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Despite recent calls for more peer support initiatives aimed at promoting mental health in postsecondary institutions, those initiatives remain scarce. In this study, a multisite randomized controlled trial was designed to assess the effect of an online peer support intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy using mental health and school indicators. Undergraduate students were recruited in three Canadian universities and randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 54) or a wait-list control group (n = 53). Compared to control participants, those who took part in the program self-reported reduced psychological inflexibility, stress, anxiety and depression, and increased psychological flexibility and well-being. The intervention had no effect on academic satisfaction and engagement. These results were found both in completer and intent-to-treat samples. The findings provide evidence that peer support may be a beneficial adjunct to mental health interventions offered to college and university students.

Accessible and inclusive participation in sport can provide significant physical, psychological, and social benefits to Deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) athletes. To understand how to facilitate these benefits, the researchers explored the lived physical education and sport experiences of D/HH collegiate athletes. Six athletes representing six sports were recruited and interviewed. Utilizing an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach to guide data collection, analysis, and interpretation, the researchers found five major themes: Self-Advocating for Awareness, Finding Meaningful Conversations, Overcoming Challenges, Seeking Community Connection, and Escaping Through Physical Activity. These themes illustrate the influence of accessibility and inclusion on the participants' sport experiences as well as the impact of the disability awareness of their coaches and peers. D/HH athletes and their coaches and teammates should work to overcome barriers to accessibility and inclusion to ensure the maximum benefit of being on a college sports team.

In Fall 2021, the COVID-19 Delta Variant produced yet another surge of cases and deaths. Many parents eagerly awaited the official emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for younger children. However, other parents had already planned to delay or refuse vaccination. To ascertain how news and information consumption may impact vaccination decisions, a survey questionnaire of parents was conducted in the beginning of September through online posts to social media parenting groups. Of the (n= 1004) surveys completed, 966 parents indicated their vaccination decisions or intent to vaccinate through both closed and open ended questions. Most participants were in favor of vaccinating their children and used a variety of local and national news and other types of information to make their decisions. While there was no significant relationship between news consumption and intentions to vaccinate, participants against vaccination indicated lower levels of news engagement and were more likely to dismiss news media content as a credible source. This study has implications for creating effective campaigns based on news consumption, primarily for those uncertain or against vaccinating children.

In this study we measured the effect of COIL on intercultural competence development using a quasi-experimental design. Our sample consisted of 108 undergraduate students from two universities, one located in the Netherlands (NL) and one in the United States (US). Students' self-reported intercultural competence was measured using a pre-post survey which included the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) and Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). Qualitative data were collected to complement our quantitative findings and to give a deeper insight into the student experience. The data showed a significantly bigger increase in intercultural competence for the US experimental group compared to the US control group, supporting our hypothesis that COIL develops intercultural competence. This difference was not observed for the NL students, possibly due to the NL control group being exposed to other international input during the course.

Outdoor recreation has many benefits for youth. Benefits may be more profound in youth with visual impairments as the involvement in outdoor recreation activities provides improved self-determination and socialization. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to comprehend each participant's lived outdoor recreation experiences, and to illuminate and show specific meanings that participants assign to their lived experiences. Sixteen youth between the ages of 9-19 years with visual impairments kept an outdoor recreation log for 30 days and then were interviewed about their outdoor recreation experiences in their lives. Data from the logs and the interviews were analyzed by three experts in the field and themes, subthemes, and quotes were established. Youth with visual impairment do participate in a variety of outdoor recreation experiences. The findings revealed three main themes of barriers, benefits, and facilitators. The results indicate that outdoor recreation can be very beneficial and adapted support and special programming are necessary for participants to gain benefits from outdoor recreation experiences.

The development of written expression includes transcription, text generation, and executive functions (including planning) interacting within working memory. However, executive functions are not formally measured in school-based written expression tasks, although there is an opportunity for examining students' advance planning--a key manifestation of executive functions. We explore the influence of advance planning on Grade 2 written expression using curriculum-based measurement in written expression (CBM-WE) probes with a convenience sample of 126 students in six U.S. classrooms. Controlling for transcription, which is typically the primary focus of instruction in early elementary grades, we found that a score on advance planning explained additional significant variance in writing quantity and accuracy. Results support that planning may be an additional score to add to the use of CBM-WE. Implications for assessment and further research on the early development of planning and executive functions related to written expression are explored.

