schools and vouchers to help the children of poor families attend private school, to date the best evidence suggests that such programs will improve student achievement only modestly. Based on the best research evidence, smaller class sizes seem to be one promising avenue for improving school quality for disadvantaged students. High teacher quality is also likely to be important. However, advantaged families, by spending more money on education outside school, can and will partly undo policy attempts to equalize school quality for poor and nonpoor children.

Impaired Patient-Reported Outcomes Predict Poor School Functioning and Daytime Sleepiness: The PROMIS Pediatric Asthma Study.

PubMed

Jones, Conor M; DeWalt, Darren A; Huang, I-Chan

Poor asthma control in children is related to impaired patient-reported outcomes (PROs; eg, fatigue, depressive symptoms, anxiety), but less well studied is the effect of PROs on children's school performance and sleep outcomes. In this study we investigated whether the consistency status of PROs over time affected school functioning and daytime sleepiness in children with asthma. Of the 238 children with asthma enrolled in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Asthma Study, 169 children who provided survey data for all 4 time points were used in the analysis. The child's PROs, school functioning, and daytime sleepiness were measured 4 times within a 15-month period. PRO domains included asthma impact, pain interference, fatigue, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and mobility. Each child was classified as having poor/fair versus good PROs per meaningful cut points. The consistency status of each domain was classified as consistently poor/fair if poor/fair status was present for at least 3 time points; otherwise, the status was classified as consistently good. Seemingly unrelated regression was performed to test if consistently poor/fair PROs predicted impaired school functioning and daytime sleepiness at the fourth time point. Consistently poor/fair in all PRO domains was significantly associated with impaired school functioning and excessive daytime sleepiness (Ps < .01) after controlling for the influence of the child's age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Children with asthma with consistently poor/fair PROs are at risk of poor school functioning and daytime sleepiness. Developing child-friendly PRO assessment systems to track PROs can inform potential problems in the school setting. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Towards environment and health promoting South African schools.

PubMed

Mathee, A; Byrne, J

1996-03-01

This article describes the activities of the Greater Johannesburg Healthy Schools Program of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Healthy Cities Project in South Africa. Healthy Cities projects emphasize community participation, intersectoral action, supportive environments for health, and a settings approach. Children in South Africa, are exposed to environmental and health hazards in the school setting including poor building design, poor equipment, and understaffing. The Healthy Schools initiative in Greater Johannesburg, is a pilot for enhancing environmental quality, health, and well-being among students. Schools include those in an informal settlement in an industrial area, an inner city district, and in a suburban area. The initiative includes research, establishment of environmental and health committees, development of an action plan, and evaluation and feedback. The plan aims to promote environmental and health sustainability, to empower children to become full participants in the community, and to support teachers and parents in the promotion of health-enhancing school environments. The program builds upon the lessons learned from several local school initiatives. Initiatives include an anti-smoking poster competition involving over 10,000 students, special environmental and health awareness days, consciousness raising among high school students about air pollution, and local efforts to engage students in environmental clean-up days.

The Affordable Housing Crisis: Residential Mobility of Poor Families and School Mobility of Poor Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowley, Sheila

2003-01-01

Helping poor families increase their residential stability can have direct bearing on school stability and student academic achievement. Discusses the role of housing in child and family wellbeing; residential mobility and school performance; residential mobility and housing problems; housing affordability; (federal housing policy); homeownership;…

Independent Schools Examine Ways to Support Students' Sleep

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Sarah

2015-01-01

Two-thirds of high school students get less than eight to 10 hours of sleep per night according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sleep deprivation in teens has been linked to poor academic performance, reduced immunity, obesity, ADD-like symptoms, and even drug and alcohol use. For years, experts have said that early school…

"I Just Want to Be Myself": Adolescents with Disabilities Who Identify as a Sexual or Gender Minority

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Laurie Gutmann; Lindstrom, Lauren

2015-01-01

Adolescents with disabilities who identify as a sexual or gender minority are at high risk for negative school experiences and poor outcomes, including peer rejection, bullying, and dropping out. Using an intersectionality framework, this study examined how multiple marginalized identities influence sense of self and school experience for this…

Setting Adolescents up for Success: Promoting a Policy to Delay High School Start Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Margaux; Davis, Krista; Mancini, Mackenzie; Ruffin, Jasmine; Simpson, Tina; Casazza, Krista

2016-01-01

Background: A unique biological shift in sleep cycles occurs during adolescence causing later sleep and wake times. This shift is not matched by a concurrent modification in school start times, resulting in sleep curtailment for a large majority of adolescents. Chronic inadequate sleep is associated with poor academic performance including…

Connecting Caring and Action through Responsive Teaching: How One Team Accomplished Success in a Struggling Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strahan, David B.; Layell, Krystal

2006-01-01

In "Turning Points 2000," Jackson and Davis noted that "changes in middle grades practices have least often occurred where they are needed most: in high-poverty urban and rural communities where unacceptably poor student achievement is rampant". Even so, in many struggling schools, some teams have achieved success. Their…

Transformative Pedagogy: From High Stake Testing to Culturally Responsive Mathematic Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falcon, Raymond

2009-01-01

Mathematics curriculums and pedagogy do not cater to minority students. This paper will concentrate on Latina/o students with the understanding of the battle of all minorities and the poor with insensitive curriculums and un-culturalized schooling. With the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) law, schools must perform according to standards and levels…

"You Can't Belong Anywhere Else": Postsecondary Aspirations of Rural Students in the Postwar Era

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelber, Scott

2017-01-01

This article employs historical analysis of a unique collection of essays to examine the college aspirations of rural high school students. Although researchers attribute the low educational attainment of this population mainly to poverty and poor school quality, many scholars continue to believe that historically rooted cultural norms and kinship…

A Discussion of a Unique Collaboration Model between Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Klerk, Werner; Nienaber, Alida W.

2011-01-01

The schools located in many township and rural areas of South Africa struggle to provide a high standard of education, because many of the inhabitants of these areas are very poor and there is, thus, a lack of the funding required for the necessary educational equipment. The Afri Twin project, started by Jayne Martin, addresses this problem. The…

Rite of Passage: The Crisis of Youth's Transition from School to Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Child Labor Committee, New York, NY.

Current high unemployment and underemployment for all youth, and particularly for youths from poor and minority families, led to this study on the crisis of youth's transition from school to work. The study was conducted in four phases: A review of the literature and interviews with work-force experts to identify issues and alternatives; an…

Frankie, Stoney and the Last Chance Boys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanners, Chuck

This novel for youth describes the world and experiences of a group of poor inner city junior high school students and their teacher. The students are all in a remedial classroom designed to meet their special needs and led by a dedicated teacher nick-named "Harp On". The central character Frankie describes their school year and particularly the…

Otitis Media: Implications of Fluctuating, Conductive Hearing Loss on Learning and Behaviour in High School Age Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stenton, Jan

This paper provides an overview of the effects of otitis media on the learning and behavior of children and youth. It begins by describing the conductive hearing loss that is caused by otitis media and the classroom behavior that can result, including poor concentration and attention, disobedience, irritability, and poor social skills. Discussed…

"My Child has Cerebral Palsy": Parental Involvement and Children's School Engagement.

PubMed

Pereira, Armanda; Moreira, Tânia; Lopes, Sílvia; Nunes, Ana R; Magalhães, Paula; Fuentes, Sonia; Reoyo, Natalia; Núñez, José C; Rosário, Pedro

2016-01-01

Engaged students tend to show school-committed behaviors (e.g., attend classes, get involved with the learning process), high achievement, and sense of belonging. However, students with disabilities are prone to show a lack of engagement with school due to the specific difficulties they have to handle. In fact, children with disabilities are likely to show poor participation in school when compared with children without disabilities. This poor involvement is related to their low autonomy to participate in the school activities, which, in turn, results in low school engagement. Parents play a crucial role in their children's education. Parental involvement in school activities promotes autonomous behaviors and, consequently, school engagement. In fact, extant literature has shown close relationships between parental involvement, school engagement, and academic performance. Yet, parental involvement in school activities of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) has received little direct attention from researchers. These children tend to display lower participation due to the motor, or cognitive, impairments that compromise their autonomy, and have a high likelihood to develop learning disabilities, with special incidences in reading and arithmetic. Therefore, our aim is twofold, to understand the parental styles; and how the perceived parental involvement in school activities is related to their children school engagement. Hence, 19 interviews were conducted with one of the parents of 19 children with CP. These interviews explored the school routines of children and the perceived involvement of parents in those routines. Additionally, children filled out a questionnaire on school engagement. Results show that the majority of the parents were clustered in the Autonomy Allowance and Acceptance and Support parental style, and the majority of their children were perceived as autonomous. Moreover, about a half of the children reported a high level of school engagement. Finally, neither children's autonomous behaviors reported by parents, nor parental style, seem to be related with the children's level of school engagement. Rehabilitation centers and schools could consider training parents/caregivers focusing on their educational needs, promotion of reflections on the usefulness of applying autonomy promotion strategies with their child, and foster their involvement.

“My Child has Cerebral Palsy”: Parental Involvement and Children’s School Engagement

PubMed Central

Pereira, Armanda; Moreira, Tânia; Lopes, Sílvia; Nunes, Ana R.; Magalhães, Paula; Fuentes, Sonia; Reoyo, Natalia; Núñez, José C.; Rosário, Pedro

2016-01-01

Engaged students tend to show school-committed behaviors (e.g., attend classes, get involved with the learning process), high achievement, and sense of belonging. However, students with disabilities are prone to show a lack of engagement with school due to the specific difficulties they have to handle. In fact, children with disabilities are likely to show poor participation in school when compared with children without disabilities. This poor involvement is related to their low autonomy to participate in the school activities, which, in turn, results in low school engagement. Parents play a crucial role in their children’s education. Parental involvement in school activities promotes autonomous behaviors and, consequently, school engagement. In fact, extant literature has shown close relationships between parental involvement, school engagement, and academic performance. Yet, parental involvement in school activities of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) has received little direct attention from researchers. These children tend to display lower participation due to the motor, or cognitive, impairments that compromise their autonomy, and have a high likelihood to develop learning disabilities, with special incidences in reading and arithmetic. Therefore, our aim is twofold, to understand the parental styles; and how the perceived parental involvement in school activities is related to their children school engagement. Hence, 19 interviews were conducted with one of the parents of 19 children with CP. These interviews explored the school routines of children and the perceived involvement of parents in those routines. Additionally, children filled out a questionnaire on school engagement. Results show that the majority of the parents were clustered in the Autonomy Allowance and Acceptance and Support parental style, and the majority of their children were perceived as autonomous. Moreover, about a half of the children reported a high level of school engagement. Finally, neither children’s autonomous behaviors reported by parents, nor parental style, seem to be related with the children’s level of school engagement. Rehabilitation centers and schools could consider training parents/caregivers focusing on their educational needs, promotion of reflections on the usefulness of applying autonomy promotion strategies with their child, and foster their involvement. PMID:27891110

Effortful control and school adjustment: The moderating role of classroom chaos.

PubMed

Berger, Rebecca H; Valiente, Carlos; Eisenberg, Nancy; Hernandez, Maciel M; Thompson, Marilyn; Spinrad, Tracy; VanSchyndel, Sarah; Silva, Kassondra; Southworth, Jody

2017-11-01

Guided by the person by environment framework, the primary goal of this study was to determine whether classroom chaos moderated the relation between effortful control and kindergarteners' school adjustment. Classroom observers reported on children's ( N = 301) effortful control in the fall. In the spring, teachers reported on classroom chaos and school adjustment outcomes (teacher-student relationship closeness and conflict, and school liking and avoidance). Cross-level interactions between effortful control and classroom chaos predicting school adjustment outcomes were assessed. A consistent pattern of interactions between effortful control and classroom chaos indicated that the relations between effortful control and the school adjustment outcomes were strongest in high chaos classrooms. Post-hoc analyses indicated that classroom chaos was associated with poor school adjustment when effortful control was low, suggesting that the combination of high chaos and low effortful control was associated with the poorest school outcomes.

Minorities, the Poor and School Finance Reform. Vol. 2: The Impact of Texas' 1975 School Finance Reform on Poor and Minority Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brischetto, Robert

As part of a nine-volume, six-state study of the impact of school finance reforms on minorities and the poor, the author examines the history and effects of finance reform in Texas. He presents a political and socioeconomic profile of the state and discusses past Texas school financing, the role of the Rodriguez v. San Antonio Independent School…

Minorities, the Poor and School Finance Reform. Vol. 8: A History of School Finance Reform Litigation and the Interests of Urban, Poor and Minority Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimond, Paul R.

As part of a nine-volume, six-state study of the impact of school finance reform on minorities and the poor, this report describes the history of court litigation concerning finance reform. The report's first part traces school finance reform from roughly 1900 through 1971 and summarizes parallel reform efforts by racial and ethnic minorities and…

Postsecondary education and employment among youth with an autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Shattuck, Paul T; Narendorf, Sarah Carter; Cooper, Benjamin; Sterzing, Paul R; Wagner, Mary; Taylor, Julie Lounds

2012-06-01

We examined the prevalence and correlates of postsecondary education and employment among youth with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data were from a nationally representative survey of parents, guardians, and young adults with an ASD. Participation in postsecondary employment, college, or vocational education and lack of participation in any of these activities were examined. Rates were compared with those of youth in 3 other eligibility categories: speech/language impairment, learning disability, and mental retardation. Logistic regression was used to examine correlates of each outcome. For youth with an ASD, 34.7% had attended college and 55.1% had held paid employment during the first 6 years after high school. More than 50% of youth who had left high school in the past 2 years had no participation in employment or education. Youth with an ASD had the lowest rates of participation in employment and the highest rates of no participation compared with youth in other disability categories. Higher income and higher functional ability were associated with higher adjusted odds of participation in postsecondary employment and education. Youth with an ASD have poor postsecondary employment and education outcomes, especially in the first 2 years after high school. Those from lower-income families and those with greater functional impairments are at heightened risk for poor outcomes. Further research is needed to understand how transition planning before high school exit can facilitate a better connection to productive postsecondary activities.

Pernicious Myopia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minden, H. A.

1972-01-01

The author states that neglect of the special educational needs of secondary school students in Canada has contributed to a high dropout rate and has resulted in increased delinquency, lack of employment, and a high incidence of poor mental health and social adjustment among the dropout population. (GW)

Facts About Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)

MedlinePlus

... attention Poor memory Difficulty in school (especially with math) Learning disabilities Speech and language delays Intellectual disability ... do poorly in school and have difficulties with math, memory, attention, judgment, and poor impulse control. Alcohol- ...

Making Poor Choices? Demand Rationalities and School Choice in a Chilean Local Education Market

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonal, Xavier; Verger, Antoni; Zancajo, Adrián

2017-01-01

Although the literature on school choice rationalities is extensive, different authors interpret the processes of school choice for poor families in different ways. Positions vary between those that consider that poor families have the same capacity to choose as middle class families and those that value structural factors as constraints for…

The Influence of Closing Poor Performing Primary Schools on the Educational Attainment of Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Witte, Kristof; Van Klaveren, Chris

2014-01-01

This paper examines whether the closure of poor performing primary schools improved students' educational attainment. It is believed that school closure affects children's educational outcomes positively because children switch to better primary schools. At the same time, school closure creates a social disturbance such that educational outcomes…

Malnutrition and poor oral health status are major risks among primary school children at Lasbela, Balochistan, Pakistan.

PubMed

Mustufa, Muhammad Ayaz; Jamali, Abdul Karim; Sameen, Ifra; Burfat, Fateh Muhammad; Baloch, Mir Yousaf; Baloch, Abdul Hameed; Baloch, Ghulam Rasool; Lashari, Shazia Kulsoom; Ayaz, Sobiya Mohiuddin; Baloch, Muhammad Younus

2017-05-19

This survey was focusing on health and oral hygiene status of primary school children at Lasbela district considering the comparatively less developed and socio demographically deprived part of the Country. A cross sectional survey was conducted to determine the health status of primary school children in seven tehseels of district Lasbela, Balochistan after applying proportionate sampling technique from March 2015 to July 2015. Field teams visited assigned schools to screen children and collect health related data on predesigned and pre coded proforma. Out of 200 schools, 196 schools found opened, while 2% of schools (04) remained closed. A total of 6363 students were clinically screened. About 45% of the school children had normal body mass index (BMI) and rest were falling in different categories of malnutrition. More than 19% had ear, nose and throat (ENT) problems and around 19% presented with clinical anemia. Less than 50% of children had scar of BCG vaccination and 4% informed about use of gutka/supari chewing (smokeless tobacco use). In conclusion, we estimated high prevalence of malnutrition, poor oral health including smokeless tobacco use, and low BCG coverage among primary school children at Lasbela. Current scenario suggests immediate and contextually focused interventions to confine existing public health risks and avoid future burden of disease.

School-Level Correlates of Adolescent Tobacco, Alcohol and Marijuana Use

PubMed Central

Hill, Danielle; Mrug, Sylvie

2016-01-01

Background School-level characteristics are related to students’ substance use, but little research systematically examined multiple school characteristics in relation to different types of substance use across grade levels. Objectives This study examines multiple school-level characteristics as correlates of students’ tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and combined substance use across three grade levels. Methods Students (N = 23,615) from 42 urban and suburban middle schools and 24 high schools in the U.S. reported on their tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. Students’ mean age was 14 years; 47% were male, 53% African American and 41% Caucasian. School-level data included poverty, racial composition, academic achievement, student-teacher ratio, absenteeism, and school size. Multilevel logistic and Poisson regressions tested associations between school-level predictors and adolescent substance use in middle school, early high school and late high school. Results School-level poverty, more ethnic minority students, low achievement, and higher absenteeism were related to alcohol, marijuana and combined substance use, particularly at lower grade levels. By contrast, cigarette smoking was more prevalent in more affluent high schools with more White students. After adjusting for other school characteristics, absenteeism emerged as the most consistent predictor of student substance use. Conclusions/Importance Interventions addressing absenteeism and truancy in middle and high schools may help prevent student substance use. Schools serving poor, urban, and mostly minority students may benefit from interventions targeting alcohol and marijuana use, whereas interventions focusing on tobacco use prevention may be more relevant for schools serving more affluent and predominantly White students. PMID:26584423

Delivering phonological and phonics training within whole-class teaching.

PubMed

Shapiro, Laura R; Solity, Jonathan

2008-12-01

Early, intensive phonological awareness and phonics training is widely held to be beneficial for children with poor phonological awareness. However, most studies have delivered this training separately from children's normal whole-class reading lessons. We examined whether integrating this training into whole class, mixed-ability reading lessons could impact on children with poor phonological awareness, whilst also benefiting normally developing readers. Teachers delivered the training within a broad reading programme to whole classes of children from Reception to the end of Year 1 (N=251). A comparison group of children received standard teaching methods (N=213). Children's literacy was assessed at the beginning of Reception, and then at the end of each year until 1 year post-intervention. The strategy significantly impacted on reading performance for normally developing readers and those with poor phonological awareness, vastly reducing the incidence of reading difficulties from 20% in comparison schools to 5% in intervention schools. Phonological and phonics training is highly effective for children with poor phonological awareness, even when incorporated into whole-class teaching.

Should We End Military Recruiting in High Schools as a Matter of Child Protection and Public Health?

PubMed Central

Barker, Kathy

2011-01-01

Recruiters for the various US armed forces have free access to our nation's high schools, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Military recruiter behaviors are disturbingly similar to predatory grooming. Adults in the active military service are reported to experience increased mental health risks, including stress, substance abuse, and suicide, and the youngest soldiers consistently show the worst health effects, suggesting military service is associated with disproportionately poor health for this population. We describe the actions of a high school parent teacher student association in Seattle, Washington, which sought to limit the aggressive recruitment of children younger than 18 years into the military. PMID:21088269

The Relationship between Learning Self-Regulation Skills and Improved Performance in Reading and Language Arts for Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gouin, Rhoda D.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to address the problem of poor student achievement and high discipline referrals in a rural middle school in the southeastern United States. The theoretical foundations for this study were Bandura's social cognitive theory of self-efficacy and Glasser's choice theory. Research questions involved understanding the…

The Equitable Classroom: Today's Diverse Student Body Needs Culturally Proficient Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saphier, Jon

2017-01-01

According to new federal data, poor black and Hispanic children are becoming more and more isolated from their white affluent peers in public schools. The data show that the number of high-poverty schools serving students of color has doubled in recent years. And since the 1990s, progress narrowing the achievement gap has plateaued nationwide and…

Providing Rural Students with a High Quality Education: The Rural Perspective on the Concept of Educational Adequacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malhoit, Gregory C.

2005-01-01

Current means of determining the level of state education funding have denied millions of the nation's children access to a quality education by not providing schools with the resources they need to properly educate all children. It has also created and perpetuated wide gaps in education funding between wealthy and poor school districts. The…

School attendance, health-risk behaviors, and self-esteem in adolescents applying for working papers.

PubMed Central

Suss, A. L.; Tinkelman, B. K.; Freeman, K.; Friedman, S. B.

1996-01-01

Since health-risk behaviors are often encountered in clusters among adolescents, it was hypothesized that adolescents with poor school attendance would be associated with more health-risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, violence) than those who attend school regularly. This study assessed the relationship between poor school attendance and health-risk behaviors, and described health-risk behaviors and self-esteem among adolescents seeking employment. In this cross-sectional study, school attendance (poor vs. regular attendance) was related to health-risk behaviors by asking 122 subjects seen at a New York City Working Papers Clinic to complete both a 72-item questionnaire about their health-risk behaviors and the 58-item Coopersmith Self-Esteem School Form Inventory. Chi-square and Fisher's Exact Tests were performed. The poor and regular attenders of school differed significantly in only 5 out of 44 items pertaining to health-risk behaviors. Self-esteem measures for the two groups did not differ from one another or from national norms. In this sample, depression "in general" (global) and "at home," but not "at school," were associated significantly with suicidal thoughts/attempts and serious past life events (e.g. family conflict, sexual abuse). There were no significant associations between depression or self-esteem and illicit substance or alcohol use. We found few associations between poor school attendance and health-risk behaviors in this sample of employment-seeking adolescents. The poor and regular attenders of school were similar in most aspects of their health-risk behaviors and self-esteem. PMID:8982520

The relationship between nursing students' mathematics ability and their performance in a drug calculation test.

PubMed

Røykenes, Kari; Larsen, Torill

2010-10-01

Nurses and nursing students need good mathematics skills to do drug calculations correctly. As part of their undergraduate education, Norwegian nursing students must take a drug calculation test, obtaining no errors in the results. In spite of drug calculation tests, many adverse events occur, leading to a focus on drug administration skills both during students' courses and afterwards. Adverse events in drug administration can be related to poor mathematics skills education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between students' mathematics experiences in school (primary, secondary and high school) and their beliefs about being able to master the drug calculation test. A questionnaire was given to 116 first-year Bachelor of Nursing students. Those students who assessed their mathematics knowledge as poor found the requirement to obtain no errors in the drug calculation test more stressful than students who judged their mathematics knowledge as good. The youngest students were most likely to find the test requirement stressful. Teachers in high school had the most positive influence on mathematics interest, followed by teachers in secondary and primary school. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge and perceptions on antibiotic use and resistance among high school students and teachers in New Delhi, India: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Kotwani, Anita; Wattal, Chand; Joshi, P C; Holloway, Kathleen

2016-01-01

To explore the perceptions and knowledge of school teachers and students about antibiotic use, resistance, and suggestions for practical interventions for the rational use of antibiotics. Five focus group discussions (FGDs) with high school students (Class: 9-11) and five with teachers were conducted in two private and three public schools (one teacher and one student FGD per school) in five municipal wards of Delhi. Qualitative data on antibiotic knowledge, resistance, and behaviors with respect to antibiotics use were collected. There were 4-8 persons per teacher FGD and 15-20 persons per student FGD. FGDs were analyzed using "thematic analyses." Students had poor knowledge regarding antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, while only some teachers had a basic understanding. Four broad themes needing attention emerged: definition of antibiotic and antibiotic resistance, antibiotic use behavior, doctor-patient relationship, and interventional strategies suggested to curtail the misuse of antibiotics and to spread awareness. In order to tackle these problems, both groups suggested a multipronged approach including robust public awareness campaigns also involving schools, better doctor-patient relationships, and stronger regulations. Although students and teachers exhibited poor knowledge about antibiotic use and resistance, they were keen to learn about these issues. School education programs and public education could be used to shape correct perceptions about antibiotic use among all stakeholders including children. This may help in the containment of antibiotic resistance and thus preservation of antibiotics for future generations.

School Feeding and Educational Access in Rural Ghana: Is Poor Targeting and Delivery Limiting Impact?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Essuman, Ato; Bosumtwi-Sam, Cynthia

2013-01-01

In an effort to address social imbalances and equity in Ghana's education delivery and to achieve her Education for All (EFA) agenda, some pro-poor programmes have been introduced. Among these is the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) that aims among others, at providing safety nets for the poor, increasing school enrolment in addition to…

Can Information and Counseling Help Students from Poor Rural Areas Go to High School? Evidence from China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loyalka, Prashant; Liu, Chengfang; Song, Yingquan; Yi, Hongmei; Huang, Xiaoting; Wei, Jianguo; Zhang, Linxiu; Shi, Yaojiang; Chu, James; Rozelle, Scott

2013-01-01

To sustain its economic growth in the coming years, China will have to increase the country's supply of skilled labor by enabling its workforce to attain to higher levels of formal education. Unfortunately, when children in poor, rural areas today grow up, they may not be able to enjoy China's future economic prosperity because of their low levels…

Association of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea with poor academic performance: A school-based study from India

PubMed Central

Goyal, Abhishek; Pakhare, Abhijit P; Bhatt, Girish C; Choudhary, Bharat; Patil, Rajesh

2018-01-01

Background: Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent but often neglected disorder. There is paucity of reports on the prevalence of pediatric OSA from India. This study was done to estimate the prevalence of OSA in school children aged 5–10 years and its association with academic performance. Methodology: This school-based cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted from July 2015 to November 2015. A questionnaire seeking information on sociodemographic variables, school performance, sleeping pattern, and a validated 22-item pediatrics sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) scale was distributed to 1820 pupils in three primary schools. The prevalence of OSA (defined as SRBD score >33%) was reported as proportion and its 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: We received 1520 questionnaires out of 1820 distributed and of which 1346 were complete and were analyzed. The prevalence of OSA among children in our study was 9.6% (95% CI: 8.1%–11.7%). On multivariate analysis, working mother (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2–2.7), sleep bruxism (adjusted OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1–2.6), and sleep talking (adjusted OR: 3.0; 95% CI: 1.9–4.7) were found to be independently associated with OSA. Students with positive SRBD were more prone to nocturnal enuresis (NE) (OR 3.48; 95% CI 2.27–5.26) and poor academic performance in all subjects. Conclusion: OSA is highly prevalent (9.6%) in Indian children. OSA is associated with NE and poor academic performance in all subjects. This study found association of maternal occupation and OSA which needs to be confirmed in larger studies. PMID:29487248

Association of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea with poor academic performance: A school-based study from India.

PubMed

Goyal, Abhishek; Pakhare, Abhijit P; Bhatt, Girish C; Choudhary, Bharat; Patil, Rajesh

2018-01-01

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent but often neglected disorder. There is paucity of reports on the prevalence of pediatric OSA from India. This study was done to estimate the prevalence of OSA in school children aged 5-10 years and its association with academic performance. This school-based cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted from July 2015 to November 2015. A questionnaire seeking information on sociodemographic variables, school performance, sleeping pattern, and a validated 22-item pediatrics sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) scale was distributed to 1820 pupils in three primary schools. The prevalence of OSA (defined as SRBD score >33%) was reported as proportion and its 95% confidence interval (CI). We received 1520 questionnaires out of 1820 distributed and of which 1346 were complete and were analyzed. The prevalence of OSA among children in our study was 9.6% (95% CI: 8.1%-11.7%). On multivariate analysis, working mother (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2-2.7), sleep bruxism (adjusted OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1-2.6), and sleep talking (adjusted OR: 3.0; 95% CI: 1.9-4.7) were found to be independently associated with OSA. Students with positive SRBD were more prone to nocturnal enuresis (NE) (OR 3.48; 95% CI 2.27-5.26) and poor academic performance in all subjects. OSA is highly prevalent (9.6%) in Indian children. OSA is associated with NE and poor academic performance in all subjects. This study found association of maternal occupation and OSA which needs to be confirmed in larger studies.

The associations of indoor environment and psychosocial factors on the subjective evaluation of Indoor Air Quality among lower secondary school students: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Finell, E; Haverinen-Shaughnessy, U; Tolvanen, A; Laaksonen, S; Karvonen, S; Sund, R; Saaristo, V; Luopa, P; Ståhl, T; Putus, T; Pekkanen, J

2017-03-01

Subjective evaluation of Indoor Air Quality (subjective IAQ) reflects both building-related and psychosocial factors, but their associations have rarely been studied other than on the individual level in occupational settings and their interactions have not been assessed. Therefore, we studied whether schools' observed indoor air problems and psychosocial factors are associated with subjective IAQ and their potential interactions. The analysis was performed with a nationwide sample (N = 195 schools/26946 students) using multilevel modeling. Two datasets were merged: (i) survey data from students, including information on schools' psychosocial environment and subjective IAQ, and (ii) data from school principals, including information on observed indoor air problems. On the student level, school-related stress, poor teacher-student relationship, and whether the student did not easily receive help from school personnel, were significantly associated with poor subjective IAQ. On the school level, observed indoor air problem (standardized β = -0.43) and poor teacher-student relationship (standardized β = -0.22) were significant predictors of poor subjective IAQ. In addition, school-related stress was associated with poor subjective IAQ, but only in schools without observed indoor air problem (standardized β = -0.44). © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Single and Cumulative Relations of Social Risk Factors with Children's Dental Health and Care-Utilization Within Regions of the United States.

