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In the wake of all that educators are navigating these days, they've proven to be not only resilient, but also innovative. They continue intentionally finding new and exciting ways to create powerful learning opportunities for all students. Reinvent the Classroom, an initiative by Digital Promise, HP, Microsoft, and Intel, supports, celebrates, and amplifies educators and schools demonstrating such powerful teaching and learning by leveraging technology. Digital Promise's Reinvent the Classroom team is excited to magnify the voices of eight HP Teaching Fellows who are consistently striving to provide all learners with learning experiences that are personal and accessible, authenticating and challenging, connected and collaborative, and inquisitive and reflective. We invite you to learn more about our powerful learning principles and leading-edge methods through the vantage points of these HP Teaching Fellows.

The purpose of this qualitative meta-narrative was to explore the experiences of Black college women with natural hair on a predominantly white (PWI) college campus using intersectionality theory. Six self-identified Black college women with natural hair participated in this study. Three major findings emerged from this study: (a) interpersonal dualism: participants' ability to make their own choices and control their own destiny despite white supremacist expectations of compliance; (b) negotiating external expectations: participants' management of natural hair stereotypes and (mis)perceptions by and from others; and, (c) sense of community: participants' community and kinship with other Black natural haired women. We offer implications for research and practice.

Following the Japanese attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the nation was thrown into a state of fear and hysteria. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order No. 9066 which resulted in more than 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry being either interned in relocation centers, drafted, or imprisoned. In communities throughout the Western part of the United States, lessons about democracy, tolerance, and brotherhood were mediated by the reality of the Japanese internment. The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II at the same time that students were being taught about democracy, intolerance, and brotherhood is an example of the mixed messages that were given to students and teachers. The issues and groups have changed since World War II, but educators today continue to face the challenge of helping students understand and develop the skills, knowledge, and habits of heart to be effective citizens in pluralistic democratic society. Balancing unity and diversity is a critical component of that challenge. In this article, the author stresses the important role of schools in helping to resolve the tension between unity and diversity. She argues that giving students the opportunity to grapple with real questions and issues that give prominence to the tension between diversity and unity can help them understand that there are no easy answers and that while they may not find immediate solutions they can help create an environment where the issues can continue to be explored and ultimately resolved. By learning from history, recognizing the ways in which elements of history continue to be present in contemporary society, and taking action to right an old wrong, they gave individuals a glimpse of how schools can educate students who understand the unity-diversity tension and act accordingly.(Contains 1 endnote.)

The recruitment of culturally and linguistically diverse students to graduate programs is critical to the overall growth and development of school psychology as a field. Program websites serve as an effective recruitment tool for attracting prospective students, yet there is limited research on how school psychology programs use their websites to recruit diverse students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether school psychology program websites include sufficient levels of diversity-related content critical for attracting diverse applicants. The website content of 250 professional psychology programs (165 school psychology training programs and 85 clinical and counseling psychology programs) were examined for the presence of themes of diversity and multiculturalism that prospective racially/ethnically and linguistically diverse students deem important for selecting a graduate program. Results indicated that school psychology programs had less diversity-related content on their program's website relative to clinical and counseling psychology programs. Implications for improving recruitment of racially/ethnically and linguistically diverse students through websites are discussed.

This column explores the concept of competency-based education (CBE). A shift to CBE is a key trend for the future of health care education. Health care professions that have adopted, or started to adopt, a CBE framework include physical therapy, speech-language pathology, social work, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, and dentistry. Internationally, many occupational therapy programs are in the process of shifting to, or have shifted to, a CBE model. This column discusses how although select occupational therapy programs in the United States may individually be considering shifting to, or have shifted to, a CBE framework, there is no national movement to explore adopting the model for occupational therapy or a consensus on defined outcomes for the profession. This column discusses how although select occupational therapy programs in the United States may individually be considering shifting to, or have shifted to, a competency-based education framework, there is no national movement to explore adopting the model for occupational therapy or a consensus on defined outcomes for the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effectiveness and challenges of a collaborative drama project conducted in a beginner-level Japanese language university class. The project had two main objectives: firstly, it encouraged students to focus on linguistic elements during the process of writing, examining and editing the scenario, and to embed it in an authentic context; secondly it aimed to raise student self-awareness of how to project attitude and emotion in their speaking parts, followed by feedback from native Japanese speakers. Seven students from the U.S., Germany, Ukraine, Algeria and Poland and four Japanese student volunteers participated in the three-week project. Students first discussed an outline and created a detailed image of characters and scenes. Then, the students in pairs created a scenario that was examined and edited through class discussion with focus on form in context. Finally, students practiced their roles with Japanese volunteers and filmed a 10-minute drama that was presented for another Japanese class and guests. Three significant improvements in students' Japanese skills and awareness were observed during the project: students were able to critically analyse and negotiate the best ways to use their Japanese language resources in the context, they became aware of why their direct translations from English to Japanese and word choices do not always work, and they were able to speak in a lively and active way beyond reading the texts. Students reported that they acquired various ways of using Japanese and became more confident in speaking with native speakers.