Introduction: The Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) and the Preferences for Activities of Children (PAC) are useful measures to assess how children with visual impairments are meeting the nine areas of the expanded core curriculum (ECC). Each item of the CAPE and PAC includes an activity with an accompanied image to illustrate it. However, the measures do not provide standardized image descriptions for each item, which limits its validity and reliability for this population. Thus, the purpose of this Delphi study was to validate and standardize image descriptions for the CAPE and PAC so they can be used more effectively with children with visual impairments. Methods: The expert panel consisted of 11 professionals with extensive knowledge and experience with individuals with visual impairments and six dyads of parents and their child with a visual impairment. Each panel member assessed the accuracy of wording for 57 image descriptions on a 4-point Likert scale and provided feedback on items rated below 3. Results: Consensus on all image descriptions was reached after two rounds. Discussion: The results of this study help to increase the validity and reliability of the CAPE and PAC for children with visual impairments. Implications for Practitioners: The CAPE and PAC can be used more effectively by practitioners and researchers to assess the areas of the ECC for children with visual impairments.

Transitioning out of sport is associated with many changes in an athlete's life that can be distressing and difficult to cope with. As a result, it is not uncommon for athletes to struggle with a variety of issues including a crisis of identity and loss of social support. Since many artistic athletes (e.g., gymnasts, figure skaters) peak at a relatively young age, they also tend to retire at a younger age than other athletes and have developed fewer coping strategies and resources to navigate their way through the changes that come with leaving sport. Recommendations are provided in this article for how coaches can best support and educate their athletes in order to facilitate a positive transition out of sport.

Children with CHARGE syndrome, an extremely complex, highly variable genetic disorder, are significantly delayed in the onset of their motor milestones in comparison with children without disabilities due to sensory and motor deficits as well as lengthy hospitalizations and reduced physical activity. Currently, the role of parents' perceptions and participation in the motor development of their child with CHARGE is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between parents' perceptions and their child's motor competence, comparing parents of children with and without CHARGE syndrome. Participants included 33 children with CHARGE and 38 children without disabilities. Parents completed the Child's Movement Skills Research parent survey and children were assessed on their gross motor skills. Parental ratings of locomotor ability and time spent participating with their child predicted the locomotor, ball skill, and total motor skill scores in the CHARGE group. Control group parents' rating of ball scores predicted ball skill and total skill scores. The results indicate that parents may play an important role in their child with CHARGE syndrome's motor development. Parents who are more involved with their child's movement activities can positively influence their motor competence.

For this study, the researchers used a grounded theory approach to explore the perspectives of parents with children who have CHARGE syndrome regarding their children's physical education experiences. Participants included 10 mothers of children with CHARGE syndrome ages 6 to 23 years old. The parents completed a demographic survey and participated in a semi-structured interview where they discussed their perspectives on their child's physical education services. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an open coding analysis. Three independent themes were revealed: (a) holistic expectations, (b) multifaceted barriers, and (c) facilitators to quality physical education. The perspectives shared by parents indicated that parents do find physical education services, an important part of the educational program. However, the existing programs did not meet the parents' expectations specific to programming for children with CHARGE syndrome.

Type I diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common childhood diseases and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing at alarming rates. Given that children spend a great percentage of their time in school, this setting is a critical environment for models of care that lead to better management of this and other health conditions. The School Nurses Managing Diabetes Care ECHO was offered to Colorado school nurses to build their capacity in providing evidence-based management of T1D. The purpose of this effort was to (1) determine whether or not the model could be used as a tool of collaboration and dissemination for school nurses across Colorado and (2) assess the effectiveness of the "School Nurses Managing Diabetes Care" ECHO learning series. Post-series survey results demonstrated a 25% increase in self-efficacy ratings, moving learners from "average among my peers" toward "competent." Additionally, all respondents planned to make one or more practice changes to improve care for students with T1D. Expanding the use of the ECHO model to implement intensive management of children and youth with T1D is critically important as rates of this and other chronic conditions continue to increase.

