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The current study examined the underidentification of students with disabilities for gifted education programs, otherwise referred to as twice-exceptional students. This study utilized data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 (ECLS-K). We estimated that approximately 17% to 18% more students with disabilities should have been identified for a gifted education program as having statistically similar achievement scores to those students without disabilities in gifted education programs. Alternatively stated, students with disabilities should make up 10.8% of gifted programs, or about 1 in 9 students in gifted programs should be twice-exceptional. Students with disabilities who were male, non-White, low-income, and indicating more internalizing problem behaviors were more likely to not be identified for a gifted education program despite having similar achievement scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: The protein levels of chloroplast photosynthetic genes and genes related to the chloroplast genetic apparatus vary to adapt to different conditions. However, the underlying mechanisms governing these variations remain unclear. The chloroplast intron Maturase K is encoded within the trnK intron and has been suggested to be required for splicing several group IIA introns, including the trnK intron. In this study, we used RNA immunoprecipitation followed by high‐throughput sequencing (RIP‐Seq) to identify MatK's preference for binding to group IIA intron domains I and VI within target transcripts. Importantly, these domains are crucial for splice site selection, and we discovered alternative 5′‐splice sites in three MatK target introns. The resulting alternative trnK lariat structure showed increased accumulation during heat acclimation. The cognate codon of tRNA‐K(UUU) is highly enriched in mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins and a trnK‐matK over‐expressor exhibited elevated levels of the spliced tRNA‐K(UUU). Ribosome profiling analysis of the overexpressor revealed a significant up‐shift in the translation of ribosomal proteins compared to photosynthetic genes. Our findings suggest the existence of a novel regulatory mechanism linked to the abundance of tRNA‐K(UUU), enabling the differential expression of functional chloroplast gene groups. Significance Statement: This study uncovers a regulatory mechanism involving the chloroplast intron Maturase K (MatK), highlighting its role in preventing alternative 5′‐splice site selection of group IIA introns. Our findings suggest furthermore that MatK modulates tRNA‐K(UUU) abundance, which leads to differential translation of chloroplast ribosomal and photosynthetic genes, particularly during heat acclimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we changed the methodology for pixel value differencing. The proposed method work on RGB color images improves the existing PVD technique in terms of embedding capacity and overcomes the issue of falling off boundaries in the traditional PVD technique, and provides security to the secret message from histogram quantization attack. Color images are composed of three different color channels (red, green, and blue), so we cannot apply the traditional pixel value differencing algorithm to them. Due to that, the proposed technique divides the RGB photograph in red, blue, and green channels. Following that the modified pixel value differencing algorithm is employed to all successive pixels of color channels. We get the total embedding capacity by adding the embedding capacities of each color component. After embedding the data, we concatenate the color channels to get the stegoimage. On a series of color images, we tested our pixel value differencing approach and found that the stego-picture's visual excellence and payload capacity were reasonable. The variation in histogram between the stego and cover photographs was minor, making it resistant to histogram quantization attacks, and the suggested approach also solves the issue of falling off the boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusion has been a cornerstone of the Italian school system since the 1970s, when special sections were gradually abolished, students with disabilities merged into regular classrooms, introducing specialized support teachers who became co-teachers in every aspect of the classes. Over the years, it has become increasingly evident that working with disabilities means creating synergies among professionals – not only educators – through longitudinal and transversal skills and knowledge, in an interdisciplinary perspective. The paper presents the results of a research, involving a group of support teachers, regarding the complexity of their role within the inclusive school. It highlights the relationships among various stakeholders – families, educators, healthcare professionals, etc. – in addressing the needs of students with disabilities and in designing interventions specific to the Individualized Educational Plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to provide a basis for theoretical reflections for the recognition of the importance of the construct of Self-determination as a fundamental dimension of the Quality of Life, also for people with disabilities. In this sense, the main empirical studies that analyse the existing correlation between Self-determination and Quality of Life are summarized, to highlight the relevance that these constructs occupy in the sectors of education, special education, and public