Through physical activity, physical educators have long sought to improve the self-efficacy and self-esteem in girls and young woman. Current research indicates that self-defense education may have a positive psychological impact on female participants, specifically regarding the development of self-efficacy and self-esteem. Through participation in a self-defense unit of instruction, females develop knowledge and skills related to personal preservation that allow an individual to live a confident and purposeful life. This article provides educators a useful tool to generate confidence within girls and young women through self-defense education.

The incorporation of a self-defense unit of study within secondary physical education programs is becoming commonplace in 21st-century curricula. The threat of crime to oneself, one's belongings, or one's home is very real and is a particular concern to youths, because teens and young adults experience the highest rates of crime as reported by the United States government. In response, parents, administrators, teachers, and even students are interested in this topic, and it is a lifetime skill easily transferable from the gymnasium to the streets. The goal of modern self-defense training is to help students make good choices, recognize potentially dangerous situations, and take action to prevent a physical altercation. Educators are currently doing a good job teaching the physical self-defense skills, but lack information describing how best to educate students regarding awareness and prevention techniques. This article provides suggestions to round out the self-defense curriculum. (Contains 1 table.)

This dance ethnography examines work conducted by the Dambe Project--a nonprofit organization that specializes in African performing arts education and mentorship. The study focuses on the implications of the organization's dance pedagogy in light of its postcolonial context and the importance of West African dance education in the United States. The study strives to be a conversation between the fields of anthropology and education, dance studies and postcolonial studies. (Contains 4 notes.)

In this paper, we describe the household wealth distribution in the United States and United Kingdom over the past two decades, and compare both wealth inequality and the form in which wealth is held. Unconditionally, there are large differences in financial wealth between the two countries at the top fifth of the wealth distribution. Even after controlling for age and income differences between the two countries, we show that the median U.S. household accumulates more financial wealth than their United Kingdom counterpart does. We explore a number of alternative reasons for these differences and reject some explanations as implausible. Some of the observed differences are due to what we refer to as "initial conditions," in particular previously high rates of corporate equity ownership in the U.S. and housing ownership among young British households. This only provides a partial explanation, however. Among other explanations are differences in the annuitization of retirement incomes and in the amount of wealth held in the form of housing equity. In the first case, forced and voluntary annuitization in the United Kingdom mean older households face considerably less longevity risk. In the second, higher house price volatility in the United Kingdom can create an incentive, as shown Banks, Blundell, and Smith (2002), away from stock market equity earlier in the life cycle. (Contains 36 footnotes, 13 tables and 8 figures.)

The author was in the seventh grade at the Newsome Training School in Aubrey, Arkansas when the Supreme Court handed down "Brown v. Board of Education" on May 17, 1954. His most powerful memory of the "Brown" decision is that he has no memory of it being rendered or mentioned by his parents, teachers, or preachers. In his rural southern Black community, there was a conspiracy of silence about "Brown". It was completely invisible. The silence, loss, rage, and hope that "Brown" evoked still simmer in Black and White communities throughout the United States. Schools throughout the nation are now resegregated. Blacks and Whites often remain silent to maintain the peace. Blacks feel that much of their culture has been lost and eradicated from the schools in their communities. There is White rage about affirmative action and massive immigration and Black rage about their plight in America. "Brown" gave people hope that America might one day overcome its deep and entrenched racial legacy and indicated how difficult this journey was and still is.