Children with Coloboma, Heart defects, Atresia choanae, Restricted growth, Genital hypoplasia, and Ear abnormalities (CHARGE) syndrome have many sensory impairments that can cause delays in motor development impacting physical activity, health, and quality of life. However, only one limited study has investigated motor competence in children with CHARGE syndrome. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in motor competence between children with and without CHARGE syndrome and the relationship between motor competence and age at independent walking, an important motor milestone. Thirty-three children with CHARGE syndrome and 38 typically developing peers were assessed on 13 motor skills using the Test of Gross Motor Development--Third Edition. Parents completed a demographic questionnaire about their child's age, sex, and motor milestones. Results indicated that the children with CHARGE syndrome were significantly behind their typically developing peers for all motor skills (p < 0.001). Age at independent walking in children with CHARGE syndrome was significantly later than their typically developing peers (p < 0.001) and had significant negative correlations with all motor skills (p < 0.01). The results of the study demonstrate a clear need for interventions focused on improving motor competence in children with CHARGE syndrome. Intervention planning should include a multidisciplinary team of relevant service providers to ensure the individualized needs of the child are met.

This paper reports on a qualitative research synthesis that explored the intersections between art and social work. The scholarship notes a rise in interest in integrating creative arts practices in social work classrooms from assignment design to classroom activities. Also highlighted are the potential contributions of these artsinformed practices to teaching about topics related to oppression. The synthesis presented in this paper explored this potential through an interpretivist analysis of articles on the intersection of art and social work. Findings highlight the contribution of this approach to enhancing student engagement and critical reflexivity; creating a sense of collectivity and solidarity in the classroom; as well as transforming the role of the educator. Findings suggest the need for further research to explore the potential contributions of arts-informed approaches in social work education beyond a single classroom.

At the youth level, there is an ongoing debate between two paradigms concerning the development of athletic performance: early sport specialization vs. diversification. Early sport specialization (i.e., intense training in one specific sport) can lead to high-level performance, especially for sports that have a lower age at peak performance (e.g., women's gymnastics); however, there are many drawbacks including an increased risk for injury and burnout. Consequently, there has been a push for diversification, wherein young athletes participate in several sports early on and gradually specialize overtime. This process ensures that children develop many fundamental motor skills that become the building blocks for more specialized sport skills. One model that has adopted this idea is the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the LTAD model and explain how physical education teachers and youth sport coaches can implement the model into their curriculum and programs.

Introduction: Children with CHARGE syndrome often show delays in balance and motor skills due to multisensory impairments. Research also suggests that children with CHARGE syndrome have fewer opportunities to engage in physical activity. However, little research has examined the relationship among all of these variables. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between balance, motor skills, and physical activity. Methods: Participants consisted of 37 children with CHARGE syndrome aged 3-16 years who could walk independently. Parents of each child with CHARGE syndrome completed a demographics questionnaire and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children or Adolescents. Their child completed the Mini-BEST balance test and five motor skills (run, jump, slide, kick, and throw) from the Test of Gross Motor Development II. Results: Results indicate that anticipatory control had significant positive correlations with all five motor skills, sensory orientation with three motor skills, and reactive postural control and dynamic gait with two motor skills. Running was the only variable that had a significant positive correlation with physical activity. Discussion: The findings indicate that balance, especially anticipatory control, plays an important role in fundamental motor skills of children with CHARGE syndrome. There is also a strong connection between physical activity and running competence for this population; however, since this is based on a correlational analysis, the direction of the relationship is unclear. Implications for practitioners: Physical education teachers should work with students with CHARGE syndrome on increasing balance and motor skill performance to give them the competence and confidence to engage in physical activity. Moreover, parents can help by engaging in physical activity with their child at an early age and seeking out additional physical activity opportunities for their child outside of the physical education and school setting.

Sexual abuse and peer victimization often co-occur and generate similar repercussions. The current study aimed to determine the extent to which child sexual abuse is associated to peer victimization. The unique contribution of these two distinct forms of victimization to the prediction of behavior problems was also investigated in a sample of 532 school-aged victims of sexual abuse and non-victims. Child sexual abuse was associated with a two-fold increased risk of peer victimization, as evaluated by the parent and the teacher. Results revealed that parent and teacher reports of peer victimization, but not the child's, were associated with higher levels of internalized and externalized behavior problems, beyond the effect of child sexual abuse. The results suggest that child sexual abuse and peer victimization have unique and cumulative effects on behavior problems in children.

