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The educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) is a performance-based assessment designed for beginning teachers to demonstrate their readiness to teach (SCALE, 2014). As more states come to adopt this assessment, many facets of its implementation need to be reviewed. One component is the role of the cooperating teacher in the implementation of the edTPA. Since the assessment is completed during the culminating clinical experience for teacher candidates, it seems logical to assume that the cooperating teachers who host student teachers during this field experience are "stakeholders" in the edTPA. Cooperating teachers are also members of the teaching profession and may feel that they have a stake in determining who is ready to enter their profession. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of cooperating teachers as stakeholders in the edTPA, to determine their beliefs about the edTPA, to discuss ways to support cooperating teachers with the edTPA, and to examine how the edTPA has influenced the student teaching experience from the cooperating teachers' perspectives. The researchers also sought advice from cooperating teachers about how best to structure the student teaching experience given the addition of the edTPA.

This action research study examined the effectiveness of one model for supporting candidates in their work in preparing and submitting their edTPA portfolios. Surveys of student teachers and their cooperating teachers were administered and analyzed to determine how the model impacted their experiences with the edTPA. This data can inform implementation efforts at other campuses.

The history of mathematics is an important component in the learning of mathematics. This study examines how pre-service teachers view the role of history of mathematics in the high school curriculum. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Results showed significant changes in beliefs about how the history of mathematics should be integrated as well as preparedness to incorporate the history of mathematics in teaching. (Contains 1 table.)

This study reports problems faced by urban schools as well as teacher education's attempts to remedy these problems, and explores one college's effort to understand the complexities of teacher candidates' decision to work in urban schools. A paid field experience in an urban school district allowed teacher candidates to explore their perceptions of urban schools based on their previous experiences, or lack thereof, and their willingness to work in urban settings. Through the program called Summer in the City (SITC), which was funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Education to an urban school district and was implemented at the end of the college's spring 2005 semester (May to June), this study explores whether there was a difference between SITC and non-SITC teacher candidates in (a) the number of hours spent in urban practica settings before the SITC program; (b) their ratings of previous urban field experiences; (c) their willingness to teach in an urban setting; and (d) the demographics of race/ethnicity, home environment locale, and school locale. It also examines the reasons that influenced the candidates' decision whether or not to participate? Survey data revealed that a possible contributing factor for participation seemed to be related to the number of hours the candidates had spent in previous field placements. Candidates who were involved in SITC had completed more hours of experience in urban schools than their non-SITC counterparts at the time of their initial application. The difference in ratings of previous urban field experiences between SITC and non-SITC candidates were non-significant. The significant differences between the two groups in their willingness to teach in urban schools upon graduation suggests that the amount of urban field experience is a contributing factor influencing participation in additional urban field experiences and candidates' subsequent consideration of employment in urban schools. The comparison of the demographics of the two groups revealed that while the candidates did not differ in the location of their P-12 schooling, they did differ in the location of their homes in that significantly more SITC participants grew up in urban areas. When asked to share the factors that influenced their decision to participate or not participate in the SITC program, many candidates claimed it was their desire for additional experiences in urban schools and based on their satisfaction with past experiences in these schools. (Contains 8 tables.)

Math Circles are designed to allow students to explore mathematics using a problem-solving/inquiry approach. Many of the students attending our Math Circle are mathematically talented and curious. This study examines the perspectives of the students and their families in determining why students attend Math Circle, what they enjoy about Math Circle, and what they perceive as differences in Math Circle from their classroom mathematics instruction. Findings indicate that students and parents feel that our Math Circle offers more challenging work than students are finding in their regular classroom and that the Math Circle provides a scholarly camaraderie among participants.

Group homes are a frequently used but controversial treatment setting for youth with mental health problems. Within the relatively sparse literature on group homes, there is some evidence that some models of treatment may be associated with more positive outcomes for youth. This article explores this possibility by examining differences across time for youth served in group homes utilizing the Teaching Family Model (TFM) and geographically proximate homes using more eclectic approaches. Data come from a longitudinal quasi-experimental study that included 554 youth. Results suggest that youth showed, on average, significant and rapid improvement during initial months in a group home. Improvement did not differ for TFM and non-TFM homes during this initial period. Post-discharge results, though, show that TFM was associated with continued improvement after discharge and significantly better outcomes by 8 months post-discharge. Results also discuss youth-level factors that may influence outcomes as well as need for additional work to more fully understand processes and practices that are key for maximizing and maintaining youths' positive outcomes during and after group home placements.