The type and amount of student interaction with major socializing agents on campus--faculty and their peers--determine the impact of college on students. Much of the research on postsecondary education links the quality of peer interactions directly to student learning outcomes and satisfaction with the college experience, and Alexander Astin went so far as to suggest that "peers are "the single most potent source of influence," affecting virtually every aspect of development--cognitive, affective, psychological, and behavioral." This concept underlies the high-impact pedagogy of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL). For commuter campuses like Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), classrooms are often the only regular settings in which students interact with faculty and peers. Creating environments for increased faculty and peer interaction should be prioritized when creating academic programs. This is especially true in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, where pedagogical practices have been identified as primary barriers to persistence. PLTL preserves the lecture while replacing the teaching assistant-led recitation with a weekly two-hour session. During these workshops, six to eight students work as a team to solve carefully structured problems under the guidance of a peer leader--a student who has recently completed the course and additional training for the role. While over 20,000 students experience the benefits of PLTL annually at more than 100 U.S. colleges and universities, many others do not have the opportunity to participate in peer-led workshops because of inflexible work or family schedules or because their institutions lack the physical space to provide workshops on their campus. Also, peer leaders are not always available, especially at two-year institutions. It is increasingly clear that to provide PLTL to the broader undergraduate population in STEM fields, efforts need to focus on creating a variety of effective cyber-learning environments. The development of cyber PLTL (cPLTL) has the potential to diminish barriers to access and increase the success of students in the STEM fields. Extending PLTL to a virtual environment has the potential to provide active learning opportunities to a wider, more diverse student population while giving them more flexible scheduling and attendance options. This article reports a pilot study conducted at IUPUI, which serves approximately 1,000 first-year general chemistry students annually. The article explains how cPLTL has developed the necessary human and physical components, along with the costs associated with implementation and preliminary findings from the pilot study. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables and 15 endnotes.)

Describes a typology that attempts to outline the major phases of the development of ethnic revitalization movements in Western societies. Various phases of ethnic revitalization are described as related primarily to the United States and United Kingdom. Also discusses the rise of anti-egalitarian ideology and research. (CT)

I've seen ones like these before, once or twice, Then more came in strange clothes and straw hats—they showed their teeth, but they were not smiling Our old ones with hair the color of clouds warned us about them, said they weren't people, told us what to do But I was evil: I did not believe [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the height of the exclusion era, when Asian immigrants were prohibited from naturalizing and becoming United States citizens, state and federal court judges around the country naturalized at least 500 Asian immigrant servicepersons and veterans. Between 1918 and 1925, Federal Bureau of Naturalization officials and state and federal court judges had to determine whether the military naturalization provisions enacted in 1918 included the same racial restrictions that the general naturalization provisions included. This Article tells the story of how these officials and judges navigated statutory text, congressional intent, and the reality of Asian immigrant membership in the United States Armed Forces to determine the role that race vis-a-vis military service should play in determining citizenship eligibility. The story of Asian immigrant naturalization between 1918 and 1925 highlights a long-standing question within American citizenship and immigration law: how to measure an applicant's adoption of and commitment to mainstream American values, norms, and practices. Are there accurate and reliable categories that measure cultural assimilation and allow for cost-effective and efficient decision-making? Alternatively, are categories sufficiently inaccurate and unreliable such that individualized assessments of specific cultural criteria offer the only legitimate approach? Based on administrative memos, state and federal court judicial opinions, and newspaper articles, this article reveals how state and federal court judges struggled with this general question and how the Supreme Court resolved the split that existed across the country. United States naturalization law continues to require categorybased decision-making, and it is important that we similarly interrogate those categories to determine the extent to which they accurately and reliably measure the intended naturalization criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the history of racial segregation in the U.S., and includes an account of antimiscegenation laws of the country; Loving v. Virginia court case on interracial marriage; prominence of multiracial children born out of interracial marriages.

The article discusses the significance of popular culture, particularly courtroom films, in the decline in civil trials in the U.S.

The article discusses research on the importance of an honors senior thesis. Topics covered include the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) listing the honors senior thesis in the Basic Characteristics of a Fully Developed Honors College, the quantitative and mixed-methods approach to research on the honors senior thesis, and the honors senior thesis tradition at the South Carolina Honors College (SCHC) in Columbia.