PubMed

Yang, Alyssa J; Gromoske, Andrea N; Olson, Melissa A; Chaffin, Jeffrey G

2016-03-01

The purpose is to examine the relation of social risk factors, and the cumulative burden of social risk factors, on parent-reported dental health and dental care-seeking behavior. National Survey of Children's Health data (2011-2012) were analyzed for US children by Title V Block Grant regions. Multivariate logistic regressions were estimated for ten social risk factors, as well as a cumulative risk index, to find any associations with poor condition of teeth, presence of dental caries, and no dental care visits. Almost all of the risk factors were significantly associated with poor condition of teeth and presence of dental caries for the US. Models associating no dental care visits suggested that low family income (OR 1.58), poor maternal mental health (OR 1.54), high school education or less (OR 1.34), and multi-racial/other race (OR 1.18) were significant factors for the US. Regional variation existed for those risk factors and their association with the outcomes, but income, education, and poor maternal mental health consistently played a significant role in adverse outcomes. The cumulative risk index was strongly related to poor oral health outcomes, with a weaker relationship to dental care utilization. US children experiencing certain social risk factors, such as low family income, high school education or less, and poor maternal mental health, are likely to be at greater risk for poor dental health and low levels of dental-care seeking behavior. Children experiencing multiple social risks are at greater risk for poor oral outcomes than children who experience fewer social risks. An approach that involves the social determinants of health is needed to address these issues.

Enhancing Personal Hygiene Behavior and Competency of Elementary School Adolescents through Peer-Led Approach and School-Friendly: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

PubMed

Tamiru, Dessalegn; Argaw, Alemayehu; Gerbaba, Mulusew; Ayana, Girmay; Nigussie, Aderajew; Jisha, Hunduma; Belachew, Tefera

2017-05-01

Recent studies showed that poor personal hygiene practices play a major role in the increment of communicable disease burden in developing countries. In Ethiopia, 60% of the disease burden is related to poor sanitation practices. This school based study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of school-friendly and peer-led approach in improving personal hygiene practices of school adolescents in Jimma Zone, Southwest of Ethiopia. A total of 1000 students from 10 to 19 years were included into the study. The intervention was done using peer-led approach, health clubs and linking the school events with parents. Data were collected at baseline, midline and end-line using structured questionnaires. Repeated measurement analysis was done and statistical significance was considered at alpha 0.05. The findings of this study indicated that there was a significant difference in personal hygiene practices and knowledge between the intervention and control groups (P<0.001). A significant difference was also observed with the duration of time in the intervention schools (P<0.05). The proportion of adolescents who reported illness before the baseline survey was significantly high among the intervention schools (P<0.01). However, at midline of the survey, the proportion of self-reported illness was significantly high among the control group(P<0.001). The findings of this study showed that there was a significant improvement in personal hygiene knowledge and practice of students in the intervention schools. Therefore, there is a need for proper health education intervention through the framework of schools for the students to improve their personal hygiene knowledge and practices.

Exposure to violence predicts poor educational outcomes in young children in South Africa and Malawi

PubMed Central

Sherr, L.; Hensels, I. S.; Skeen, S.; Tomlinson, M.; Roberts, K. J.; Macedo, A.

2016-01-01

Background Violence during childhood may affect short and long-term educational factors. There is scant literature on younger children from resource poor settings. Methods This study assessed child violence experiences (harsh punishment and exposure to domestic or community violence) and school enrolment, progress and attendance in children attending community-based organisations in South Africa and Malawi (n=989) at baseline and at 15 months' follow-up, examining differential experience of HIV positive, HIV affected and HIV unaffected children. Results Violence exposure was high: 45.4% experienced some form of psychological violence, 47.8% physical violence, 46.7% domestic violence and 41.8% community violence. Primary school enrolment was 96%. Violence was not associated with school enrolment at baseline but, controlling for baseline, children exposed to psychological violence for discipline were more than ten times less likely to be enrolled at follow-up (OR 0.09; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.57). Harsh discipline was associated with poor school progress. For children HIV positive a detrimental effect of harsh physical discipline was found on school performance (OR 0.10; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.61). Conclusion Violence experiences were associated with a number of educational outcomes, which may have long-term consequences. Community-based organisations may be well placed to address such violence, with a particular emphasis on the challenges faced by children who are HIV positive. PMID:26678567

Do excessive internet use, television viewing and poor lifestyle habits affect low vision in school children?

PubMed

Bener, Abdulbari; Al-Mahdi, Huda S; Vachhani, Pankit J; Al-Nufal, Mohammed; Ali, Awab I

2010-12-01

The aim of this study is to determine whether excessive internet use, television viewing and the ensuing poor lifestyle habits affect low vision in school children in a rapidly developing country. This is a cross-sectional study and 3000 school students aged between six and 18 years were approached and 2467 (82.2%) students participated. Of the studied school children 12.6 percent had low vision. Most of the low vision school children were in the 6-10 years age group and came from middle income backgrounds (41.8%; p = 0.008). A large proportion of the children with low vision spent ≥ 3 hours per day on the internet (48.2%; p< 0.001) and ≥ 3 hours reclining (62.4%; p < 0.001). A significantly smaller frequency of studied children with low vision participated in each of the reviewed forms of physical activity (p < 0.001) yet a larger proportion consumed fast food (86.8%; p < 0.001). Highly significant positive correlations were found between low vision and BMI, hours spent reclining and on the internet respectively. Blurred vision was the most commonly complained of symptom among the studied children (p < 0.001). The current study suggested a strong association between spending prolonged hours on the computer or TV, fast food eating, poor lifestyle habits and low vision.

A preliminary study on the association between ventilation rates in classrooms and student performance.

PubMed

Shaughnessy, R J; Haverinen-Shaughnessy, U; Nevalainen, A; Moschandreas, D

2006-12-01

Poor conditions leading to substandard indoor air quality (IAQ) in classrooms have been frequently cited in the literature over the past two decades. However, there is limited data linking poor IAQ in the classrooms to student performance. Whereas, it is assumed that poor IAQ results in reduced attendance and learning potential, and subsequent poor student performance, validating this hypothesis presents a challenge in today's school environment. This study explores the association between student performance on standardized aptitude tests that are administered to students on a yearly basis, to classroom carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, which provide a surrogate of ventilation being provided to each room. Data on classroom CO2 concentrations (over a 4-5 h time span within a typical school day) were recorded in fifth grade classrooms in 54 elementary schools within a school district in the USA. Results from this preliminary study yield a significant (P < 0.10) association between classroom-level ventilation rate and test results in math. They also indicate that non-linear effects may need to be considered for better representation of the association. A larger sample size is required in order to draw more definitive conclusions. Practical Implications Future studies could focus on (1) gathering more evidence on the possible association between classroom ventilation rates and students' academic performance; (2) the linear/non-linear nature of the association; and (3) whether it is possible to detect 'no observed adverse effect level' for adequate ventilation with respect to academic performance in schools. All of this information could be used to improve guidance and take regulatory actions to ensure adequate ventilation in schools. The high prevalence of low ventilation rates, combined with the growing evidence of the positive impact that sufficient ventilation has on human performance, suggests an opportunity for improving design and management of school facilities.

Academic performance and substance use: findings from a state survey of public high school students.

PubMed

Cox, Reagan G; Zhang, Lei; Johnson, William D; Bender, Daniel R

2007-03-01

Previous investigations have shown that low academic achievers are more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and use marijuana and other illicit drugs. This study investigated the relationship between academic performance and substance use among public high school students in Mississippi. The sampling frame for the 2003 Mississippi Youth Risk Behavior Survey was obtained from the Mississippi Department of Education. A 2-stage cluster sample design produced a representative sample of Mississippi students in grades 9-12 who attended public schools. During the spring 2003, 34 of the 45 sampled schools (75.6%) participated. A total of 1488 from the 1672 sampled students (89.0%) completed an 87-item questionnaire (overall response rate 67.3%). Low academic performance (students with mostly Cs or below) during the 12 months preceding the survey was more prevalent among males, non-Hispanic blacks, frequent smokers, binge drinkers, and marijuana users. Logistic regression identified gender, race, frequent smoking, and marijuana use as statistically significant factors associated with increased odds for low academic performance. Adjusted odds ratios were 1.2 for binge drinkers versus other students to 2.6 for non-Hispanic black students versus non-Hispanic white students. The present findings highlight the extensive use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana among Mississippi public high school students. Because poor academic achievers are more prevalent among students who participate in these substance-use behaviors, multifaceted approaches that encourage high levels of academic performance, while dissuading student involvement in risky/problem behaviors, may both improve low levels of academic achievement and reduce behaviors that contribute to poor health in adulthood.

Understanding the Relationship between Transition Services and Postschool Outcomes for Students with High Incidence Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joshi, Gauri Salil

2012-01-01

Given the consistently poor postschool outcomes of individuals with high incidence disabilities, there is a need to examine the transition services provided to them while in school. This secondary data analysis explored the transition services received by individuals with high incidence disabilities through the National Longitudinal Transition…

How to identify students for school-based depression intervention: can school record review be substituted for universal depression screening?

PubMed

Kuo, Elena S; Vander Stoep, Ann; Herting, Jerald R; Grupp, Katherine; McCauley, Elizabeth

2013-02-01

Early identification and intervention are critical for reducing the adverse effects of depression on academic and occupational performance. Cost-effective approaches are needed for identifying adolescents at high depression risk. This study evaluated the utility of school record review versus universal school-based depression screening for determining eligibility for an indicated depression intervention program implemented in the middle school setting. Algorithms derived from grades, attendance, suspensions, and basic demographic information were evaluated with regard to their ability to predict students' depression screening scores. The school information-based algorithms proved poor proxies for individual students' depression screening results. However, school records showed promise for identifying low, medium, and high-yield subgroups on the basis of which efficient screening targeting decisions could be made. Study results will help to guide school nurses who coordinate indicated depression intervention programs in school settings as they evaluate options of approaches for determining which students are eligible for participation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Imitated Prosodic Fluency Predicts Reading Comprehension Ability in Good and Poor High School Readers

PubMed Central

Breen, Mara; Kaswer, Lianne; Van Dyke, Julie A.; Krivokapić, Jelena; Landi, Nicole

2016-01-01

Researchers have established a relationship between beginning readers' silent comprehension ability and their prosodic fluency, such that readers who read aloud with appropriate prosody tend to have higher scores on silent reading comprehension assessments. The current study was designed to investigate this relationship in two groups of high school readers: Specifically Poor Comprehenders (SPCs), who have adequate word level and phonological skills but poor reading comprehension ability, and a group of age- and decoding skill-matched controls. We compared the prosodic fluency of the two groups by determining how effectively they produced prosodic cues to syntactic and semantic structure in imitations of a model speaker's production of syntactically and semantically varied sentences. Analyses of pitch and duration patterns revealed that speakers in both groups produced the expected prosodic patterns; however, controls provided stronger durational cues to syntactic structure. These results demonstrate that the relationship between prosodic fluency and reading comprehension continues past the stage of early reading instruction. Moreover, they suggest that prosodically fluent speakers may also generate more fluent implicit prosodic representations during silent reading, leading to more effective comprehension. PMID:27486409

Stepping stones: Principal career paths and school outcomes.

PubMed

Béteille, Tara; Kalogrides, Demetra; Loeb, Susanna

2012-07-01

More than one out of every five principals leaves their school each year. In some cases, these career changes are driven by the choices of district leadership. In other cases, principals initiate the move, often demonstrating preferences to work in schools with higher achieving students from more advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. Principals often use schools with many poor or low-achieving students as stepping stones to what they view as more desirable assignments. We use longitudinal data from one large urban school district to study the relationship between principal turnover and school outcomes. We find that principal turnover is, on average, detrimental to school performance. Frequent turnover of school leadership results in lower teacher retention and lower student achievement gains. Leadership changes are particularly harmful for high poverty schools, low-achieving schools, and schools with many inexperienced teachers. These schools not only suffer from high rates of principal turnover but are also unable to attract experienced successors. The negative effect of leadership changes can be mitigated when vacancies are filled by individuals with prior experience leading other schools. However, the majority of new principals in high poverty and low-performing schools lack prior leadership experience and leave when more attractive positions become available in other schools. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Commitment to Teach in Under-Resourced Schools: Prospective Science and Mathematics Teachers' Dispositions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganchorre, Athena R.; Tomanek, Debra

2012-02-01

In this exploratory study, we sought to gain an understanding of what motivates prospective teachers who are Noyce Scholars at a research-intensive southeastern US university to commit to teaching secondary level science or mathematics in school districts that have a high proportion of students who come from low-socioeconomic households. An interpretive methodology revealed three themes associated with Noyce Scholars' motivations to teach (1) awareness of educational challenges, (2) sense of belonging to or comfort with diverse communities, and (3) belief that one can serve as a role model and resource. The paper describes and compares the significance of each theme among six prospective teachers who identify with the schooling experiences of students who came from low-income or poor households and nine prospective teachers who identify with the schooling experiences in a middle-income school or district. The implication of this study supports the importance of recruiting prospective science and mathematics teachers who have knowledge of and a disposition to work with learners from low-income or poor households, even if those prospective teachers are not themselves the members of under-served populations.

Effects of school reformon education and labor market performance: Evidence from Chile’s universal voucher system

PubMed Central

Bravo, David; Mukhopadhyay, Sankar; Todd, Petra E.

2011-01-01

This paper studies the effects of school reform in Chile, which adopted a nationwide school voucher program along with school decentralization reforms in 1981. Since then, Chile has had a relatively unregulated, competitive market in primary and secondary education. It therefore provides a unique setting in which to study how these reforms affected school attainment and labor market outcomes. This paper develops and estimates a dynamic model of school attendance and work decisions using panel data from the 2002 and 2004 waves of the Encuesta de Protección Social survey. Some individuals in the sample completed their schooling before the voucher reforms were introduced, while others had the option of using the vouchers over part or all of their schooling careers. The impacts of the voucher reform are identified from differences in the schooling and work choices made and earnings returns received by similar aged individuals who were differentially exposed to the voucher system. Simulations based on the estimated model show that the voucher reform significantly increased the demand for private subsidized schools and decreased the demand for both public and nonsubsidized private schools. It increased high school (grades 9–12) graduation rates by 3.6 percentage points and the percentage completing at least two years of college by 2.6 percentage points. Individuals from poor and non-poor backgrounds on average experienced similar schooling attainment gains. The reform also increased lifetime utility and modestly reduced earnings inequality. PMID:22059095

Going Global, for Rich and Poor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathews, Jay; Mathews, Linda

2012-01-01

International Baccalaureate (IB) programs are turning up in a diverse mix of school districts, an attempt to add rigor and depth. For rich and for poor, for big schools and small ones, IB has become a way to add rigor and depth to public school curricula. But each school district has adapted IB for its own needs. Some use it in all schools for all…

An assessment of the impacts of child oral health in Indonesia and associations with self-esteem, school performance and perceived employability.

PubMed

Maharani, Diah Ayu; Adiatman, Melissa; Rahardjo, Anton; Burnside, Girvan; Pine, Cynthia

2017-03-21

Previous surveys have indicated that a majority of Indonesian children have poor oral health. However, little detailed information is available on underlying causation and none that examine impacts of oral health on child self-esteem, school performance and perceived employability. The aim of this study was to determine levels of child oral health in primary school children in Indonesia, the prevalence of key causal factors; and, to determine relationships between oral health, self-esteem and school academic performance. Cross-sectional epidemiological study in a sample (n = 984) of children aged 6-7 and 10-11 years old attending three public schools in Indonesia. A dental visual impact study was conducted, in which teachers reported their perceptions of the impact of child oral health on school academic performance. Oral health behaviors, self-esteem, and school performance were assessed. The children were clinically examined to measure dental caries and oral cleanliness. Teachers believe that children with visually poor oral health and impaired smiles are more likely to perform poorly at school, be socially excluded and have lower job prospects than their peers with visually good oral health and healthy smiles. The percentages of children with decayed teeth were 94 and 90% in the 6-7- and 10-11-year age groups, respectively. Families reported high levels of child consumption of sugar-containing foods and drinks; many had irregular use of fluoride toothpaste. Children with substantial plaque on their teeth achieved significantly lower levels of school performance than their peers with clean teeth. Significant associations were found between school performance and self-esteem for these children. The study findings highlight the need for preventive care programs to improve the oral health of children in Indonesia and prospective determination of associations between child oral health; self-esteem and school academic performance.

Academic Risk Among Inner-City Adolescents: The Role of Personal Attributes

PubMed Central

Ripple, Carol H.; Luthar, Suniya S.

2012-01-01

In this 3-year prospective study, we explored antecedents of school-based adjustment among 134 inner-city high-school students. We examined the role of freshman-year risk and protective factors in relation to dropout status and senior-year adjustment indices among those who remained in school, including academic performance, psychological symptoms, and drug use. Although each single attribute included in this study has been linked to poor academic performance in previous investigations, the primary goal in this study was to determine which attributes were strongly related to academic problems when considered together. In addition, we sought to establish whether risk factors associated with dropout were the same as those that predicted academic problems among students who remained in school. Findings indicated that freshman-year attendance and demographic indices were most strongly predictive of dropout. Among adolescents who remained in school, freshman academic success was robustly linked to senior-year competence. Implications for identifying inner-city high-school students at high risk for academic problems are discussed. PMID:24839305

Estimating the Economic Value of Information for Screening in Disseminating and Targeting Effective School-based Preventive Interventions: An Illustrative Example.

PubMed

Johnston, Stephen S; Salkever, David S; Ialongo, Nicholas S; Slade, Eric P; Stuart, Elizabeth A

2017-11-01

When candidates for school-based preventive interventions are heterogeneous in their risk of poor outcomes, an intervention's expected economic net benefits may be maximized by targeting candidates for whom the intervention is most likely to yield benefits, such as those at high risk of poor outcomes. Although increasing amounts of information about candidates may facilitate more accurate targeting, collecting information can be costly. We present an illustrative example to show how cost-benefit analysis results from effective intervention demonstrations can help us to assess whether improved targeting accuracy justifies the cost of collecting additional information needed to make this improvement.

[Stress and Burnout Risk in Nursery School Teachers: Results from a Survey].

PubMed

Jungbauer, J; Ehlen, S

2015-06-01

This article presents results from a study of 834 nursery school teachers in Germany, investigating working conditions, stress, and stress-related health problems. In order to evaluate the extent of mental and psychosomatic troubles, as well as the risk of burnout, we used the standardised questionnaire "Burnout Screening Scales" (BOSS I). Data analysis yielded a high percentage of nursery school teachers who reported a remarkably high stress level; nearly 20% can be considered as a high-risk group for burnout. Poor staff conditions in many nurseries turned out to be the crucial stress source, along with large groups, insufficient teacher-child ratio, time pressure and multitasking. In the concluding discussion of the study results, we consider possible measures to reduce stress and to improve working conditions for nursery school teachers. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Who Really Wants "The Tired, the Poor, and the Huddled Masses" Anyway?: Teachers' Use of Cultural Scripts with Refugee Students in Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roxas, Kevin

2010-01-01

Through an analysis of interviews and observations with three teachers working with refugee students in a Midwestern public high school, this paper identifies the institutional obstacles that teachers face when working with refugee students and the underlying cultural scripts that drive both their discourse about refugees and their actions towards…

What's the Use of School when We're All Poor and Dying Young?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Reva

2003-01-01

The young people quoted in this paper attend two high schools in Umlazi Township, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Poverty is rife in the area: some students are known to go five days at a stretch without food. Parts of the vast, sprawling township are notorious for shootings and violent crime. The rape of schoolgirls on their way to and from school…

Beyond Access: An Analysis of the Influence of the E-Rate Program in Bridging the Digital Divide in American Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Euna; Sinha, Hansa; Chong, Jing

2007-01-01

E-Rate is a U.S. federal funding program for providing discounts for telecommunications, Internet access and internal networking costs for schools and libraries to ensure access equity across poor and rich, rural, urban and suburban areas, and highly served and underserved areas. This paper examines the impact of the E-Rate program on social…

Factors Influencing the Academic Achievement of the Turkish Urban Poor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engin-Demir, Cennet

2009-01-01

This study estimates the individual and combined effects of selected family, student and school characteristics on the academic achievement of poor, urban primary-school students in the Turkish context. Participants of the study consisted of 719 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade primary-school students from 23 schools in inner and outer city…

ACT for All: The Effect of Mandatory College Entrance Exams on Postsecondary Attainment and Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyman, Joshua

2017-01-01

This paper examines the effects of requiring and paying for all public high school students to take a college entrance exam, a policy adopted by eleven states since 2001. I show that prior to the policy, for every ten poor students who score college-ready on the ACT or SAT, there are an additional five poor students who would score college-ready…

Mission and Presence: Contemporary Challenges for Catholic Schools in Scotland and Continuation of the Preferential Option for the Poor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, Stephen J.; Hill, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Catholic schools are called to model themselves on gospel values including the exercise of a preferential option for the poor. This article seeks to recover the true sense of preferential option for the poor from the gospel of Luke and apply it to the state-funded Catholic schools in Scotland, which were historically established to serve the poor…

Associations between Poor Health and School-Related Behavior Problems at the Child and Family Levels: A Cross-Sectional Study of Migrant Children and Adolescents in Southwest Urban China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Jing-Jing; Li, Ning-Xiu; Liu, Chao-Jie

2010-01-01

Background: Due to urbanization in China, the numbers of migrant children and adolescents in urban environments have increased. Previous studies have indicated that children and adolescents are more likely to suffer from health problems and poor school achievement. The present study identified associations between poor health and school-related…

Confronting the Graduation Rate Crisis in California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, 2005

2005-01-01

Every year, across the country, a dangerously high percentage of students--disproportionately poor and minority--disappear from the educational pipeline before graduating from high school. Nationally, only about 68% of all students who enter 9th grade will graduate "on time" with regular diplomas in 12th grade. While the graduation rate…

Postsecondary Education and Employment Among Youth With an Autism Spectrum Disorder

PubMed Central

Narendorf, Sarah Carter; Cooper, Benjamin; Sterzing, Paul R.; Wagner, Mary; Taylor, Julie Lounds

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We examined the prevalence and correlates of postsecondary education and employment among youth with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Data were from a nationally representative survey of parents, guardians, and young adults with an ASD. Participation in postsecondary employment, college, or vocational education and lack of participation in any of these activities were examined. Rates were compared with those of youth in 3 other eligibility categories: speech/language impairment, learning disability, and mental retardation. Logistic regression was used to examine correlates of each outcome. RESULTS: For youth with an ASD, 34.7% had attended college and 55.1% had held paid employment during the first 6 years after high school. More than 50% of youth who had left high school in the past 2 years had no participation in employment or education. Youth with an ASD had the lowest rates of participation in employment and the highest rates of no participation compared with youth in other disability categories. Higher income and higher functional ability were associated with higher adjusted odds of participation in postsecondary employment and education. CONCLUSIONS: Youth with an ASD have poor postsecondary employment and education outcomes, especially in the first 2 years after high school. Those from lower-income families and those with greater functional impairments are at heightened risk for poor outcomes. Further research is needed to understand how transition planning before high school exit can facilitate a better connection to productive postsecondary activities. PMID:22585766

[Psychosocial risk factors for illicit drug use in a sample of Mexican high school students].

PubMed

Negrete, Bruno Díaz; García-Aurrecoechea, Raúl

2008-10-01

To identify psychosocial risk factors for substance abuse among Mexican students and to offer elements for the design of prevention programs. A cross-sectional, nonexperimental study of a sample of 516 high school students in six of Mexico's most important cities. From April-June 2005, a customized version of the Drug Use Screening Inventory (revised) (DUSI-R) was administered. The analysis comprised eight factors: alcohol and drug abuse, affective disorders, poor self-control, poor school adjustment, low social competence, dysfunctional family relationships, social isolation, and being part of a detrimental social network (whose members take drugs and have antisocial attitudes). Factors predictive for illicit drug use were found by logistical regression, and a structural equation model was designed to determine the relationships among the factors. The factors that predicted substance abuse were poor self-control with a tendency to act impulsively and aggressively; associating with troublemakers; and being frequently exposed to family conflicts, violence, and drug and/or alcohol use in the home. The structural equation model indicated that substance abuse is one of a group of disorders directly determined by associating with detrimental peers, and a higher rate of socioaffective disorders, and indirectly, by dysfunctional family relationships. Some of the suggestions made by theoretical models to explain substance abuse were confirmed. These empirically-supported elements can contribute to the design of prevention programs, especially those that are selective and recommended.

School Mobility and Developmental Outcomes in Young Adulthood

PubMed Central

Herbers, Janette E.; Reynolds, Arthur J.; Chen, Chin-Chih

2014-01-01

School mobility has been shown to increase the risk of poor achievement, behavior problems, grade retention, and high school drop-out. Using data over 25 years from the Chicago Longitudinal Study, we investigated the unique risk of school moves on a variety of young adult outcomes including educational attainment, occupational prestige, depression symptoms, and criminal arrests. We also investigated how the timing of school mobility, whether earlier or later in the academic career, may differentially predict these outcomes over and above associated risks. Results indicate that students who experience more school changes between kindergarten and twelfth grade are less likely to complete high school on time, complete fewer years of school, attain lower levels of occupational prestige, are more likely to experience symptoms of depression, and are more likely to be arrested as adults. Furthermore, the number of school moves predicted above and beyond associated risks such as residential mobility and family poverty. When timing of school mobility was examined, results indicated more negative outcomes associated with moves later in the grade school career, particularly between fourth and eighth grade. PMID:23627959

Perceived Medical School stress of undergraduate medical students predicts academic performance: an observational study.

PubMed

Kötter, Thomas; Wagner, Josefin; Brüheim, Linda; Voltmer, Edgar

2017-12-16

Medical students are exposed to high amounts of stress. Stress and poor academic performance can become part of a vicious circle. In order to counteract this circularity, it seems important to better understand the relationship between stress and performance during medical education. The most widespread stress questionnaire designed for use in Medical School is the "Perceived Medical School Stress Instrument" (PMSS). It addresses a wide range of stressors, including workload, competition, social isolation and financial worries. Our aim was to examine the relation between the perceived Medical School stress of undergraduate medical students and academic performance. We measured Medical School stress using the PMSS at two different time points (at the end of freshman year and at the end of sophomore year) and matched stress scores together with age and gender to the first medical examination (M1) grade of the students (n = 456). PMSS scores from 2 and 14 months before M1 proved to be significant predictors for medical students' M1 grade. Age and gender also predict academic performance, making older female students with high stress scores a potential risk group for entering the vicious circle of stress and poor academic performance. PMSS sum scores 2 and 14 months before the M1 exam seem to have an independent predictive validity for medical students' M1 grade. More research is needed to identify potential confounders.

High-Tech Comfort.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Mike

2001-01-01

Explains why the influx of computers into classrooms means that schools need to pay more attention to ergonomic furnishings. The health risks of poorly designed furniture are discussed as are the kings of furniture that work best ergonomically for computer use. (GR)

Factors affecting scholastic performances of adolescents.

PubMed

Shashidhar, Saraswati; Rao, Chandrika; Hegde, Radhakrishna

2009-05-01

The present study aims at recognizing the social influence, study habits and health factors affecting scholastic performances of adolescents and to compare these factors among the adolescents between two categories of school. A total of 1230 adolescents (13-18 yrs) were screened. Data was collected by personal interview, using the teenage screening questionnaire, Trivandrum, between May 2004 and November 2005. A total 615 students from corporation and private schools were studied. 39.76% (489) were high achievers, 13.5% (166) were low achievers with p < 0.001. In the low achievers, 12.03% were from the corporation schools and 1.46% from private schools. The incidence of poor study habits and social factors were increased in low achievers of corporation schools. On multivariate analysis, the predictor variables for poor scholastic performance were adolescent having refractory error, not having help for study at home, not doing home work regularly, not solving question bank papers and reading only before examinations. It is feasible and worthwhile to identify the determinants of scholastic performance and plan intervention strategies at each school. The results of this study highlight the importance of implementing newer strategies, focusing on strict study patterns and creating the conducive school and home environment for study, so as to achieve better scholastic performances.

Traditional versus internet bullying in junior high school students.

PubMed

Gofin, Rosa; Avitzour, Malka

2012-11-01

To examine the prevalence of traditional and Internet bullying and the personal, family, and school environment characteristics of perpetrators and victims. Students (12-14 years old) in 35 junior high schools were randomly selected from the Jerusalem Hebrew (secular and religious) and Arab educational system (n = 2,610). Students answered an anonymous questionnaire, addressing personal, family, and school characteristics. Traditional bullying and Internet bullying for perpetrators and victims were categorized as either occurring at least sometimes during the school year or not occurring. Twenty-eight percent and 8.9 % of students were perpetrators of traditional and Internet bullying, respectively. The respective proportions of victims were 44.9 and 14.4 %. Traditional bullies presented higher Odds Ratios (ORs) for boys, for students with poor social skills (those who had difficulty in making friends, were influenced by peers in their behavior, or were bored), and for those who had poor communication with their parents. Boys and girls were equally likely to be Internet bullies and to use the Internet for communication and making friends. The OR for Internet bullying victims to be Internet bullying perpetrators was 3.70 (95 % confidence interval 2.47-5.55). Victims of traditional bullying felt helpless, and victims of traditional and Internet bullying find school to be a frightening place. There was a higher OR of Internet victimization with reports of loneliness. Traditional bully perpetrators present distinctive characteristics, while Internet perpetrators do not. Victims of traditional and Internet bullying feel fear in school. Tailored interventions are needed to address both types of bullying.

Perceived competence and school adjustment of hearing impaired children in mainstream primary school settings.

PubMed

Hatamizadeh, N; Ghasemi, M; Saeedi, A; Kazemnejad, A

2008-11-01

Although educational main streaming of children with special needs formally began in Iran since 1992 there is little information whether hearing impaired children feel competent in regular schools. To determine the perceived competence and school adjustment of hearing impaired children in mainstream primary school settings, the self-perception profile was administered to 60 mainstreamed hard of hearing children and 60 classmates with normal hearing matched for gender by a single interviewer. The instrument comprised 28 items, 23 of which were similar to those of 'adapted test Image for children with cochlear implants' asking children about their feelings about their own cognitive, physical, socio-emotional and communication competence and school adjustment. The Cronbach alpha coefficient for the instrument was 0.93. Hard of hearing children rated their competence significantly poorer than their hearing classmates for all domains. Mean differences for the five domains ranged from 0.48 (for physical competence) to 0.90 (for school adjustment) on a scale of 1-4. There were no significant differences between girls' and boys' competence, in either the hearing or the hearing impaired groups. Classifying overall scores for perceived competence into four groups ('poor competence', 'low competence', 'moderate competence' and 'high competence'), 23.4% of hearing impaired children but none of the hearing classmates rated themselves as having low or poor competence. On the other hand 85% of hearing children and only 18.3% of hearing impaired children rated themselves as highly competent. We suggest that periodical assessments of mainstreamed children might help to identify those children who are having difficulty adapting to their environment.