health. Following this file rouge, the delineation of educational paths aimed at the aid of innovative models and practices is envisaged, starting from the drafting of Individualized Educational Plans (IEP), a key tool for the design of inclusive teaching paths, based on the construction of self-determined people, causal agents of Quality Lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial published in the journal Frontiers in Education. The editorial discusses the importance of evidence-informed practice in creating meaningful individual special education programs for diverse students with learning disabilities. It emphasizes the need for attention to cultural sustainability, consideration of English language proficiency, and understanding the interaction between exceptionality and diversity in developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for diverse learners. The editorial highlights several research articles in the journal that provide recommendations for strengthening IEPs for culturally and linguistically diverse learners with learning disabilities. The recommendations are applicable to international educational systems as well. [Extracted from the article]

The current study examined the underidentification of students with disabilities for gifted education programs, otherwise referred to as twice-exceptional students. This study utilized data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 (ECLS-K). We estimated that approximately 17% to 18% more students with disabilities should have been identified for a gifted education program as having statistically similar achievement scores to those students without disabilities in gifted education programs. Alternatively stated, students with disabilities should make up 10.8% of gifted programs, or about 1 in 9 students in gifted programs should be twice-exceptional. Students with disabilities who were male, non-White, low-income, and indicating more internalizing problem behaviors were more likely to not be identified for a gifted education program despite having similar achievement scores.

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: The learning media assessment (LMA) process is the mechanism professionals use to determine a student's optimal learning and reading media. Currently, no tool has been validated for the purpose of conducting the LMA process. Methods: A Delphi approach was used whereby a panel of identified experts in the LMA process went through iterative phases recommending items to be included in the LMA process and voting on keeping, changing, or deleting items until a final list of agreed upon items was established. Results: At the completion of five rounds of voting and amending items, the final list of agreed upon items included 2 general goals, 66 items, and 18 acceptable modifications to the LMA process. The items to be included in an LMA process were categorized into logistical items to be noted (9 items), LMA procedural characteristics (11 items), materials to be used (2 items), information to be gathered (20 items), student medical/visual characteristics (8 items), student reading or academic characteristics (10 items), and student technology and literacy tool use (6 items). Eighteen acceptable modifications or adjustments that could be made to assessment procedures were also agreed upon. Discussion: The framework of what is critical in the LMA process, as shown in this Delphi study, can be used to assess the validity of LMA tools. Implications for Practitioners: Practitioners can use the framework built by this Delphi process to evaluate the validity of LMA tools they use. Practitioners can assess the tools they use by asking if all the validated content areas are addressed, if validated procedures are being followed, and if validated accommodations are in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the challenges, the pandemic created for school districts, schools, educators, and families, school psychologists faced unique challenges. To understand the lived experiences of school psychologists related specifically to conducting their jobs during the pandemic and the impact the pandemic had on them professionally and personally, we conducted a phenomenological study. Within this work, 12 school psychologists engaged in one‐on‐one semistructured interviews specifically designed to understand the unique perspectives and experiences of school psychologists derived by the pandemic. Participants expressed concerns that little guidance or support was provided specific to testing protocols, which, many expressed, led to ethical dilemmas regarding testing and data validity, and ultimately resulted in concerns about under‐ and overidentification of students with disabilities. We conclude, evaluation decisions made during the height of the pandemic may need to be reassessed as additional data dictates. Additionally, we recognize the unique and unforeseen complexities the pandemic continues to present, particularly for minority and low socioeconomic students, and recommend school psychologists receive administrative support, guidance, and training. Additionally, we encourage individualized education program teams to work collaboratively and rely on their collective expertise when making eligibility and programming decisions. Practitioner points: Given concerns about testing and data validity, participating school psychologists expressed concerns about determining eligibility for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Although participating school psychologists made IDEA eligibility