A number of cross-sectional studies report extensive use of psychiatric services and high healthcare costs in autistic youths. However, little is known about how the use of these services evolves from the time of diagnosis, as children grow up. Our objectives were to investigate the use, costs, and predictors of psychiatric services following autism spectrum diagnosis. We built a cohort of 1227 newly diagnosed autism spectrum individuals identified in the Quebec (Canada) "Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec" administrative database (January 1998 to December 2010). Mean number and cost per individual of psychiatric healthcare use (hospitalizations, medical visits, psychoactive drug use) were calculated yearly for 5 years following autism spectrum diagnosis. Mean number of psychiatric visits decreased over time by more than threefold (7.5 vs 2.1 visits) from year 1 to year 5, whereas psychoactive drug use increased from 16.0 to 25.2 claims. Psychiatric hospitalizations decreased during follow-up, but still represented the greatest costs per individual (CAD9820 for year 1; CAD4628 for year 5). Antipsychotics represented over 50% of drug costs. Mixed-effect model with repeated measures showed that previous psychoactive drug use was the strongest predictor of greater psychiatric healthcare cost during follow-up (odds ratio: 9.96; 95% confidence interval: 7.58-13.10). These trends contrast with guidelines advocating cautious prescribing of antipsychotics with periodical re-assessment of their benefit.

This study assessed the social adaptation of sexually abused children and tested whether children's emotion regulation competencies mediated the association between child sexual abuse (CSA) and two outcomes of the social domain (i.e. withdrawal and social difficulties). A group of 283 child victims of sexual abuse and a comparison group composed of 60 nonabused children was recruited. Teachers completed questionnaires assessing the children's emotion regulation competencies, withdrawal, and social difficulties exhibited in the school context. Results showed that sexually abused children displayed poorer emotion regulation skills and higher levels of both withdrawal and social difficulties relative to nonabused children. CSA was associated with social difficulties and withdrawn behavior through the mediation of emotion regulation competencies. Teachers and school psychologists should be assisted in identifying children at risk of social difficulties and emotional dysregulation and schools be encouraged to adopt a trauma-informed approach.

This study identified and compared the online learning experiences of faculty and students in 2006 and compared results with those found in 2000. Data were collected from faculty and students participating in online learning courses at AACSB accredited business colleges in the United States. The findings indicate that (a) although faculty and students in both 2000 and 2006 reported satisfaction with the online learning experience, students in 2006 reported significantly higher satisfaction levels than did faculty for online administrative support (b) while faculty and students in both 2000 and 2006 reported few serious concerns with online learning courses, there were differences relating to the concerns noted in 2000, and (c) although faculty and students in 2000 and 2006 agreed that two important motivating factors for enrolling in online learning courses were flexibility and increased learning opportunities. There were several directional changes between faculty and students perceptions of motivational factors in 2006 when compared to 2000. (Contains 5 tables.)

The study compared the support and rewards provided faculty members for online course teaching and the development approaches used at business schools accredited by AACSB between 2001 and 2006. Data were collected from 81 professors in 2001 and 140 professors in 2006. The professors were involved in developing or teaching online courses at AACSB business schools across the United States. The findings indicate that faculty members received limited support and are not taking advantage of training options. Faculty members are most likely rewarded for their involvement in distance learning through stipends based on the number of online sections taught. Little has changed during the five-year period in regards to course development. Faculty members continue to use an individual instead of a team approach to course development and most faculty members learned online course development and delivery techniques on their own. (Contains 2 tables.)

Sideline shouting to "focus" and "anticipate" can be stressful and counterproductive for athletes, especially when they are novices playing in dynamic sport environments. An alternative aproach is to coach athletes to understand that focusing is a concentration skill that improves with practice. Selective attention, attentional focus style, and attentional shifting are three keys to concentration that have important implications for motor performance and decision making during open-skill sports. In this article, these characteristics are described and associated with practical activities to improve athletes' concentration skills.