Lifestyles and psychosomatic symptoms among elementary school students and junior high school students.

PubMed

Isshiki, Yuriko; Morimoto, Kanehisa

2004-05-01

To examine the relationship between lifestyles and psychosomatic symptoms in children, we conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey of elementary school students and junior high school students in Japan. We designed an original questionnaire to investigate the lifestyles and psychosomatic symptoms of children. In 1997, responses to the questionnaires were elicited from public elementary school fourth grade students (then aged 9-10) and public junior high school seventh grade students (then aged 12-13). The survey was repeated annually for three years as the students advanced through school. For both boys and girls, each cross-sectional analysis revealed a strong relationship between lifestyle behaviors and psychosomatic symptoms. Psychosomatic, symptoms scores varied according to daily hours of sleep, eating of breakfast, having strong likes and dislikes of food, bowel habits, and daily hours of television watching. Both boys and girls with "good" lifestyle, behaviors evaluated by the HPI (Health Practice Index) showed lower scores for psychosomatic symptoms. These findings show that the lifestyle behaviors of children are significantly associated with psychosomatic symptoms and suggest that poor lifestyle behaviors are likely to increase physical and psychological health risks.

Is the school food environment conducive to healthy eating in poorly resourced South African schools?

PubMed

Faber, Mieke; Laurie, Sunette; Maduna, Mamokhele; Magudulela, Thokozile; Muehlhoff, Ellen

2014-06-01

To assess the school food environment in terms of breakfast consumption, school meals, learners' lunch box, school vending and classroom activities related to nutrition. Cross-sectional survey. Ninety purposively selected poorly resourced schools in South Africa. Questionnaires were completed by school principals (n 85), school feeding coordinators (n 77), food handlers (n 84), educators (n 687), randomly selected grade 5 to 7 learners (n 2547) and a convenience sample of parents (n 731). The school menu (n 75), meal served on the survey day, and foods at tuck shops and food vendors (n 74) were recorded. Twenty-two per cent of learners had not eaten breakfast; 24 % brought a lunch box, mostly with bread. Vegetables (61 %) were more often on the school menu than fruit (28 %) and were served in 41 % of schools on the survey day compared with 4 % serving fruit. Fifty-seven per cent of learners brought money to school. Parents advised learners to buy fruit (37 %) and healthy foods (23 %). Tuck shops and vendors sold mostly unhealthy foods. Lack of money/poverty (74 %) and high food prices (68 %) were major challenges for healthy eating. Most (83 %) educators showed interest in nutrition, but only 15 % had received training in nutrition. Eighty-one per cent of educators taught nutrition as part of school subjects. The school food environment has large scope for improvement towards promoting healthy eating. This includes increasing access to vegetables and fruit, encouraging learners to carry a healthy lunch box, and regulating foods sold through tuck shops and food vendors.

Born Small for Gestational Age and Poor School Performance - How Small Is Too Small?

PubMed

Lindström, Linda; Wikström, Anna-Karin; Bergman, Eva; Lundgren, Maria

2017-01-01

To assess the relationship between severity of small for gestational age (SGA) and the risk of poor school performance, and to investigate whether adult stature modifies this risk. 1,088,980 Swedish children born at term between 1973 and 1988 were categorized into severe SGA (less than -3 standard deviations (SD) of expected birth weight), moderate SGA (-2.01 to -3 SD), mild SGA (-1.01 to -2 SD), and appropriate for gestational age (-1 to 0.99 SD). The risk of poor school performance at the time of graduation from compulsory school (grades <10th percentile) was calculated using unconditional logistic regression models and adjusted for socio-economic factors. In a sub-analysis, we stratified boys by adult stature, and adjusted for maternal but not paternal height. All SGA groups were significantly associated with an increased risk of poor school performance, with adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals ranging from 1.85 (1.65-2.07) for severe SGA to 1.25 (1.22-1.28) for mild SGA. In the sub-analysis, all birth weight groups were associated with an increased risk of poor school performance among boys with short stature compared to those with non-short stature. Mild SGA is associated with a significantly increased risk of poor school performance, and the risk increases with severity of SGA. Further, this risk diminishes after adequate catch-up growth. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Test Scores, Class Rank and College Performance: Lessons for Broadening Access and Promoting Success.

PubMed

Niu, Sunny X; Tienda, Marta

2012-04-01

Using administrative data for five Texas universities that differ in selectivity, this study evaluates the relative influence of two key indicators for college success-high school class rank and standardized tests. Empirical results show that class rank is the superior predictor of college performance and that test score advantages do not insulate lower ranked students from academic underperformance. Using the UT-Austin campus as a test case, we conduct a simulation to evaluate the consequences of capping students admitted automatically using both achievement metrics. We find that using class rank to cap the number of students eligible for automatic admission would have roughly uniform impacts across high schools, but imposing a minimum test score threshold on all students would have highly unequal consequences by greatly reduce the admission eligibility of the highest performing students who attend poor high schools while not jeopardizing admissibility of students who attend affluent high schools. We discuss the implications of the Texas admissions experiment for higher education in Europe.

School violence in Taiwan: examining how Western risk factors predict school violence in an Asian culture.

PubMed

Chen, Ji-Kang; Avi Astor, Ron

2010-08-01

The current study explores whether theorized risk factors in Western countries can be used to predict school violence perpetration in an Asian cultural context. The study examines the associations between risk factors and school violence perpetration in Taiwan. Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 14,022 students from elementary to high school (Grades 4 to 12) across Taiwan. The analysis reported in this study focuses on only junior high school students (Grades 7 to 9, N = 3,058). The results of a regression analysis show that gender, age, direct victimization, witness victimization, alcohol use, smoking, anger traits, lack of impulse control, attitudes toward violence, poor quality of student-teacher relationships, and involvement with at-risk peers were significantly associated with school violence in Taiwan. The overall results suggest strong similarities in risk factors found in the West and school violence in Taiwan. They therefore point toward using similar strategies developed in the West to enhance students' positive experiences in their personal, family, and school lives to decrease school violence.

Exposure to violence predicts poor educational outcomes in young children in South Africa and Malawi.

PubMed

Sherr, L; Hensels, I S; Skeen, S; Tomlinson, M; Roberts, K J; Macedo, A

2016-01-01

Violence during childhood may affect short and long-term educational factors. There is scant literature on younger children from resource poor settings. This study assessed child violence experiences (harsh punishment and exposure to domestic or community violence) and school enrolment, progress and attendance in children attending community-based organisations in South Africa and Malawi (n=989) at baseline and at 15 months' follow-up, examining differential experience of HIV positive, HIV affected and HIV unaffected children. Violence exposure was high: 45.4% experienced some form of psychological violence, 47.8% physical violence, 46.7% domestic violence and 41.8% community violence. Primary school enrolment was 96%. Violence was not associated with school enrolment at baseline but, controlling for baseline, children exposed to psychological violence for discipline were more than ten times less likely to be enrolled at follow-up (OR 0.09; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.57). Harsh discipline was associated with poor school progress. For children HIV positive a detrimental effect of harsh physical discipline was found on school performance (OR 0.10; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.61). Violence experiences were associated with a number of educational outcomes, which may have long-term consequences. Community-based organisations may be well placed to address such violence, with a particular emphasis on the challenges faced by children who are HIV positive. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Poor school performance.

PubMed

Karande, Sunil; Kulkarni, Madhuri

2005-11-01

Education is one of the most important aspects of human resource development. Poor school performance not only results in the child having a low self-esteem, but also causes significant stress to the parents. There are many reasons for children to under perform at school, such as, medical problems, below average intelligence, specific learning disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotional problems, poor socio-cultural home environment, psychiatric disorders and even environmental causes. The information provided by the parents, classroom teacher and school counselor about the child's academic difficulties guides the pediatrician to form an initial diagnosis. However, a multidisciplinary evaluation by an ophthalmologist, otolaryngologist, counselor, clinical psychologist, special educator, and child psychiatrist is usually necessary before making the final diagnosis. It is important to find the reason(s) for a child's poor school performance and come up with a treatment plan early so that the child can perform up to full potential.

Better Schooling for the Children of Poverty: Alternatives to Conventional Wisdom. Study of Academic Instruction for Disadvantaged Students. Volume II: Commissioned Papers and Literature Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knapp, Michael S., Ed.; Shields, Patrick M., Ed.

This document comprises nine commissioned papers and four literature review chapters that are part of the first report of the Study of Academic Instruction for Disadvantaged Students, a 3-year investigation of curriculum and instruction in elementary schools serving high concentrations of poor children. (A summary of this report is presented in…

Best Practices Article: Hitting the Target with Transition to Teaching in Mississippi's Poorest School Districts: High Retention Rates through Program Support, Resources, and Strategic Recruitment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boggan, Matthew K.; Jayroe, Teresa; Alexander, Ben

2016-01-01

In order to assist in alleviating the teaching shortage in poor, rural school districts, also known as Local Education Agencies (LEA's), faculty in the College of Education at Mississippi State University sought funding that would provide financial support for a new alternate route teaching program. This program, known as Learning and Educating…

Poor nutritional status of schoolchildren in urban and peri-urban areas of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Malnutrition is still highly prevalent in developing countries. Schoolchildren may also be at high nutritional risk, not only under-five children. However, their nutritional status is poorly documented, particularly in urban areas. The paucity of information hinders the development of relevant nutrition programs for schoolchildren. The aim of this study carried out in Ouagadougou was to assess the nutritional status of schoolchildren attending public and private schools. Methods The study was carried out to provide baseline data for the implementation and evaluation of the Nutrition Friendly School Initiative of WHO. Six intervention schools and six matched control schools were selected and a sample of 649 schoolchildren (48% boys) aged 7-14 years old from 8 public and 4 private schools were studied. Anthropometric and haemoglobin measurements, along with thyroid palpation, were performed. Serum retinol was measured in a random sub-sample of children (N = 173). WHO criteria were used to assess nutritional status. Chi square and independent t-test were used for proportions and mean comparisons between groups. Results Mean age of the children (48% boys) was 11.5 ± 1.2 years. Micronutrient malnutrition was highly prevalent, with 38.7% low serum retinol and 40.4% anaemia. The prevalence of stunting was 8.8% and that of thinness, 13.7%. The prevalence of anaemia (p = 0.001) and vitamin A deficiency (p < 0.001) was significantly higher in public than private schools. Goitre was not detected. Overweight/obesity was low (2.3%) and affected significantly more children in private schools (p = 0.009) and younger children (7-9 y) (p < 0.05). Thinness and stunting were significantly higher in peri-urban compared to urban schools (p < 0.05 and p = 0.004 respectively). Almost 15% of the children presented at least two nutritional deficiencies. Conclusion This study shows that malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are also widely prevalent in schoolchildren in cities, and it underlines the need for nutrition interventions to target them. PMID:21504619

Poor nutritional status of schoolchildren in urban and peri-urban areas of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

PubMed

Daboné, Charles; Delisle, Hélène F; Receveur, Olivier

2011-04-19

Malnutrition is still highly prevalent in developing countries. Schoolchildren may also be at high nutritional risk, not only under-five children. However, their nutritional status is poorly documented, particularly in urban areas. The paucity of information hinders the development of relevant nutrition programs for schoolchildren. The aim of this study carried out in Ouagadougou was to assess the nutritional status of schoolchildren attending public and private schools. The study was carried out to provide baseline data for the implementation and evaluation of the Nutrition Friendly School Initiative of WHO. Six intervention schools and six matched control schools were selected and a sample of 649 schoolchildren (48% boys) aged 7-14 years old from 8 public and 4 private schools were studied. Anthropometric and haemoglobin measurements, along with thyroid palpation, were performed. Serum retinol was measured in a random sub-sample of children (N = 173). WHO criteria were used to assess nutritional status. Chi square and independent t-test were used for proportions and mean comparisons between groups. Mean age of the children (48% boys) was 11.5 ± 1.2 years. Micronutrient malnutrition was highly prevalent, with 38.7% low serum retinol and 40.4% anaemia. The prevalence of stunting was 8.8% and that of thinness, 13.7%. The prevalence of anaemia (p = 0.001) and vitamin A deficiency (p < 0.001) was significantly higher in public than private schools. Goitre was not detected. Overweight/obesity was low (2.3%) and affected significantly more children in private schools (p = 0.009) and younger children (7-9 y) (p < 0.05). Thinness and stunting were significantly higher in peri-urban compared to urban schools (p < 0.05 and p = 0.004 respectively). Almost 15% of the children presented at least two nutritional deficiencies. This study shows that malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are also widely prevalent in schoolchildren in cities, and it underlines the need for nutrition interventions to target them.

Association of tic disorders with poor academic performance in central Spain: a population-based study.

PubMed

Cubo, Esther; Trejo, José; Ausín, Vanesa; Sáez, Sara; Delgado, Vanesa; Macarrón, Jesus; Cordero, José; Louis, Elan D; Kompoliti, Katie; Benito-León, Julián

2013-07-01

To analyze the association between tic disorders and poor academic performance in school-aged children. This was a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in a randomly selected sample of mainstream school-aged children (aged 6-16 years). The sampling frame included different types of schools and educational levels. Children with poor academic performance (eg, repeating a grade, special needs), and tic disorders (defined based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision criteria) were identified. Children with and without tics and children with and without poor academic performance were compared in terms of clinical features (ie, medical history and neurologic and psychiatric comorbidities), school, and environmental characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were performed using school performance (dependent variable) and tic disorders (independent variable), after adjusting for confounding variables. The study cohort comprised 1867 children (mean age, 10.9 + 2.9 years; 1007 males [53.9%]). Tics were present in 162 children (8.6%), and poor academic performance was noted in 223 (11.9%). Overall poor academic performance was associated with age (OR, 1.71; P < .0001), television viewing (OR, 5.33; P = .04), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (OR, 1.38; P < .0001), and family history of school dysfunction (OR, 2.43; P = .02) and was negatively associated with higher IQ score (OR, 0.90; P < .0001) and tic disorders (OR, 0.29; P = .01). After adjusting for other covariates, the presence of tic disorders was not associated with poor academic performance in our cohort. Early academic support and modification of environmental characteristics are needed for children at higher risk for school dysfunction, to enhance academic performance. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

High School Dropout in Proximal Context: The Triggering Role of Stressful Life Events.

PubMed

Dupéré, Véronique; Dion, Eric; Leventhal, Tama; Archambault, Isabelle; Crosnoe, Robert; Janosz, Michel

2018-03-01

Adolescents who drop out of high school experience enduring negative consequences across many domains. Yet, the circumstances triggering their departure are poorly understood. This study examined the precipitating role of recent psychosocial stressors by comparing three groups of Canadian high school students (52% boys; M age  = 16.3 years; N = 545): recent dropouts, matched at-risk students who remain in school, and average students. Results indicate that in comparison with the two other groups, dropouts were over three times more likely to have experienced recent acute stressors rated as severe by independent coders. These stressors occurred across a variety of domains. Considering the circumstances in which youth decide to drop out has implications for future research and for policy and practice. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Why Rural Community Day Secondary Schools Students' Performance in Physical Science Examinations Is Poor in Lilongwe Rural West Education District in Malawi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mlangeni, Angstone Noel J. Thembachako; Chiotha, Sosten Staphael

2015-01-01

A study was conducted to investigate factors that affect students' poor performance in physical science examinations at Malawi School Certificate of Education and Junior Certificate of Education levels in Community day secondary schools (CDSS) in Lilongwe Rural West Education District in Malawi. Students' performance was collected from schools'…

Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Clean Air Is Good Business.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guarneiri, Michele A.

2003-01-01

Describes the effect of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) on student health, the cost of safeguarding good IAQ, the cause of poor IAQ in schools, how to tell whether a school has an IAQ problem, and how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can help schools improve indoor air quality though the use of their free "Indoor Air Quality Tools for…

Youth and administrator perspectives on transition in Kentucky's state agency schools.

PubMed

Marshall, Amy; Powell, Norman; Pierce, Doris; Nolan, Ronnie; Fehringer, Elaine

2012-01-01

Students, a large percentage with disabilities, are at high risk for poor post-secondary outcomes in state agency education programs. This mixed-methods study describes the understandings of student transitions in state agency education programs from the perspectives of youth and administrators. Results indicated that: transition is more narrowly defined within alternative education programs; key strengths of transition practice are present in nontraditional schools; and the coordination barriers within this fluid inter-agency transition system are most apparent in students' frequent inter-setting transitions between nontraditional and home schools.

Perceptual Versus Semantic Information Processing in Semantic Category Decisions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamil, Michael L.; Hanson, Raymond H.

This study examined the ability of junior high school students to use advance information when making semantic category decisions. The subjects, eight good readers and eight poor readers, identified paired words as "same" or "different" in category, with some words more highly associated with the category than others--in the "fruit" category, for…

Preventing Serious Conduct Problems in School-Age Youth: The Fast Track Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slough, Nancy M.; McMahon, Robert J.; Bierman, Karen L.; Coie, John D.; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Foster, E. Michael; Greenberg, Mark T.; Lochman, John E.; McMahon, Robert J.; Pinderhughes, Ellen E.

2008-01-01

Children with early-starting conduct problems have a very poor prognosis and exact a high cost to society. The Fast Track project is a multisite, collaborative research project investigating the efficacy of a comprehensive, long-term, multicomponent intervention designed to "prevent" the development of serious conduct problems in high-risk…

Improving Admission of Low-SES Students at Selective Colleges: Results From an Experimental Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bastedo, Michael N.; Bowman, Nicholas A.

2017-01-01

Low-socioeconomic status (SES) students are underrepresented at selective colleges, but the role that admissions offices play is poorly understood. Because admissions offices often have inconsistent information on high school contexts, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine whether providing detailed information on high school…

Hunger and Population. Facts for Action #7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, James

The relationship between world hunger and world population is explored in this document for high school global education classes. Reasons for the high birth rates in developing nations are suggested, e.g., a poor family has many children because children are an inexpensive work force, provide extra income, and care for parents in old age. The…

Learning versus Education: Rethinking Learning in Anangu Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborne, Sam

2013-01-01

In the remote schooling context, much recent media attention has been directed to issues of poor attendance, low attainment rates of minimal benchmarks in literacy and numeracy, poor retention and the virtual absence of transitions from school to work. The Australian government's recent "Gonski review" ("Review of Funding for…

Education and Poverty in Rural China.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Philip H.; Park, Albert

2002-01-01

Analyzes household and school survey data from poor counties in six Chinese provinces to examine the effects of poverty, intra-household decision-making, and school quality on educational investments and learning outcomes. Finds, for example, that being poor and credit-constrained does not significantly affect learning in school (as measured by…

Relationship between cognitive functions and prevalence of fatigue in elementary and junior high school students.

PubMed

Mizuno, Kei; Tanaka, Masaaki; Fukuda, Sanae; Imai-Matsumura, Kyoko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2011-06-01

Fatigue is a common complaint among elementary and junior high school students, and is related to poor academic performance. Since grade-dependent development of cognitive functions also influences academic performance, we attempted to determine whether cognitive functions were associated with the prevalence of fatigue. Participants were 148 elementary school students from 4th- to 6th-grades and 152 junior high school students from 7th- to 9th-grades. Participants completed a questionnaire about fatigue (Japanese version of the Chalder Fatigue Scale) and paper-and-pencil and computerized cognitive tests which could evaluate the abilities of motor processing, immediate, delayed and working memory, selective, divided and alternative attention, retrieve learned material, and spatial construction. We found that in multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for grade and gender, slow motor processing was positively correlated with the prevalence of fatigue in the elementary school students and decreases in working memory and divided and alternative attention processing were positively correlated with the prevalence of fatigue in the junior high school students. The grade-dependent development of cognitive function influences the severity of fatigue in elementary and junior high school students. Copyright © 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sudden cardiac arrests, automated external defibrillators, and medical emergency response plans in Tennessee high schools.

PubMed

Meredith, Mark L; Watson, Andrew M; Gregory, Andrew; Givens, Timothy G; Abramo, Thomas J; Kannankeril, Prince J

2013-03-01

Schools are important public locations of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends medical emergency response plans (MERPs), which may include an automated external defibrillator (AED) in schools. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of SCA and the prevalence of AEDs and MERPs in Tennessee high schools. Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association member schools were surveyed regarding SCA on campus within 5 years, AED presence, and MERP characteristics. Of 378 schools, 257 (68%) completed the survey. There were 21 (5 student and 16 adult) SCAs on school grounds, yielding a 5-year incidence of 1 SCA per 12 high schools. An AED was present at 11 of 21 schools with SCA, and 6 SCA victims were treated with an AED shock. A linear increase in SCA frequency was noted with increasing school size (<500 students: 3.3% incidence, 500-1000: 6.5%, 1000-1500: 12.5%, ≥1500: 18.2%; P = 0.003). Of 257 schools, 71% had an MERP, 48% had an AED, and only 4% were fully compliant with AHA recommendations. Schools with a history of SCA were more likely to be compliant (19% vs. 3%, P = 0.011). The 5-year incidence of SCA in Tennessee high schools is 1 in 12, but increases to 1 in 7 for schools with more than 1000 students. Compliance with AHA guidelines for MERPs is poor, but improved in schools with recent SCA. Future recommendations should encourage the inclusion of AED placement in schools with more than 1000 students.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with High-Functioning Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potvin, Marie-Christine; Snider, Laurie; Prelock, Patricia A.; Wood-Dauphinee, Sharon; Kehayia, Eva

2015-01-01

The health-related quality of life of school-aged children with high-functioning autism is poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to compare the health-related quality of life of children with high-functioning autism to that of typically developing peers and to compare child-self and parent-proxy reports of health-related quality of…

Residential Mobility During Adolescence: Do Even “Upward” Moves Predict Dropout Risk?

PubMed Central

Metzger, Molly W.; Fowler, Patrick J.; Anderson, Courtney Lauren; Lindsay, Constance A.

2015-01-01

This paper uses the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to investigate the impact of housing instability in adolescence on the likelihood of subsequent graduation from high school. Combining census data, self-reports, and information about respondents’ residential changes, we use the variation in the number of moves and neighborhood quality to predict whether participants obtain a high school diploma. Controlling for major predictors of housing mobility, students experiencing at least one move over a 12-month period have a roughly 50% decreased likelihood of obtaining a high school diploma by the age of 25. These associations are identified regardless of whether students move to a poorer or less-poor neighborhood. Our results carry implications for the development of housing policies and interventions designed for disadvantaged populations. PMID:26188449

Attitudes towards dysmenorrhoea, impact and treatment seeking among adolescent girls: a rural school-based survey.

PubMed

Wong, Li Ping

2011-08-01

Study aimed to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhoea, its impact, and treatment-seeking behaviour of rural adolescent girls in Malaysia. Large cross-sectional study on 1295 adolescent girls (aged 13-19 years) from 16 public secondary schools in rural districts of Kelantan, Malaysia conducted between February 2009 and April 2009. Dysmenorrhoea was reported in 76.0% of the participants. Concentration at school (59.9%) and participation in social events (58.6%) have been most affected. Multivariate analysis shows that being in upper secondary level was the strongest predictor for poor concentration, absenteeism, and poor school grade due to dysmenorrhoea. In spite of its high prevalence and enormous impact on their lives, 76.1% believed that dysmenorrhoea is a normal part of the female menstrual cycle and only 14.8% sought medical treatment. The majority of adolescents obtained information from their mothers (62.3%) and peers (52.9%). The findings imply the need for educating adolescent girls on effective management of dysmenorrhoea. Education should be extended to parents and school peer leaders to address the reproductive health needs of adolescents. © 2011 The Author. Australian Journal of Rural Health © National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

The Same Starting Line: How School Boards Can Erase the Opportunity Gap between Poor and Middle-Class Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darden, Edwin

2011-01-01

This project focuses on the policies and practices of school boards (or mayors or others who govern public schools), and how their priorities can make a tangible difference in the academic success of kids living in poor communities. Instead of focusing on deficits of poverty, the researchers wanted to stress school board action as an effective…

Is There a Private Schooling Market in Poor Neighbourhoods in Maputo, Mozambique? Exploring the Role of the Non-State Education Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Härmä, Joanna

2016-01-01

In some low-income countries, low-fee private schools targeting relatively poor communities have sprung up in considerable numbers meeting growing demand. This is often the case where government is not providing enough school places, but also where parents could access government schools for their children but choose not to, due to perceived low…

Designing Targeted Educational Voucher Schemes for the Poor in Developing Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shafiq, M. Najeeb

2010-01-01

A targeted educational voucher scheme (TEVS) is often proposed for the poor in developing countries. Essentially, TEVS involves issuing vouchers to poor households, thus enabling them to pay tuition and fees for their children's schooling at participating non-public schools. However, little is known about TEVS' design in developing countries. This…

School Start Times for Middle School and High School Students - United States, 2011-12 School Year.

PubMed

Wheaton, Anne G; Ferro, Gabrielle A; Croft, Janet B

2015-08-07

Adolescents who do not get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight; not engage in daily physical activity; suffer from depressive symptoms; engage in unhealthy risk behaviors such as drinking, smoking tobacco, and using illicit drugs; and perform poorly in school. However, insufficient sleep is common among high school students, with less than one third of U.S. high school students sleeping at least 8 hours on school nights. In a policy statement published in 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urged middle and high schools to modify start times as a means to enable students to get adequate sleep and improve their health, safety, academic performance, and quality of life. AAP recommended that "middle and high schools should aim for a starting time of no earlier than 8:30 a.m.". To assess state-specific distributions of public middle and high school start times and establish a pre-recommendation baseline, CDC and the U.S. Department of Education analyzed data from the 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Among an estimated 39,700 public middle, high, and combined schools* in the United States, the average start time was 8:03 a.m. Overall, only 17.7% of these public schools started school at 8:30 a.m. or later. The percentage of schools with 8:30 a.m. or later start times varied greatly by state, ranging from 0% in Hawaii, Mississippi, and Wyoming to more than three quarters of schools in Alaska (76.8%) and North Dakota (78.5%). A school system start time policy of 8:30 a.m. or later provides teenage students the opportunity to achieve the 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep recommended by AAP and the 8-10 hours recommended by the National Sleep Foundation.

Beating the Odds: The Real Challenges behind the Math Achievement Gap--And What High-Achieving Schools Can Teach Us about How to Close It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberger, Susan

2008-01-01

One of the most persistent inequities in U.S. education is the gap in math achievement along income and race lines. Yet some secondary schools beat the odds, producing consistently strong math performance with students who likely would fail in traditional settings. This report advocates that the math achievement gap is not the result of poor and…

Profile of subjective quality of life and its correlates in a nation-wide sample of high school students in an Arab setting using the WHOQOL-Bref.

PubMed

Al-Fayez, Ghenaim A; Ohaeri, Jude U

2011-04-25

The upsurge of interest in the quality of life (QOL) of children is in line with the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stressed the child's right to adequate circumstances for physical, mental, and social development. The study's objectives were to: (i) highlight how satisfied Kuwaiti high school students were with life circumstances as in the WHOQOL-Bref; (ii) assess the prevalence of at risk status for impaired QOL and establish the QOL domain normative values; and (iii) examine the relationship of QOL with personal, parental, and socio-environmental factors. A nation-wide sample of students in senior classes in government high schools (N = 4467, 48.6% boys; aged 14-23 years) completed questionnaires that included the WHOQOL-Bref. Using Cummins' norm of 70% - 80%, we found that, as a group, they barely achieved the well-being threshold score for physical health (70%), social relations (72.8%), environment (70.8%) and general facet (70.2%), but not for psychological health (61.9%). These scores were lower than those reported from other countries. Using the recommended cut-off of <1SD of population mean, the prevalence of at risk status for impaired QOL was 12.9% - 18.8% (population age-adjusted: 15.9% - 21.1%). In all domains, boys had significantly higher QOL than girls, mediated by anxiety/depression; while the younger ones had significantly higher QOL (p < 0.001), mediated by difficulty with studies and social relations. Although poorer QOL was significantly associated with parental divorce and father's low socio-economic status, the most important predictors of poorer QOL were perception of poor emotional relationship between the parents, poor self-esteem and difficulty with studies. Poorer QOL seemed to reflect a circumstance of social disadvantage and poor psychosocial well-being in which girls fared worse than boys. The findings indicate that programs that address parental harmony and school programs that promote study-friendly atmospheres could help to improve psychosocial well-being. The application of QOL as a school population health measure may facilitate risk assessment and the tracking of health status.

Title I Funding: Poor Children Benefit though Funding Per Poor Child Differs. Report to Congressional Addressees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaul, Marnie S.

This study examined Title I funding allocations for school years 1999-2002 and actual allocations received by school districts, interviewing state Title I directors, surveying school district administrators nationwide, and interviewing representatives from relevant federal and national organizations. Title I funds were generally targeted based on…

Breaking the Mold: How Do School Entrepreneurs Create Change?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Joe

2006-01-01

Disgusted by what he and his staff considered to be poorly written, poorly stapled, and generally disorganized mandatory citywide exams sent to Fritsche Middle School by the Milwaukee Public Schools central office in the fall of 1999, Principal Bill Andrekopoulos committed an act of ownership theretofore unheard of in the 100,000-student school…

Poor School Bonding and Delinquency over Time: Bidirectional Effects and Sex Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liljeberg, Jenny Freidenfelt; Eklund, Jenny M.; Fritz, Marie Vafors; Klinteberg, Britt af

2011-01-01

The association between poor school bonding and delinquency has only been partly addressed in earlier research. Using a longitudinal design, the objective of our study was to investigate possible bidirectional effects and sex differences between adolescents' experienced school bonding and self-rated delinquency over time. A total of 788…

Marginal Returns: Re-Thinking Mobility and Educational Benefit in Contexts of Chronic Poverty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddox, Bryan

2010-01-01

As a result of chronic poverty many people in South Asia experience poor quality schooling, interrupted schooling, or no schooling at all. People affected by poverty face multiple constraints on wellbeing, which typically include informal employment, low wages and poor health. In such contexts the benefits and, more specifically, the…

Association of diarrhoea, poor hygiene and poor social conditions in childhood with blood pressure in adulthood.

