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Project Clarion, a Jacob K. Javits-funded project, focused on the scale-up of primary-grade science curricula. Curriculum units, based on an Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM), were developed for high-ability learners, but tried out with all students in Title I settings to study the efficacy of the units with all learners. The units focus on the development of students’ conceptual understanding to undergird science content attainment. Teaching and learning models, such as concept formation and concept mapping were used to scaffold science learning and reasoning for appropriate curriculum differentiation. Science content mastery was measured using the Metropolitan Achievement Tests. Reasoning skills were measured using the Test of Critical Thinking. Understanding of macro-concepts and content attainment were measured by curriculum-embedded performance-based assessments. Students with the ICM outperformed students without the specialized curriculum in science content and reasoning skills, and showed greater growth in both conceptual understanding and content attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study queried practicing school psychologists in the United States about the extent to which advances in the field have improved their individual service provision and fostered a desire for additional professional development. The researchers surveyed 1,000 members of the largest professional organization for school psychologists in the United States (NASP) and examined 336 survey respondents' perceptions as a total sample and by demographic subgroups. The results highlight the uniformity of US psychologists' perceptions, nationwide, regardless of respondents' demographic characteristics. The researchers conclude that school psychologists should more actively advocate for and influence the direction of future training initiatives and local, state, national and international organizations should provide professional development in alignment with the needs of practicing psychologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a cross-cultural comparison of United States, English and Welsh students' perceptions of secondary classroom environments in six academic disciplines — English, mathematics, science, history, geography, and French. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between classroom environment and subject matter (i.e. academic disciplines). This can be phrased as a question, 'Do academic disciplines have universal structural characteristics that influence classroom environment and the pedagogical interaction between students and teachers?' To gain insight into the relationship between an academic discipline and teacher/student interaction, classroom environments in six subject areas were investigated, using the Classroom Environment Scale (CES). CES protocols were completed by and collected from the following students in the US (n = 412); England (n = 152) and Wales (n = 232), ranging in age from 13 to 19 years. In addition to the CES, data collection included classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and an examination of the cultural and political context of the schools. Variable differences in classroom environments were found to exist on the basis of academic discipline, nationality, age and gender across all CES subscales. Subject matter patterns suggest that the nature of the academic discipline may indeed influence teacher and student interactions and that these patterns are consistent across national boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) is ubiquitous. Animal studies found that BPA contributes to development of prostate cancer, but human data are scarce. Our study examined the association between urinary BPA levels and Prostate cancer and assessed the effects of BPA on induction of centrosome abnormalities as an underlying mechanism promoting prostate carcinogenesis. The study, involving 60 urology patients, found higher levels of urinary BPA (creatinine-adjusted) in Prostate cancer patients (5.74 µg/g [95% CI; 2.63, 12.51]) than in non-Prostate cancer patients (1.43 µg/g [95% CI; 0.70, 2.88]) (p = 0.012). The difference was even more significant in patients <65 years old. A trend toward a negative association between urinary BPA and serum PSA was observed in Prostate cancer patients but not in non-Prostate cancer patients. In vitro studies examined centrosomal abnormalities, microtubule nucleation, and anchorage-independent growth in four Prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP, C4-2, 22Rv1, PC-3) and two immortalized normal prostate epithelial cell lines (NPrEC and RWPE-1). Exposure to low doses (0.01–100 nM) of BPA increased the percentage of cells with centrosome amplification two- to eight-fold. Dose responses either peaked or reached the plateaus with 0.1 nM BPA exposure. This low dose also promoted microtubule nucleation and regrowth at centrosomes in RWPE-1 and enhanced anchorage-independent growth in C4-2. These findings suggest that urinary BPA level is an independent prognostic marker in Prostate cancer and that BPA exposure may lower serum PSA levels in Prostate cancer patients. Moreover, disruption of the centrosome duplication cycle by low-dose BPA may contribute to neoplastic transformation of the prostate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines Title 1 heterogeneous classroom teachers' instructional behavior change through implementing well-designed research-based curriculum units and attending regular professional development activities across 3 years. Employing an experimental design, this study compares experimental and comparison teachers' behavioral changes as measured by an observation scale of differentiated teaching strategies across 3 years. The results show that experimental teachers received statistically significant and educationally important higher ratings than comparison teachers on differentiated strategy use and effectiveness across 3 years. The study corroborates the research literature that shows that teachers' instructional improvement takes 2 years to manifest its effectiveness and to shape belief in student learning benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]