recommendations based on professional judgment, they expressed concerns regarding the consequences of misidentifying students.Despite coming to an end, the pandemic continues to impact students, creating additional challenges, and unique circumstances that must be considered when evaluating students for eligibility under the IDEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) is an essential component of the individualised educational program (IEP) process because it identifies student strengths and areas for growth. However, there is minimal research that examines components of an IEP and student outcomes. The current study examined the relationship between PLAAFP quality and student achievement, and between training and ongoing professional development and quality of the PLAAFP. The data were obtained from 211 special education teachers in one state. Results suggested that ongoing professional development predicted the quality of the PLAAFP statement, accounted for a large amount of the variance (r2 = 0.14) in the PLAAFP quality score, and was a stronger predictor than participating in a single training. Additionally, PLAAFP quality predicted winter achievement scores beyond the school district, fall achievement scores and teacher variables, and accounted for significant and moderate amount of unique variance for reading (r2 = 0.05) and math (r2 = 0.07). Implications for research and practice are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To design and develop a mobile application for pre-school readiness of children with autism and also to identify their learning pattern. Based on strong foundation of functional academics, we have developed a mobile application for providing an early educational intervention program to the children with autism. Three successive software trials have been conducted among 31 children with autism of age group of three to 10 years. The mobile app has been provided to educators and parents and they have been allowed to supervise the children during their learning phase for eight to 10 weeks. The imprint of learning pattern is recorded and learning progress profile is generated for individual child. Data analysis of learning progress profile shows that 90% of the participants preferred drag and drop or simple touch approach over conventional methods practised during classroom teachings. More than 84% of the children are found to adapt pre-requisite skills for writing like scribbling, tracing, dots joining, copying, etc. after using the app on their tablet who are reluctant to hold pencil and paper otherwise. Twenty-five percent of the participants are reported to reciprocate the greeting etiquettes in class such as greeting teachers and their peers. The mobile application made a valuable contribution to early intervention program for children with autism by imparting appropriate learning opportunities readily available to them. Performance metrics underlying each activity form a strong base of identification of learning patterns and formulation of revised individualized education plan (IEP). Children with autism need the mobile application as an educational intervention program for it is readily available and user friendly. Educators need the mobile application to quantify the performance parameters and there by monitor/evaluate the progress of the child. Overall, the present research has aimed to develop an easy reach app by which educating as well as handling challenging behaviour of the children with autism would be easier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Special Education Services Regulation details who should take place in the IEP development unit, which was created to develop, implement, and prepare the IEP. In addition, it is clearly stated in the Special Education Services Regulation that the active participation of the parents in every stage of the special education process should be ensured. Parents have an important place in the process of preparing the Individualized Education Program. This study aims to evaluate the participation of parents whose children receive special education services in the IEP preparation process in terms of their views and to investigate how the families of children receiving special education services perceive IEP meetings, what they think about participation, and their level of knowledge and trust about the members of IEP meetings. In addition, participant views on measures that can be taken to improve parents' participation in IEP meetings are also included. Within the scope of the research, interviews were conducted with 19 parents through semi-structured interview technique. The obtained data were analyzed by the descriptive analysis method. Findings revealed that parents believe that educators do not value themselves equally, do not adhere to IEP goals to facilitate student success, and do not adequately inform parents about special education services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is part of a series of "Legal Issues 101" addressing common questions and misconceptions regarding the law and school health. One-to-one nursing services (also called personal or private nursing services) are sometimes required for students with complex health conditions requiring continuous nursing assessment and detailed care. This article addresses the team allocation of one-to-one nursing services for special education students in accordance with IDEA 2004 (Individuals with Disability Education Act). Details regarding the process and associated considerations are addressed in question and answer