PubMed

Kauhanen, L; Lynch, J W; Lakka, H-M; Kauhanen, J; Smith, G D

2010-05-01

Previous research has suggested that dehydration in infancy may lead to high blood pressure in later life because of sodium retention. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of poor hygiene of the child, poor social and poor housing conditions at home and diarrhoea in childhood as proxies for dehydration on high blood pressure in later life. Data were from a subset of participants in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, a population-based cohort study in eastern Finland. Information on childhood factors was collected from school health records (n=952), from the 1930s to the 1950s. Adult data were obtained from baseline examinations of the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study cohort (n=2682) in 1984-1989. Men who had poor hygiene in childhood had on average 4.07 mm Hg (95% CI 0.53 to 7.61) higher systolic blood pressure than men who had good or satisfactory hygiene in childhood in the age-adjusted analysis. Reports of diarrhoea were not associated with adult blood pressure. The authors' findings suggest that poor hygiene and living in poor social conditions in childhood are associated with higher systolic blood pressure in adulthood. Reported childhood diarrhoea did not explain the link between hygiene and high blood pressure in adulthood.

Does Community Poverty Reduce Children's School Attendance More at Primary Education than at Secondary Education? Evidence from Post-Conflict Sierra Leone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamanda, Mamusu

2016-01-01

In Sierra Leone, the number of primary schools is almost seven times more than junior-secondary schools (JSS). Living in a poor community has been shown to reduce children's school attendance because of lower access and poorer quality of education in these communities. However, it is unclear whether living in a poor community reduces attendance at…

Vouchers, Class Size Reduction, and Student Achievement: Considering the Evidence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molnar, Alex

Proponents of private school vouchers argue that vouchers empower poor families and raise the academic achievement of poor children. They also argue that vouchers may improve achievement by forcing the public schools to compete in an education marketplace in which poor parents hold the power of the purse. Juxtaposed against this issue of vouchers…

Development of a Brief Pre-Implementation Screening Tool to Identify Teachers Who Are at Risk for Not Implementing Intervention Curriculum and High-Implementing Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Bo; Stanton, Bonita; Lunn, Sonja; Patel, Pooja; Koci, Veronica; Deveaux, Lynette

2017-01-01

Few questionnaires have been developed to screen for potentially poor implementers of school-based interventions. This study combines teacher characteristics, perceptions, and teaching/training experiences to develop a short screening tool that can identify potential "low-performing" or "high-performing" teachers…

Attitudes and Motivation of Poor and Good Spellers: Broadening Planned Behavior Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sideridis, Georgios D.

2005-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to broaden planned behavior theory and examine its applicability to predict the academic achievement of students of low and high spelling ability. Two hundred fifty seven students, 54 low spellers and 203 high spellers from thirty elementary schools in northern Greece, participated in the study. Between groups…

An Exploration of the Drive for Muscularity in Adolescent Boys and Girls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCreary, Donald R.; Sasse, Doris K.

2000-01-01

Investigated the drive for muscularity among high school adolescents using the Drive for Muscularity Scale. Results indicated that the scale was reliable. High-drive students were mainly boys trying to gain weight and muscle mass. Drive related to poor self-esteem and higher depression levels among boys, but not girls. Drive for muscularity was…

Implementing Educational Policies in Swaziland. World Bank Discussion Papers No. 88. Africa Technical Department Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magalula, Cisco

At the time of independence in 1968, education in Swaziland was characterized by poor quality, uneven distribution of schools, high dropout and repeater rates, serious shortages of teachers, and inappropriate and highly academic curricula. This paper describes the status of present-day education in Swaziland in terms of the effect of government…

Is sexual minority status associated with poor sleep quality among adolescents? Analysis of a national cross-sectional survey in Chinese adolescents

PubMed Central

Li, Pengsheng; Huang, Yeen; Guo, Lan; Wang, Wanxin; Xi, Chuhao; Lei, Yiling; Luo, Min; Pan, Siyuan; Deng, Xueqing; Zhang, Wei-hong; Lu, Ciyong

2017-01-01

Objectives Recent studies have suggested that sexual minorities are more likely to have poor sleep quality. This study aims to explore sleep quality among sexual minority adolescents and examines the association between sexual minority status and sleep quality. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting A total of 506 high schools in seven Chinese provinces. Participants A total of 150 822 students in grades 7–12 completed the questionnaires, and 123 459 students who reported being aware of their sexual orientation were included in analyses. Main outcome measures The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, sexual attraction and school bullying victimisation. Results Of the 123 459 students who were analysed, 5.00% self-reported as sexual minorities. Only 26.67% of sexual minority students slept 8 or more hours/day, which is less than their heterosexual peers (35.70%; χ2=130.04, P<0.001). Of the total sample, 22.41% of the students reported poor sleep quality, and this prevalence was significantly higher in sexual minority students than in heterosexual students (32.56% vs 21.87%; χ2=281.70, P<0.001). After controlling for social demographics, lifestyle and depressive symptoms, sexual minority students had higher odds of poor sleep quality (adjusted OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.51) than their heterosexual peers. The indirect effect of school bullying victimisation (standardised β estimate=0.007, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.009) was significant, indicating that school bullying victimisation partially mediated the association between sexual minority status and sleep quality. Conclusions Our study suggested that poor sleep quality was common in sexual minority adolescents, and more attention should be paid to sleep problems in this population. Conducting interventions to reduce school bullying behaviours is an important step to improving sleep quality in sexual minority adolescents. Further, studies are warranted that focus on the risk factors and mechanisms of and interventions for sleep problems in sexual minority adolescents. PMID:29282258

Reexamining "Brown" Twenty-Five Years Later: Looking Backward into the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Robert L.

1979-01-01

While not abandoning the goal of integration in the schools, poor blacks should aim toward obtaining a high quality education, obtaining equal education whatever the setting. Available from William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 1285 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14209. (IRT)

Alcohol mixed with energy drinks: Associations with risky drinking and functioning in high school.

PubMed

Tucker, Joan S; Troxel, Wendy M; Ewing, Brett A; D'Amico, Elizabeth J

2016-10-01

Mixing alcohol with energy drinks is associated with heavier drinking and related problems among college students. However, little is known about how high school drinkers who mix alcohol with energy drinks (AmED) compare to those who do not (AwoED). This study compares high school AmED and AwoED users on their alcohol use during middle and high school, as well as key domains of functioning in high school. Two surveys were conducted three years apart in adolescents initially recruited from 16 middle schools in Southern California. The analytic sample consists of 696 past month drinkers. Multivariable models compared AmED and AwoED users on alcohol use, mental health, social functioning, academic orientation, delinquency and other substance use at age 17, and on their alcohol use and related cognitions at age 14. AmED was reported by 13% of past month drinkers. AmED and AwoED users did not differ on alcohol use or cognitions in middle school, but AmED users drank more often, more heavily, and reported more negative consequences in high school. AmED users were also more likely to report poor grades, delinquent behavior, substance use-related unsafe driving, public intoxication, and drug use than AwoED users in high school. Group differences were not found on mental health, social functioning, or academic aspirations. AmED use is common among high school drinkers. The higher risk behavioral profile of these young AmED users, which includes drug use and substance use-related unsafe driving, is a significant cause for concern and warrants further attention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors of working conditions and prolonged fatigue among teachers at public elementary and junior high schools.

PubMed

Shimizu, Midori; Wada, Koji; Wang, Guoqin; Kawashima, Masatoshi; Yoshino, Yae; Sakaguchi, Hiroko; Ohta, Hiroshi; Miyaoka, Hitoshi; Aizawa, Yoshiharu

2011-01-01

Prolonged fatigue among elementary and junior high school teachers not only damages their health but also affects the quality of education. The aim of this study was to determine the factors of working conditions associated with prolonged fatigue among teachers at public elementary and junior high schools. We distributed a self-reported, anonymous questionnaire to 3,154 teachers (1,983 in elementary schools, 1,171 in junior high schools) working in public schools in a city in Japan. They were asked to assess 18 aspects of their working conditions using a seven-point Likert scale. Prolonged fatigue was measured using the Japanese version of the checklist individual strength questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the association between working conditions and prolonged fatigue. Gender, age, and school type were introduced as confounders. In all, 2,167 teachers participated in this study. Results showed that qualitative and quantitative workload (time pressure due to heavy workload, interruptions, physically demanding job, extra work at home), communication with colleagues (poor communication, lack of support), and career factors (underestimation of performance by the board of education or supervisors, occupational position not reflecting training, lack of prospects for work, job insecurity) were associated with prolonged fatigue.

Association between attempted suicide and academic performance indicators among middle and high school students in Mexico: results from a national survey.

PubMed

Orozco, Ricardo; Benjet, Corina; Borges, Guilherme; Moneta Arce, María Fátima; Fregoso Ito, Diana; Fleiz, Clara; Villatoro, Jorge Ameth

2018-01-01

Students' mental health is associated to academic performance. In high income countries, higher students' grades are related to lower odds of suicidal behaviors, but studies on other indicators of academic performance are more limited, specially in middle income countries. Data from 28,519 middle and high school students selected with multistage clustered sampling in the Mexican National Survey of Student's Drug Use. Using a self-administered questionnaire, lifetime suicidal attempt and four indicators of academic performance were assessed: age inconsistency with grade level, not being a student in the last year, perceived academic performance and number of failed courses. Multiple logistic regression models were used to control for sociodemographic and school characteristics. The lifetime prevalence of attempted suicide was 3.0% for middle school students and 4.2% for high school students. Among middle school students, statistically adjusted significant associations of suicide attempt with academic performance indicators were: not being a student the year before, worse self-perceived performance and a higher number of failed courses; among high school students, predictors were failed courses and self-perceived academic performance, with ORs of 1.65 and 1.96 for the categories of good and fair/poor respectively, compared to those who reported very good performance. Self-perceived academic performance was the main indicator for suicide in both school levels. Suicide prevention efforts in Mexico's schools should include asking students about the perception they have about their own academic performance.

Why do I need to know this? Optics/photonics problem-based learning in the math classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Matthew J.; Donnelly, Judith F.; Donnelly, Stephanie

2017-08-01

A common complaint of engineering managers is that new employees at all levels, technician through engineer, tend to have rote calculation ability but are unable to think critically and use structured problem solving techniques to apply mathematical concepts. Further, they often have poor written and oral communication skills and difficulty working in teams. Ironically, a common question of high school mathematics students is "Why do I need to know this?" In this paper we describe a project using optics/photonics and Problem Based Learning (PBL) to address these issues in a high school calculus classroom.

The association between child and adolescent emotional disorder and poor attendance at school: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Finning, Katie; Moore, Darren; Ukoumunne, Obioha C; Danielsson-Waters, Emilia; Ford, Tamsin

2017-06-28

Anxiety and depression are common in young people and are associated with a range of adverse outcomes. Research has suggested a relationship between emotional disorder and poor school attendance, and thus poor attendance may serve as a red flag for children at risk of emotional disorder. This systematic review aims to investigate the association between child and adolescent emotional disorder and poor attendance at school. We will search electronic databases from a variety of disciplines including medicine, psychology, education and social sciences, as well as sources of grey literature, to identify any quantitative studies that investigate the relationship between emotional disorder and school attendance. Emotional disorder may refer to diagnoses of mood or anxiety disorders using standardised diagnostic measures, or measures of depression, anxiety or "internalising symptoms" using a continuous scale. Definitions for school non-attendance vary, and we aim to include any relevant terminology, including attendance, non-attendance, school refusal, school phobia, absenteeism and truancy. Two independent reviewers will screen identified papers and extract data from included studies. We will assess the risk of bias of included studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random effects meta-analysis will be used to pool quantitative findings when studies use the same measure of association, otherwise a narrative synthesis approach will be used. This systematic review will provide a detailed synthesis of evidence regarding the relationship between childhood emotional disorder and poor attendance at school. Understanding this relationship has the potential to assist in the development of strategies to improve the identification of and intervention for this vulnerable group. PROSPERO CRD42016052961.

Adolescent sexual behaviour, knowledge and attitudes to sexuality among school girls in Transkei, South Africa.

PubMed

Buga, G A; Amoko, D H; Ncayiyana, D J

1996-02-01

Teenagers make up a quarter of all mothers in Transkei, South Africa, and well over 75% of them are unmarried. Such a high rate of teenage pregnancy is indicative of a high level of unprotected adolescent sexual activity. We examined sexual behaviour, knowledge and attitudes to sexuality among adolescent school girls in Transkei, using a self-administered questionnaire, in order to establish the incidence of sexual activity, and associated risk factors. Of the 1072 respondents, 74.6% were already sexually experienced, and 21.0% were not. The majority of sexually experienced girls (SEGs) and sexually inexperienced girls (SIGs) were living with both their parents. There were no religious differences between the two groups of girls. The age of SEGs at first coitus correlated positively with the age of menarche, and the age at the first date, suggesting that sexual maturation and onset of dating were possible risk factors for initiation of sexual activity. Contraceptive use was low, and a third of SEGs had been pregnant at least once. The knowledge of reproductive biology among both groups of girls was generally poor, although SEGs were significantly more knowledgeable than SIGs. The majority of girls in both groups did not approve of premarital sex, and adolescent pregnancy. They also did not approve of the idea of introducing sex education in schools, or the provision of contraceptives by schools. Nearly a third of the respondents in both groups did not wish to get married in future. In conclusion, there is a high level of unprotected sexual activity among school girls in Transkei. The risk factors for this include early sexual maturation, early onset of dating, and poor knowledge of reproductive biology and contraceptives.

Does the Mean Score Mask Poor Delivery of Educational Services in School Effectiveness Ratings?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Michael H.; And Others

This study investigated whether mean scores in school effectiveness ratings were masking poor delivery of educational services to low achievers in a sample of 242 Louisiana public elementary schools accounting for over 18,000 third graders tested in 1989. Ten separate multiple regression models, each producing studentized residuals used as school…

Changing Populations, Changing Schools. Ninety-fourth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Part II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flaxman, Erwin, Ed.; Passow, A. Harry, Ed.

1995-01-01

The contributors to this yearbook attempt to explain the reasons for the poor fit between schools and poor, immigrant, linguistically different, and racial minority students. The problems that confront schools because of changing populations and increased diversity are discussed in the following chapters: (1) "The Old Problem of 'New…

Effect of Mastery Learning on Senior Secondary School Students' Cognitive Learning Outcome in Quantitative Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitee, Telimoye Leesi; Obaitan, Georgina N.

2015-01-01

The cognitive learning outcome of Senior Secondary School chemistry students has been poor over the years in Nigeria. Poor mathematical skills and inefficient teaching methods have been identified as some of the major reasons for this. Bloom's theory of school learning and philosophy of mastery learning assert that virtually all students are…

Summer learning and its implications: insights from the Beginning School Study.

PubMed

Alexander, Karl L; Entwisle, Doris R; Olson, Linda Steffel

2007-01-01

There is perhaps no more pressing issue in school policy today than the achievement gap across social lines. Achievement differences between well-to-do children and poor children and between disadvantaged racial and ethnic minorities and majority whites are large when children first begin school, and they increase over time. Despite years of study and an abundance of good intentions, these patterned achievement differences persist, but who is responsible, and how are schools implicated? The increasing gap seems to suggest that schools are unable to equalize educational opportunity or, worse still, that they actively handicap disadvantaged children. But a seasonal perspective on learning yields a rather different impression. Comparing achievement gains separately over the school year and the summer months reveals that much of the achievement gap originates over the summer period, when children are not in school. The authors review Beginning School Study research on differential summer learning across social lines (that is, by family socioeconomic level) and its implications for later schooling outcomes, including high school curriculum placements, high school dropout, and college attendance. These studies document the extent to which these large summer learning differences impede the later educational progress of children of low socioeconomic status. Practical implications are discussed, including the need for early and sustained interventions to prevent the achievement gap from opening wide in the first place and for high-quality summer programming focused on preventing differential summer learning loss.

Long-term effects of comprehensive school health on health-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, health behaviours and weight status of adolescents.

PubMed

Ofosu, Nicole Naadu; Ekwaru, John Paul; Bastian, Kerry Ann; Loehr, Sarah A; Storey, Kate; Spence, John C; Veugelers, Paul J

2018-04-18

APPLE Schools is a Comprehensive School Health (CSH) project, started in schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas where dietary habits are poor, physical activity (PA) levels are low, and obesity rates are high. Earlier research showed program effects whereby energy intake, PA and weight status of students in APPLE Schools had reached similar levels as that of students in other schools. However, it is unknown whether the effects of CSH are sustained when children grow into adolescents. Effects of APPLE Schools on health-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, diet, PA, and weight status, seven years after the start of the project, when students were in junior high and high school were assessed. We hypothesised that APPLE School graduates and comparison school graduates will remain at similar levels for these indicators. In the 2015/16 school year, junior high and high school graduates (grades 7-12) in Northern Alberta, Canada participated in a Youth Health Survey. Participants included graduates from APPLE elementary schools (n = 202) and comparison elementary schools (n = 338). Health-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, diet (24-h dietary recall), PA (pedometer step count) and weight status were assessed. Mixed effects regression was employed to assess differences in these outcomes between APPLE School graduates and comparison school graduates. Comparisons between elementary school (2008/09) and junior high/high school (2015/16) of self-efficacy, PA and weight status were also conducted. APPLE School graduates did not significantly differ from comparison school graduates on any outcomes (i.e. knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, diet, PA, and weight status). Additionally, no significant differences existed in the comparisons between 2008/09 and 2015/16. Our findings of no difference between the APPLE School graduates and comparison school graduates suggest that the effects of APPLE Schools may continue into adolescence or the new school environment may have an equalizing effect on the students. Since lifestyle practices are adopted throughout childhood and adolescence, and the school environment has an important influence on development, an extension of CSH initiatives into junior high/high schools should be considered. This will help to consolidate and support the continuance of healthy lifestyle messages and practices throughout childhood and adolescence.

Editorial comment on Malkin and Keane (2010).

PubMed

Voigt, Herbert F; Krishnan, Shankar M

2010-07-01

Malkin and Keane (Med Biol Eng Comput, 2010) take an innovative approach to determine if unused, broken medical and laboratory equipment could be repaired by volunteers with limited resources. Their positive results led them to suggest that resource-poor countries might benefit from an on-the-job educational program for local high school graduates. The program would train biomedical technician assistants (BTAs) who would repair medical devices and instrumentation and return them to service. This is a program worth pursuing in resource-poor countries.

Commercialism in US elementary and secondary school nutrition environments: trends from 2007 to 2012.

PubMed

Terry-McElrath, Yvonne M; Turner, Lindsey; Sandoval, Anna; Johnston, Lloyd D; Chaloupka, Frank J

2014-03-01

Schools present highly desirable marketing environments for food and beverage companies. However, most marketed items are nutritionally poor. To examine national trends in student exposure to selected school-based commercialism measures from 2007 through 2012. Annual nationally representative cross-sectional studies were evaluated in US public elementary, middle, and high schools with use of a survey of school administrators. School-based commercialism, including exclusive beverage contracts and associated incentives, profits, and advertising; corporate food vending and associated incentives and profits; posters/advertisements for soft drinks, fast food, or candy; use of food coupons as incentives; event sponsorships; and fast food available to students. Changes over time in school-based commercialism as well as differences by student body racial/ethnic distribution and socioeconomic status. Although some commercialism measures-especially those related to beverage vending-have shown significant decreases over time, most students at all academic levels continued to attend schools with one or more types of school-based commercialism in 2012. Overall, exposure to school-based commercialism increased significantly with grade level. For 63.7% of elementary school students, the most frequent type of commercialism was food coupons used as incentives. For secondary students, the type of commercialism most prevalent in schools was exclusive beverage contracts, which were in place in schools attended by 49.5% of middle school students and 69.8% of high school students. Exposure to elementary school coupons, as well as middle and high school exclusive beverage contracts, was significantly more likely for students attending schools with mid or low (vs high) student body socioeconomic status. Most US elementary, middle, and high school students attend schools where they are exposed to commercial efforts aimed at obtaining food or beverage sales or developing brand recognition and loyalty for future sales. Although there have been significant decreases over time in many of the measures examined, the continuing high prevalence of school-based commercialism calls for, at minimum, clear and enforceable standards on the nutritional content of all foods and beverages marketed to youth in school settings.

Residential mobility during adolescence: Do even "upward" moves predict dropout risk?

PubMed

Metzger, Molly W; Fowler, Patrick J; Anderson, Courtney Lauren; Lindsay, Constance A

2015-09-01

This paper uses the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to investigate the impact of housing instability in adolescence on the likelihood of subsequent graduation from high school. Combining census data, self-reports, and information about respondents' residential changes, we use the variation in households' number of moves and neighborhood quality to predict whether participants obtain a high school diploma. Controlling for major predictors of housing mobility, students experiencing at least one move over a 12-month period have a roughly 50% decreased likelihood of obtaining a high school diploma by the age of 25. These associations are identified regardless of whether students move to a poorer or less-poor neighborhood. Our results carry implications for the development of housing policies and interventions designed for disadvantaged populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations of Bullying, Victimization, and Daytime Sleepiness With Academic Problems in Adolescents Attending an Alternative High School.

PubMed

Rubens, Sonia L; Miller, Molly A; Zeringue, Megan M; Laird, Robert D

2018-01-22

Adolescents attending alternative high schools often present with high rates of academic and behavior problems. They are also at increased risk of poor health behaviors and engaging in physical violence compared with students in traditional high school settings. To address the needs of students in these educational settings, examining factors that influence academic problems in this population is essential. Research has established that both bullying/victimization and sleep problems increase adolescents' risk for academic problems. Little is known about how these 2 factors together may exacerbate risk for academic problems among students attending an alternative high school. The current study investigated the interaction between teacher-reported bullying, victimization and daytime sleepiness on academic concerns (attention and learning problems) among a sample of 172 students (56% female; age M = 18.07 years, SD = 1.42) attending an alternative high school in a large, Southeastern U.S. city. Findings from path models indicated that daytime sleepiness, bullying, and victimization were uniquely associated with attention and learning problems. Further, significant interactions indicated that the association between victimization/bullying and attention/learning problems weakened as levels of daytime sleepiness increased. Results suggest the importance of assessing and addressing multiple contextual risk factors in adolescents attending alternative high schools to provide comprehensive intervention for students in these settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Why and when is ethnic harassment a risk for immigrant adolescents' school adjustment? understanding the processes and conditions.

PubMed

Bayram Özdemir, Sevgi; Stattin, Håkan

2014-08-01

Ethnically harassed immigrant youth are at risk for experiencing a wide range of school adjustment problems. However, it is still unclear why and under what conditions experiencing ethnic harassment leads to school adjustment difficulties. To address this limitation in the literature, we examined two important questions. First, we investigated whether self-esteem and/or depressive symptoms would mediate the associations between ethnic harassment and poor school adjustment among immigrant youth. Second, we examined whether immigrant youths' perception of school context would play a buffering role in the pathways between ethnic harassment and school adjustment difficulties. The sample (n = 330; M age = 14.07, SD = .90; 49% girls at T1) was drawn from a longitudinal study in Sweden. The results revealed that experiencing ethnic harassment led to a decrease in immigrant youths' self-esteem over time, and that youths' expectations of academic failure increased. Further, youths' relationships with their teachers and their perceptions of school democracy moderated the mediation processes. Specifically, when youth had poor relationships with their teachers or perceived their school context as less democratic, being exposed to ethnic harassment led to a decrease in their self-esteem. In turn, they reported low school satisfaction and perceived themselves as being unsuccessful in school. Such indirect effects were not observed when youth had high positive relationships with their teachers or perceived their school as offering a democratic environment. These findings highlight the importance of understanding underlying processes and conditions in the examination of the effects of ethnic devaluation experiences in order to reach a more comprehensive understanding of immigrant youths' school adjustment.

Sozialindex für Grundschulen in Mülheim an der Ruhr. Ansatz einer datengestützten bedarfsgerechten Ressourcenverteilung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groos, Thomas

2016-12-01

The German school system is socially highly unequal, as educational research criticized for a long time. While in some schools socially privileged pupils are the majority, other schools are composed by mostly poor pupils. The combination of socio-geographic and educational geographic considerations leads to a social school index, which clearly shows how strong schools are socially privileged or disadvantaged. The paper presents a practical example of building a social school index for cities and compares the results. The residence-based density index on grid data from German Social Code (book 2) is preferred because it is unproblematic in terms of data protection law and can be extended at the level of 100 × 100 m grids. Calculating detailed and differentiated social school indices with school enrollment data leads to very good results, but is much more work.

Equal and universal access?: water at mealtimes, inequalities, and the challenge for schools in poor and rural communities.

PubMed

Ramirez, Sarah M; Stafford, Randall

2013-05-01

As a result of the rising national obesity rates, public health researchers and advocates have initiated a number of obesity prevention interventions to reduce the rates of overweight and obesity along with their related medical conditions and costs. Policymakers have also initiated a wide range of environmental and policies to support healthy eating and physical activity. Policies such as California's SB1413, which requires that free drinking water be served in school cafeterias during mealtimes, and subsequently the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, assume an equal access to safe and healthy drinking water. As a result, these policies and their application may unintentionally, exacerbate the inequities already present. Unless we take reasonable steps to address the needs of high-need communities, these one-size-fits-all policy efforts may result in an unequal patchwork of disparities and may have a greater negative impact in high-need poor and rural areas.

Equal and Universal Access? Water at Mealtimes, Inequalities, and the Challenge for Schools in Poor and Rural Communities

PubMed Central

Ramirez, Sarah M.; Stafford, Randall S.

2014-01-01

As a result of the rising national obesity rates, public health researchers and advocates have initiated a number of obesity prevention interventions to reduce the rates of overweight and obesity along with their related medical conditions and costs. Policymakers have also initiated a wide range of environmental and policies to support healthy eating and physical activity. Policies such as California’s SB1413, which requires that free drinking water be served in school cafeterias during mealtimes, and subsequently the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, assume an equal access to safe and healthy drinking water. As a result, these policies and their application may unintentionally, exacerbate the inequities already present. Unless we take reasonable steps to address the needs of high-need communities, these one-size-fits-all policy efforts may result in an unequal patchwork of disparities and may have a greater negative impact in high-need poor and rural areas. PMID:23728054

Family conflict and academic performance of first-year Asian American undergraduates.

PubMed

Bahrassa, Nazneen F; Syed, Moin; Su, Jenny; Lee, Richard M

2011-10-01

This three-study investigation examined risk and protective factors for poor academic performance among Asian American first-year undergraduates. Students were surveyed prior to starting college and their GPA was collected after their first semester in college. Family conflict as a significant risk factor for poor academic performance was examined in all three studies. The results indicate that higher family conflict prior to college was related to lower first-semester college GPA, after controlling for standardized test scores and high school rank (Studies 1-3). Even though psychological distress was related to both family conflict and GPA, it did not mediate the relationship between family conflict and GPA (Studies 2 and 3). In terms of protective factors, the results indicate that life satisfaction buffered the negative effects of family conflict on first-semester college GPA (Study 3). Together, these findings support the need to take into account family variables and psychological well-being in the academic performance of Asian American students as they transition from high school to college.

School-level economic disadvantage and obesity in middle school children in central Texas, USA: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background Although children of lower socio-economic status (SES) in the United States have generally been found to be at greater risk for obesity, the SES-obesity association varies when stratified by racial/ethnic groups-with no consistent association found for African American and Hispanic children. Research on contextual and setting-related factors may provide further insights into ethnic and SES disparities in obesity. We examined whether obesity levels among central Texas 8th grade students (n=2682) vary by school-level economic disadvantage across individual-level family SES and racial/ethnicity groups. As a secondary aim, we compared the association of school-level economic disadvantage and obesity by language spoken with parents (English or Spanish) among Hispanic students. Methods Multilevel regression models stratified by family SES and ethnicity were run using cross-sectional baseline data from five school districts participating in the Central Texas CATCH Middle School project. For family SES, independent multi-level logistic regression models were run for total sample and by gender for each family SES stratum (poor/near poor/just getting by, living comfortably, and very well off), adjusting for age, ethnicity, and gender. Similarly, multi-level regression models were run by race/ethnic group (African American, Hispanic, and White), adjusting for age, family SES, and gender. Results Students attending highly economically disadvantaged (ED) schools were between 1.7 (95% CI: 1.1-2.6) and 2.4 (95% CI: 1.2-4.8) times more likely to be obese as students attending low ED schools across family SES groups (p<.05). African American (ORAdj =3.4, 95% CI: 1.1-11.4), Hispanic (ORAdj=1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.0) and White (ORAdj=3.8, 95% CI: 1.6-8.9) students attending high ED schools were more likely to be obese as counterparts at low ED schools (p<.05). Gender-stratified findings were similar to findings for total sample, although fewer results reached significance. While no obesity differences across school ED categories were found for Hispanic Spanish-speaking students, Hispanic English-speaking students (HES) attending high ED schools were 2.4 times more likely to be obese as HES students at low ED schools (p=.003). Conclusion Findings support the need to prioritize economically disadvantaged schools for obesity prevention efforts and support further exploration of school SES context in shaping children’s physical activity and dietary behaviors. PMID:26222099

Demographic and parasitic infection status of schoolchildren and sanitary conditions of schools in Sanliurfa, Turkey

PubMed Central

Ulukanligil, Mustafa; Seyrek, Adnan

2003-01-01

Background The design and development of school health programmes will require information at demographic characteristics of schoolchildren and the major health burdens of the school-age group, the opportunities for intervention and the appropriateness of the available infrastructure. This study aims to analyse demographic and parasitic infections status of schoolchildren and sanitary conditions of schools in Sanliurfa province of south-eastern Turkey. Method Three primary schools were randomly selected in the shantytown, apartment and rural districts. A total of 1820 schoolchildren between 7–14 years age were took part to the survey of whom 1120 (61.5%) were boys and 700 (38.4%) were girls. A child form (including child's name, sex, age, school grade and parasitic infections) and school survey form (including condition of water supply, condition of latrines, presence of soaps on the basins and presence of garbage piles around to the schools) were used for demographic, parasitic and sanitary surveys. Stool samples were examined by cellophane thick smear technique for the eggs of intestinal helminths. Results The demographic survey showed that number of schoolchildren was gradually decreased as their age's increase in shantytown school. The sex ratio was proportional until the second grade, after which the number of females gradually decreased in children in shantytown and rural schools while, in apartment area, schoolchildren was proportionally distributed between age groups and gender even the high-grade students. The prevalence of helminthic infections was %77.1 of the schoolchildren in shantytown, 53.2% in apartment district and 53.1% of rural area. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most prevalent species and followed by Trichuris trichiura, Hymenolepis nana and Taenia species in three schools. Sanitation survey indicated that the tap water was limited in shantytown school, toilet's sanitation was poor, available no soaps on lavatories and garbage piles were accumulated around the schools in shantytown and rural area, while, the school in apartment area was well sanitised. Conclusions These results indicated that burden of parasitic infections and poor sanitation conditions constituted public health importance among to the shantytown schoolchildren. School health programmes including deworming and sanitation activities through the health education and improvement of sanitation conditions in the schools have a potential to better health and education for schoolchildren. These programmes also offer the potential to reach significant numbers of population in the shantytown schools with high level of absenteeism. PMID:12952553

Binge drinking and associated factors among school students: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang Province, China.