Very little research has focused on rates of trauma exposure for youth in treatment foster care (TFC). Available research has utilized record review for assessing exposure, which presents limitations for the range of trauma types examined, as records are predominantly focused on abuse and neglect. The current study examines exposure rates and association with emotional and behavioral outcomes for 229 youth in 46 TFC agencies. The youth in this study had exceptionally high rates of trauma exposure by foster parent report, similar to youth in traditional foster care, with nearly half of the sample exposed to four or more types of traumatic events. A composite child abuse and neglect exposure variable was associated with child and adolescent emotional and behavioral outcomes. Implications for services provided as part of TFC are discussed.

The primary purpose of this classroom experiment was to examine the effectiveness of concrete (hands-on) manipulatives as compared with virtual (computer-based) manipulatives on student review of fraction concepts in third grade and introduction of symmetry concepts in fourth grade. A pretest-posttest design was employed with a sample of 91 third-grade students and 54 fourth-grade students who were randomly assigned to complete a lesson using either concrete or virtual manipulatives. Students used a variety of manipulative materials during the lessons. Results of the posttest suggest that student learning was unchanged by lesson condition. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

Research Findings: The current study examined achievement motivation orientation in preschool-age children from low- and middle-income families. Participants were 126 children who were attending an urban Head Start site or a private preschool. Children's motivation orientation was assessed as being performance oriented or mastery oriented using a challenging puzzle task (Smiley & Dweck, 1994). Children's verbalizations during the task were coded into performance concern, disengaged, and negative self-evaluation categories. Logistic regression and Mann-Whitney "U" analyses were conducted to examine differences between income groups in motivation orientation and verbalizations. Patterns of motivation orientation in preschool-age children from low- and middle-income families did not differ after controlling for differences in age and puzzle-solving ability. However, children from low-income families made a significantly higher proportion of performance-related verbalizations while working on the task. Practice or Policy: The findings support the examination of children's private speech as a way to assess cognitive processes underlying achievement motivation. In addition to providing a novel way to identify differences in achievement motivation that may be useful for teachers and researchers, the findings suggest the potential utility of designing interventions that promote positive private speech as a way of supporting mastery-oriented motivation in young children. (Contains 5 tables.)

The current study examined the role of basic language skills for individual differences in preschoolers' understanding of causal connections. Assessments of basic language skills, expressive vocabulary, phonological processing, and receptive language comprehension were examined in relation to the production of causal connections in a storytelling task, at two time periods. Similar to previous cross-sectional research, children's causal connections increased over six months. As hypothesized, expressive vocabulary and phonological processing predicted causal connections at Time 1. Six months later, only phonological processing predicted causal connections. Results provide new information regarding the significance of basic language skills for early narrative skills. (Contains 9 tables and 3 notes.)

Even in the absence of major disabilities, children born prematurely are at high risk for academic delays and deficits. Research suggests that some differences in outcomes may relate to problems with self-regulation, especially attention regulation. Previous research has demonstrated that individual differences in attention regulation is associated with both child and parent factors. This study examines the role of child temperament and parental sensitivity for attention regulation in preschool-age children (n = 95) born with very low birth weights (VLBW) by using both questionnaire and observational data. Regression analyses demonstrate differential effects of specific child temperament characteristics and specific aspects of parental sensitivity on attention regulation. Early assessment of temperament and individualised parent sensitivity training may be important for improving outcomes for VLBW children. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables and 1 note.)

Higher education can be a key leader in sustainability efforts, with issues cutting across all areas of functioning and extending into the community. This article examines educational change, which is particularly important because of its far-reaching effects. In particular, this article describes student-led sustainability research at the University of Louisville, demonstrating involvement and the ways that student work can make a real difference.

This study examines the use of family education and support (FES) services within community-based mental health systems. Using data from the national evaluation of the Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI), 2,853 caregivers and their children ages 6 to 18 years from 39 communities participated in this study. The findings indicated that during the first 6 months of entry into services, one third of families received FES services, and the clinical characteristics of children whose families received FES services were found to be more severe at intake into services with significantly higher internalizing and externalizing problems and significantly lower strengths than those families who did not. Similarly, caregivers who received FES services entered services experiencing more strain. The findings have implications for the impact of FES services on children. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

Attentional skills and home environment were examined as predictors of looking patterns during television viewing by 70 48- to 91-month-old children from low income families. Looking to the television was assessed in conditions without distractors and with continuous distractors. Looking patterns during television viewing reflected attentional inertia and the expected distribution of many short looks and few long looks (i.e., lognormal distribution) in both viewing conditions. The hypothesis that core attention skills and the home environment predict individual differences in looking patterns was partially supported by multiple hierarchical regression analyses. Looking patterns were predicted by orienting attention network skills in the no-distractor condition only. Alerting attention network skills and home environment factors were not significant predictors. The current study with a sample of children from low income families supports the idea that television viewing is a complex cognitive task that requires different mechanisms depending on the viewing condition. (Contains 2 figures and 8 tables.)