format. Readers are encouraged to expand their knowledge further using the resources and references provided within the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Special Education & Rehabilitation (2314-8608) is the property of Association of Arab Universities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The educational services available for fully included middle schoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the general education setting in the United States are not well known. Even less is known about how the executive functioning (EF) deficits of such youth are addressed in the classroom. The current study sought to identify the challenges, including EF, that middle schoolers with ASD face, determine the services that they receive on their Individualized Education Program (IEP), and also explore specific strategies used to build EF skills at school. A convenience data sample was obtained from focus groups with educational personnel (n = 15), and qualitative analyses of IEPs were conducted in middle schoolers with ASD with EF deficits (n = 23). Results confirmed that social communication and EF challenges are common. Multiple services and accommodations were identified, although EF challenges were rarely targeted on IEPs. Factors that may facilitate the success of EF strategies in the classroom are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2017 Supreme Court ruling in Endrew vs. Douglas County charged educators to provide evidence toward the attainment of Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals beyond de minimus educational benefit. The purpose of this article is to present two methods that may be useful for supporting IEP teams in evaluating progress toward the attainment of IEP goals. We present trend analysis and goal attainment scaling as single-case outcome methods for evaluating progress toward attaining IEP objectives and determining benefits from instruction. Each method is described along with its respective strengths and limitations, followed by examples of the methods for evaluating IEP goals. Implications for school psychology practice and implementation to support special educators and IEP teams toward evaluating educational benefits in school-based settings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new functional materials based on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for adsorption and catalytic applications is one of the promising trends of modern materials science. The Zr-based MOFs, specifically UiO-66, are considered as the supports for metallic catalysts for the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural platform molecule reduction into valuable products. The present work focused on the effect of NH2 modification of UiO-66 on its structure and functional properties. The samples were prepared by a solvothermal method. The structure of the obtained materials was studied by X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption. Basic properties were investigated by HCl and CH3COOH adsorption, and electrokinetic properties were studied by electrophoretic light scattering. UiO-66-NH2 samples with different contents of aminoterephthalate linkers were successfully prepared. A gradual decrease in the specific surface area and the fraction of micropores with a diameter of ~0.9 nm was observed with an increase in the aminoterephthalate content. A proportional increase in the total number of basic sites in UiO-66-NH2 samples was established with an increase in the aminoterephthalate content up to 75%. At the same time, a noticeable decrease in the total number of basic sites and an increase in their strength with higher aminoterephthalate content was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the first in a series of "Legal Issues 101" topics addressing some common questions and misconceptions around the law and school health. In this article, the authors address frequently asked questions on topics related to the school nurse's role and their students' rights as it relates to the special education process, the individualized education program (IEP), and Section 504 Accommodation plans. Readers are encouraged to expand their knowledge on this multifaceted topic further using the resources and references provided within the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to gain insight into how Chinese special education teachers1 conceptualize individual education plan (IEP) and how IEP is implemented in their daily work. Method: Fourteen administrators and teachers from several special education schools in three metropolitan cities in China were interviews about their perspective of IEP and IEP practice at their work. Results: The results suggested that despite remaining concerns about the implementation of IEP Chinese teachers highly commit to the value of IEP. It is noted that the IEP process in Chinese schools is quite similar to that of US schools in terms of some major requirements and yet some adaptions are made given the different social-cultural context and that the IEP practice is influenced by a variety of factors such as schools policy, curriculum, and the paucity of educational resources. Conclusion: There is a need for developing a systematic guideline of IEP considering inconsistency of implementing IEP in schools. Improving teachers professional competence is critical to the effectiveness of IEP practice in China, and local governments should put in more efforts in ensuring adequate resource being provided to schools and teachers regarding the implementation of IEPs.