The article examines African American art in art education. Particular focus is given to patrons of African American art who have deepened racial pride and understanding by collecting the work of African American artists including Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence. Additional topics discussed include interviews with upper-middle class Black residents in Atlanta, Georgia, and New York City, the relationship between consumption and identity and the art collector Vincent Foster.

How have recent changes to US asylum law altered who gets asylum? We investigate whether the changes wrought by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) and the Real ID Act changed the decision making of immigration judges in asylum cases. We find, contrary to much of the commentary surrounding both IIRIRA and Real ID, that immigration judges became more likely to grant applicants asylum. Furthermore, we find that those applicants who are most at-risk of persecution in the countries they are fleeing are also the applicants most likely to be granted relief--a fact that became increasingly true with the implementation of IIRIRA and Real ID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our analysis of federal district court decisions in USA PATRIOT Act cases after September 11 shows that while district courts exhibit great deference to the executive during times of war, especially in terrorism threat and immigration cases, they are not inclined to protect civil rights and liberties during times of domestic or international conflict. While judicial ideology does not influence case outcomes, the presence of a civil-libertarian interest group decreases the chance of a deferential decision, and a more conservative Senate and president increases the chance of judicial deference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beyond a grant or denial in asylum hearings, there are additional possible outcomes that are typically ignored in the literature. Despite a clear ordering of benefits, from most to least beneficial, such ordering does not align with demands of the legal standards in order to be granted relief Our study finds that immigration judges' decisions do not reflect the legal ordering of the types of relief but rather more accurately reflect the substantive ordering of those options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent judicial decisions and political developments have elevated the issue of impartiality among elected judges as a topic of public and scholarly interest. Using a data set of all donations to candidates for the Supreme Court of Alabama from 1994 through 2010, we explore one potential proposal for limiting the appearance of judicial bias and its effects on the behavior of campaign donors--per se recusal. Our results indicate that the existence of a per se recusal statute significantly decreases the likelihood of observing large donations from several categories of donors. In auxiliary analysis, we find that attorney donors have increasingly funneled contributions through PACs since this statute's enactment--presumably, because such contributions are exempted from the law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute pancreatitis is the leading cause of hospitalization for gastrointestinal disorders in the United States. As rates of hospitalization for acute pancreatitis continue to increase, so does demand for effective management. We review approaches to best manage patients with acute pancreatitis, covering diagnosis, risk and prognostic factors, treatment, and complications, considering recommendations from current practice guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the U.S. war against the terrorist group Al Qaeda and its allies with more aggressive strategy by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama. The U.S. has increased military and intelligence operations in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and North Africa. The war has deteriorated relation between the U.S. and Pakistan and tension has increased over the development of the Iran's nuclear progress. It raises concerns such as which law authorizes or controls these operations and whether a given activity is being conducted by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or the U.S. military. The efforts made by the U.S. to slow down Iran's nuclear war construction are also presented.

The article focuses on efforts by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to help the community correctional field grow and evolve through innovation and evidence-based practices. A website was launched by the Office of Justice Programs to help organizations determine effective programs and practices. Information on BJA's Field-Initiated solution is provided. A partnership was formed with the National Institute of Justice to implement and test demonstration field experiments.