PubMed

Wang, Hao; Hu, Ruying; Zhong, Jieming; Du, Huaidong; Fiona, Bragg; Wang, Meng; Yu, Min

2018-04-12

To investigate the prevalence and correlating factors of binge drinking among middle and high school students in Zhejiang Province, China. We performed a cross-sectional study using data from a school-based survey. A total of 23 543 (response rate=97.5%) eligible adolescents from 442 different schools (including middle schools, academic high schools and vocational high schools) were asked to fill in an anonymous self-administered behaviour questionnaire between April and May 2017. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the associations of sociodemographic and behavioural factors with binge drinking. The mean (SD) age of participants was 15.6 (1.7) years and 51.3% were boys. The proportions of students from middle schools, academic high schools and vocational high schools were 51.9%, 27.5% and 20.6%, respectively. In total, 22.8% (95% CI 21.6 to 23.9) of students reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days and 9.2% (95% CI 8.5 to 10.0) of students reported binge drinking (defined as drinking four or more alcoholic drinks in 1-2 hours period among girls and five or more alcoholic drinks among boys) during the past month. The prevalence of binge drinking was highest among vocational high school students (17.9% vs 6.3% and 7.7% among middle school and academic high school students, respectively). Older age, studying at high school, poor academic performance, higher levels of physical activity, excessive screen-time, loneliness, insomnia, previous suicide attempt, cigarette smoking, fighting, being bullied and sexual experience were found to be positively associated with adolescent binge drinking. Binge drinking is common among middle and high school students in Zhejiang, China. Efforts to prevent binge drinking may need to address a cluster of sociodemographic and behavioural factors. Our findings provide information to enable healthcare providers to identify students at high-risk of binge drinking and to inform planning of intervention measures for at-risk students. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Improving the Instructional Leadership of Heads of Department in Under-Resourced Schools: A Collaborative Action-Learning Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seobi, Boitshepo Audrey; Wood, Lesley

2016-01-01

An unacceptable number of learners in under-resourced schools in South Africa are failing to perform adequately in national and international benchmark tests. Poor learner performance has been linked to poor-quality teaching, which, in turn, can be attributed in part to a lack of instructional leadership at schools. According to policy, heads of…

Connect-Text: Leveraging Text-Message Communication to Mitigate Chronic Absenteeism and Improve Parental Engagement in the Earliest Years of Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smythe-Leistico, Kenneth; Page, Lindsay C.

2018-01-01

Poor school attendance in the early grades is predictive of poor subsequent educational outcomes. We report on a pilot intervention aiming to reduce chronic absenteeism in kindergarten. We designed and implemented a two-way, text-based parent-school communication system to encourage daily attendance, provide parents with personalized feedback on…

Impact of socioeconomic factors on nutritional status in primary school children.

PubMed

Babar, Nabeela Fazal; Muzaffar, Rizwana; Khan, Muhammad Athar; Imdad, Seema

2010-01-01

Child malnutrition is a major public health and development concern in most of the poor communities leading to high morbidity and mortality. Various studies have highlighted the factors involved. The present study focuses on socioeconomic inequality resulting in malnutrition. Objectives of the Study were to find the Impact of socio-economic factors on nutritional status in primary school children. It was a cross sectional survey conducted at Lahore from February to August 2005 among primary schools from public and private sectors to assess the nutritional status of primary school going children age 5-11 years belonging to different socio economic classes of the society. Systematic random sampling technique was applied to collect the sample. Body Mass Index in relation to NHANES reference population was used for assessing nutritional status. The nutritional status of children from lower socio economic class was poor as compared to their counter parts in upper socio economic class. Children with BMI < 5th percentile were 41% in lower class while in upper class it was 19.28%. Prevalence of malnutrition was 42.3% among children of illiterate mothers as compare to 20% in those of literate mothers. Poverty, low literacy rate, large families, food insecurity, food safety, women's education appears to be the important underlying factors responsible for poor health status of children from low socioeconomic class. It requires economic, political and social changes as well as changes for personal advancement mainly through educational opportunities to improve the nutritional status of the children.

The Politics of Quality Teacher Discourses: Implications for Pre-Service Teachers in High Poverty Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholes, Laura; Lampert, Jo; Burnett, Bruce; Comber, Barbara M.; Hoff, Lutz; Ferguson, Angela

2017-01-01

Improving the quality of education for young people growing up in high poverty and culturally diverse communities is an escalating problem in affluent nations with increasing gaps between the wealthy and the poor. Improving the quality of teachers and improving the quality of teaching are amongst the prominent solutions offered to redress the…

An Analysis of Misconceptions in Science Textbooks: Earth Science in England and Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Chris John Henry

2010-01-01

Surveys of the earth science content of all secondary (high school) science textbooks and related publications used in England and Wales have revealed high levels of error/misconception. The 29 science textbooks or textbook series surveyed (51 texts in all) showed poor coverage of National Curriculum earth science and contained a mean level of one…

Malaria is associated with poor school performance in an endemic area of the Brazilian Amazon

PubMed Central

Vitor-Silva, Sheila; Reyes-Lecca, Roberto C; Pinheiro, Tamam RA; Lacerda, Marcus VG

2009-01-01

Background Approximately 40% of the world's population is at risk for malaria. In highly endemic tropical areas, malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality during infancy. There is a complex interrelationship between malaria, malnutrition and intestinal helminths, and this may impair cognitive development in children. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between malaria and school performance in children living in an endemic area where Plasmodium vivax is the species responsible for most of the cases. Methods The study was conducted in the Municipality of Careiro, Amazonas, Brazil, with five to14 year-old children, studying the first eight grades of public school, during the year 2008. After an initial active case detection, during nine months of follow-up, passive malaria cases detection was instituted, through a thick blood smear performed in every child with fever. School performance was evaluated by the final notes in Mathematics and Portuguese Language. Performance was considered poor when either of the final notes in these disciplines was below the 50th percentile for the respective class and grade. Results The total number of students followed-up in the cohort was 198. Malarial attacks were reported in 70 (35.4%) of these students, with no cases of severe disease. Plasmodium vivax was detected in 69.2% of the attacks, Plasmodium falciparum in 25.5% and both species in 5.3%. In the multivariate analysis, adjusting for age, mother's education, time living in the study area and school absenteeism, presenting with at least one episode of malaria independently predicted a poor performance at school [OR = 1.91 (1.04-3.54); p = 0.039]. Conclusion Non-severe malaria compromises the school performance of children even during a nine-month follow-up, potentially contributing to the maintenance of underdevelopment in countries endemic for malaria. This is the first evidence of such impact in Latin America, where P. vivax is responsible for the majority of the cases. PMID:19835584

Chaotic homes and school achievement: a twin study

PubMed Central

Hanscombe, Ken B; Haworth, Claire MA; Davis, Oliver SP; Jaffee, Sara R; Plomin, Robert

2011-01-01

Background Chaotic homes predict poor school performance. Given that it is known that genes affect both children's experience of household chaos and their school achievement, to what extent is the relationship between high levels of noise and environmental confusion in the home, and children's school performance, mediated by heritable child effects? This is the first study to explore the genetic and environmental pathways between household chaos and academic performance. Method Children's perceptions of family chaos at ages 9 and 12 and their school performance at age 12 were assessed in more than 2,300 twin pairs. The use of child-specific measures in a multivariate genetic analysis made it possible to investigate the genetic and environmental origins of the covariation between children's experience of chaos in the home and their school achievement. Results Children's experience of family chaos and their school achievement were significantly correlated in the expected negative direction (r = −.26). As expected, shared environmental factors explained a large proportion (63%) of the association. However, genetic factors accounted for a significant proportion (37%) of the association between children's experience of household chaos and their school performance. Conclusions The association between chaotic homes and poor performance in school, previously assumed to be entirely environmental in origin, is in fact partly genetic. How children's home environment affects their academic achievement is not simply in the direction environment → child → outcome. Instead, genetic factors that influence children's experience of the disordered home environment also affect how well they do at school. The relationship between the child, their environment and their performance at school is complex: both genetic and environmental factors play a role. PMID:21675992

Impact of poor oral health on children's school attendance and performance.

PubMed

Jackson, Stephanie L; Vann, William F; Kotch, Jonathan B; Pahel, Bhavna T; Lee, Jessica Y

2011-10-01

We examined school days missed for routine dental care versus dental pain or infection to determine the relationship between children's oral health status and school attendance and performance. We used 2008 data from the North Carolina Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program. The study sample, weighted to reflect the state's population, included 2183 schoolchildren. Variables assessed included school absences and performance, oral health status, parental education, health insurance coverage, race, and gender. Children with poor oral health status were nearly 3 times more likely (odds ratio = 3.89; 95% confidence interval = 1.96, 7.75) than were their counterparts to miss school as a result of dental pain. Absences caused by pain were associated with poorer school performance (P < .05), but absences for routine care were not. Mediation analyses revealed that oral health status was associated with performance independent of absence for pain. Children with poorer oral health status were more likely to experience dental pain, miss school, and perform poorly in school. These findings suggest that improving children's oral health status may be a vehicle to enhancing their educational experience.

Impact of Poor Oral Health on Children's School Attendance and Performance

PubMed Central

Vann, William F.; Kotch, Jonathan B.; Pahel, Bhavna T.; Lee, Jessica Y.

2011-01-01

Objectives. We examined school days missed for routine dental care versus dental pain or infection to determine the relationship between children's oral health status and school attendance and performance. Methods. We used 2008 data from the North Carolina Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program. The study sample, weighted to reflect the state's population, included 2183 schoolchildren. Variables assessed included school absences and performance, oral health status, parental education, health insurance coverage, race, and gender. Results. Children with poor oral health status were nearly 3 times more likely (odds ratio = 3.89; 95% confidence interval = 1.96, 7.75) than were their counterparts to miss school as a result of dental pain. Absences caused by pain were associated with poorer school performance (P < .05), but absences for routine care were not. Mediation analyses revealed that oral health status was associated with performance independent of absence for pain. Conclusions. Children with poorer oral health status were more likely to experience dental pain, miss school, and perform poorly in school. These findings suggest that improving children's oral health status may be a vehicle to enhancing their educational experience. PMID:21330579

Peerless

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart, Reginald

2011-01-01

When Norman Francis arrived at Xavier University of Louisiana in 1948 as a first-generation college student fresh out of high school from the poor side of Lafayette, Louisiana, his drive, intelligence, discipline and winning personality quickly earned him election as freshman class president. It was the start of something big. Today, Dr. Francis…

Stella: Independence through Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danker, Cherry B.

1993-01-01

The author reminisces about her aunt Stella Bolstridge (1894-1989), who came from a large poor family in rural Maine, yet completed high school and nurses' training, served as an Army nurse in France during World War I, and became a lifelong advocate of women's education and women's rights. (SV)

Frequency of Guns in the Households of High School Seniors.

PubMed

Coker, Ann L; Bush, Heather M; Follingstad, Diane R; Brancato, Candace J

2017-03-01

In 2013, President Obama lifted the federal ban on gun violence research. The current study provides one of the first reports to estimate household gun ownership as reported by youth. In this cohort study of 3006 high school seniors from 24 schools, we examined the frequency of household guns ownership. About 65% reported having at least 1 gun in their household. White males were more likely to have a gun and to have more guns than other demographically characterized groups. After adjustment for race and sex, those of higher income, who lived in suburban or rural areas, identified as being exclusively attracted to the opposite sex, and in a romantic relationship, were more likely to have a gun in their household. Having a gun was not associated with increasing symptoms of depression or current poor physical or mental health. Whereas we cannot determine gun types or reasons for having a gun, this research indicates that high school seniors are aware of and may have access to guns for use other than their intended purpose. Household gun ownership among students at higher risk for violence may pose safety challenges for communities and schools. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Teacher-Evaluated Self-Regulation Is Related to School Achievement and Influenced by Parental Education in Schoolchildren Aged 8-12: A Case-Control Study.

PubMed

van Tetering, Marleen A J; de Groot, Renate H M; Jolles, Jelle

2018-01-01

There are major inter-individual differences in the school achievements of students aged 8-12. The determinants of these differences are not known. This paper investigates two possible factors: the self-regulation of the student and the educational levels obtained by their parents. The study first investigates whether children with high and low academic achievement differ in their self-regulation. It then evaluates whether there are differences in the self-regulation of children with high and moderate-to-low level of parental education (LPE). The focus was on the self-regulation of students as judged by their teacher. Teacher evaluations were assessed using an observer questionnaire: the Amsterdam Executive Functioning Inventory. Results showed that students with low school achievement had substantially lower teacher-perceived self-regulation than children with high school achievement. Furthermore, teacher-perceived self-regulation was lower for children with moderate-to-low LPE than for children with high LPE. The findings suggest that interventions on the domain of self-regulation skills should be developed and used, particularly in students at risk of poor school achievement.

Teacher-Evaluated Self-Regulation Is Related to School Achievement and Influenced by Parental Education in Schoolchildren Aged 8–12: A Case–Control Study

PubMed Central

van Tetering, Marleen A. J.; de Groot, Renate H. M.; Jolles, Jelle

2018-01-01

There are major inter-individual differences in the school achievements of students aged 8–12. The determinants of these differences are not known. This paper investigates two possible factors: the self-regulation of the student and the educational levels obtained by their parents. The study first investigates whether children with high and low academic achievement differ in their self-regulation. It then evaluates whether there are differences in the self-regulation of children with high and moderate-to-low level of parental education (LPE). The focus was on the self-regulation of students as judged by their teacher. Teacher evaluations were assessed using an observer questionnaire: the Amsterdam Executive Functioning Inventory. Results showed that students with low school achievement had substantially lower teacher-perceived self-regulation than children with high school achievement. Furthermore, teacher-perceived self-regulation was lower for children with moderate-to-low LPE than for children with high LPE. The findings suggest that interventions on the domain of self-regulation skills should be developed and used, particularly in students at risk of poor school achievement. PMID:29670557

Adherence to Mediterranean diet in a sample of Tuscan adolescents.

PubMed

Santomauro, Francesca; Lorini, Chiara; Tanini, Tommaso; Indiani, Laura; Lastrucci, Vieri; Comodo, Nicola; Bonaccorsi, Guglielmo

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet in a group of Italian high school students, in relation to their lifestyles and social and family contexts, and to compare the nutrition habits of the sample with other similar groups. The KIDMED index and an ad hoc questionnaire were administered to 1127 students (mean age 16.8 ± 1.6 y) in the province of Florence. Any significant associations between the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the aforementioned variables were assessed by the χ(2) test and by logistic regression analysis. The adherence to the Mediterranean diet was good in 16.5%, average in 60.5%, and poor in 23% of the students. The students attending technical high schools, those who played sports less than "almost every day", those who spent >3 h/d in sedentary activities, those who defined their school performance as worse than "more than sufficient," and those who referred to use of a car/moped as the most frequent mode of transportation, had significantly higher odds of poor rather than average or good adherence to Mediterranean diet. Moreover, being normal weight or overweight/obese, and referring to health workers as source of information on diet, seem to be protective factors against poor adherence to Mediterranean diet. Our sample presents a departure from the Mediterranean dietary pattern. It is certainly necessary to implement public health policies targeting teenagers to promote healthier lifestyle choices; the nutritional patterns of the Mediterranean diet should be among these choices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding adolescents' sleep patterns and school performance: a critical appraisal.

PubMed

Wolfson, Amy R; Carskadon, Mary A

2003-12-01

The present paper reviews and critiques studies assessing the relation between sleep patterns, sleep quality, and school performance of adolescents attending middle school, high school, and/or college. The majority of studies relied on self-report, yet the researchers approached the question with different designs and measures. Specifically, studies looked at (1) sleep/wake patterns and usual grades, (2) school start time and phase preference in relation to sleep habits and quality and academic performance, and (3) sleep patterns and classroom performance (e.g., examination grades). The findings strongly indicate that self-reported shortened total sleep time, erratic sleep/wake schedules, late bed and rise times, and poor sleep quality are negatively associated with academic performance for adolescents from middle school through the college years. Limitations of the current published studies are also discussed in detail in this review.

Effects of noise and acoustics in schools on vocal health in teachers

PubMed Central

Cutiva, Lady Catherine Cantor; Burdorf, Alex

2015-01-01

Previous studies on the influence of noise and acoustics in the classroom on voice symptoms among teachers have exclusively relied on self-reports. Since self-reported physical conditions may be biased, it is important to determine the role of objective measurements of noise and acoustics in the presence of voice symptoms. To assess the association between objectively measured and self-reported physical conditions at school with the presence of voice symptoms among teachers. In 12 public schools in Bogotá, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 682 Colombian school workers at 377 workplaces. After signed the informed consent, participants filled out a questionnaire on individual and work-related conditions and the nature and severity of voice symptoms in the past month. Short-term environmental measurements of sound levels, temperature, humidity, and reverberation time were conducted during visits at the workplaces, such as classrooms and offices. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations between work-related factors and voice symptoms. High noise levels outside schools (odds ratio [OR] = 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–2.99) and self-reported poor acoustics at the workplace (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.88–3.53) were associated with voice symptoms. We found poor agreement between the objective measurements and self-reports of physical conditions at the workplace. This study indicates that noise and acoustics may play a role in the occurrence of voice symptoms among teachers. The poor agreement between objective measurements and self-reports of physical conditions indicate that these are different entities, which argue for inclusion of physical measurements of the working environment in studies on the influence of noise and acoustics on vocal health. PMID:25599754

Effects of noise and acoustics in schools on vocal health in teachers.

PubMed

Cutiva, Lady Catherine Cantor; Burdorf, Alex

2015-01-01

Previous studies on the influence of noise and acoustics in the classroom on voice symptoms among teachers have exclusively relied on self-reports. Since self-reported physical conditions may be biased, it is important to determine the role of objective measurements of noise and acoustics in the presence of voice symptoms. To assess the association between objectively measured and self-reported physical conditions at school with the presence of voice symptoms among teachers. In 12 public schools in Bogotα, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 682 Colombian school workers at 377 workplaces. After signed the informed consent, participants filled out a questionnaire on individual and work-related conditions and the nature and severity of voice symptoms in the past month. Short-term environmental measurements of sound levels, temperature, humidity, and reverberation time were conducted during visits at the workplaces, such as classrooms and offices. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations between work-related factors and voice symptoms. High noise levels outside schools (odds ratio [OR] = 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-2.99) and self-reported poor acoustics at the workplace (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.88-3.53) were associated with voice symptoms. We found poor agreement between the objective measurements and self-reports of physical conditions at the workplace. This study indicates that noise and acoustics may play a role in the occurrence of voice symptoms among teachers. The poor agreement between objective measurements and self-reports of physical conditions indicate that these are different entities, which argue for inclusion of physical measurements of the working environment in studies on the influence of noise and acoustics on vocal health.

Improving low-performing high schools: searching for evidence of promise.

PubMed

Fleischman, Steve; Heppen, Jessica

2009-01-01

Noting that many of the nation's high schools are beset with major problems, such as low student reading and math achievement, high dropout rates, and an inadequate supply of effective teachers, Steve Fleischman and Jessica Heppen survey a range of strategies that educators have used to improve low-performing high schools. The authors begin by showing how the standards-based school reform movement, together with the No Child Left Behind Act requirement that underperforming schools adopt reforms supported by scientifically based research, spurred policy makers, educators, and researchers to create and implement a variety of approaches to attain improvement. Fleischman and Heppen then review a number of widely adopted reform models that aim to change "business as usual" in low-performing high schools. The models include comprehensive school reform programs, dual enrollment and early college high schools, smaller learning communities, specialty (for example, career) academies, charter high schools, and education management organizations. In practice, say the authors, many of these improvement efforts overlap, defying neat distinctions. Often, reforms are combined to reinforce one another. The authors explain the theories that drive the reforms, review evidence of their reforms' effectiveness to date, and suggest what it will take to make them work well. Although the reforms are promising, the authors say, few as yet have solid evidence of systematic or sustained success. In concluding, Fleischman and Heppen emphasize that the reasons for a high school's poor performance are so complex that no one reform model or approach, no matter how powerful, can turn around low-performing schools. They also stress the need for educators to implement each reform program with fidelity to its requirements and to support it for the time required for success. Looking to the future, the authors suggest steps that decision makers, researchers, and sponsors of research can take to promote evidence-based progress in education.

Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Healthy Eating and School Lunch Meals among Adolescents: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Payán, Denise D; Sloane, David C; Illum, Jacqueline; Farris, Tahirah; Lewis, LaVonna B

2017-09-01

We explored how perceived barriers and facilitators influence healthy eating and investigated the acceptability of changes to school lunch meals among adolescents after implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. We conducted 8 focus groups with adolescents (N = 64) at 3 South Los Angeles high schools. Data collection instruments included a semi-structured guide and questionnaire. Two researchers independently coded transcripts. Most participants believed fruits and vegetables were available in their community and reported high relative cost, poor quality, and lack of motivation as barriers to consumption. Many said school meals were an important source of healthy food and were aware of recent changes to the school lunch program. A primary facilitator to eating school lunches was access to fresh food items (eg, a salad bar). Perceived barriers included long cafeteria lines, time constraints, lack of variety, and limited quantities of preferred items. Adolescents viewed off-campus food establishments near the school as competition to school meals. Our findings suggest the need to measure perceived and actual barriers to healthy eating among adolescents and to examine the effect of these barriers on dietary behavior. We provide programmatic and policy recommendations.

NEIGHBORHOOD EFFECT HETEROGENEITY BY FAMILY INCOME AND DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD: EVIDENCE FROM A COUNTERFACTUAL MODEL OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

PubMed Central

Wodtke, Geoffrey T.; Elwert, Felix; Harding, David J.

2016-01-01

Effects of disadvantaged neighborhoods on child educational outcomes likely depend on a family's economic resources and the timing of neighborhood exposures during the course of child development. This study investigates how timing of exposure to disadvantaged neighborhoods during childhood versus adolescence affects high school graduation and whether these effects vary across families with different income levels. It follows 6,137 children in the PSID from childhood through adolescence and overcomes methodological problems associated with the joint endogeneity of neighborhood context and family income by adapting novel counterfactual methods—a structural nested mean model estimated via two-stage regression-with-residuals—for time-varying treatments and time-varying effect moderators. Results indicate that exposure to disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly during adolescence, has a strong negative effect on high school graduation, and that this negative effect is more severe for children from poor families. PMID:27017709

Prevalence and correlates of perceived teeth health status and oral health behavior among school-going adolescents in Cambodia

PubMed Central

Peltzer, Karl; Tepirou, Chher; Pengpid, Supa

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to investigate perceived teeth health status and oral health behavior, as well as their correlates, among adolescents in Cambodia. The analysis included 3806 Cambodian school children (mean age 15.7 years, SD=1.8 years) who took part in the “Global School-based Student Health Survey” (GSHS) in 2013. Overall, 7.8% of the students reported poor perceived teeth status, 18.0% had missed school in the past year because of a toothache, 26.7% engaged in combined oral health behavior (brushing teeth twice daily or more often = 79.8%, using fluoride toothpaste = 59.9%, and drinking soft drinks less than once a day = 53.6%), and 59.9% had never visited a dentist for a routine examination or other dental work. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, older age, being female, missing school because of a toothache, having a toothache in the past 12 months, poor oral health behavior and sedentary leisure time were associated with poor perceived teeth status. Older age, good perceived teeth status, having had a dental check-up, washing hands before eating and after toilet use, and not eating fast food were associated with a positive oral health behavior (brushing teeth twice daily or more often, using fluoride toothpaste, and drinking soft drinks less than once a day). Significant proportions of poor perceived teeth status and poor oral health behavior were found among school children in Cambodia. Various risk factors (sociodemographic, dental variables, general health risk behaviors) for perceived poor teeth status, oral health behavior and never having had a dental check-up were identified, which can be utilized for intervention programs. PMID:28008205

Bringing state-of-the-art diagnostics to vulnerable populations: The use of a mobile screening unit in active case finding for tuberculosis in Palawan, the Philippines.

PubMed

Morishita, Fukushi; Garfin, Anna Marie Celina Gonzales; Lew, Woojin; Oh, Kyung Hyun; Yadav, Rajendra-Prasad; Reston, Janeth Cuencaho; Infante, Lenie Lucio; Acala, Maria Rebethia Crueldad; Palanca, Dean Lim; Kim, Hee Jin; Nishikiori, Nobuyuki

2017-01-01

Globally, case detection of tuberculosis (TB) has stabilized in recent years. Active case finding (ACF) has regained an increased attention as a complementary strategy to fill the case detection gap. In the Philippines, the DetecTB project implemented an innovative ACF strategy that offered a one-stop diagnostic service with a mobile unit equipped with enhanced diagnostic tools including chest X-ray (CXR) and Xpert®MTB/RIF (Xpert). The project targeted the rural poor, the urban poor, prison inmates, indigenous population and high school students. This is a retrospective review of TB screening data from 25,103 individuals. A descriptive analysis was carried out to compare screening and treatment outcomes across target populations. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of TB for each population. The composition of bacteriologically-confirmed cases by smear and symptom status was further investigated. The highest yield with lowest number needed to screen (NNS) was found in prison (6.2%, NNS: 16), followed by indigenous population (2.9%, NNS: 34), the rural poor (2.2%, NNS: 45), the urban poor (2.1%, NNS: 48), and high school (0.2%, NNS: 495). The treatment success rate for all populations was high with 89.5% in rifampicin-susceptible patients and 83.3% in rifampicin-resistant patients. A relatively higher loss to follow-up rate was observed in indigenous population (7.5%) and the rural poor (6.4%). Only cough more than two weeks showed a significant association with TB diagnosis in all target populations (Adjusted Odds Ratio ranging from 1.71 to 6.73) while other symptoms and demographic factors varied in their strength of association. The urban poor had the highest proportion of smear-positive patients with cough more than two weeks (72.0%). The proportion of smear-negative (Xpert-positive) patients without cough more than two weeks was the highest in indigenous population (39.3%), followed by prison inmates (27.7%), and the rural poor (22.8%). The innovative ACF strategy using mobile unit yielded a substantial number of TB patients and achieved successful treatment outcomes. TB screening in prison, indigenous population, and urban and rural poor communities was found to be effective. The combined use of CXR and Xpert largely contributed to increased case detection.

Bringing state-of-the-art diagnostics to vulnerable populations: The use of a mobile screening unit in active case finding for tuberculosis in Palawan, the Philippines

PubMed Central

Morishita, Fukushi; Garfin, Anna Marie Celina Gonzales; Lew, Woojin; Oh, Kyung Hyun; Yadav, Rajendra-Prasad; Reston, Janeth Cuencaho; Infante, Lenie Lucio; Acala, Maria Rebethia Crueldad; Palanca, Dean Lim; Kim, Hee Jin; Nishikiori, Nobuyuki

2017-01-01

Background Globally, case detection of tuberculosis (TB) has stabilized in recent years. Active case finding (ACF) has regained an increased attention as a complementary strategy to fill the case detection gap. In the Philippines, the DetecTB project implemented an innovative ACF strategy that offered a one-stop diagnostic service with a mobile unit equipped with enhanced diagnostic tools including chest X-ray (CXR) and Xpert®MTB/RIF (Xpert). The project targeted the rural poor, the urban poor, prison inmates, indigenous population and high school students. Methods This is a retrospective review of TB screening data from 25,103 individuals. A descriptive analysis was carried out to compare screening and treatment outcomes across target populations. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of TB for each population. The composition of bacteriologically-confirmed cases by smear and symptom status was further investigated. Results The highest yield with lowest number needed to screen (NNS) was found in prison (6.2%, NNS: 16), followed by indigenous population (2.9%, NNS: 34), the rural poor (2.2%, NNS: 45), the urban poor (2.1%, NNS: 48), and high school (0.2%, NNS: 495). The treatment success rate for all populations was high with 89.5% in rifampicin-susceptible patients and 83.3% in rifampicin-resistant patients. A relatively higher loss to follow-up rate was observed in indigenous population (7.5%) and the rural poor (6.4%). Only cough more than two weeks showed a significant association with TB diagnosis in all target populations (Adjusted Odds Ratio ranging from 1.71 to 6.73) while other symptoms and demographic factors varied in their strength of association. The urban poor had the highest proportion of smear-positive patients with cough more than two weeks (72.0%). The proportion of smear-negative (Xpert-positive) patients without cough more than two weeks was the highest in indigenous population (39.3%), followed by prison inmates (27.7%), and the rural poor (22.8%). Conclusions The innovative ACF strategy using mobile unit yielded a substantial number of TB patients and achieved successful treatment outcomes. TB screening in prison, indigenous population, and urban and rural poor communities was found to be effective. The combined use of CXR and Xpert largely contributed to increased case detection. PMID:28152082

When the Elephant "Is" the Room

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Lawrence

2012-01-01

For several years now, many have been agonizing over the sorry state of American higher education--indeed, of the entire educational system. Numerous causes have been cited for this state of affairs from poor high school preparation to inadequate governmental financial aid policies to postsecondary grade inflation. The most recent culprit "du…

Improving Student Performance through Parent Involvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steventon, Candace E.

