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In developed countries, healthy retirees can fulfill their life, but may fear growing old. Yet, there is little empirical data on the relationship between this fear and life satisfaction. This cross-sectional, correlational survey study tested whether a new, summated measure of Fears About Growing Old (FAGO)--derived from exemplifications of Laslett, who posited the theory of the Third Age--significantly predicted life satisfaction and retirement satisfaction after adjusting for significant social participation covariates. A total of 190 Canadian retirees at three senior centers in Ontario, Canada, completed surveys. A pilot study established the reliability and validity of the scales, including the FAGO, used to assess the independent variable. In a regression analysis, fear (R[superscript 2][subscript change] = 0.06) was found to be a statistically significant predictor of life satisfaction when controlling for five covariates (current activity, circumstance and pursuing own interest as two reasons for retirement, postretirement work, and perceived social support); overall R[superscript 2] = 0.26. For retirement satisfaction, fear significantly explained variance in the outcome (R[superscript 2][subscript "change"] = 0.04) while controlling for two significant covariates (current activity and perceived social support); overall R[superscript 2] = 0.14. A work by gender interaction on satisfaction was not found. Other than fear about loss of mobility, men rated loss of partner very high; women rated mortal disease very high. The lowest fear was loss of retirement income for men and loss of earning-power for women. Canada's poverty preventive programs successfully supported senior postretirement life. The FAGO was useful to find senior needs.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 (MCKV), which provides funds to local educational agencies (LEAs), is almost a decade old, yet no evaluations of its academic effectiveness have been reported. Using a systems theory framework, the authors answer the question of whether homeless students in grade 6 from LEAs that received MCKV funding scored better in reading comprehension and mathematics on end-of-grade (EOG) test scores than did those from LEAs that did not receive MCKV funding. Data from 2006 and 2007 were provided by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. About 20 percent of the state's LEAs received MCKV grants, which created a treatment group (funded LEAs) and a control group (nonfunded LEAs). Using untreated control group designs with matched pretests (grade 5 EOG test scores) and posttests (grade 6 EOG test scores), 2 x 2 analyses of variance with repeated measures failed to reject the null hypotheses. The authors did not support the hypotheses that MCKV grants improved the academic achievement of homeless students. There was no significant difference in the funded and nonfunded EOG test scores.

No published studies using statewide end-of-grade (EOG) scores have compared the academic achievement of homeless and normally housed students. This preliminary quasi-experimental study used archival records from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction of more than 57,000 grade six students in 2006 and more than 94,000 grade six students in 2007. Independent sample "t" tests (p less than 0.05) supported the hypotheses that normally housed students scored significantly better than homeless students on four EOG tests: reading comprehension 2006, 2007 and mathematics 2006, 2007. Understanding the academic implications of homelessness is important to school social workers who are the in unique position to assist, advocate for, and facilitate the increased academic achievement of homeless students. The empirical data of this study can support the efforts of school social workers in their advocacy for homeless students. (Contains 3 tables.)

As a site-based, participatory management project being implemented in 15 schools throughout Delaware, RE:Learning is a natural extension of the collegial relationships established over the past 10 years between local schools and districts and the State Department of Public Instruction. Success hinges on a periodic school review process and a statewide staff development effort to improve teaching effectiveness. (MLH)

The Delaware experience shows that staff development can be a positive force for change in schools, that principals can be effective facilitators for staff development, and that teacher involvement in training, discussion, and observation will help foster collegiality and acceptance of change. Includes 13 references. (MLH)

Presents an alternative to the typical approaches used in introductory research courses through emphasis on the logic and creativity of the research process and on the problems of equating research with statistics early in one's training. (Author)