Background Effectiveness of medical therapies in chronic pancreatitis has been described in small studies of selected patients. Aim To describe frequency and perceived effectiveness of non-analgesic medical therapies in chronic pancreatitis patients evaluated at US referral centres. Methods Using data on 516 chronic pancreatitis patients enrolled prospectively in the NAPS2 Study, we evaluated how often medical therapies [pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), vitamins / antioxidants (AO), octreotide, coeliac plexus block (CPB)] were utilized and considered useful by physicians. Results Oral PERT was commonly used (70%), more frequently in the presence of exocrine insufficiency (EI) (88% vs. 61%, P < 0.001) and pain (74% vs. 59%, P < 0.002). On multivariable analyses, predictors of PERT usage were EI (OR 5.14, 95% CI 2.87-9.18), constant (OR 3.42, 95% CI 1.93-6.04) or intermittent pain (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.14-3.45). Efficacy of PERT was predicted only by EI (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.36-3.42). AO were tried less often (14%) and were more effective in idiopathic and obstructive vs. alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (25% vs. 4%, P = 0.03). Other therapies were infrequently used (CPB - 5%, octreotide - 7%) with efficacy generally <50%. Conclusions Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy is commonly utilized, but is considered useful in only subsets of chronic pancreatitis patients. Other medical therapies are used infrequently and have limited efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentoring is often considered a gift of time and resources that a mentor gives to a mentee. However, research suggests that mentoring has benefits specifically for the mentor. This study analyzes written reflections of twenty-five mentors who took part in a National Science Foundation-funded program that encouraged middle-school girls to engage in math and science. To implement the program, the service learning course utilized college-age mentors enrolled in a 300-level course about middle-school adolescent development. Qualitative analyses revealed several themes from the mentors' experiences: valuing the setting, awareness of culture, negotiating group dynamics, affirmation of abilities, and career guidance. Implications for future research include intentionally measuring perceived mentor benefits as part of program evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most pressing issues in the nation's cultural landscape is diversity in the arts. Arts practitioners and cultural policy makers argue that the relevance and impact of the arts in the 21st century are dependent on racial and ethnic diversity. Given the increasing importance of racial and ethnic diversity in the arts it is critical to examine if presidential arts policies advance cultural equity. In this paper, I explore this question by examining two arts policies in the Obama Administration and their impact on African Americans. I argue that through displaying art by African American artists in the White House and supporting funding for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, President Obama advances a culturally inclusive arts agenda that positively impacts African Americans by incorporating African American art into the nation's shared heritage; casting the historical experiences of African Americans into the broader narrative of the nation; expanding the category of "American" art to include art and culture associated with African Americans; legitimating African American art and culture; and affirming the identity of African Americans. These policies provide evidence of how President Obama is moving the nation forward in furthering cultural equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of Union Pass in the Rocky Mountain region of Wyoming by trappers and fur traders. The geography of the Union Pass area is detailed as an attempt to locate the pass on a map. The use of Union Pass by beaver trapping expeditions led by such U.S. fur trappers as Manuel Lisa, John Colter, and Wilson Price Hunt is detailed. The author provides a detailed description of the pass through contemporary accounts of its use by fur trappers such as Captain Benjamin Bonneville.

The article presents updates on the issue concerning the growth of cyber intrusions that affect the national security in the U.S. It states that cybersecurity has been considered as one of the most urgent national security problems faced by U.S. President Barack Obama administration. It highlights how administration responded to the cybersecurity issue with the implementation of a Cyberspace Policy Review and by the appointment of Cybersecurity Coordinator to lead the federal cyber response. It also cites the proposals for legislation assigning the Department of Homeland Security to lead cyber defense.

Information about several reforms discussed at the annual meeting sponsored by the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) on the national security law advice to the new administration is presented. Reforms include the dismissal of the Cold War thinking and the global war on terror, system redesign and overview of several global trouble spots for the U.S. and guiding principles for national security policy. Speakers include Elizabeth Rindskopf-Parker, Jules Lobel and Michael Kelly.

Background & Aims: Routine laboratory tests that reflect intravascular volume status can play an important role in the early assessment of acute pancreatitis (AP). The objective of this study was to evaluate accuracy of serial blood urea nitrogen (BUN) versus serial hemoglobin (Hgb) measurement for prediction of in-hospital mortality in AP. Methods: We performed an observational cohort study on data from 69 US hospitals from January 2003 to December 2006. Repeated measures analysis was used to examine the relationship between early trends in BUN and Hgb with respect to mortality. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the impact of admission BUN, change in BUN, admission Hgb, and change in Hgb on mortality. Time-specific receiver operating characteristic curves and multivariable logistic regression compared accuracy of BUN, Hgb, and additional routine laboratory tests. Results: BUN levels were persistently higher among nonsurvivors than survivors during the first 48 hours of hospitalization (F–test; P < .0001). No such relationship existed for Hgb (F–test; P = .33). For every 5-mg/dl increase in BUN during the first 24 hours, the age- and gender-adjusted odds ratio for mortality increased by 2.2 (95% confidence limits, 1.8, 2.7). Of the 6 routine laboratory tests examined, BUN yielded the highest area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) for predicting mortality at admission (AUC = 0.79), 24 hours (AUC = 0.89), and 48 hours (AUC = 0.90). Combining admission BUN and change in BUN at 24 hours produced an AUC of 0.91 for mortality. Conclusion: In a large, hospital-based cohort study, we identified serial BUN measurement as the most valuable single routine laboratory test for predicting mortality in AP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study reports the results of an electronic survey and two focus groups that included former Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), students who took a required multicultural education course. As instructors in a pre-service teaching program for adult learners, we used a matrix of relevant materials to promote cultural competency within the framework of the required course. We wondered what course experiences benefitted our former students once they were actually teaching learners with unique needs. We accessed our former graduates to learn how to improve course content to increase future teachers' cultural competency. The participants of the study offered suggestions for increasing the cultural competency levels of teachers in ways that should improved classroom practices, and offer more effective strategies for working with learners with diverse needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis concerning the widespread disagreement about the extent of racial discrimination in the U.S. It relates that the widespread embrace of the nondiscrimination mandate is not as useful in resolving race-related controversies because commentators will disagree about whether a challenged practice is racially discriminatory. It implies that the socioeconomic status and culture will often complicate the identification of racial discrimination. Moreover, it stresses the need for the society to identify the costs and benefits of the prohibition of practices challenged as racially discriminatory.