A personalized parenting program was implemented to address poor academic performance and low self-esteem of high school students. Student records, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Behavior Evaluation Scale, and teacher surveys were employed to identify and measure academic and/or self-perception growth. Parents participated in an 8-week…

How to Improve Adolescents' Sun Protection Behavior? Age and Gender Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Christine; Tzelepis, Flora; Parfitt, Nicholas; Girgis, Afaf

2008-01-01

Objective: To explore adolescents' self-reported reasons for sun protection, as adolescents as a group continue to have poor sun protection practices. Methods: Seventeen age- and gender-segregated focus groups were conducted in Australian high schools. Results: Reasons for using sun protection included personal comfort, appearance, policies, fear…

Refusing To Play the Blame Game.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dowd, JoAnne

1997-01-01

Frustrated by her ninth graders' misbehavior with a substitute teacher, a high school English teacher shelved her recriminations and engaged miscreants in a problem-solving exercise examining the incident. Establishing a protocol to talk about problems openly, without fear of retribution, made a big difference. Boys admitted to some poor choices;…

Black Student Retention at Black Colleges and Universities: Problems, Issues, and Alternatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Marvel

1986-01-01

Following both a period of rapid growth and desegregation of formerly White schools, traditionally Black colleges must compete for enrollments with better financed institutions. Expertise in teaching poorly prepared students uniquely equips Black colleges to help overcome low achievement and high attrition rates among disadvantaged, minority…

Cannabis Use and Performance in Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malhotra, Anil; Biswas, Parthasarathy

2006-01-01

Cannabis is a widely used illicit drug among adolescents, many of whom perceive little risk from cannabis. Cannabis use is associated with poor academic performance and increased school drop-outs. It is also associated with high-risk behaviors in adolescents like crime, violence, unprotected sexual encounters, and car accidents. Many of these…

Knowledge and Awareness of Tuberculosis among Pre-University Students in Trinidad.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orrett, Fitzroy A.; Shurland, Simone M.

2001-01-01

Surveyed pre-university high school students in Trinidad regarding their awareness and knowledge of tuberculosis. Results indicated that while most students had heard of tuberculosis, knowledge levels were generally poor regarding the major presenting features of tuberculosis, vaccination and treatment, and the impact of overcrowded living…

Solving America's Mathematics Education Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vigdor, Jacob L.

2012-01-01

American students test poorly in mathematics compared to those in other developed--and in some cases, less developed--countries. While we have seen some signs of improved performance in recent years, these improvements are not yet evident among high school students. And the proportion of new college graduates who majored in math-intensive subjects…

Video Educational Intervention Improves Reporting of Concussion and Symptom Recognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Tamerah N.

2015-01-01

Context: Concussion management is potentially complicated by the lack of reporting due to poor educational intervention in youth athletics. Objective: Determine if a concussion-education video developed for high school athletes will increase the reporting of concussive injuries and symptom recognition in this group. Design: Cross-sectional,…

What's Fair about Performance Pay?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solmon, Lewis C.

2004-01-01

In this era of high-stakes accountability, it is important to take steps to increase student achievement and to reduce the achievement gap between rich and poor students. The education profession now recognizes that teacher quality is the most important school-related factor affecting student achievement. Thus, it is necessary to take steps to…

Lead awareness: North Philly Style.

PubMed

Rothman, Nancy L; Lourie, Rita J; Gaughan, John

2002-05-01

Lead poisoning in children has been associated with reduced intelligence, shortened memory, slowed reaction times, poor hand-eye coordination, and antisocial behavior. The cost to society includes not only medical treatment and special education but also higher high-school drop-out rates, which are associated with crime and low earning potential.

Outcomes of Vocational Education for Women, Minorities, the Handicapped, and the Poor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Paul B.; And Others

A study investigated interrelationships between educational background and membership in "groups of special interest"--women, blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, persons of low socioeconomic status (SES), handicapped individuals, and persons with limited English proficiency. Data were from the High School and Beyond sample and the sample…

Writing Better Lab Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Rhiannon; Guarienti, Kristy; Brydon, Barbara; Robb, Jeanine; Royston, Ann; Painter, Heidi; Sutherland, Alex; Passmore, Cynthia; Smith, Martin H.

2010-01-01

As science teachers at a suburban California high school, the authors were concerned about the lab report conclusions written by their upper-level chemistry, biology, and ecology students--which were consistently of poor quality. Their work lacked inferences derived from data and support for their concluding statements. Working as part of a…

Washington Commentary: Redefining "Inexcusable"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Anne C.

2004-01-01

Many tout the "no excuses" mantra, from the Education Trust to President Bush, and the Heritage Foundation even titled its report on a group of higher-achieving, high-poverty schools No Excuses. As an antidote to decades of low expectations and substandard teaching for children from poor, often dysfunctional families and neighborhoods, the "no…

Canadian Education for the 21st Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilgour, David

1991-01-01

Observes that, although Canada enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world, children now make up its largest group of poor people. Reports that there are five million functionally illiterate Canadians, one-third of whom are high school graduates. Calls for a major overhaul of Canada's educational system. (SG)

From Down House Landlord to Brazilian High School Students: What Happened to Evolutionary Knowledge on the Way?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bizzo, Neilo Marco Vincenzo

1994-01-01

Reports results of interviews and tests carried out with students after they had been taught the topic of evolution. Different interpretations of Charles Darwin's theories are also analyzed. Results revealed that students show a poor understanding of evolutionary theories. (ZWH)

Remediation: Higher Education's Bridge to Nowhere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Complete College America, 2012

2012-01-01

The intentions were noble. It was hoped that remediation programs would be an academic bridge from poor high school preparation to college readiness. Sadly, remediation has become instead higher education's "Bridge to Nowhere." This broken remedial bridge is travelled by some 1.7 million beginning students each year, most of whom will…

Academic Performance and Lifestyle Behaviors in Australian School Children: A Cluster Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dumuid, Dorothea; Olds, Timothy; Martín-Fernández, Josep-Antoni; Lewis, Lucy K.; Cassidy, Leah; Maher, Carol

2017-01-01

Poor academic performance has been linked with particular lifestyle behaviors, such as unhealthy diet, short sleep duration, high screen time, and low physical activity. However, little is known about how lifestyle behavior patterns (or combinations of behaviors) contribute to children's academic performance. We aimed to compare academic…

Positive Reading Attitudes of Low-Income Bilingual Latinos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bussert-webb, Kathy M.; Zhang, Zhidong

2018-01-01

Many assume low-income, emergent bilingual Latinos have poor reading attitudes. To investigate this issue, we surveyed 1,503 Texas public high school students through stratified cluster sampling to determine their reading attitudes. Most represented Latinos and mixed-race Latinos/Whites who heard Spanish at home and whose mother tongue was…

Analysis of Five Junior High School Physics Textbooks Used in China for Representations of Nature of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiying; Tan, Zuyu; Shen, Jiliang; Hu, Weiping; Chen, Yinghe; Wang, Jingying

2018-04-01

Based on the analytical framework of nature of science (NOS) in junior school science textbooks, a content analysis method was adopted to analyze the NOS in junior middle school physical textbooks (grade 8) of five editions authorized by the Ministry of Education of China, and the features of NOS were analyzed and compared. It was found that all five textbooks presented poor representations of NOS. None of these five editions were scientifically objective, nor did they include discussions of scientific laws and theories. Furthermore, they rarely presented empirical evidence to support their arguments. The explicit representations of NOS were particularly inadequate.

Teaching science in a poor urban school in pakistan: Tensions in the life history of a female elementary teacher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upadhyay, Bhaskar; Calabrese Barton, Angela; Zahur, Rubina

2005-09-01

In this paper, we draw from a narrative life history approach to report in depth on the experiences of one teacher, Shagufta, in a high-poverty urban elementary school in Lahore, Pakistan. The purpose of reporting Shagufta's story is twofold. First, we want to make sense of her role as a science teacher - what should the children in her school learn in science, and why, if these children are expected by Pakistani society to leave formal education before the eighth grade? Second, what core tensions mark Shagufta's story as she has tried to craft her science teaching practice?

Academic well-being and smoking among 14- to 17-year-old schoolchildren in six European cities.

PubMed

Kinnunen, Jaana M; Lindfors, Pirjo; Rimpelä, Arja; Salmela-Aro, Katariina; Rathmann, Katharina; Perelman, Julian; Federico, Bruno; Richter, Matthias; Kunst, Anton E; Lorant, Vincent

2016-07-01

It is well established that poor academic performance is related to smoking, but the association between academic well-being and smoking is less known. We measured academic well-being by school burnout and schoolwork engagement and studied their associations with smoking among 14- to 17-year-old schoolchildren in Belgium, Germany, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal. A classroom survey (2013 SILNE survey, N = 11,015) was conducted using the Short School Burnout Inventory and the Schoolwork Engagement Inventory. Logistic regression, generalized linear mixed models, and ANOVA were used. Low schoolwork engagement and high school burnout increased the odds for daily smoking in all countries. Academic performance was correlated with school burnout and schoolwork engagement, and adjusting for it slightly decreased the odds for smoking. Adjusting for socioeconomic factors and school level had little effect. Although high school burnout and low schoolwork engagement correlate with low academic performance, they are mutually independent risk factors for smoking. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Physical Activity in Physical Education: Are Longer Lessons Better?

PubMed Central

Smith, Nicole J.; Monnat, Shannon M.; Lounsbery, Monica A.F.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to compare physical activity (PA) outcomes in a sample of high school physical education (PE) lessons from schools that adopted traditional versus modified block schedule formats. METHODS We used the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) to conduct observations of 168 high school (HS) PE lessons delivered by 22 PE teachers in 4 schools. We used t-tests and multilevel models were used to explore variability in moderate PA and vigorous PA. RESULTS PA outcomes were significantly different between modified block and traditional schools. Students who attended traditional schools engaged in more vigorous PA in PE lessons. Modified block lessons lost more scheduled lesson time due to poor transition to and from the locker room. PA outcomes were positively associated with fitness and teacher promotion of PA and negatively associated with lost time, class size, management, and knowledge. CONCLUSIONS Though PE proponents widely advocate for more PE minutes, this study showed that greater time scheduled in PE does not necessarily result in more student accrual of MVPA minutes. PMID:25611935

Floor Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

High, Jacalyn

2010-01-01

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools and universities contributes to absenteeism and reduced performance. The American Lung Association estimates that U.S. students miss more than 14 million school days a year because of asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems exacerbated by poor IAQ. Fortunately, maintenance departments in education…

Facility provision in elementary schools: Correlates with physical education, recess, and obesity

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Meenakshi; Sturm, Roland

2009-01-01

Objectives The objectives were to: (1) document correlations among facility provision (availability and adequacy) in elementary schools, child sociodemographic factors, and school characteristics nationwide; and (2) investigate whether facility provision is associated with physical education (PE) time, recess time, and obesity trajectory. Methods The analytic sample included 8935 fifth graders from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey Kindergarten Cohort. School teachers and administrators were surveyed about facility provision, PE, and recess time in April 2004. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions that accounted for the nesting of children within schools were used. Results Children from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to attend a school with worse gymnasium and playground provision. Gymnasium availability was associated with an additional 8.3 min overall and at least an additional 25 min of PE per week for schools in humid climate zones. These figures represent 10.8 and 32.5%, respectively, of the average time spent in PE. No significant findings were obtained for gymnasium and playground adequacy in relation to PE and recess time, and facility provision in relation to obesity trajectory. Conclusions Poor facility provision is a potential barrier for school physical activity programs and facility provision is lower in schools that most need them: urban, high minority, and high enrollment schools. PMID:19850074

Temporal auditory aspects in children with poor school performance and associated factors.

PubMed

Rezende, Bárbara Antunes; Lemos, Stela Maris Aguiar; Medeiros, Adriane Mesquita de

2016-01-01

To investigate the auditory temporal aspects in children with poor school performance aged 7-12 years and their association with behavioral aspects, health perception, school and health profiles, and sociodemographic factors. This is an observational, analytical, transversal study including 89 children with poor school performance aged 7-12 years enrolled in the municipal public schools of a municipality in Minas Gerais state, participants of Specialized Educational Assistance. The first stage of the study was conducted with the subjects' parents aiming to collect information on sociodemographic aspects, health profile, and educational records. In addition, the parents responded to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The second stage was conducted with the children in order to investigate their health self-perception and analyze the auditory assessment, which consisted of meatoscopy, Transient Otoacoustic Emissions, and tests that evaluated the aspects of simple auditory temporal ordering and auditory temporal resolution. Tests assessing the temporal aspects of auditory temporal processing were considered as response variables, and the explanatory variables were grouped for univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The level of significance was set at 5%. Significant statistical correlation was found between the auditory temporal aspects and the variables age, gender, presence of repetition, and health self-perception. Children with poor school performance presented changes in the auditory temporal aspects. The temporal abilities assessed suggest association with different factors such as maturational process, health self-perception, and school records.

School violence, mental health, and educational performance in Uganda.

PubMed

Devries, Karen M; Child, Jennifer C; Allen, Elizabeth; Walakira, Eddy; Parkes, Jenny; Naker, Dipak

2014-01-01

Violence against children from school staff is anecdotally common in low- and middle-income countries, but data on prevalence and associations with mental health and educational outcomes are lacking. We report data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in June and July 2012 in Luwero District, Uganda. Forty-two primary schools representing 80% of students in the district were randomly selected; 100% agreed to participate. The International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child Institutional; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; and reading, spelling, and math tests were administered. We present descriptive statistics and logistic regression models, accounting for the complex sampling scheme used in the survey. We surveyed 3706 students and 577 school staff members; 93.3% (SE 1.0%) of boys and 94.2% (SE 1.6%) of girls attending primary school reported lifetime experience of physical violence from a school staff member, and >50% reported experience in the past week. Past-week physical violence was associated with increased odds of poor mental health and, for girls, double the odds of poor educational performance (adjusted odds ratio = 1.78, 95% confidence interval = 1.19-2.66). For boys, significant interactions were present. Despite a ban on corporal punishment in Ugandan schools since 1997, the use of violence against students is widespread and associated with poor mental health and educational performance. School violence may be an important but overlooked contributor to disease burden and poor educational performance in low- and middle-income settings.

Associations between poor health and school-related behavior problems at the child and family levels: a cross-sectional study of migrant children and adolescents in southwest urban China.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing-Jing; Li, Ning-Xiu; Liu, Chao-Jie

2010-06-01

Due to urbanization in China, the numbers of migrant children and adolescents in urban environments have increased. Previous studies have indicated that children and adolescents are more likely to suffer from health problems and poor school achievement. The present study identified associations between poor health and school-related behavior problems (ie, learning attitudes and learning disabilities [LL], antisocial behavior and risk behavior [AR], and social adaptation and role function [SR]) at the child and family levels. A cross-sectional design was used. Seven hundred and eighty-one participants were recruited in inclusive settings. Correlational analysis was conducted to assess the associations between demographic variables and the primary study variables. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine which study factors were the strongest predictors of general health problems. School-aged migrants who had poorer health tended to be more likely to suffer from school-related behavior problems. Poor health was also found to hinder scholastic achievement in migrant children and adolescents through a higher prevalence of school-related behavior problems, including negative learning attitudes and learning disabilities, antisocial behavior and risk behavior, and social maladjustment. Health risk factors included inappropriate parental education methods, fewer classmates, and less social support. Health and individual risk factors should be explored further to determine their causal role in migrant children and adolescents with school-related behavior problems. These results have implications for future school health education for these students.

Perinatal brain injury, visual motor function and poor school outcome of regional low birth weight survivors at age nine.

PubMed

Zhang, Jun; Mahoney, Ashley Darcy; Pinto-Martin, Jennifer A

2013-08-01

To explore the relationship between perinatal brain injury, visual motor function (VMF) and poor school outcome. Little is known about the status and underlying mechanism of poor school outcome as experienced by low birth weight survivors. This is a secondary data analysis. The parental study recruited 1104 low birth weight (LBW) infants weighing ≤ 2000 g from three medical centres of Central New Jersey between 1984 and 1987. Seven hundred and seventy-seven infants survived the neonatal period, and their developmental outcomes had been following up regularly until now. The development data of the survivors were used to achieve the research aims. Initial school outcome assessment was carried out in 9-year-old, using the Woodcock-Johnson Academic Achievement Scale. The severity and range of perinatal brain injury was determined by repeated neonatal cranial ultrasound results obtained at 4 hours, 24 hours and 7 days of life. Seventeen and a half per cent of the sample experienced poor school performance at age 9 as defined by lower than one standard deviation (SD) of average performance score. Children with the most severe injury, PL/VE, had the lowest mathematics (F = 14·54, p = 0·000) and reading (anova results: F = 11·56, p = 0·000) performances. Visual motor function had a significant effect on children's overall school performance (Hotelling's trace value was 0·028, F = 3·414, p = 0·018), as well as subtest scores for reading (p = 0·006) and mathematics (p = 0·036). However, visual motor function was not a mediator in the association of perinatal brain injury and school outcome. Perinatal brain injury had a significant long-term effect on school outcome. Low birth weight infants with history of perinatal brain injury need be closely monitored to substantially reduce the rates of poor school outcome and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Adolescent sleep disturbance and school performance: the confounding variable of socioeconomics.

PubMed

Pagel, James F; Forister, Natalie; Kwiatkowki, Carol

2007-02-15

To assess how selected socioeconomic variables known to affect school performance alter the association between reported sleep disturbance and poor school performance in a contiguous middle school/high school population. A school district/college IRB approved questionnaire was distributed in science and health classes in middle school and high school. This questionnaire included a frequency scaled pediatric sleep disturbance questionnaire for completion by students and a permission and demographic questionnaire for completion by parents (completed questionnaires n = 238 with 69.3% including GPA). Sleep complaints occur at high frequency in this sample (sleep onset insomnia 60% > 1 x /wk.; 21.2% every night; sleepiness during the day (45.7% > 1 x /wk.; 15.2 % every night), and difficulty concentrating (54.6% > 1 x /wk.; 12.9% always). Students with lower grade point averages (GPAs) were more likely to have restless/aching legs when trying to fall asleep, difficulty concentrating during the day, snoring every night, difficulty waking in the morning, sleepiness during the day, and falling asleep in class. Lower reported GPAs were significantly associated with lower household incomes. After statistically controlling for income, restless legs, sleepiness during the day, and difficulty with concentration continued to significantly affect school performance. This study provides additional evidence indicating that sleep disturbances occur at high frequencies in adolescents and significantly affect daytime performance, as measured by GPA. The socioeconomic variable of household income also significantly affects GPA. After statistically controlling for age and household income, the number and type of sleep variables noted to significantly affect GPA are altered but persistent in demonstrating significant effects on school performance.

The Testimony of Neoliberal Contradiction in Education Choice and Privatisation in a Poor Country: The Case of a Private, Undocumented Rural Primary School in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayengo, Nathaniel; Namusoke, Jane; Dennis, Barbara

2015-01-01

With international momentum to achieve "Education for All" by 2015, global attention is being paid to those parts of the world where mass formal primary schooling is relatively new. Uganda is such a place. In the context of ethnographic fieldwork at a poor, undocumented, private primary school in rural Uganda, parents were interviewed in…

Problematic Internet Use in High School Students in Guangdong Province, China

PubMed Central

Lu, Ciyong; Wu, Jie; Deng, Xueqing; Hong, Lingyao

2011-01-01

Background Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is a growing problem in Chinese adolescents. There are many risk factors for PIU, which are found at school and at home. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of PIU and to investigate the potential risk factors for PIU among high school students in China. Methodology/Principal Findings A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 14,296 high school students were surveyed in four cities in Guangdong province. Problematic Internet Use was assessed by the 20-item Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT). Information was also collected on demographics, family and school-related factors and Internet usage patterns. Of the 14,296 students, 12,446 were Internet users. Of those, 12.2% (1,515) were identified as problematic Internet users (PIUs). Generalized mixed-model regression revealed that there was no gender difference between PIUs and non-PIUs. High study-related stress, having social friends, poor relations with teachers and students and conflictive family relationships were risk factors for PIU. Students who spent more time on-line were more likely to develop PIU. The habits of and purposes for Internet usage were diverse, influencing the susceptibility to PIU. Conclusions/Significance PIU is common among high school students, and risk factors are found at home and at school. Teachers and parents should pay close attention to these risk factors. Effective measures are needed to prevent the spread of this problem. PMID:21573073

Urban Town and Gown: Increasing Minority Participation in the Geosciences Through a College-High School Partnership in Hartford, CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

OConnell, S.; OConnell, S.; OConnell, S.; Osborn, J. L.; Osborn, J. L.

2001-12-01

Urban public schools are often poor and have a tremendous need for educational assistance. In many cities the population is dominated by ethnic minorities. Hartford, CT, is one of these cities. Only about 50% of the students entering high school graduate and approximately 50% of those go on to higher education. Of those students taking the SAT's the average verbal and math scores are below 400. Despite these statistics, many students do succeed and therein lies an opportunity for earth scientists. As individuals and as institutions we can partner with schools and students to involve them in and excite them about the earth sciences. In 1995 Trinity College, located in Hartford, CT, undertook a \\$175 m.d. neighborhood revitalization project with funds from the college, neighboring institutions, foundations, and city, state and federal governments. Central to the revitalization is the "Learning Corridor," an educational complex that includes a magnet Montessori School, a Math and Science Middle School, and a Math and Science Magnet High School (GHAMAS). GHAMAS has a three-fold mission: teaching math and science to high school students, professional development for all math and science teachers from participating school districts, and community outreach. The Learning Corridor is adjacent to the Trinity College campus and Trinity faculty work with GHAMAS faculty to fulfill all three missions. Trinity faculty teach several high school classes. During the summer 3 Trinity and 1 GHAMAS faculty participated as a group in a week long-long NSF-sponsored Environmental Science workshop. This fall over ten teacher workshops were co-taught by Trinity and GHAMAS faculty. Recent NSF funding will allow us to develop a collaborative education and research program focused on the Connecticut River.

Profile of subjective quality of life and its correlates in a nation-wide sample of high school students in an Arab setting using the WHOQOL-Bref

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The upsurge of interest in the quality of life (QOL) of children is in line with the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stressed the child's right to adequate circumstances for physical, mental, and social development. The study's objectives were to: (i) highlight how satisfied Kuwaiti high school students were with life circumstances as in the WHOQOL-Bref; (ii) assess the prevalence of at risk status for impaired QOL and establish the QOL domain normative values; and (iii) examine the relationship of QOL with personal, parental, and socio-environmental factors. Method A nation-wide sample of students in senior classes in government high schools (N = 4467, 48.6% boys; aged 14-23 years) completed questionnaires that included the WHOQOL-Bref. Results Using Cummins' norm of 70% - 80%, we found that, as a group, they barely achieved the well-being threshold score for physical health (70%), social relations (72.8%), environment (70.8%) and general facet (70.2%), but not for psychological health (61.9%). These scores were lower than those reported from other countries. Using the recommended cut-off of <1SD of population mean, the prevalence of at risk status for impaired QOL was 12.9% - 18.8% (population age-adjusted: 15.9% - 21.1%). In all domains, boys had significantly higher QOL than girls, mediated by anxiety/depression; while the younger ones had significantly higher QOL (p < 0.001), mediated by difficulty with studies and social relations. Although poorer QOL was significantly associated with parental divorce and father's low socio-economic status, the most important predictors of poorer QOL were perception of poor emotional relationship between the parents, poor self-esteem and difficulty with studies. Conclusion Poorer QOL seemed to reflect a circumstance of social disadvantage and poor psychosocial well-being in which girls fared worse than boys. The findings indicate that programs that address parental harmony and school programs that promote study-friendly atmospheres could help to improve psychosocial well-being. The application of QOL as a school population health measure may facilitate risk assessment and the tracking of health status. PMID:21518447

Educational attainment in poor comprehenders

PubMed Central

Ricketts, Jessie; Sperring, Rachael; Nation, Kate

2014-01-01

To date, only one study has investigated educational attainment in poor (reading) comprehenders, providing evidence of poor performance on national UK school tests at age 11 years relative to peers (Cain and Oakhill, 2006). In the present study, we adopted a longitudinal approach, tracking attainment on such tests from 11 years to the end of compulsory schooling in the UK (age 16 years). We aimed to investigate the proposal that educational weaknesses (defined as poor performance on national assessments) might become more pronounced over time, as the curriculum places increasing demands on reading comprehension. Participants comprised 15 poor comprehenders and 15 controls; groups were matched for chronological age, nonverbal reasoning ability and decoding skill. Children were identified at age 9 years using standardized measures of nonverbal reasoning, decoding and reading comprehension. These measures, along with a measure of oral vocabulary knowledge, were repeated at age 11 years. Data on educational attainment were collected from all participants (n = 30) at age 11 and from a subgroup (n = 21) at 16 years. Compared to controls, educational attainment in poor comprehenders was lower at ages 11 and 16 years, an effect that was significant at 11 years. When poor comprehenders were compared to national performance levels, they showed significantly lower performance at both time points. Low educational attainment was not evident for all poor comprehenders. Nonetheless, our findings point to a link between reading comprehension difficulties in mid to late childhood and poor educational outcomes at ages 11 and 16 years. At these ages, pupils in the UK are making key transitions: they move from primary to secondary schools at 11, and out of compulsory schooling at 16. PMID:24904464

Prevalence and factors associated with poor sleep quality among secondary school teachers in a developing country.

PubMed

Musa, Nor Asma; Moy, Foong Ming; Wong, Li Ping

2018-05-31

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with poor sleep quality among secondary school teachers in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. This was a cross sectional study, conducted in two phases. Phase I tested the reliability of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in the Malay language (M-PSQI), whereas Phase II determined the prevalence and factors associated with poor sleep quality where a total of 1871 secondary school teachers were studied. Participants were recruited using multistage sampling. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic and teaching characteristics, comorbidities and characteristics of sleep. The M-PSQI was used to measure sleep quality. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 was used to measure mental health status. Results showed that the M-PSQI had a good internal consistency and moderate reliability. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 61 (95% CI: 54-67) %. Total teaching hours/day, depression and stress were significantly associated with poor sleep quality in the univariate analysis, while only stress (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.05%) remained significant in the multivariate analyses. In conclusion, stress level of the secondary school teachers should be reduced to improve sleep quality.

Youth Unemployment and Mental Health: Some Dutch Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaufeli, Wilmar B.

1997-01-01

Investigated the causation hypothesis (unemployment leads to poor mental health), and the selection hypothesis (poor mental health reduces employment) in a longitudinal study of 635 college graduates and 767 school leavers. Results confirmed the causation hypothesis for school-leavers but not college graduates. Employment and further education…

Sleep problems are associated with poor outcomes in remedial teaching programmes: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Blunden, Sarah L; Chervin, Ron D

2008-05-01

Problematic behaviour and deficient academic performance have been reported in children with sleep problems, but whether sleep problems are common among children presenting with primary behavioural and performance concerns in remedial programmes is not well studied. We studied this possibility in 80 Australian school children aged 6-15 years and then compared 15 of these children from mainstream schools to 15 demographically matched children in specialist behavioural programmes for problematic behaviour and academic difficulties. Parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist and the Sleep Disorders Scale for Children. Questionnaires assessed behaviour, academic performance and symptoms of diverse sleep disorders, expressed as T-scores (mean (SD) = 50 (10)). Teachers rated students' academic performance (A, B, C, D, E). When compared with the 15 controls, the 15 index children had significantly more sleep problems, in addition to parental concerns about school performance. In the total sample (n = 80), poor sleep including symptoms of daytime sleepiness, parasomnias, behavioural sleep problems and combined sleep problems was associated with poor academic performance and daytime behavioural issues. This preliminary study suggests that children in remedial school programmes may have poor sleep compared with those in mainstream schools. Sleep problems were associated with problematic behaviour and poor academic performance. If sleep disturbances worsen daytime behaviour, then diagnosis and treatment of underlying sleep disorders could offer a novel therapeutic opportunity.

Adolescent cannabis use, change in neurocognitive function, and high-school graduation: A longitudinal study from early adolescence to young adulthood.

PubMed

Castellanos-Ryan, Natalie; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Parent, Sophie; Vitaro, Frank; Tremblay, Richard E; Séguin, Jean R

2017-10-01

The main objective of this prospective longitudinal study was to investigate bidirectional associations between adolescent cannabis use (CU) and neurocognitive performance in a community sample of 294 young men from ages 13 to 20 years. The results showed that in early adolescence, and prior to initiation to CU, poor short-term and working memory, but high verbal IQ, were associated with earlier age of onset of CU. In turn, age of CU onset and CU frequency across adolescence were associated with (a) specific neurocognitive decline in verbal IQ and executive function tasks tapping trial and error learning and reward processing by early adulthood and (b) lower rates of high-school graduation. The association between CU onset and change in neurocognitive function, however, was found to be accounted for by CU frequency. Whereas the link between CU frequency across adolescence and change in verbal IQ was explained (mediated) by high school graduation, the link between CU frequency and tasks tapping trial and error learning were independent from high school graduation, concurrent cannabis and other substance use, adolescent alcohol use, and externalizing behaviors. Findings support prevention efforts aimed at delaying onset and reducing frequency of CU.

Dermatophyte infections in primary school children in Kibera slums of Nairobi.

PubMed

Chepchirchir, A; Bii, C; Ndinya-Achola, J O

2009-02-01

To determine the prevalence and aetiology of dermatophyte infections in relation to social economic factors in primary school children in Kibera. A cross-sectional descriptive study. City council sponsored schools namely Olympic, Kibera, Ayany and Mbagathi way all in Kibera, the largest of the informal settlement within Nairobi which is home to between 700,000-1,000,000 inhabitamts. The study was conducted between September 2006 and February 2007. A total of 422 primary school children from the ages of five years to 15 years were selected for the study. The prevalence of dermatophytoses was 11.2% with tinea capitis being the most common type while the grey patch form being the dominant clinical manifestation. There was a significant difference (p = 0.001) in dermatophytoses in different schools with Olympic primary school registering the highest prevalence (22.6%). The highest infection rate occurred among six to eight years age bracket in both sexes compared to other age brackets (p = 0.002). The genera of fungi associated with dermatophytoses were isolated indicating the number in each species as follows; T. violecium (35), T. mentagrophytes(3), T. terestre(3), T. schoenleinii(2), and T. interdigitale(1), M. canis(2), M. equinum(1) and E. flocossum(1). T. violecium was the predominant species isolated, at 35/48 (71%) followed by T. mentagrophytes and T. terrestre at 3/48 (6%) each. The study indicates high prevalence of 11.2% dermatophyte infection among the school children in Kibera. Factors contributing to the high frequency and chronic occurrences of ring worm in this area may include poor living environment, children interaction patterns and poor health seeking behaviour. There is need for health education and public awareness campaigns among the communities in urban informal settlements on healthy seeking behaviors and hygiene in order to reduce transmission and severe clinical manifestations.