Despite its recommended use, physical activity promotion in the academic classroom (PAPAC) has received little attention in terms of the factors that help to facilitate it. In this study, a social learning perspective was adopted to examine the role of physical activity biographies in generalist classroom teachers' (CTs) PAPAC. CTs (N = 213) were assessed on their satisfaction with personal K-12 physical education (PE) experiences, perceived physical activity competence, self-reported physical activity, perceived PAPAC competence, and self-reported PAPAC. Structural equation modeling supported the hypothesized relationships between variables. Specifically, PE satisfaction predicted physical activity competence, which in turn predicted physical activity. Subsequently, physical activity predicted PAPAC competence, which predicted PAPAC. The specified model explained 41% of the variance in PAPAC, with PAPAC competence being the largest contributor. This study provides useful information for designing interventions to increase PAPAC, as it stresses the need to identify strategies that improve CTs' physical activity-related, and PAPAC-related self-perceptions.

Most educational leadership preparation programs include classes designed to provide a broad survey of legal issues in the profession. Soon after these future leaders complete course requirements, their knowledge base can be outdated. We discuss, through relevant research along with theoretical and actual case studies, contemporary legal issues confronted by educational leaders and the need for the inclusion of social justice in leadership programs and ongoing professional development and training. We offer suggestions and strategies for professional development and training designed to keep educational leaders current with legal issues and to enable appropriate decision making to minimize the possibility of legal action.

Physical activity promotion in the academic classroom (PAPAC) is an effective means for increasing children's school-based physical activity. In the context of a South Carolina policy requiring elementary schools to provide children with 90 min of physical activity beyond physical education every week, the purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model of elementary classroom teachers' (ECT) PAPAC adoption drawing from Rogers' (1995) diffusion of innovations theory and a social ecological perspective. ECTs (N = 201) were assessed on their policy awareness, perceived school support for PAPAC, perceived attributes of PAPAC, domain-specific innovativeness, and self-reported PAPAC. Partial least squares analysis supported most of the hypothesized relationships. Policy awareness predicted perceived school support, which in turn predicted perceived attributes and domain-specific innovativeness. Perceived compatibility, simplicity, and observability, and domain-specific innovativeness predicted self-reported PAPAC. This study identifies variables that should be considered in policy-driven efforts to promote PAPAC adoption.

Background: With a view toward developing concerted efforts in fostering healthy eating habits and a physically active lifestyle among young people, a study was carried out to explore associations between eating behavior and physical activity (PA). Methods: In the school district, questionnaires were completed at home by parents of primary school children (N=8612) and by secondary school youth (N=5250) during a break in the schedule. The rates of response were 79% and 83%, respectively. Inferential and descriptive analyses were performed. Results: The results indicate significant differences between the eating behaviors of young people who engage in 60 minutes of daily PA and those who are sedentary. The physically active children were generally more likely to eat fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain products and to have breakfast (p less than 0.05 among high-school students). The lack of self-confidence (55%) and not enjoying PA (46%) stood out as the greatest obstacles facing adolescents trying to lose weight. Conclusion: There should be particular actions targeting students in the last half of primary school aimed at developing individual accountability and autonomy with respect to healthy eating and PA. These actions should also consider sex differences and those who have more sedentary lifestyles. (Contains 4 tables.)

Health education for socially marginalized populations challenges the efficacy of existing strategies and methods, and the pertinence of the educational and philosophical principles that underpin them. The Brazilian Community Health Agents Initiative (CHAI) hires residents of deprived marginalized communities to undertake health promotion and education in their communities. The ultimate goal of the CHAI is to connect populations with the public healthcare system by promoting social re-affiliation, protecting civil rights and enhancing equity of access to health services. In this article, we present the education work of community health agents through interplay between popular and scientific health knowledge in nine Rio de Janeiro shantytowns. A critical ethnographic research design, using thematic analysis, allowed us to explore agents' education work to enhance family health literacy in shantytowns. Local culture and social practices inspire Agents to create original strategies to reconcile forms of health knowledge in their work.

Leaders often display the all-too-human characteristic of talking only or mostly to people with whom they agree. Yet, to be effective as a leader in many circumstances requires reaching out and engaging in dialogue with those who one may fundamentally disagree and may even view as an enemy. To do so requires a particular conception of leadership, one that values dialogue. Effective dialogue, however, requires both skill and will. This article describes the concepts and strategies of a university program developed to encourage the will to engage in dialogue.