A national survey of rural school systems in the United States was conducted to determine the extent to which distance education is being utilized by rural schools, the technologies used, the curriculum areas impacted, the perceived needs for distance education, their satisfaction with distance education, and the barriers to distance education use. Data were collected through telephone surveys with 394 school districts selected at random. Most rural school districts were currently using distance education. The subjects most often offered by distance education were math, foreign language, and English. A large majority of the districts indicated satisfaction with distance education courses; almost half stated they were very satisfied. The majority of students who enrolled in distance education courses completed these courses. Two-thirds of the districts indicated a need for additional distance education courses. Only a small portion of school districts indicated they are able to offer all the advanced and enrichment classes that students need without using distance education. The large majority of the districts did not see connectivity as a barrier to distance education use. Common barriers were funding, scheduling, and difficulty implementing distance education courses. The two most common formats for distance education courses in rural schools were two-way videoconferencing courses and online courses. Implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of the Insurrection Act and military in the U.S. to protect citizens from civil liberties violations. It emphasizes that Insurrection Act should be restored to cure constitutional defect and to develop mechanisms and processes related to federal military forces in a domestic incident. Moreover, it stresses that military troops have all the authority or power they need to support the civilian efforts in providing protection during emergency situations such as political and social crimes, terrorism, and natural disaster.

Industry can contribute significantly toward a dynamic engineering curriculum. A major theme in the industry-based dialogue with universities is that engineering graduates need to improve their professional skills, including written proficiencies, oral communication expertise, and teamwork skills. The authors have redesigned a course that combines water and wastewater treatment into a challenge-based instruction that develops both the students' conceptual and professional competences associated with civil engineering. The university joined with an industry partner to use their existing facility as an anchor for challenge-based learning activity. Opportunities for students to demonstrate and practice professional skills were extensively integrated into the design experience. While challenge-based instruction concepts are by no means new, the principles have not previously found widespread application within the civil engineering discipline. The objective of this study was to investigate student experiences for learning both content and professional competencies within a wastewater treatment course. A major finding of this study is that the traditional lecture style course could be redesigned in a manner that develops students expectation of what it means to be a professional and the skills associated with that, while at the same time advancing their knowledge of wastewater treatment. The students self-reported that the most significant aspects of the learning experience were those related to their professional competencies. Those particular learning experiences relate directly to the skills requested by industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate yearly progress (AYP) on No Child Left Behind criteria was examined for a randomly selected sample of districts that qualify for the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP). The sample involved 10% of districts that were eligible for the Small Rural Schools Achievement (SRSA) program and 10% that were eligible for the Rural and Low-income Schools (RLIS) program. Based on district reports, nearly 80% of SRSA schools made AYP, 11% failed, and 11% did not have adequate data. For schools in the RLIS program, districts reported that 65% made AYP. 29% failed, and 6% did not report adequate data. The SRSA and RLIS samples had different patterns for the categories of students that did not make AYP. Also, SRSA and RLIS districts were differentially distributed across the United States. Implications for interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents Case 5-1989, of a 27-year-old admitted to the hospital because of portal-vein thrombosis and an epigastric mass. Differential diagnosis; Clinical diagnoses; Dr. Peter A. Banks' diagnosis; Anatomical diagnoses.