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The Blackfoot Cave site (5DA2358) in eastern Douglas County was excavated by the Denver Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society between 2007 and 2014. Two rock shelters comprise the focal point of the site although the site boundaries extend well beyond the shelters in all directions. The site is multicomponent, exhibiting prehistoric and historical archaeological materials that represent a lengthy span of human occupation. A working ranch for over a century, the site has been subjected to impacts that have resulted in some modification of surface contours and considerable mixing of artifacts of different ages. Fifty-three 1 m x 1 m units were excavated in multiple areas of the site. Of this number, 22 were deemed sufficiently undisturbed that comprehensive analysis of artifacts and other remains was warrranted. Excavated materials of prehistoric age include lithic, ground stone, and ceramic artifacts in addition to faunal and macrobotanical remains. Based on radiocarbon dates in combination with projectile point styles and ceramics, the prehistoric occupation of the site is believed to have extended from the Early Archaic period to at least the Middle Ceramic period, with possible evidence during the Paleoindian period and early Protohistoric as well. Occupation of Blackfoot Cave occurred intermittently but repeatedly beginning ca. 6,000 years ago or perhaps earlier, and the intensity of use appears to have increased during the Early Ceramic period. Due to the presence of a perennial spring, it is possible that habitation at the site was prolonged beyond the time when most other sites in the region were abandoned as a result of drought conditions. Historical cultural materials include square and round nails, various apothecary and other bottles and jars, children's toys, white heart trade beads, a musket ball, and faunal remains including butchered bison bone. Pre-homestead use of the site area, ca. 1840s-1890s, is represented by scant artifacts and faunal materials, while the ranching history, beginning in the 1870s and intensifying at approximately the turn of the twentieth century, is evident in the form of abundant artifacts and faunal materials as well as structures and structural remnants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emotional health and wellbeing of children and adolescents and their families is of utmost importance. Pediatricians are at the front line in identifying mental illness in children and adolescents and either linking them to resources in the community or providing treatment options themselves. Collaboration and integrative health care models is the cornerstone of effective strategies to provide access and quality mental health care to children and families in communities across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid reviews of research are a key way in which policy makers use research. This paper examines 74 rapid reviews commissioned by health policy agencies through the Sax Institute's Evidence Check programme. We examine what prompted policy makers to commission rapid reviews, their purpose, how and when they intended to use them, and how this varied by agency. Policy makers commissioned rapid reviews primarily as part of planned policy processes and to identify alternative solutions to problems. Government departments responsible for multiple policy domains were more likely to commission rapid reviews for agenda setting and to test new ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study groups and learning circles can offer a systematic way for early childhood teachers to interact about their work and create a culture of professional development. This paper describes how faculty systematically followed a collaborative co-inquiry process in order to improve a new early childhood interdisciplinary teacher preparation program. The team met on a regular basis throughout one academic year, with the stated objective of infusing observation/documentation knowledge and skills in a coherent and systematic way throughout the students' program of studies. The group created a template of the cycle of inquiry, which could apply to all courses, and analyzed the documentation process along a series of skill dimensions: (1) level that students are expected to achieve (awareness, application, refinement/integration); (2) focus of the students' observations (who, what, where, when, how); (3) width of the lens of observation (e.g., focused narrowly on one dimension of behavior or widely on a whole classroom environment); (4) intended audience of the completed documentation (e.g., children, parents, professional colleagues); and (5) finished product of documentation (e.g., project panel, memory book, slide presentation). The co-inquiry process allowed the faculty to improve the ways that the program helps students move from an awareness level toward a practitioner level in using observation and documentation. The students' reflections and finished work suggest how they learned to promote children's learning, partner with parents, and come to think of themselves as "professionals" in their field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]