Students with diabetes deserve a school nurse who can effectively manage the disease. Tensions between the school and families sometimes emerge when a child with diabetes goes to school. To resolve these tensions in Colorado, stakeholders collaborated to implement a statewide program to meet the needs of students with diabetes. Colorado school nursing leadership partnered with the National Association of School Nurses to adapt components of the Managing and Preventing Diabetes and Weight Gain Program (MAP), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Healthy Learner Model for Chronic Condition Management, integral to MAP, provided guidance for the Colorado Collaborative to design the Diabetes Resource Nurse Program. The program supports the practicing school nurse, and facilitates collaboration between the family, school, and health care provider. This article describes how stakeholders in Colorado chose to collaborate when faced with rising tensions over how to best manage students with diabetes. (Contains 8 tables and 1 figure.)

The goal of this article is to present a series of conceptual, statistical, and practical issues in the modeling of multi-level dyadic data. Distinctions are made between distinguishable and undistinguishable dyads and several types of independent variables modeled at the dyadic level of analysis. Multi-level modeling equations are explained in a non-technical manner. A database of 66 athletes regrouped in 33 undistinguishable dyads is used to illustrate the steps from initial preparation of multi-level databases to the interpretations of output files. The data are used to examine null, intercept-as-outcome, and slope-as-outcome models, as well as to present a formula to calculate percentage of variance explained at different levels of analysis. A simple slopes procedure is showed to probe significant cross-level interactions (slope-as-outcome model) in a manner consistent with the approach generally used in ordinary least square regression. Potential extensions and limitations of this multi-level approach are presented in the discussion. (Contains 2 figures.)

The failure to discriminate between a pattern consisting of four orthogonal bars and the same pattern rotated by 45 degrees has been interpreted in the literature as evidence against pictorial representations in honeybees. This study determines whether prior training can facilitate the discrimination. In Experiment 1, one group of bumblebees was trained with a rewarding spiral pattern (S+) vs. its unrewarding 45 degrees rotation (S-). A second group was trained with two different patterns, the spiral (S+) and the chevron (S-). Both groups were then tested with the spiral and its rotation, both of which were unrewarding. The first group failed in the discrimination while the second succeeded. The same was true when the training period was defined by choice frequency instead of time (Experiment 2). The facilitation due to prior experience was pattern specific (Experiments 3 and 4). These results show perceptual learning in bumblebees and weaken the case against pictorial representations. (Contains 8 figures and 5 tables.)

The authors surveyed faculty and students in Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-accredited U.S. business colleges on their use of information technologies in distance education and their perceptions of the technologies' effect on productivity and technology preference. The authors collected data from 140 professors across the nation and 300 students from 4 states. The findings indicated that faculty and students used Internet-based tools heavily and perceived them as productivity enhancers. However, significant differences existed between faculty and students (e.g., although significantly more instructors preferred using TV-based live video and audio, significantly more students preferred using Internet live video and audio). (Contains 5 tables.)

Objective: The study examined male and female business college students' perceptions regarding the need for a match between personal and corporate ethics, whether success in business depends on ethical behavior, and the types of ethical misconduct that warrant the most severe managerial disciplinary actions. Background: The literature contains mixed findings relating to gender differences and ethical perceptions. In general, females tend to act in a more ethical manner in the workplace. Method: A questionnaire was used to elicit respondent judgments concerning the importance of ethics in business and the disciplinary action misbehaviors warranted. Results: The results indicate that perceptions may differ by gender. Females perceive more of a need for corporate ethics to match personal ethics and regard ethical behavior as more important to business success than do males. Except for misconduct relating to honesty and technology appropriate use issues, female students perceive that workplace misconduct deserves more severe punishment than do the male students. Application: It is important that business students understand that individuals approach situations with differing values and expectations. Discussing ethical situations in the classroom helps students entering managerial positions be ready to set and communicate workplace expectations. (Contains 3 tables.)