Immigration has continued to be a source of debate in the United States due to immigrant population increases and undocumented entry into the country. The debate is further propagated by public safety concerns associated with the criminal and delinquent involvement of some immigrants. In an effort to address ongoing societal concerns, researchers have focused on ways to promote acculturation as a means to prevent delinquency among immigrant youth. In turn, researchers have empirically established the need to provide culturally sensitive interventions for immigrant youth. However, development of intervention strategies for immigrant youth has lagged behind the empirical evidence creating a lapse in services. The following discussion will elaborate upon the types of unique challenges immigrant youth face within the acculturation process that may contribute to delinquency. Furthermore, the discussion will address the implications adaptive challenges have on the development of intervention strategies and the delivery of services by human services professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health disparities experienced by African Americans compared to their European American counterparts are a major problem in the United States. Contemporary strategies for ameliorating health disparities target the improvement of physical and social environments; however, there is a gap in the literature with respect to African Americans' perspectives of specific community-based change efforts. In this study, we utilized van Manen's (1997) hermeneutic phenomenological design to explore the meaning members of one African American urban neighborhood ascribed to participation in a community change effort known as transformational development. We conducted conversational interviews with 11 participants who met purposive sampling criteria. The results of this study pointed to transformational development as a complex process, which led to authentic community change driven from within. The unique perspectives of participants suggested that community members themselves have a pivotal role to play in addressing health disparities through such transformational change efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on obstacles faced by hearing children of deaf parents in school settings. It is critical to enhance awareness among parents, teachers, school social workers, and school counselors of such obstacles, particularly for students who are the only hearing members of their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polygraph in postconviction sex offender testing is used to assist in the treatment and supervision of convicted sex offenders by more than 70% of the jurisdictions that supervise these offenders in the United States. Prior researchers have failed to convincingly demonstrate how the polygraph can be used to target risk behaviors and reduce recidivism. Consequently, the use of the sexual history polygraph examination (SHPE) has not been demonstrated to reduce recidivism. We sought answers as to how the SHPE influences the behaviors of sexual offenders required to undergo a SHPE, and whether or not there is a difference in recidivism between those offenders who undergo a SHPE as compared to those who do not. Within the group that took a polygraph, recidivists went longer before taking a SHPE, and there was a significant difference in recidivism between those who took a polygraph and those who did not. This information may be useful in assisting other jurisdictions both in the United States and internationally in making better choices in the implementation of supervision and getting the maximum return in the use of the polygraph. It is hoped that ultimately this would lead to more knowledgeable decisions to promote positive social change for the sex offender, which would ultimately lead to positive social change in the community by reducing recidivism of childhood sexual abuse among convicted sex offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence prevention remains a priority in the current public health agenda because of continuing high rates and debilitating effects of violence that exist across the globe (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families [USDHHS-ACF], 2009; World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). This article presents the use of an innovative qualitative study developed from community action research methods in the area of family violence. By applying the combined framework of force field analysis (Lewin, 1958) and the public health model (Centers for Disease Control, 2002; Knox & Aspy, 2011), the current study identified factors that positively and negatively influenced the ability of family violence prevention practitioners to apply research to their practice. Results from the current study led to the development of an action plan to increase the application of research to practice in the area of family violence prevention programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous inhalation studies, rats exposed to aerosol concentrations of lead oxide (Pb2O3), 150 μg/m3; lead chloride (PbCl2), 100 μg/m3; nickel oxide (NiO), 120 μg/m3; and nickel chloride (NiCl2), 109 μg/m3; significant changes were observed in the lungs and alveolar macrophages. In this study the hydroiytic enzymes, acetylesterase, acid and alkaline phos-phatases, lysozyme, and beta-glucuronidase, in alveolar macrophages and lung washout fluid from rats subjected to the inhalation of the lead and nickel aerosols were examined. Washed alveolar macrophages from animals exposed to lead and nickel aerosols were found to contain reduced quantities of the various hydrolytic enzymes (except for acetylesterase) when compared with those from control rats. On the other hand, a significant increase in enzymatic activity was noted in lung washout fluid from exposed animals. The functional efficiency of macrophages, relative enzyme changes, and the mechanism of action of metals are discussed. It is important to note that the changes observed in these studies were from animals exposed to metallic concentrations near their Threshold Limit Values. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]