Between one-half and three-fourths of children entering foster care exhibit behavioral or social-emotional problems warranting mental health care. This paper, condensed and updated from a technical report prepared for Casey Family Programs in 2005, reviews evidence-based and promising interventions for the most prevalent mental conditions found among children in foster care. This paper also makes several recommendations regarding increasing access to mental health care and effective psychosocial interventions for foster care children. (Contains 2 footnotes.)

This study examines the relation of maternal scaffolding and children's attention regulation abilities in preschool children from low-income families within the context of a parent-child interaction task and in a child-alone task. Maternal scaffolding behaviors differed for mothers of children with different attention regulation skills. Mothers whose children demonstrated poor attention regulation skills in the parent-child interaction were more likely to verbally engage their children, including more strategic questions, verbal hints, and verbal prompts. Children's level of attention regulation skills interacted with mother's amount of scaffolding to predict performance in the child-alone task. Attention regulation skills were related to independent performance only in the context of high maternal scaffolding. Findings contribute new information important for parent interventions to promote attention regulation skills in children who are at risk for poor academic achievement outcomes. (Contains 3 figures and 3 tables.)

Recent work suggests that out-of-home placements continue to be relatively common for youth with mental health problems, even within systems of care. The current work examines rates and predictors of movement back home and stability of reunifications. During the focal period, 1,778 youths experienced out-of-home placements; 61% moved back home, and 22% of those reunited were placed out of home again. Race was related to likelihood of reunification and instability: American Indian youth were least likely to return home, whereas Hispanic youth were at increased risk of unstable reunifications. Older youth and boys were more likely to return home, whereas youth from families with higher incomes were slightly more likely to be placed out of home but also most likely to be stably reunited. Higher (i.e., worse) total "Child Behavior Checklist" score was related to moving back home, whereas decreased strengths and more child-level risk factors predicted instability of reunification. (Contains 4 tables.)

This article describes a paid field experience designed to investigate teacher candidates' willingness to teach in urban schools. Seventy-three teacher candidates each participated in an urban field experience including 90 hours of tutoring and 12 hours of training. Data from pre and post surveys indicated no significant difference as the number of previous field hours increased, from the beginning to the conclusion of field experience, on ratings of field experience and willingness, and between ethnic and SES groups. Significant differences (p less than 0.05) were found on willingness based on ratings of previous urban field experiences, and between candidates who had and had not attended urban schools (p less than 0.05). Implications of these findings for teacher preparation programs are discussed and suggestions for future research are shared. (Contains 1 table.)

Major depressive disorder is common in adolescence and is associated with significant morbidity and family burden. Little is known about service use by depressed adolescents. The purpose of this article is to report the patterns of services use and costs for participants in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study sample during the 3 months before randomization. Costs were assigned across three categories of payors: families, private insurance, and the public sector. We examined whether costs from payors varied by baseline covariates, such as age, gender, insurance status, and family income. The majority (71%) of depressed youth sought services during the 3-month period. Slightly more than one-fifth had contact with a behavioral health specialist. The average participant had just under $300 (SD = $437.67, range = $0-$3,747.71) in treatment-related costs, with most of these costs borne by families and private insurers. (Contains 6 tables.)

This article examines out-of-home placements for youth with mental health problems in community-based systems of care. Longitudinal data come from the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program. One third of youth residing at home when they enrolled in the system of care were placed out of home during the 2-year follow-up period. As expected, youth who were placed out of home displayed more problems, fewer strengths, and more risk factors than youth who remained at home. However, results suggested few differences between youth placed in foster care and those placed in more restrictive settings. In addition, there was increased placement instability for Hispanic and older youth. Findings suggest that out-of-home placements remain a common component in systems of care. This suggests the immediate need for additional work on effectiveness of these settings for youth within systems of care. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study examined outcomes for 320 youth in a Center for Mental Health Services system-of-care demonstration site. Youth received wraparound-only (n = 213), MST-only (n = 54), or wraparound + MST (n = 53). Participants were 12 years old on average and mostly White (90%), and 75% were Medicaid-eligible. Service use and functional and clinical outcomes were examined at 6-month intervals out to 18 months. All three groups improved over the study period. The MST-only group demonstrated more clinical improvement than the other groups. Functional outcomes did not differ significantly across groups. Youth in wrap + MST had higher baseline severity and experienced less clinical and functional change than the other two groups, despite more mental health service use. Targeted, evidence-based treatment may be more effective than system-level intervention alone for improving clinical symptoms among youth with serious emotional disorders served in community-based settings. New or amended approaches may be needed for youth with the most severe disorders.

