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This study investigated initial implementation processes of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in public and private schools in a single Louisiana district. Results suggested participants' high level of concern in many aspects of the implementation of the CCSS in public schools related to timeline and instability of curriculum decisions, which negatively affected teachers' confidence levels. Private school teachers experienced greater stability in their curricula, a more feasible timeline of implementation, positive professional development, and positive experiences with CCSS implementation, affecting their teacher identity and impact on students. However, public school teachers reported instability in their curricula, difficult timelines of implementation, unsupportive professional development, and overall negative experiences, affecting their teacher identity and impact on students with the implementation of the CCSS.

We analyzed the reproductive pattern in males ofPhysalaemus riograndensis(n = 276). To identify the potential breeder males (n = 100), the presence of secondary sexual characters were recorded. These males were found mainly from September to April, and two peaks of abundance were observed. Breeding activity was positively correlated with temperature, but did not correlate with rainfall. As occurs with females ofP. riograndensis, the fat bodies increased synchronously with the gametogenic activity, coinciding with the period of highest reproductive activity for the species (October to April). Therefore, these structures could be used as reserves of energy for reproduction in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used species distribution modeling to investigate the potential effects of climate change on 24 species of Neotropical anurans of the genus Melanophryniscus. These toads are small, have limited mobility, and a high percentage are endangered or present restricted geographical distributions. We looked at the changes in the size of suitable climatic regions and in the numbers of known occurrence sites within the distribution limits of all species. We used the MaxEnt algorithm to project current and future suitable climatic areas (a consensus of IPCC scenarios A2a and B2a for 2020 and 2080) for each species. 40% of the species may lose over 50% of their potential distribution area by 2080, whereas 28% of species may lose less than 10%. Four species had over 40% of the currently known occurrence sites outside the predicted 2080 areas. The effect of climate change (decrease in climatic suitable areas) did not differ according to the present distribution area, major habitat type or phylogenetic group of the studied species. We used the estimated decrease in specific suitable climatic range to set a conservation priority rank for Melanophryniscus species. Four species were set to high conservation priority: M. montevidensis, (100% of its original suitable range and all known occurrence points potentially lost by 2080), M. sp.2, M. cambaraensis, and M. tumifrons. Three species (M. spectabilis, M. stelzneri, and M. sp.3) were set between high to intermediate priority (more than 60% decrease in area predicted by 2080); nine species were ranked as intermediate priority, while eight species were ranked as low conservation priority. We suggest that monitoring and conservation actions should be focused primarily on those species and populations that are likely to lose the largest area of suitable climate and the largest number of known populations in the short-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]