The mean age of identification for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occurs during the months before children enter kindergarten. The incidence and prevalence of "autistic behaviors" in the general population are not fully understood, however, census‐matched studies of these behaviors have yielded important new data. As children presenting with behaviors characteristic of ASD enter school, school psychologists are increasingly faced with the assessment and determination of individuals with disabilities improvement act (IDEIA) eligibility, often with students yet to be formally diagnosed with ASD. In many US states, a clinical diagnosis of ASD is not required for a child's eligibility to be served under the category of other health impaired as autism. Nor does a diagnosis of ASD automatically qualify a student as eligible under IDEIA. Eligibility hinges on educational impact. This article briefly reviews the current state of knowledge as it relates to understanding and evaluating children with suspected ASD in the schools, offers a framework for assessment, and discusses a set of proposed guidelines to assist in effectively utilizing assessment data in the development of individualized education plan goals. Practitioner Points: •The determination of eligibility and the integration of specialized educational programs as part of comprehensive education for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to evolve.•The mean age of identification for ASD occurs during the months before children enter kindergarten.•ASD is also associated with a wide range of internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems.•The interpretation and application of IDEIA guidelines for determining eligibility as autism varies greatly from state to state and even between school districts within a state.•It is still the case that there is at times a confusing relationship between clinical/medical diagnosis and care, and eligibility determination, and specialized educational processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to examine racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in the receipt of special education services for students with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from a healthcare provider utilizing parent-report data from a large, nationally representative sample of U.S. youth. Binary logistic regression results indicated that females with ASD were significantly less likely to receive special education than their male peers; however, race and ethnicity were not significant predictors of school-based autism services. These results suggest that racial/ethnic disparities in educational support for ASD students may be improving, yet misunderstandings of the impact of gender on autism symptom presentation and school functioning persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, an increase in the occurrence of droughts may be due to the effects of climate change on rainfall patterns. Drought prediction based on historical rainfall behavior can be very useful in sectors where water is a critical element, such as rain-fed agriculture. Therefore, drought classification and characterization based on drought index prediction models could aid in mitigating their negative effects in such water-sensitive sectors. The primary goal of this paper was to test a Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network as a model to forecast the monthly Standardized Precipitation Index in north-central México using rainfall data from the 1964– 2014 period. The model was obtained using the Hyperbolic Tangent activation function and the optimization method from the Adaptive Moment Estimation algorithm. The model used a 26-12-1 network architecture with 4 weights and 365 trainable parameters. The scatter plot analysis between predicted and observed Standardized Precipitation Index values for the test dataset resulted in a Coefficient of Determination between 0.84 and 0.88. Based on quantitative statistics averaged across the test set, the Artificial Network Model performed substantially well in predicting the Standardized Precipitation Index at the four studied regions. This was confirmed by an all-region average value of the performance statistics Mean Absolute Error (0.081), Mean Square Error (0.014) and the Coefficient of Determination (0.867). We conclude that the Artificial Network models developed and tested in this research provided adequate monthly Standardized Precipitation Index skills for the analyzed stations in the studied territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the experiences of Head Start parents who were becoming involved in their pre-school–age children's Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Seven participants from the rural Midwest engaged in focus group (n = 2) or interview (n = 1) format discussions regarding barriers to involvement in the IEP process and recommendations to alleviate these barriers. Qualitative analysis with thematic coding was used to interpret the data. Results indicated that parents believed they lacked necessary information that could increase their advocacy for their children and reported the wording of the IEP was too difficult to understand. In addition, parents felt that their negative emotions barred them from being active members at IEP meetings. Parents noted that Head Start's encouragement and positive parent–teacher communication helped alleviate some barriers but believed that a yearly class on IEPs and more frequent one-on-one meetings would help them become better advocates for their young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Making decisions about whether students with disabilities, including English learners with disabilities, should