Breakfast, midday meals and academic achievement in rural primary schools in Uganda: implications for education and school health policy

PubMed Central

Acham, Hedwig; Kikafunda, Joyce K.; Malde, Marian K.; Oldewage-Theron, Wilna H.; Egal, AbdulKadir A.

2012-01-01

Background Underachievement in schools is a global problem and is especially prevalent in developing countries. Indicators of educational performance show that Uganda has done remarkably well on education access-related targets since the introduction of universal primary education in 1997. However, educational outcomes remain disappointing. The absence of school feeding schemes, one of the leading causes of scholastic underachievement, has not been given attention by the Ugandan authorities. Instead, as a national policy, parents are expected to provide meals even though many, especially in the rural areas, cannot afford to provide even the minimal daily bowl of maize porridge. Objective To assess and demonstrate the effect of breakfast and midday meal consumption on academic achievement of schoolchildren. Design, Materials and Methods We assessed household characteristics, feeding patterns and academic achievement of 645 schoolchildren (aged 9–15 years) in Kumi district, eastern Uganda, in 2006–2007, using a modified cluster sampling design which involved only grade 1 schools (34 in total) and pupils of grade four. Household questionnaires and school records were used to collect information on socio-demographic factors, feeding patterns and school attendance. Academic achievement was assessed using unstandardized techniques, specifically designed for this study. Results Underachievement (the proportion below a score of 120.0 points) was high (68.4%); in addition, significantly higher achievement and better feeding patterns were observed among children from the less poor households (p<0.05). Achievement was significantly associated with consumption of breakfast and a midday meal, particularly for boys (p<0.05), and a greater likelihood of scoring well was observed for better nourished children (all OR values>1.0). Conclusion We observed that underachievement was relatively high; inadequate patterns of meal consumption, particularly for the most poor, significantly higher scores among children from ‘less poor’ households and a significant association between academic achievement and breakfast and midday meal consumption. PMID:22347147

Sugar-sweetened beverages in Pacific Island countries and territories: problems and solutions?

PubMed

Snowdon, W

2014-03-01

Non-communicable diseases are a major problem in the Pacific Islands, with poor diets an important contributing factor. Available data suggests high levels of intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) across the region, and particularly in adolescents. Due to concerns about the risks to health of high intakes, efforts have been made across the region to reduce the intake of SSBs. French Polynesia, Nauru, Cook Islands, Tonga and Fiji have implemented sales or excise taxes on SSBs to increase the price to the consumer. Many countries in the region have adopted school food policies which intend to limit or ban access to SSBs in schools. Guam also adopted legislation to ensure that healthier foods and beverages were available in all vending machines in schools. Efforts to control advertising and sponsorship of SSBs have been limited to-date in the region, although some school food policies do restrict advertising and sponsorship in schools, school grounds and school vehicles. Efforts around education and awareness raising have shown mixed success in terms of changing behaviour. Greater attention is needed to evaluate the impact of these measures to ensure that actions are effective, and to increase the evidence regionally of the most effective approaches to tackle SSBs.

Factors that contribute to Hispanic English Language Learners' high academic performance in high school science in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas: A multicase study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elizondo, Antonio

The purpose of this multicase study was to discover factors that contribute to Hispanic English language learners' (ELL) high academic performance in high school science in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Participants were high school seniors enrolled in college-level classes who had scored commended on the science exit-level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and ranked toward the top of their class. One student from each of four different high schools in south Texas were selected to participate. Schools identified students meeting the participant criteria and provided consent documents. In this qualitative research study, students were interviewed on three different dates. Administrators and science teachers were also interviewed for triangulation. Significant findings showed that intrinsic qualities were mainly responsible for factors contributing to high academic performance. Hispanic ELL students need meaningful responsibilities to internalize self-esteem and self-efficacy to realize high academic performance. Self-motivation, a contributing factor, provides students with a positive outlook on high academic performance and the ability to defer more immediate undermining rewards. Students expect to contribute to society by helping others. This helps their self-esteem as well as their self-worth and supports high academic performance. Parental and teacher support are critical for high academic performance. Low socioeconomic status alone is not a causal factor for poor academic performance. School administrations should assign willing and enthusiastic teachers as mentors to target students and provide skills to parents that promote, inspire, and motivate students' intrinsic qualities. Future studies should examine different leadership styles that maximize teachers' ability to influence students' high academic performance. Finally, students should be given guidance in setting career goals and demonstrating that high academic achievement is attainable and beneficial for all students.

Poor, Rural Neighborhoods and Early School Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bickel, Robert; Smith, Cynthia; Eagle, Teresa Hardman

A study sought to identify the existence of neighborhood effects on school achievement that are independent of social class and family background among students from poor, rural neighborhoods. Ethnographic material yielded a concept of rural West Virginia neighborhoods in which residents expect their encounters to be friendly, informal, almost…

Leadership Development: A Lever for System-Wide Educational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naicker, Suraiya R.; Mestry, Raj

2016-01-01

The continuous poor performance of South Africa's learners is detrimental to its developing economy. The need for education change prompted two universities to initiate a system-wide change strategy in a poorly performing school district. The leverage for change was leadership development, involving school principals and district officials. The…

Principals' Perceptions of Barriers to Dismissal of Poor-Performing Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dandoy, Jason R.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine which factors influence items that school principals consider "barriers" to dismissal of "incompetent" or "poor performing" teachers. This study determines if specific characteristics of schools, principals, or a combination of the two can predict the specific barriers cited…

Mathematics Anxiety in the Navajo Reservation School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadfield, Oakley D.; And Others

Of the many factors that have been proposed as a rationale for poor mathematics conceptualization by American Indians, cultural factors remain the most popular when explanations are submitted. Additionally, the accepted fault for poor achievement is focused upon mathematics anxiety. A study of American Indian school mathematics achievement and…

Principals' Informal Methods for Appraising Poor-Performing Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yariv, Eliezer

2009-01-01

Teacher appraisal is never an easy task, especially of teachers experiencing difficulties and failures. Nevertheless it is a requirement for good management, in our schools no less than our corporations. Forty elementary school principals in Israel described the informal methods they use to appraise teachers who are performing poorly. Most…

Public Schools and the Common Good.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese, William J.

1988-01-01

Improving public school education, especially for the poor, requires defining and articulating some vision of the common good. This article reviews key positions taken by liberals and conservatives regarding educational reform during the 19th and 20th centuries and critiques these positions with regard to their disservice to the poor. (IAH)

Relationships among mental health status, social context, and demographic characteristics in Taiwanese aboriginal adolescents: a structural equation model.

PubMed

Yen, Cheng-Fang; Hsu, Chia-Chuang; Liu, Shu-Chun; Huang, Chi-Fen; Ko, Chih-Hung; Yen, Ju-Yu; Cheng, Chung-Ping

2006-10-01

The purposes of this study were to examine the relationships among mental health status, demographic characteristics, and social contexts, including family conflict and support, connectedness to school, and affiliation with peers who exhibit delinquent behavior and who use substances, among Taiwanese aboriginal adolescents. A total of 251 aboriginal junior high school students in an isolated mountainous area of southern Taiwan were recruited, and the relationships among mental health status, demographic characteristics, and social contexts among them were examined using a structural equation model (SEM). The SEM revealed that family conflict and support had direct influences on mental health status and connectedness to school. Family conflict had a direct relationship with affiliation with peers who use substances, and family conflict and support were both indirectly linked with affiliation with peers who exhibit delinquent behavior and who used substances; these were mediated by a poor mental health status. Female and older age were directly linked with a poor mental health status and were indirectly linked with a greater number of peers who exhibit delinquent behavior and who use substances via the poor mental health status. Disruptive parenting was directly linked with affiliation with peers who use substances. The authors suggest that those who devise strategies to improve aboriginal adolescents' mental health and discourage substance use should take these relationships among mental health, demographic characteristics, and social contexts into account.

Frequency of Guns in the Households of High School Seniors*

PubMed Central

Coker, Ann L.; Bush, Heather M.; Follingstad, Diane R.; Brancato, Candace J.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND In 2013, President Obama lifted the federal ban on gun violence research. The current study provides one of the first reports to estimate household gun ownership as reported by youth. METHODS In this cohort study of 3006 high school seniors from 24 schools, we examined the frequency of household guns ownership. RESULTS About 65% reported having at least 1 gun in their household. White males were more likely to have a gun and to have more guns than other demographically characterized groups. After adjustment for race and sex, those of higher income, who lived in suburban or rural areas, identified as being exclusively attracted to the opposite sex, and in a romantic relationship, were more likely to have a gun in their household. Having a gun was not associated with increasing symptoms of depression or current poor physical or mental health. CONCLUSIONS Whereas we cannot determine gun types or reasons for having a gun, this research indicates that high school seniors are aware of and may have access to guns for use other than their intended purpose. Household gun ownership among students at higher risk for violence may pose safety challenges for communities and schools. PMID:28147456

School-wide implementation of the elements of effective classroom instruction: Lessons from a high-performing, high-poverty urban school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyson, Hilarie

2008-10-01

The purpose of the study was to identify structures and systems implemented in a high-performing high-poverty urban school to promote high academic achievement among students of color. The researcher used a sociocultural theoretical framework to examine the influence of culture on the structures and systems that increased performance by African American and Hispanic students. Four research questions guided the study: (1) What are the trends and patterns of student performance among students of color? (2) What are the organizational structures and systems that are perceived to contribute to high student performance in high-poverty urban schools with high concentrations of students of color? (3) How are the organizational structures and systems implemented to support school-wide effective classroom instruction that promotes student learning? (4) How is the construct of race reflected in the school's structures and systems? Qualitative data were collected through interviews, observations, and artifact collection. A single case study method was employed and collected data were triangulated to capture and explore the rich details of the study. The study focused on a high-performing high-poverty urban elementary school located in southern California. The school population consisted of 99% students of color and 93% were economically disadvantaged. The school was selected for making significant and consistent growth in Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress over a 3-year period. The school-wide structures and systems studied were (a) leadership, (b) school climate and culture, (c) standards-based instruction, (d) data-driven decision making, and (e) professional development. Four common themes emerged from the findings: (a) instructional leadership that focused on teaching and learning; (b) high expectations for all students; (c) school-wide focus on student achievement using standards, data, and culturally responsive teaching; and (d) positive relationships and interactions among students, teachers, parents, and community. Suggestion for future research include a deep examination of how and why culturally relevant pedagogy supports students of color, research on leadership and its impact on creating a positive school climate and culture to produce high student achievement by students of color, and the impact of early education programs on student achievement among poor students and students of color.

Math Anxiety and How It Affects High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murr, Kathleen A.

2001-01-01

Studies the role that math anxiety played in the poor performance of students, what promoted such feelings, and what teachers can do to lessen this anxiety. Students and adults sense the urgency to understand the mathematical material, and that urgency often leads to anxiety when they cannot arrive at a solution. (ASK)

Efficacy of an Internet-Based Intervention Targeted to Adolescents with Subthreshold Depression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makarushka, Marta Maria

2011-01-01

Depression during adolescence is highly prevalent with as many as 20% experiencing a major depressive episode by the age of 18. Adolescent depression causes significant impairment across life areas including school functioning, such as poor academic performance and decreased academic achievement. Despite the existence of many evidence-based…

Costs of California Multiple Pathway Programs. Policy Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsi, Ace; Plank, David; Stern, David

2010-01-01

There is widespread agreement that many of California's high schools are doing a poor job of preparing their students for college and careers. The James Irvine Foundation is sponsoring a major initiative to develop "Multiple Pathways"--now called the Linked Learning approach--as a strategy for improving the performance of California high…

Relation between Students' Involvement and Teacher Management Strategies in French "Difficult" Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vors, Olivier; Gal-Petitfaux, Nathalie

2015-01-01

Background: Since 2010, French secondary schools with a high proportion of students in academic difficulty benefit from a compensatory education policy called "Ecoles Colleges et Lycees pour l'Ambition, l'Innovation et la Reussite" (ECLAIR). These students tend to behave poorly and frequently disengage from learning tasks, and thus one…

Witnesses to Political Violence in Guatemala. Facts for Action #5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchant, Fred; Wunder, Haleh

The sources of political violence against Guatemala's rural poor are traced in this document for high school global education classes. The paper summarizes "Witness to Political Violence in Guatemala: The Suppression of a Rural Development Movement" (Oxfam America's Impact Audit No. 2). The study was based on 115 respondents, both…

Brain Stretchers, Book 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Carolyn; Haller, Jackie

This collection of activities is designed to help students develop critical thinking skills. The activities are non-graded and can be used from upper elementary to high school. Reading levels vary from no reading required to very little reading required and can be used effectively with students who are poor readers, bilingual, or at a special…

Brain Stretchers, Book 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Carolyn; Haller, Jackie

This collection of activities is designed to help students develop critical thinking skills. The activities are non-graded and can be used from upper elementary to high school. The reading levels vary from no reading required to very little reading required and can be used effectively with students who are poor readers, bilingual, or at a special…

English Learners with Disabilities in High School: Population Characteristics, Transition Programs, and Postschool Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trainor, Audrey; Murray, Angela; Kim, Hye-Jung

2016-01-01

Little is known about the characteristics, transition education, and postschool outcomes of English learners with disabilities (ELSWDs), despite that English learners are a rapidly growing group of U.S. students with consistently poor outcomes. This study examines a nationally representative sample of ELSWDs through a secondary analysis of the…

Increasing Conceptual Understanding of Glycolysis & the Krebs Cycle Using Role-Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Pauline M.; Tronson, Deidre A.; Ritchie, Raymond J.

2008-01-01

Cellular respiration and metabolism are topics that are reportedly poorly understood by students and judged to be difficult by many teachers. Although these topics may not be required learning areas in some high school biology curricula, a grasp of fundamental concepts of cellular metabolic processes is advantageous for students undertaking (or…

Substance Use and Fighting among Male and Female High School Youths: A Brief Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noffsinger, Sandra; Clements-Nolle, Kristen; Bacon, Robinette; Lee, William; Albers, Eric; Yang, Wei

2012-01-01

While previous studies have investigated the relationship between substance use and violent behaviors among youths, the individual influence of specific drugs among males and females is poorly understood. Using the Nevada 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) Survey (N = 1,556), weighted logistic regression was used to assess the…

Urban Teachers' Perceptions of Critical Variables in Measuring Teacher Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, JuanPablo

2013-01-01

This quantitative and qualitative study sought to examine the factors that teachers in a poor socio-economic, high-minority, urban, inner-city school district determined were important when gauging their effectiveness in the classroom. The study focused on the selection of specific factors by approximately seventy-five teachers from seven of eight…

The Arms Race and World Hunger. Facts for Action #4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Jim

Designed for high school global education classes, this document examines ways in which the arms race affects the poor. Military expenditures and foreign economic aid of the developed nations are compared with survival needs of developing nations. Statistics support five premises: the arms race (1) diverts resources from productive activity and…

The Latino Experience in Central Falls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, William R.

2011-01-01

Central Falls is, by far, the poorest community in Rhode Island. More than 40 percent of the children under 18 live in poverty, and 40 percent of that group live in severe poverty. At Central Falls High School, low-income Latino students have fallen behind their white counterparts, with shockingly low graduation, poor literacy, and low…

THE ARTICULATION OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WOLOSHIN, DAVID J.

ARTICULATION PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY A 3-YEAR STUDY OF STUDENTS WHO HAD BEGUN THEIR LANGUAGE STUDY IN AN ARIZONA HIGH SCHOOL AND CONTINUED THE STUDY OF THE SAME LANGUAGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA. PROBLEMS INCLUDE AN ADMINISTRATION POLICY WHICH PERMITS MOST UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO REPEAT LANGUAGE STUDY AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION, POOR HIGH…

Language Programs at Villababel High: Rethinking Ideologies of Social Inclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mijares, Laura; Relano Pastor, Ana M.

2011-01-01

This article explores language ideologies underlying two language programs implemented in one secondary school in Madrid (Spain). The Spanish for newcomers immersion program ("Aula de Enlace") is aimed at immigrant origin students who do not know or have a poor command of Spanish; and the Spanish-English bilingual program targets…

Explaining Relative Incomes of Low-Income Families in U.S. Cities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackley, Paul R.

1988-01-01

Uses an interurban analysis model to assess the position of lower income families. Identifies factors determining the relative incomes of the poor through use of a supply and demand model of aggregate income inequality. Found high school graduation a significant factor in income inequality. Implications for policy are discussed. (KO)

Extracurricular Activity Participation in High School: Mechanisms Linking Participation to Math Achievement and 4-Year College Attendance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, David S.

2016-01-01

Extracurricular activity participation (EAP) has been positively linked with increased academic achievement and college attendance. However, the mechanisms linking EAP to educational outcomes are poorly understood. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS), this study contributes to our understanding of the relationship between EAP and…

Teaching the Movement: The State Standards We Deserve

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shuster, Kate

2012-01-01

The September 2011 report, "Teaching the Movement: The State of Civil Rights Education in the United States 2011," was prompted by the news that American high school seniors knew little about the civil rights movement. Knowing that low expectations often contribute to poor student achievement, the report took a close look at the content…

Intervention for High School Latino Students in Preparing for College: Steps for Consideration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Eric; Rhodes, Kent; Aguirre, Geoffrey

2015-01-01

Several factors contribute to a disproportionately lower Latino participation in college education. Foremost among those factors are policies that encourage quick job placement over career development, lack of understanding of the benefits of a college degree, lower expectations for Latino students, poor financial planning, and lack of guidance. A…

NCLB Commission Starts Gathering Testimony

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Linda

2006-01-01

Having all the nation's teachers meet the definition of being "highly qualified" is an admirable goal, but the No Child Left Behind Act's current teacher-quality provisions make it hard to retain well-trained teachers, especially in schools serving poor and minority children, witnesses said the week of April 10, 2006 in California at the…

How Does the Implementation of Discipline-Based Service-Learning Impact High-School and College Students?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Michael G.

2012-01-01

Undergraduate science and engineering institutions are currently attempting to improve recruiting practices and to retain engineering majors by addressing what many studies document as the major challenges of poor instruction. Service is described as experimental learning through the integration of traditional classroom teaching with structured…

The Efficacy of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) in Mathematics Instruction on English Language Learner Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidot, Jose L.

2011-01-01

Studies by the National Association for Educational Progress found that English Language Learner (ELL) students perform poorly compared to other students on standardized mathematics exams. The research problem addressed how Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) affected the instructional practices of high school mathematics teachers.…

New Economy Manufacturing Meets Old Economy Education Policies in the Rural South.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGranahan, David A.

2001-01-01

Despite growth in the service sector, manufacturing remains a vital part of the rural South's economic base and is related to lower poverty rates. However, manufacturing is changing, adopting new technologies and management practices, and seeking more highly skilled labor. Poor rural schools, an unskilled workforce, and absence of community…

Culturally Responsive Social Skills Instruction for Adolescent Black Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson-Ervin, Porsha; Cartledge, Gwendolyn; Keyes, Starr

2011-01-01

The cultural disconnect between black males and the school environment has been correlated with poor academic achievement and high discipline rates for Black males. Instructional strategies that draw upon the learner?s cultural background hold promise as one means for intervention. This paper addresses the social skills needs of black adolescent…

Designing Targeted Educational Voucher Schemes for the Poor in Developing Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafiq, M. Najeeb

2010-02-01

A targeted educational voucher scheme (TEVS) is often proposed for the poor in developing countries. Essentially, TEVS involves issuing vouchers to poor households, thus enabling them to pay tuition and fees for their children's schooling at participating non-public schools. However, little is known about TEVS' design in developing countries. This article provides the foundation for constructing a TEVS and conducting subsequent scientific evaluations to support, modify or oppose such a system. Specifically, this article uses three policy instruments to design a TEVS: regulation, support services and finance. Regulation here refers to the rules that must be adhered to by participating households, children and schools. Support services refer to services facilitating the participation of children, households, schools, and financial and political supporters. Finance refers to the value of each voucher, total TEVS costs and sources of finance.

Children's well-being at schools: Impact of climatic conditions and air pollution.

PubMed

Salthammer, Tunga; Uhde, Erik; Schripp, Tobias; Schieweck, Alexandra; Morawska, Lidia; Mazaheri, Mandana; Clifford, Sam; He, Congrong; Buonanno, Giorgio; Querol, Xavier; Viana, Mar; Kumar, Prashant

2016-09-01

Human civilization is currently facing two particular challenges: population growth with a strong trend towards urbanization and climate change. The latter is now no longer seriously questioned. The primary concern is to limit anthropogenic climate change and to adapt our societies to its effects. Schools are a key part of the structure of our societies. If future generations are to take control of the manifold global problems, we have to offer our children the best possible infrastructure for their education: not only in terms of the didactic concepts, but also with regard to the climatic conditions in the school environment. Between the ages of 6 and 19, children spend up to 8h a day in classrooms. The conditions are, however, often inacceptable and regardless of the geographic situation, all the current studies report similar problems: classrooms being too small for the high number of school children, poor ventilation concepts, considerable outdoor air pollution and strong sources of indoor air pollution. There have been discussions about a beneficial and healthy air quality in classrooms for many years now and in recent years extensive studies have been carried out worldwide. The problems have been clearly outlined on a scientific level and there are prudent and feasible concepts to improve the situation. The growing number of publications also highlights the importance of this subject. High carbon dioxide concentrations in classrooms, which indicate poor ventilation conditions, and the increasing particle matter in urban outdoor air have, in particular, been identified as primary causes of poor indoor air quality in schools. Despite this, the conditions in most schools continue to be in need of improvement. There are many reasons for this. In some cases, the local administrative bodies do not have the budgets required to address such concerns, in other cases regulations and laws stand in contradiction to the demands for better indoor air quality, and sometimes the problems are simply ignored. This review summarizes the current results and knowledge gained from the scientific literature on air quality in classrooms. Possible scenarios for the future are discussed and guideline values proposed which can serve to help authorities, government organizations and commissions improve the situation on a global level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Replication of a whole school ethos-changing intervention: different context, similar effects, additional insights.

PubMed

Hawe, Penelope; Bond, Lyndal; Ghali, Laura M; Perry, Rosemary; Davison, Colleen M; Casey, David M; Butler, Helen; Webster, Cynthia M; Scholz, Bert

2015-03-19

Whole school, ethos-changing interventions reduce risk behaviours in middle adolescence, more than curriculum-based approaches. Effects on older ages are not known. We set out to replicate one of these interventions, Australia's Gatehouse Project, in a rural Canadian high school. A guided, whole school change process sought to make students feel more safe, connected, and valued by: changes in teaching practices, orientation processes, professional development of staff, recognition and reward mechanisms, elevating student voice, and strategies to involve greater proactivity and participation. We conducted risk behaviour surveys in grades 10 to 12 before the intervention and 2 years afterwards, and social network analyses with the staff. Changes in health and health risk behaviours were assessed using chi-square. Interactions between the intervention and gender and between the intervention and school engagement were assessed using interaction terms in logistic regression models. Changes in the density of relationships among staff were tested with methods analogous to paired t-tests. Like Gatehouse, there was no statistically significant reduction in depressive symptoms or bullying, though the trend was in that direction. Among girls, there was a statistically significant decrease in low school engagement (45% relative reduction), and decreases in drinking (46% relative reduction), unprotected sex (61% relative reduction) and poor health (relative reduction of 73%). The reduction in drinking matched the national trend. Reductions in unprotected sex and poor health went against the national trend. We found no statistically significant changes for boys. The effects coincided with statistically significant increases in the densities of staff networks, indicating that part of the mechanism may be through relationships at school. A non-specific, risk protective intervention in the social environment of the school had a significant impact on a cluster of risk behaviours for girls. Results were remarkably like reports from similar school environment interventions elsewhere, albeit with different behaviours being affected. It may be that this type of intervention activates change processes that interact highly with context, impacting different risks differently, according to the prevalence, salience and distribution of the risk and the interconnectivity of relationships between staff and students. This requires further exploration.

Psychological distress and academic self-perception among international medical students: the role of peer social support.

PubMed

Yamada, Yukari; Klugar, Miloslav; Ivanova, Katerina; Oborna, Ivana

2014-11-28

Psychological distress among medical students is commonly observed during medical education and is generally related to poor academic self-perception. We evaluated the role of peer social support at medical schools in the association between psychological distress and academic self-perception. An online survey was conducted in a medical degree program for 138 international students educated in English in the Czech Republic. The Medical Student Well-Being Index was used to define the students' psychological distress. Perceived peer social support was investigated with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Poor academic self-perception was defined as the lowest 30% of a subscale score of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure. Analyses evaluated the presence of additive interactions between psychological distress and peer social support on poor academic self-perception, adjusted for possible confounders. Both psychological distress and low peer social support were negatively associated with poor academic self-perception, adjusted for local language proficiency and social support from family. Students with psychological distress and low peer social support had an odds ratio of 11.0 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1-56.6) for poor academic self-perception as compared with those without distress who had high peer social support. The presence of an additive interaction was confirmed in that the joint association was four times as large as what would have been expected to be on summing the individual risks of psychological distress and low peer social support (synergy index = 4.5, 95% CI: 1.3-14.9). Psychological distress and low peer social support may synergistically increase the probability of poor academic self-perception among international medical students. Promoting peer social relationships at medical school may interrupt the vicious cycle of psychological distress and poor academic performance.

A Gene Pushes Some Men Away from College, but Social Support Pulls Them in

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, David

2009-01-01

This article reports that a new study has found that young men are less likely to attend college if they carry a common form of a gene associated with poor impulse control. The study also found that a strong environment--a high-quality high school and heavily involved parents--can counteract that genetic risk. For boys with this gene who grow up…

Fast food intake and prevalence of obesity in school children in Riyadh City.

PubMed

Almuhanna, Monira Abdulrahman; Alsaif, Mohammed; Alsaadi, Muslim; Almajwal, Ali

2014-01-01

Childhood obesity has become a new challenge for healthcare providers. The issue is not limited to certain parts of the world; its prevalence is increasing worldwide. The causes of obesity are poorly understood and continue to be debated and studied. It is a multifactorial disorder which involves dietary, behavioral, environmental as well as genetic factors. The increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity, have led to high obesity rates among children. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of dietary intake on the occurrence of childhood obesity, and study other associated factors including the education, occupation and income of parents and the living status. Normal healthy school girls (n =196) and school boys (n = 85) between the age of 6- 15 were recruited for the study. We found that obesity among children in Riyadh City was significantly associated with fast food intake (p = 0.0280). It was also observed that 72.5% of the overweight or obese students consumed fast food at least 4 times/week, and the other 15.9% were taking fast food 1- 3 times/week, while only 11.6% of the same overweight or obese group did not consume any fast food/ week. Father's and mother's occupations were not significantly correlated to their children's body weight. The prevalence of childhood obesity is changing and increasing yearly and is attributed to the nutritional risk factors for the Saudi school-age children. It is interesting to know that most of overweight or obese school students belonged to the families of highincome. Parents must take necessary precautions for the diet of their children and should adopt healthy life style in order to prevent or manage obesity of their children.

Effect of food service nutrition improvements on elementary school cafeteria lunch purchase patterns.

PubMed

Cluss, Patricia A; Fee, Luann; Culyba, Rebecca J; Bhat, Kiran B; Owen, Kay

2014-06-01

Schools can play a major role in prevention and intervention for childhood obesity. We describe changes in elementary school cafeteria lunch sales patterns resulting from nutritional improvements in menu offerings that were part of a community-wide focus on health. Elementary school lunch sales data were collected for 1 week in each of 7 years in a district serving a predominantly poor, rural, and Caucasian student population, with high rates of obesity. Post hoc data analyses described lunch sales patterns and related food service costs over the project years. The percentage of high calorie/low nutrition foods sold decreased from 22% of all sales in 2005 to 0% in 2011. High-calorie snack purchases decreased from 535 items to 0 items. The sale of fresh fruits increased by 12%. There was only a slight decline in the percentage of children who purchased cafeteria lunches over the years and a 15.2% cost increase for purchasing healthier food supplies. Elementary school children purchased healthier lunches when healthier menu items were offered and when less healthy foods were eliminated from the menu. There was no significant decline in the number of students who purchased lunches as nutritional improvements were made. © 2014, American School Health Association.

Hospital admissions and school dropout: a retrospective cohort study of the 'selection hypothesis'.

PubMed

van Heesch, Mirjam M J; Bosma, Hans; Traag, Tanja; Otten, Ferdy

2012-08-01

School dropout is an important predictor of poor health and of high relevance for public health (in accord with the 'causation hypothesis'). Rather than examining how dropout affects health, we set out to examine how poor health might affect school dropout (in accord with the 'selection hypothesis'). Hospital admissions are potentially indicative of more serious disease and might be expected to result in learning backlogs. Longitudinal data of the Dutch Secondary Education Pupil Cohort 1993 (VOCL'93) and the National Medical Registration (LMR) were combined. The study population consisted of 16,239 pupils who were followed from first grade at secondary school until they left fulltime education. Pupils were monitored regarding both their educational careers and their hospital admissions. Nine percent had a hospital admission and 10% became a school dropout. Hospital admissions were only predictive of later school dropout for pupils starting in the highest type of secondary education (pre-university education) [OR 1.54 (95% CI 1.05-2.26)], not for pupils with lower educational levels. Pre-university pupils who had been hospitalized for more than 9 days [OR 2.34 (95% CI 1.08-5.09)] or who were hospitalized more than three times [OR 4.20 (95% CI 1.75-10.04)] had particularly heightened odds of school dropout. Our findings further support the 'selection hypothesis' and confirm the relevance of dropout for public health. Public health workers and educational professionals should probably aim at intensified monitoring of children who have been hospitalized and simultaneously aim at improving accessibility to (higher quality) education in the hospital.