Business managers are faced with complex decisions involving a wide range of issues--technical, social, environmental, and financial--and their interaction. Our education system focuses heavily on presenting structured problems and teaching students to apply a set of tools or methods to solve these problems. Yet the most difficult thing to teach is the defining of the problem itself. Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, in which the overall picture and the individual pieces are clearly defined, real-life business problems require managers to see the "big picture" and define the dilemma. If they cannot see the "whole", they cannot see the "holes" where information is lacking. The boundaries of the problem are too often based on what managers know, not on what they need to know. This paper reviews the roots of holistic systems thinking in the work of philosophers, psychologists and physical scientists. It looks at the extent to which the ability to see and develop models of whole systems is a natural skill of some people rather than a learned skill. It reviews efforts to measure the capability in individuals and the psychological influences on holistic thinking. It then discusses alternative ways in which the capability to see the (w)holes can be developed. (Contains 2 figures.)

This study examined the relationship between specific attentional aspects of processing capacity and analogical reasoning in children from low-income families. 77 children aged 48-77 (M = 56.7) months were assessed on an analogical reasoning task (matrices subtest of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test) and on computerized attention tasks designed to assess orienting, vigilance, and executive attention abilities [Posner, M.I., and Petersen, S.E. (1990). The attention system of the human brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 13, 25-42]. Results showed that analogical reasoning abilities were associated with the executive attention network abilities, suggesting that skills associated with this network, such as the resolution of conflicts between competing demands on attention, may be particularly important for relational mapping. This was evident in girls only. Implications for understanding how attentional components of processing capacity can affect children's academic success in impoverished environments are discussed.

In contrast to the many studies that have examined parenting in low-income families from a deficit perspective, this study examines their strengths by proposing and testing a model of parenting goals derived from social and developmental theories on goal-orientation, motivation, attachment, and child socialization. The model posits two categories of parenting goals, empathy goals, and socialization goals, as described by Dix (1992), and extends previous theories of parenting, e.g., Darling's and Steinberg's (1993), by suggesting that empathy goals operate more distally to academic achievement, through the mediator of socialization goals. The model, tested in a sample of 220 Head Start pre-schoolers of largely African American descent, suggests that establishing an environment of responsiveness to a child's emotional needs is an important precursor to parents' efforts at improving academic performance. Based on the results of these tests, a number of theoretical and practical implications are offered regarding increasing parental involvement in the early education of low-income children. (Contains 1 figure, 5 tables, and 2 footnotes.)

The current study examined how individual differences in children's temperament and motivation relate to attention skills in children from economically disadvantaged families. A total of 73 motherchild dyads participated in this study. Children were between the ages of 3 and 5, and all attended a Head Start program. Using multiple hierarchical regression analyses, the hypotheses that effortful control (an aspect of temperament) and motivation would individually and collectively relate to attention skills were supported. The current study supports the importance of understanding attention as a multifaceted concept ( Posner & Petersen, 1990) that relates to cognitive, socioemotional, and motivational systems. The utility of applying a systems approach to school readiness issues in children of poverty is discussed.

Objective: This study assessed the relationship between the need for and use of mental health services among a nationally representative sample of children who were investigated by child welfare agencies after reported maltreatment. Method: Data were collected at study entry into the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being and were weighted to provide population estimates. Results: Nearly half (47.9%) of the youths aged 2 to 14 years (N = 3,803) with completed child welfare investigations had clinically significant emotional or behavioral problems. Youths with mental health need (defined by a clinical range score on the Child Behavior Checklist) were much more likely to receive mental health services than lower scoring youth; still, only one fourth of such youths received any specialty mental health care during the previous 12 months. Clinical need was related to receipt of mental health care across all age groups (odds ratio = 2.7-3.5). In addition, for young children (2-5 years), sexual abuse (versus neglect) increased access to mental health services. For latency-age youths, African-American race and living at home significantly reduced the likelihood of care. Adolescents living at home were also less likely to receive services, whereas having a parent with severe mental illness increased (odds ratio.= 2.4) the likelihood of service use. Conclusions: Routine screening for mental health need and increasing access to mental health professionals for further evaluation and treatment should be a priority for children early in their contact with the child welfare system. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2004; 43(8):960-970. Key Words: mental health services, child welfare, foster care, National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being.