participate in state general or alternate assessments is one of themost critical decisions an Individualized Education Program(IEP) team makes because the decisionmay have both short- and long-term consequences. • For IEP teams to confidently make decisions for instructional and assessment accommodations, team members need to consider many things, including student characteristics, needs, and preferences, as well as relevant laws and guidelines. • Special education leaders and school administrators can help IEP teams by providing information and resources that support decisions about assessment participation and accommodations. • It is essential to document andmonitor all assessment participation and accommodation decisions to help ensure that there are no unusual patterns in participation and accommodation decisions across IEP teams, schools, or districts that need to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Iron phosphate, Fe2 (HPO4)3*4H2O, is synthesized at ambient temperature, using the inorganic sol–gel method coupled to the microwave route. The experimental conditions for the gelling of Fe (III)-H3PO4 system are previously defined. Potentiometric Time Titration (PTT) and Potentiometric Mass Titration (PMT) investigate the acid–base surface chemistry of obtained phosphate. Variations of surface charge with the contact time, Q a function of T, are examined for time contact varying in the range 0–72 h. The mass suspensions used for this purpose are 0.75, 1.25 and 2.5 g L−1. The point of zero charge (PZC) and isoelectric point (IEP) are defined using the derivative method examining the variations $$\frac{{{\text{dpH}}}}{{{\text{d}}t}} = f\left( {{\text{pH}}} \right)$$ dpH d t = f pH , at lower contact time. A shift is observed for PZC and IEP towards low values that are found to be 2.2 ± 0.2 and 1.8 ± 0.1, respectively. In acidic conditions, the surface charge behavior of synthesized phosphate is dominated by $$\overline{{ > {\text{POH}}}}$$ > POH ¯ group which pKa = 2.45 ± 0.15. Q against T titration method is performed for synthesized Fe2 (HPO4)3*4H2O in NaCl electrolytes. The maximal surface charge (Q) is achieved at the low solid suspension. Hence, for m = 0.75 g L−1, Q value of 50 coulombs is carried at μ = 0.1 and pH around 12, while charge value around 22 coulombs is reached in the pH range: 3–10. The effect of activation time, Q and pH on sodium insertion in iron phosphate, were fully evaluated. To determine the optimal conditions of the studied process, mathematical models are used develop response surfaces in order to characterize the most significant sodium interactions according to the variation of the pH, Q, the contact time and the contents of the synthesized material.

Young students with ASD have instructional needs in social, communication, and learning skills that should be reflected in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Research suggests that many of these goal areas present a challenge for special educators because of problems with measurability. The current study utilized an idiographic approach called Goal attainment scaling (GAS) for measuring IEP progress of individualized skills. Cross-sectional analysis of the associations between GAS ratings from an independent observer were correlated against teacher and parent ratings of IEP progress at the end of the school year and with standardized measures of the Behavior Assessment System for Children and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS). GAS scores were associated with parent and teacher ratings, including the VABS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-advocacy skills enable active student involvement in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) planning process. However, some students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) lack appropriate self-advocacy skills and may require specific instruction in how to prepare for and participate in their own IEP. Special educators may have limited knowledge and skills to foster the self-advocacy skills of students with EBD. Therefore, this article focuses on a research-based strategy, the Self-Advocacy Strategy (SAS), that can be used by educators to effectively promote students' self-advocacy skills. Research support and a detailed overview and guidelines on how educators can implement the SAS in their classrooms are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify and synthesize single-case research examining interventions used to increase the quantity and/or quality of participation by adolescents with disabilities during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. For studies meeting quality indicators, we used visual analysis, Tau-U, and standardized mean difference to synthesize outcomes, including maintenance and generalization of effects. We identified seven studies examining quality of participation and eight studies examining quantity of participation that met our inclusion criteria; however, only three studies from each group met quality standards. Overall, interventions positively influenced student contributions at IEP meetings. When measured, increased quantity and quality of participation maintained over time and generalized to real IEP meetings. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles that produce much of the energy required for cellular metabolism. As descendants of a bacterial symbiont, most mitochondria harbor their own genetic system (mtDNA/mitogenome), with intrinsic machineries for transcription and protein translation. A notable feature of plant mitochondria involves the presence of introns (mostly group II-type) that reside in many organellar genes. The splicing of the mtRNAs relies on the activities of various protein cofactors, which may also link organellar functions with cellular or environmental signals. The splicing of canonical group II introns is aided by an ancient class of RT-like enzymes (IEPs/maturases, MATs) that are encoded by the introns themselves and act specifically on their host introns. The plant organellar introns are degenerated in structure and are generally also missing their cognate intron-encoded proteins. The factors required for plant mtRNA processing are mostly nuclearly-encoded, with the exception of a few degenerated MATs. These are in particular pivotal for the maturation of NADH-dehydrogenase transcripts. In the following review we provide an update on the non-canonical MAT factors in angiosperm mitochondria and summarize the current knowledge of their essential roles in regulating Nad1 expression and complex I (CI) biogenesis during embryogenesis and early plant life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Sciences & Society is the property of FrancoAngeli srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The past decade has witnessed the expansion of educators' competencies and their larger concern for children with developmental delays, i.e. inclusive education. The inclusion of developmentally delayed children into education is determined by the following: early detection of developmental conditions, timely intervention, an individualized education plan (IEP) and its practical application. The IEP is developed and implemented by the inclusive education team. The team members responsible for the development of the IEP for children with developmental delays in regular preschool education are: parents or caregivers, teachers and educators, early childhood professionals, personal assistants for developmentally delayed children, special education teachers or dialectologists, pedagogical assistants and other professionals. The goal of this research was to determine educators' opinion about the necessity of an early intervention as well as about the application of the IEP and the involvement of professional support in inclusive kindergarten programmes and practice. The sample was comprised of 70 early childhood educators with experience in teaching children with developmental delays. The research results showed that the participants were predominantly inclined towards the involvement of a music pedagogue into inclusive kindergarten education (51of them or 71%). Therefore, this paper analyses the possibilities of supporting children with developmental delays through music teaching classes.

High-quality education for students with visual impairments starts with service intensity determination based on the needs of students by teachers of students with visual impairments (Lewis & Allman, 2017; Spungin et al., 2016). Even though the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) emphasizes addressing students' needs for service delivery (United States Department of Education, 2004), some teachers of students with visual impairments continue taking other factors such as caseload size into account for service intensity determination (Pogrund et al., 2019). Similarly, The Michigan Vision Services Severity Rating Scale (Michigan Department of Education, 2017) does not focus on the individual needs of the students to recommend service time. For example, it considers teachers' availability such as travel time while determining service intensity. It also uses students' visual condition as a criterion, which may not always accurately reflect the needs of the students for service delivery time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that child problem behavior and poor family-school partnerships contribute to maternal stress in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most extant research focuses only on White families even though Latina mothers of children with ASD experience greater systemic barriers impacting parent well-being and access to school services. Using individual interviews, this study investigates the pattern between school perceptions, child behavior, and psychological well-being among 13 Latina mothers of school-aged children with ASD. This sample was selected based on their elevated scores on the Difficult Child subscale of the Parenting Stress Index. Findings indicate that all participants reported feeling fear, frustration, worry and stress due to their child's behavior. Specifically, participants worried about their child's safety and expressed frustration with their child's problem behavior. Notably, participants reported mixed responses regarding the schools' actions to address their children's behavior. Implications for research and practice are discussed with respect to family-school partnerships among Latina mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RmInt1 is a group II intron encoding a reverse transcriptase protein (IEP) lacking the C-terminal endonuclease domain. RmInt1 is an efficient mobile retroelement that predominantly reverse splices into the transient single-stranded DNA at the template for lagging strand DNA synthesis during host replication, a process facilitated by the interaction of the RmInt1 IEP with DnaN at the replication fork. It has been suggested that group II intron ribonucleoprotein particles bind DNA nonspecifically, and then scan for their correct target site. In this study, we investigated RmInt1 binding sites throughout the Sinorhizobium meliloti genome, by chromatin-immunoprecipitation coupled with next-generation sequencing. We found that RmInt1 binding sites cluster around the bidirectional replication origin of each of the three replicons comprising the S. meliloti genome. Our results provide new evidence linking group II intron mobility to host DNA replication.