This study compared graduate business students' access to online graduate programs and their perceptions relating to online learning over a five-year period. Student input was provided during 2001 and 2006. Students in 2006 had greater access to entire graduate programs being offered online than did the 2001 students. The students in 2006 felt more strongly than the 2001 students that more time was needed to complete course work related to online courses than was needed for traditional courses. The 2006 students also felt more strongly that the quality of online courses was better than traditional courses, and they indicated they were more likely than the 2001 group to recommend online learning to friends. Both groups of students indicated that the main reasons they enrolled in online courses were for scheduling convenience and avoiding travel to campus for class. (Contains 8 tables.)

Teacher transfers from one worksite to another have a significant impact upon the schools they leave. Researchers and school leaders have proposed a number of solutions to attempt to address teacher transfers, but the rate of teacher transfers remains high. Thus, a better understanding of the motivational factors related to teachers' decisions to transfer is needed. The study focuses on identification of the factors associated with a teacher's decision to transfer between schools within one large Western district. The analyses were based on responses of 181 teachers who had recently transferred. Multivariate analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with teacher transfer. The findings indicate that leadership/administrative issues, professional success concerns, and building factors can have a strong influence on a teacher's decision to transfer. The study provides insight into approaches for retaining teachers at their current worksites. Moreover, as Darling-Hammond notes (1997), a high percentage of teachers who leave the profession are those with the characteristics associated with superior teaching-cognitive breadth and depth, adaptability, and creativity. (Contains 1 figure.)

Charter schools represent one of the most intriguing developments within public education in the past decade. Although they vary widely among themselves and differ from regular public schools in some regards, they also show many similarities. Consequently, many of the public relations strategies that work for other schools should also be useful for them. Among these are: establishment of a strong marketing plan; development of effective media relationships; effective selection of a directing board; utilization of staff to achieve public relations goals; and outreach to other schools facing similar problems.

This article examines how schools can avoid barriers to systems thinking in relation to improving student achievement. It then illustrates common errors associated with non-systems thinking and recommends solutions. Educators who understand that schools are complex interdependent social systems can move their organizations forward. Unfortunately, many education leaders today fail to grasp the interconnectedness of these components, resulting in little or no progress. As such, many planned changes address only symptoms, not the underlying root causes, of the problems. Subsequently, meaningful improvements do not occur. A systems perspective enables educators to make decisions related to improvement of student achievement and understand the impact of each decision on the organization. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has interrupted the status quo of schools and has forced education leaders to reconsider various methods of organizational change. The act has required all public schools to develop clear definitions of achievement, which provide the basis to evaluate progress. Systems thinking should be a vital component in efforts to improve education, and student achievement. To succeed, educators need to focus on making changes to the system, identifying high-leverage improvement, and aligning feedback with learning goals. When systems thinking becomes an integral part of the instructional process, the benefits of systems thinking as a method for improving student achievement will be enormous.

This article examines the responses of European American monolingual English-speaking preservice undergraduate education majors to critical issues related to the education of language minority students in P-12 schools. Data analysis of autobiographies, journals, portfolios, thematic units, position papers, and case studies indicated a correlation between levels of reflectivity and levels of engagement in critical social consciousness by the participants. Implications for the preparation of teachers point to ethical and moral challenges for teacher educators when preservice teachers do not engage in critical reflections on sociocultural factors that affect the academic achievement of linguistic minority students. Recommendations include systemic infusion of knowledge about and practice with English language learners across disciplines in teacher education, dialogical and collaborative reflective practices among teacher educators, and stricter teacher licensing requirements.

A discussion of student discipline. Reports on a statewide investigation in Nevada on the effectiveness of a legislative initiative that attempted to facilitate the removal from the class or reassignment of disruptive students, focusing on the perceptions of administrators and teachers. (Contains three tables and six references.) (WFA)

A survey of distance education technologies received responses from 81 business faculty and 153 students, who indicated that e-mail, Internet lectures/assignments, and discussion groups were most frequently used. There were few differences between teachers and students. A technology's frequent usage and positive impact on productivity did not necessary correlate with user preference. (Contains 28 references.) (SK)

This article focuses on data-based decision making at the school level and provides guidelines for principals. Necessary prior conditions, methods for developing a data-oriented culture, and expected outcomes are discussed. By using data, administrators can analyze programmatic decisions and promote empowerment of staff.