Educational programmes should promote an ethos of lifelong learning and develop in graduates the capacity for long-term personal and professional development through self-learning and reflection. A business degree programme should seek to produce graduates who are confident, creative thinkers with the capacity to solve problems, think creatively, negotiate, make decisions and resolve conflict. The development of these capabilities should not be left to chance, but should be addressed explicitly in the programme. Whether creativity and critical thinking skills are innate or learned, there is little disagreement that experience deepens and expands these abilities. A module entitled "Critical Thinking" has been introduced into a bachelor's degree in Business Studies. In this module both individual and team experiential tasks are used to develop creative thinking. These tasks are relevant to business activities in product development, marketing, and process development. Experiential exercises in decision making and conflict resolution abilities build skills necessary to face challenges from new technologies, competition or the business environment.

We examined Treatment Foster Care (TFC) in residential trajectories for youth with psychiatric disorders and aggressive behavior. We analyzed residential placements of a statewide sample of youth during the 12 months preceding and following admission to TFC. Prior to TFC, the majority of youth were residing in more restrictive settings (group homes or residential treatment). Two-thirds of youth remained in TFC throughout the follow-up year. Of those who left, nearly half returned home, and slightly fewer were discharged to group homes. By the end of the 12-month follow-up period, rates of group home use were similar to those seen in the pre-TFC period. Movement out of TFC during the year was associated with being older at placement and with increased problem behavior (particularly externalizing behaviors). TFC serves as a step-down placement for a substantial number of youth. However, this is not the only way it is used, and models based on short-term transitioning or reunification with families may not be widely implemented or relevant in practice. Additional research is needed to understand current functions of TFC in residential trajectories and to maximize its utility in systems of care.

Examined points of entry into mental health service system for children and adolescents and patterns of movement through five service sectors (specialty mental health services, education, general medicine, juvenile justice, child welfare). Education sector plays central role as point of entry. Interagency collaboration among education, specialty mental health services, and general medicine is critical to ensuring youths receive appropriate services. (Contains 24 references and 3 tables.) (Author)

Reviews issues surrounding the delivery of managed health care services to children in foster care. Details the unique characteristics of children in foster care, including limited medical histories upon entry into foster care, multiple health care needs, lack of a clearly identified medical care coordinator, and frequent placement changes. Describes the provision of insurance coverage for foster care children through Medicaid and solutions for meeting foster children's unique needs. (Author/KB)

This study examined conformity to the Program Standards for Treatment Foster Care among 42 statewide programs. Findings suggest fair to good overall conformity, with considerable variation among programs. A discussion of methodological and substantive considerations for future research and evaluation using this approach is included. (Contains references.) (Author/PB)

This commentary summarizes findings from previous articles on system-of-care mental health programs for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders. It addresses characteristics of participating children and families, system measurement system development, costs and sustainability, and family participation in program evaluation. Future directions for program evaluation are discussed. (Contains references.) (CR)

Two experiments examined age differences in children's dual-task performance. Findings indicated that when capacity for single-task performance was controlled, age differences between second and fifth graders did not exist in performance of dual-tasks of equal priority. When tasks had different priorities, only fifth graders could differentially allocate attention in the dual task. (Author/KB)

Studies fourth grade students identified by their teachers as having 'above average ability' in mathematics who were participating in 'pull out' enrichment sessions. Indicates that these students did not show initial difficulties with turn commands previously reported in mixed populations, and they created strategies to determine the correct direction of turn and estimate the amount of turn. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/ASK)

A study of 1,015 children with behavior problems investigated the impact of a child's emotional and behavioral problems on the family. Families of youth who first used mental health services when they were ages 10-15 showed significantly higher rates and levels of family impact than families of youth who did not enter services. (Author/CR)

This article presents challenges facing child mental health services research and the contributions made by the series of papers in this journal issue. The series illustrates two major categories of services research: systems level research and clinical services level research. Methodological issues, particularly for randomized clinical trials in naturalistic settings, are discussed and recommendations made. (Author/JDD)

Results of the study with 24 mildly or moderately retarded subjects (ages 11-55 years) indicates that a separability hypothesis of perceptual development can be extended to retarded populations. Representation as wholistic objects dominated among moderately retarded subjects, and with increasing intelligence, representation of objects as component separable dimensions emerged. (Author/DB)

Discussion of achievement motivation and children's ideas about themselves as learners focuses on a study of third graders that examined the effects of LOGO programing on performance. Incremental and entity theories of intelligence are explained, and treatment of the experimental group and the control group are described. (26 references) (LRW)

A new test of young children's computer aptitude and knowledge about computer technologies was given to kindergarten children and third-grade students. Results are reported. Implications of the research for basic and applied developmental psychology are discussed. (RH)