More than 45 years of IEP/TP research and a few focused on IEP/TP functions or roles. Yet, the quality of an IEP/TP relies on the functions that it fulfills to satisfy the needs of its different users (Petitdemange,1985). The Quebec Ministry of Education (MEQ, 2004) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services within the U.S. Department of Education (in Eichler, 1999) explicitly identified and described six to seven IEP/TP functions. However, a literature review and practising environments highlighted a greater number of functions. The goal of this research is to identify the different functions that an IEP/TP should fulfill in regard to the different needs of its diverse users. With the use of pedagogical value analysis method (PVA), results show a synthesis of more than 700 functions organized in an IEP/TP Functional Specification Matrix (FSM). The IEP /TP FSM is useful to create, monitor and evaluate IEP/TPs.

For ages, teaching and learning face-to-face has been very popular and considered the best way to achieve knowledge and accomplish academic activities. However, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, where on the one side, the whole world was searching for a solution to cope with the situation on the other side online learning demonstrated a substantial alternative. The present paper aimed to investigate the teachers and students' perceptions of the emergency online learning process, especially for intensive English writing courses. The study is descriptive using the qualitative research methodology. The two focus groups (teacher and student) are interviewed, consisting of 42 participants, asking open-ended questions mainly about the benefits and challenges of the writing course during the Pandemic. The paper ends with the teachers and students' positive response that indicates the thrilled and jubilant welcome of the synchronized online/virtual learning in the latest situation that emerged due to the Pandemic. Eventually, the study discussed the quality assurance efforts, particularly towards the spontaneous conduction of lectures infused with motivation, responsibility, discipline, and flexibility offered without any interruption. The Internet proved a great learning tool in assuring many resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with Emotional Disturbance (ED) graduate from high school with a standard diploma at rates far below their peers. The present study utilised archival data of former high school students with ED and a nondisabled comparison group to examine graduation-related predictor variables. The results indicated that grade point average and extracurricular activity participation positively predicted high school graduation while the number of years spent in 9th grade negatively predicted graduation for both groups of interest. For students with ED, the percentage of student attendance at special education meetings throughout high school was also statistically significant for predicting graduation. Educational implications related to adolescents with ED are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, it was aimed to examine teachers' attitudes and challenges they experience concerning Individualized Education Program (IEP). Explanatory sequential design, one of the mixed methods, was used in this study. The study group of this study consists of 100 teachers working in the central districts of Van, Turkey within 2019-2020 academic year. In data collection, the scales of “Determining the Attitudes towards IEP Preparation Process”, “Determining the Challenges Concerning IEP Preparation Process” and a semi-structured interview form were used. Findings demonstrated that teachers have positive views about the IEP process, and the implementation of IEP is useful and essential. Concerning the challenges they experience during the IEP process, the teachers think that they do not have sufficient information about the planning, implementation and assessment/evaluation processes of IEP, the school/classroom is physically inadequate, and the classes are crowded in the implementation of IEP. In addition, it was found that as the positive attitudes of the teachers towards IEP increased, the challenges they encountered during the IEP process decreased. Based on the results of this study, it can be suggested that teachers should receive in-service training, physical conditions should be improved, the class size should be reduced, and cooperation should be provided between the family, classroom teachers and guidance counselor in order to conduct IEP in a healthier way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report introduces the University of Pittsburgh English Language Institute Corpus (PELIC; Juffs et al., 2020), a publicly available 4.2-million-word learner corpus of written texts. Collected over seven years in the University of Pittsburgh's Intensive English Program, these texts were produced by more than 1,100 students with diverse linguistic backgrounds and proficiency levels. Unlike most learner corpora which are cross-sectional, PELIC is longitudinal, offering greater opportunities for tracking development in a natural classroom setting. This potential is illustrated in an overview of the research conducted to date with these data. The report also provides a description of PELIC's creation and contents, including how the texts have been managed to facilitate natural language processing. Overall, the corpus contributes to the field of learner corpus research by adding to the pool of freely and publicly available learner corpora, supplemented by a useful set of Python tools and tutorials for accessing these data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]