Can social support protect bullied adolescents from adverse outcomes? A prospective study on the effects of bullying on the educational achievement and mental health of adolescents at secondary schools in East London

PubMed Central

Rothon, Catherine; Head, Jenny; Klineberg, Emily; Stansfeld, Stephen

2011-01-01

This paper investigates the extent to which social support can have a buffering effect against the potentially adverse consequences of bullying on school achievement and mental health. It uses a representative multiethnic sample of adolescents attending East London secondary schools in three boroughs. Bullied adolescents were less likely to achieve the appropriate academic achievement benchmark for their age group and bullied boys (but not girls) were more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms compared to those not bullied. High levels of social support from family were important in promoting good mental health. There was evidence that high levels of support from friends and moderate (but not high) family support was able to protect bullied adolescents from poor academic achievement. Support from friends and family was not sufficient to protect adolescents against mental health difficulties that they might face as a result of being bullied. More active intervention from schools is recommended. PMID:20637501

Socioeconomic stress and academic adjustment among Asian American adolescents: the protective role of family obligation.

PubMed

Kiang, Lisa; Andrews, Kandace; Stein, Gabriela L; Supple, Andrew J; Gonzalez, Laura M

2013-06-01

Socioeconomic stress has long been found to place youth at risk, with low family income conferring disadvantages in adolescents' school achievement and success. This study investigates the role of socioeconomic stress on academic adjustment, and pinpoints family obligation as a possible buffer of negative associations. We examined direct and interactive effects at two time points in the same sample of Asian American adolescents-early high school (N = 180 9th-10th graders; 60 % female) and 2 years later in late high school (N = 156 11th-12th graders; 87% of original sample). Results suggest that socioeconomic stress is indeed associated with poor academic adjustment, measured broadly through self-reported GPA, importance of academic success, and educational aspirations and expectations. Family obligation was positively related to adjustment, and also was found to buffer the negative effects of socioeconomic stress, but only during adolescents' later high school years. Adolescents reporting more family obligation experienced less of the negative effects of financial stress on academic outcomes than those reporting lower obligation. Cultural and developmental implications are discussed in light of these direct and moderating effects.

Relationship between cognitive function and prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation in adolescents

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Decrease in intrinsic motivation is a common complaint among elementary and junior high school students, and is related to poor academic performance. Since grade-dependent development of cognitive functions also influences academic performance by these students, we examined whether cognitive functions are related to the prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation. Methods The study group consisted of 134 elementary school students from 4th to 6th grades and 133 junior high school students from 7th to 9th grades. Participants completed a questionnaire on intrinsic academic motivation. They also performed paper-and-pencil and computerized cognitive tests to measure abilities in motor processing, spatial construction, semantic fluency, immediate memory, short-term memory, delayed memory, spatial working memory, and selective, alternative, and divided attention. Results In multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for grade and gender, scores of none of the cognitive tests were correlated with the prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation in elementary school students. However, low digit span forward test score and score for comprehension of the story in the kana pick-out test were positively correlated with the prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation in junior high school students. Conclusions The present findings suggest that decrease in capacity for verbal memory is associated with the prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation among junior high school students. PMID:21235802

Relationship between cognitive function and prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation in adolescents.

PubMed

Mizuno, Kei; Tanaka, Masaaki; Fukuda, Sanae; Imai-Matsumura, Kyoko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2011-01-14

Decrease in intrinsic motivation is a common complaint among elementary and junior high school students, and is related to poor academic performance. Since grade-dependent development of cognitive functions also influences academic performance by these students, we examined whether cognitive functions are related to the prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation. The study group consisted of 134 elementary school students from 4th to 6th grades and 133 junior high school students from 7th to 9th grades. Participants completed a questionnaire on intrinsic academic motivation. They also performed paper-and-pencil and computerized cognitive tests to measure abilities in motor processing, spatial construction, semantic fluency, immediate memory, short-term memory, delayed memory, spatial working memory, and selective, alternative, and divided attention. In multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for grade and gender, scores of none of the cognitive tests were correlated with the prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation in elementary school students. However, low digit span forward test score and score for comprehension of the story in the kana pick-out test were positively correlated with the prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation in junior high school students. The present findings suggest that decrease in capacity for verbal memory is associated with the prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation among junior high school students.

Knowledge and Attitude Toward Corneal Donation Among High School Children in Northern India.

PubMed

Gupta, Parul Chawla; Duggal, Mona; Jamir, Limalemla; Sharma, Drishti; Kankaria, Ankita; Sathyanath, Shreyaswi; Kaur, Rupinder; Rana, Kirtan; Ram, Jagat

2017-05-01

To assess the knowledge and attitude of school-going adolescents regarding corneal donation in government and private schools in an urban area of Northern India. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban field practice area of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India. A total of 365 participants of the seventh to 10th grade were enrolled from a government school and a private school. A pretested, semistructured, self-administered, bilingual (English and Hindi) questionnaire was used to assess the sociodemographic profile and knowledge and attitude related to corneal donation. Most (87%) (confidence interval, 83.1%-90.0%) participants had heard about corneal donation. Only 2% of students answered all the knowledge-related questions correctly. None knew about the national toll-free number for corneal donation. Three-fourth (72%) supported the idea of corneal donation. Of them, only 44% (confidence interval, 41.0-47.1) were willing to pledge to donate their own eyes. Fears and myths were the persistent barriers. The government and private schools differed in both knowledge and attitude, with the latter performing better. Knowledge among the selected high school children was poor. Although many supported the idea, only a few were willing to donate. We suggest that program components be evaluated from time to time. Future studies should explore the role of strengthening Information Education and Communication (IEC) activities among high school students for motivating community members to pledge to donate for corneal donation.

Age at smoking initiation and self-rated health among second grade high school boys and girls in Scania, Sweden, a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Hansen, Kristina; Lindström, Martin; Rosvall, Maria

2015-11-18

Smoking is usually initiated early in life and most adult regular smokers have started smoking before 18 years of age. A younger age at smoking initiation is associated with risk taking behaviours and worse health outcomes regarding psychological and somatic conditions, suggested to be caused by exposure during critical developmental periods. The present study aims to investigate self-rated health among second grade high school boys and girls related to age at smoking initiation (<14 years of age and ≥ 14 years of age) among current and former smokers, compared to never smokers. Data was derived from the Scania public health survey among children and adolescents in 2012. The study was cross-sectional with retrospective information about first time cigarette smoking experiences among 3245 boys and 3434 girls in second grade of high school. Self-rated health was assessed with the question "How do you rate your general health". Associations of age at smoking initiation, current smoking status and poor self-rated health were investigated with logistic regression models. Crude odds ratios of poor self-rated health were increased for all smoking groups compared to never smokers. Former smoking boys and currently smoking girls with early smoking initiation had the highest odds ratios of poor self-rated health, with odds ratios (OR) 2.4 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.5-3.7) and OR 2.9 (95 % CI: 2.3-3.6), respectively. After adjustments for sociodemographic factors, health-related behaviours, psychosocial factors, weight and functional disabilities, the results were attenuated, but remained statistically significant regarding former and current smoking boys with early smoking initiation, OR 2.0 (95 % CI: 1.1-3.7) and OR 1.7 (95 % CI: 1.1-2.4) and for current smoking girls with early and later smoking initiation, OR 2.1 (95 % CI: 1.5-2.8) and OR 1.5 (95 % CI: 1.1-2.0). Boys and girls in second grade of high school with early smoking initiation reported poorer self-rated health than later initiators and never smokers. Poorer self-rated health persisted also after smoking cessation among early initiating boys. Further studies are needed to understand the adverse health effects associated with timing of smoking initiation.

Identifying the poorest older Americans.

PubMed

Fisher, Jonathan D; Johnson, David S; Marchand, Joseph T; Smeeding, Timothy M; Torrey, Barbara B

2009-11-01

Public policies target a subset of the population defined as poor or needy, but rarely are people poor or needy in the same way. This is particularly true among older adults. This study investigates poverty among older adults in order to identify who among them is financially worst off. We use 20 years of data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey to examine the income and consumption of older Americans. The poverty rate is cut in fourth if both income and consumption are used to define poverty. Those most likely to be poor defined by only income but not poor defined by income and consumption together are married, White, and homeowners and have a high school diploma or higher. The income poor alone display sufficient assets to raise consumption above poverty thresholds, whereas the consumption poor are shown to have income just above the poverty threshold and few assets. The poorest among the older population are those who are income and consumption poor. Understanding the nature of this double poverty population is important in measuring the success of future public policies to reduce poverty among this group.

Sleep Disordered Breathing Symptoms and Daytime Sleepiness are Associated with Emotional Problems and Poor School Performance in Children

PubMed Central

Liu, Jianghong; Liu, Xianchen; Ji, Xiaopeng; Wang, Yingjie; Zhou, Guoping; Chen, Xinyin

2016-01-01

This study examined the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) symptoms and their associations with daytime sleepiness, emotional problems, and school performance in Chinese children. Participants included 3,979 children (10.99 ± 0.99 years old) from four elementary schools in Jintan City, Jiangsu Province, China. Children completed a self-administered questionnaire on sleep behavior and emotional problems, while parents completed the Child Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ). SDB symptoms included 3 items: loud snoring, stopped breathing, and snorting/ gasping during sleep. Teachers rated the children's school performance. The prevalence rates of parent- and self-reported SDB symptoms were 17.2% and 10.1% for “sometimes” and 8.9% and 5.6% for “usually”. SDB symptoms, more prevalent in boys than in girls, increased the risks for depression, loneliness, and poor school performance. Daytime sleepiness mediated the relationship between SDB symptoms and depression, loneliness, and poor school performance. This study suggests the importance of early screening and intervention of SDB and daytime sleepiness in child behavioral and cognitive development. PMID:27289327

Psychosocial correlates of substance use amongst secondary school students in south western Nigeria.

PubMed

Fatoye, F O

2003-03-01

To determine the psychosocial correlates of substance use among secondary school students in rural and urban communities in south western Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey of secondary school students using questionnaire eliciting substance use by students (WHO drug use questionnaire) and a well designed questionnaire on psychosocial variables. Six secondary schools selected from two local government areas in Ilesa, Osun State, South Western Nigeria. The study population comprised 600 randomly selected senior secondary school students from six schools. A total of 562 questionnaires were analysed. Current stimulant use was significantly associated with lower socio-economic status, coming from a polygamous family and self-rated poor academic performance. Current alcohol use was associated with being a male, polygamous family background, living alone or with friends, not being religious and self-rated poor academic performance. Current hypnosedatives use was commoner in students living alone or with friends and in those with self-rated poor academic performance. There was also significant positive relationship between current tobacco use and the male sex, not being religious and self-rated poor academic perfomance. Lifetime use of these substances had similar association with the psychosocial variables with slight differences. The similarity between the psychosocial correlates highlighted in this study and those reported in previous studies from other parts of Nigeria makes these observations useful enough for the planning of preventive strategies.

An investigation of the association between vending machine confectionery purchase frequency by schoolchildren in the UK and other dietary and lifestyle factors.

PubMed

New, Susan A; Livingstone, M Barbara E

2003-08-01

Availability of confectionery from vending machines in secondary schools provides a convenient point of purchase. There is concern that this may lead to 'over-indulgence' and hence an increase in susceptibility to obesity and poor 'dietary quality'. The study objective was to investigate the association between the frequency of consumption of confectionery purchased from vending machines and other sources and related lifestyle factors in adolescent boys and girls. A secondary school-based, cross-sectional study. A total of 504 subjects were investigated (age range 12-15 years), from three schools in southern and northern England. Using a lifestyle questionnaire, frequency of confectionery consumption (CC) from all sources (AS) and vending machines (VM) was recorded for a typical school week. Subjects were categorised into non-consumers, low, medium and high consumers using the following criteria: none, 0 times per week; low, 1-5 times per week; medium, 6-9 times per week; high, 10 times per week or greater. No differences were found in the frequency of CC from AS or VM between those who consumed breakfast and lunch and those who did not. No differences were found in the frequency of fruit and vegetable intake in high VM CC vs. none VM CC groups, or in any of the VM CC groups. Confectionery consumption from AS (but not VM) was found to be higher in subjects who were physically active on the journey to school (P<0.01) but also higher in those who spent more time watching television and playing computer games (P<0.01). No associations were found between smoking habits or alcohol consumption and frequency of CC. These results do not show a link between consumption of confectionery purchased from vending machines and 'poor' dietary practice or 'undesirable' lifestyle habits. Findings for total confectionery consumption showed some interesting trends, but the results were not consistent, either for a negative or positive effect.

What Matters from Admissions? Identifying Success and Risk Among Canadian Dental Students.

PubMed

Plouffe, Rachel A; Hammond, Robert; Goldberg, Harvey A; Chahine, Saad

2018-05-01

The aims of this study were to determine whether different student profiles would emerge in terms of high and low GPA performance in each year of dental school and to investigate the utility of preadmissions variables in predicting performance and performance stability throughout each year of dental school. Data from 11 graduating cohorts (2004-14) at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Canada, were collected and analyzed using bivariate correlations, latent profile analysis, and hierarchical generalized linear models (HGLMs). The data analyzed were for 616 students in total (332 males and 284 females). Four models were developed to predict adequate and poor performance throughout each of four dental school years. An additional model was developed to predict student performance stability across time. Two separate student profiles reflecting high and low GPA performance across each year of dental school were identified, and scores on cognitive preadmissions variables differentially predicted the probability of grouping into high and low performance profiles. Students with higher pre-dental GPAs and DAT chemistry were most likely to remain stable in a high-performance group across each year of dental school. Overall, the findings suggest that selection committees should consider pre-dental GPA and DAT chemistry scores as important tools for predicting dental school performance and stability across time. This research is important in determining how to better predict success and failure in various areas of preclinical dentistry courses and to provide low-performing students with adequate academic assistance.

Association of sleep and academic performance.

PubMed

Eliasson, Arne; Eliasson, Anders; King, Joseph; Gould, Ben; Eliasson, Arn

2002-03-01

Poor school performance by adolescent students has been attributed in part to insufficient sleep. It is recognized that a number of factors lead to diminished total sleep time and chief among these are early school start times and sleep phase delay in adolescence. Political initiatives are gaining momentum across the United States to require later school start times with the intent of increasing total sleep time and consequently improving school performance. Later school start times come with significant costs and impact other activities of families and communities. The decision to implement later school start times cannot be made lightly and deserves support of well-performed research on the impact of these changes. A study evaluating the association of academic performance and total sleep time was performed in middle school and high school students in a suburban Maryland school system. Preliminary results of this study show no correlation of total sleep time with academic performance. Before mandating costly changes in school schedules, it would be useful to perform further research to determine the effects of increasing sleep time on the behaviors of adolescent students.

Coaches' Voices Bring 6 Lessons to Light

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brady, Cheryl H.

2007-01-01

In 1996, the Kansas City (Kan.) Public Schools, a largely poor, urban system, was facing a crisis. Talk at local and state levels was about closing a number of poor-performing schools. The author discusses how the district took matters in hand to make significant changes. Partnering with the local National Education Association leadership,…

Resilient Learners in Schools Serving Poor Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frempong, G.; Visser, M.; Feza, Nosisi; Winnaar, L.; Nuamah, S.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Through the education for all initiative, a number of education systems have been able to provide access to their students at the basic education level. The major challenge is that most of these learners, especially, those from poor families who attend schools with limited resources are often not successful. However, in South Africa,…

Do Poor Students Benefit from China's Merger Program? Transfer Path and Educational Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Xinxin; Yi, Hongmei; Zhang, Linxiu; Mo, Di; Chu, James; Rozelle, Scott

2014-01-01

Aiming to provide better education facilities and improve the educational attainment of poor rural students, China's government has been merging remote rural primary schools into centralized village, town, or county schools since the late 1990s. To accompany the policy, boarding facilities have been constructed that allow (mandate) primary…

Pilot of a mobile money school fee payment system in rural Benin.

PubMed

Adida, Claire L; Chabi Bouko, Adam; Verink, Alex; Chockalingam, Ganz; Burney, Jennifer

2018-01-01

We present a rationale for, and results from, the pilot of a direct individual-to-institution remittance system in the context of school fee payment in rural Benin. Data confirm that school fees act as an impediment to educational attainment, and in very rural poor settings such as northern Benin, students often depend on extended family and kinship networks to pay fees. But existing remittance options are costly, in terms of fees, time, and risk. We pilot a new technology bundle in a single public high school in northeastern Benin, and evaluate its effectiveness. Here we describe the technical and institutional implementation of the project, as well as our findings from the first year of operation. We discuss takeaways and implications for scale-up.

Pilot of a mobile money school fee payment system in rural Benin

PubMed Central

Chabi Bouko, Adam; Verink, Alex; Chockalingam, Ganz; Burney, Jennifer

2018-01-01

We present a rationale for, and results from, the pilot of a direct individual-to-institution remittance system in the context of school fee payment in rural Benin. Data confirm that school fees act as an impediment to educational attainment, and in very rural poor settings such as northern Benin, students often depend on extended family and kinship networks to pay fees. But existing remittance options are costly, in terms of fees, time, and risk. We pilot a new technology bundle in a single public high school in northeastern Benin, and evaluate its effectiveness. Here we describe the technical and institutional implementation of the project, as well as our findings from the first year of operation. We discuss takeaways and implications for scale-up. PMID:29889839

Dating violence and associated health risks among high school students with disabilities.

PubMed

Mitra, Monika; Mouradian, Vera E; McKenna, Maria

2013-08-01

Children with disabilities are at a higher risk for various forms of violence including sexual violence, bullying, and physical violence compared to those without disabilities. However there are no studies documenting the prevalence of dating violence amongst a population-based sample of adolescents with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of dating violence victimization against high schools students with and without disabilities and to examine associations of dating violence with health risks by disability status among high school girls. Data from the 2009 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey were analyzed in 2011 using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Among high school students who had ever been on a date, girls (25.9 %, 95 % CI 19.9-31.5) and boys (9.1 %, 95 % CI 5.8-12.4) with disabilities were more likely than girls (8.8 %, 95 % CI 6.8-10.8) and boys (4.5 %, 95 % CI 3.1-5.8) without disabilities to report dating violence. Multivariate analyses indicated that high school girls with disabilities who experienced dating violence were more likely to report feeling sad or hopeless for 2 weeks or more in the past year, suicide ideation in the past 12 months, and drug use in the past 30 days compared to those with disabilities who did not report dating violence and those without disabilities who reported and did not report dating violence. High school students with disabilities are at a greater risk for dating violence victimization compared to those without disabilities and high school girls with disabilities who experience dating violence are at increased risk for experiencing poor mental health outcomes and substance abuse.

Setting Adolescents Up for Success: Promoting a Policy to Delay High School Start Times.

PubMed

Barnes, Margaux; Davis, Krista; Mancini, Mackenzie; Ruffin, Jasmine; Simpson, Tina; Casazza, Krista

2016-07-01

A unique biological shift in sleep cycles occurs during adolescence causing later sleep and wake times. This shift is not matched by a concurrent modification in school start times, resulting in sleep curtailment for a large majority of adolescents. Chronic inadequate sleep is associated with poor academic performance including executive function impairments, mood, and behavioral issues, as well as adverse health outcomes such as an increased risk of obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. In order to address sleep deficits and the potential negative outcomes associated with chronic sleep deprivation, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) support delaying school start times for middle and high school students. We summarize current evidence, explicate the need for policy change, and urge school districts to put adolescent students' health as top priority and implement school start times consistent with their developmental needs. Whereas substantial evidence illustrating adverse consequences of inadequate sleep on psychological and physical health, and recommendations exist to adapt daytime school schedules to match sleep needs have been released, actual implementation of these recommendations have been limited. This is a call to action for the implementation of AAP/CDC recommendations across the state and nation. © 2016, American School Health Association.

Restrictive educational placements increase adolescent risks for students with early-starting conduct problems.

PubMed

Powers, Christopher J; Bierman, Karen L; Coffman, Donna L

2016-08-01

Students with early-starting conduct problems often do poorly in school; they are disproportionately placed in restrictive educational placements outside of mainstream classrooms. Although intended to benefit students, research suggests that restrictive placements may exacerbate the maladjustment of youth with conduct problems. Mixed findings, small samples, and flawed designs limit the utility of existing research. This study examined the impact of restrictive educational placements on three adolescent outcomes (high school noncompletion, conduct disorder, depressive symptoms) in a sample of 861 students with early-starting conduct problems followed longitudinally from kindergarten (age 5-6). Causal modeling with propensity scores was used to adjust for confounding factors associated with restrictive placements. Analyses explored the timing of placement (elementary vs. secondary school) and moderation of impact by initial problem severity. Restrictive educational placement in secondary school (but not in elementary school) was iatrogenic, increasing the risk of high school noncompletion and the severity of adolescent conduct disorder. Negative effects were amplified for students with conduct problem behavior with less cognitive impairment. To avoid harm to students and to society, schools must find alternatives to restrictive placements for students with conduct problems in secondary school, particularly when these students do not have cognitive impairments that might warrant specialized educational supports. © 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Sleep disorders in high school and pre-university students.

PubMed

Rocha, Célia R S; Rossini, Sueli; Reimão, Rubens

2010-12-01

Adolescence is a period in which youngsters have to make choices such as applying for university. The selection process is competitive, and it brings distress and anxiety, risk factors for the appearance of sleep disorders. To verify the occurrence of sleep disorders in third-year high school and pre-university students. This cross-sectional descriptive study comprised a sample of 529 students (M=241, F=288) from three public schools, four private schools and two pre-university courses - a middle-class neighborhood in the city of São Paulo - aged between 16 and 19 years old. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) - a standardized questionnaire. The participants (52.9%) took about 30 minutes to fall asleep, with an average of 306.4 minutes asleep, moderate daytime sleepiness (n=243, 45.9%) and indisposition (n=402, 75.9%) to develop the activities. The scores (M and F) were similar regarding problems that affect sleep. The investigated population showed sleep disorders and poor sleep quality.

Mind-set interventions are a scalable treatment for academic underachievement.

PubMed

Paunesku, David; Walton, Gregory M; Romero, Carissa; Smith, Eric N; Yeager, David S; Dweck, Carol S

2015-06-01

The efficacy of academic-mind-set interventions has been demonstrated by small-scale, proof-of-concept interventions, generally delivered in person in one school at a time. Whether this approach could be a practical way to raise school achievement on a large scale remains unknown. We therefore delivered brief growth-mind-set and sense-of-purpose interventions through online modules to 1,594 students in 13 geographically diverse high schools. Both interventions were intended to help students persist when they experienced academic difficulty; thus, both were predicted to be most beneficial for poorly performing students. This was the case. Among students at risk of dropping out of high school (one third of the sample), each intervention raised students' semester grade point averages in core academic courses and increased the rate at which students performed satisfactorily in core courses by 6.4 percentage points. We discuss implications for the pipeline from theory to practice and for education reform. © The Author(s) 2015.

Epidemiologic characteristics, knowledge and risk factors of unintentional burns in rural children in Zunyi, Southwest China

PubMed Central

Shi, Shangpeng; Yang, Huajun; Hui, Ya; Zhou, Xiang; Wang, Tao; Luo, Ya; Xiang, Huiyun; Shi, Xiuquan

2016-01-01

We investigated the knowledge level and risk factors for pediatric unintentional burns in rural Southwest China with an aim to provide basic evidence for the prevention strategies. A stratified sampling method was used to recruit 1842 rural children from 9 schools. Self-reported burns during the past 12 months and relevant risk factors were collected by questionnaires. The burn incidence of all surveyed children was 12.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 11.2–14.2%). We found that burn incidence had a trend to increase with the increasing school grade level and a trend to decrease with increasing knowledge scores on burns. The top two causes of burns were hot liquids (36.3%) and hot object (29.5%). More than 30% of children had little knowledge about preventive measures and how to give first-aid after burns. The main risk factors for burns included female gender, left-behind children by parents who were working in cities, and poor mother school education level. As the incidence of pediatric unintentional burns was high in rural southwest China, schools, families, and local public health agencies should put efforts into health education targeting burn prevention and first-aid measures after burns, particularly in “left-behind” children and those with mothers with poor education. PMID:27748426

The relationship between science classroom facility conditions and ninth grade students' attitudes toward science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Angela Y.

Over half of the school facilities in America are in poor condition. Unsatisfactory school facilities have a negative impact on teaching and learning. The purpose of this correlational study was to identify the relationship between high school science teachers' perceptions of the school science environment (instructional equipment, demonstration equipment, and physical facilities) and ninth grade students' attitudes about science through their expressed enjoyment of science, importance of time spent on science, and boredom with science. A sample of 11,523 cases was extracted, after a process of data mining, from a databank of over 24,000 nationally representative ninth graders located throughout the United States. The instrument used to survey these students was part of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:2009). The research design was multiple linear regression. The results showed a significant relationship between the science classroom conditions and students' attitudes. Demonstration equipment and physical facilities were the best predictors of effects on students' attitudes. Conclusions based on this study and recommendations for future research are made.

Teaching for understanding and/or teaching for the examination in high school physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geelan, David R.; Wildy, Helen; Louden, William; Wallace, John

2004-04-01

Literature on the related notions of 'teaching for understanding' and 'exemplary teaching' tends to be interpreted as prescribing certain classroom approaches. These are usually the strategies often identified with constructivist teaching, which involve a redefinition of the teacher's role: rather than being seen as a source of knowledge and control, the teacher is described as the facilitator of a largely student-directed search for understanding. More 'transmissive', teacher-centred approaches are held to lead to poor student understanding, low cognitive engagement and rote learning. This paper reports a case study of physics teaching in a government high school in Perth, Western Australia. This case study is part of a larger project spanning 5 years and eight case investigations in Perth schools. While the pedagogical style of the teacher studied could be labelled as 'transmissive', we tentatively assert that his practice exemplified high-quality physics teaching and led to high-quality understanding on the part of the students. The study suggests that prescriptions for quality teaching must be sensitive to issues of context and content, and that further study in a variety of school contexts is required to expand our understanding of what constitutes good teaching and learning in physics.

Knowledge, awareness and practice of the importance of hand-washing amongst children attending state run primary schools in rural Malawi.

PubMed

Grimason, Anthony Martin; Masangwi, Salule Joseph; Morse, Tracy Dawn; Jabu, George Christopher; Beattie, Tara Kate; Taulo, Steven Elias; Lungu, Kingsley

2014-01-01

A study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of hygiene practices in 2 primary schools in Malawi. The study determined: (1) presence of Escherichia coli on the hands of 126 primary school pupils, (2) knowledge, awareness and hygiene practices amongst pupils and teachers and (3) the school environment through observation. Pupil appreciation of hygiene issues was reasonable; however, the high percentage presence of E. coli on hands (71%) and the evidence of large-scale open defaecation in school grounds revealed that apparent knowledge was not put into practice. The standard of facilities for sanitation and hygiene did not significantly impact on the level of knowledge or percentage of school children's hands harbouring faecal bacteria. Evidence from pupils and teachers indicated a poor understanding of principles of disease transmission. Latrines and hand-washing facilities constructed were not child friendly. This study identifies a multidisciplinary approach to improve sanitation and hygiene practices within schools.

Health, schooling, needs, perspectives and aspirations of HIV infected and affected children in Botswana: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Anabwani, Gabriel; Karugaba, Grace; Gabaitiri, Lesego

2016-07-22

Antiretroviral treatment means many HIV infected children are surviving with a highly stigmatised condition. There is a paucity of data to inform policies for this growing cohort. Hence we carried out a study on the health, schooling, needs, aspirations, perspectives and knowledge of HIV infected and affected children in Botswana. A cross-sectional survey using interviews and focus group discussions among HIV infected children aged 6-18 years versus HIV aged matched HIV uninfected counterparts living in the same households between August 2010 and March 2011. Supplemental clinical data was abstracted from medical records for HIV infected participants. Nine hundred eighty-four HIV infected and 258 affected children completed the survey. Females predominated in the affected group (63.6 % versus 50.3 %, P < 0.001). School attendance was high in both groups (98.9 % versus 97.3 %, P = 0.057). HIV infected children were mostly in primary school (grades 3-7) while affected children were mostly in upper primary or secondary grades. Sixty percent HIV infected children reported having missed school at least 1 day in the preceding month. Significantly more infected than affected children reported experiencing problems at school (78 % versus 62.3 %, P < 0.001). Twenty-two percent of 15-18 year old HIV infected children were in standard seven and below compared to only 8 % of HIV affected children (p = 0.335). School related problems included poor grades, poor health/school attendance, stigma and inadequate scholastic materials. The wish-list for improving the school environment was similar for both groups and included extra learning support; better meals; protection from bullying/teasing; more scholastic materials, extracurricular activities, love and care; structural improvements; improved teacher attendance and teaching approaches. Significantly more HIV infected children reported feeling hungry all the time (50.6 % versus 41 %, P = 0.007) and more trouble hearing (26.8 % versus 12.5 %, P = 0.028). The mean age for HIV disclosure 10 years was high. Sexual activity (9.2 % versus 3 %, P = 0.001) and emotions of anger (71 % versus 55.3 %, P < 0.001) were significantly higher among HIV affected children. Future perspectives were equally positive (93 % versus 96 %, P = 0.080), were predicated on children's school performance, self-belief/determination and/or ARVs and preference for medical or military careers was common. In Botswana almost all school-age HIV infected and affected children are attending school but many face daunting challenges that call for the creation of an empowering, empathetic, supportive, caring, and non-discriminating school environment.

School, family and adolescent smoking.

PubMed

Yañez, Aina; Leiva, Alfonso; Gorreto, Lucia; Estela, Andreu; Tejera, Elena; Torrent, Maties

2013-01-01

The socio-cultural environment is an important factor involved with the onset of smoking during adolescence. Initiation of cigarette smoking occurs almost exclusively during this stage. In this context we aimed to analyze the association of school and family factors with adolescent smoking by a cross-sectional study of 16 secondary schools randomly selected from the Balearic Islands involved 3673 students and 530 teachers. The prevalence of regular smoking (at least one cigarette per week) was 4.8% among first year students, 11.6% among second year students, 14.1% among third year students, 20.9% among fourth year students and 22% among teachers. Among first and second year students, there were independent associations between regular smoking and adolescents' perception of being allowed to smoke at home, belonging to a single parent family, poor relationship with parents, poor academic performance, lack of interest in studies and teachers' perception of smoking in the presence of pupils. Among third and fourth year students, there were independent associations between regular smoking and poor relationship with parents, adolescents' perception of being allowed to smoke at home, poor academic performance, lack of control over student misbehavior and the school attended. The school policies and practices affect student related health behavior regarding smoking, independent of individual and family factors.