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Despite increasing reliance on licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to provide health services in schools, we do not know whether this is a cost-effective prevention strategy against student absenteeism. Therefore, we evaluated the costs and effectiveness of an LPN-based school nursing program for improving attendance and chronic absenteeism at a large, urban school district in the southeastern USA. We first identified a matched set of 46 elementary schools (23 nurse, 23 no-nurse) by using an optimal multilevel matching algorithm based on student- and school-level characteristics. We then conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis on the matched set, using the ingredients method to estimate societal costs and multilevel regression to estimate effects. The results indicated that despite substantial incremental costs of $68,228 per school, the presence of a full-time LPN was associated with at best negligible improvements, and at worst slight disimprovements, in attendance and chronic absenteeism. We recommend a careful review of the theory of change for LPN-based school nursing programs to clarify the specific inputs and activities that are expected to lead to improved student outcomes. Education agencies should develop explicit assignment, training, monitoring, and auditing plans to ensure LPNs are equitably distributed and that their activities are aligned with the theory of change. Education agencies should also explore whether expanded Medicaid billing can reduce their share of the nursing cost burden. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED624026.]

We assessed whether an adaptation of value-added analysis (VAA) can provide evidence on the relative effectiveness of interventions implemented in a large school district. We analyzed two datasets, one documenting interventions received by underperforming students, and one documenting interventions received by students in schools benefiting from discretionary funds to invest in specific programs. Results from the former dataset identified several interventions that appear to be more or less effective than the average intervention. Results from the second dataset were counterintuitive. We conclude that, under specific conditions, program VAA can provide evidence to help guide district decision-makers to identify outlier interventions and inform decisions about scaling up or disinvesting in such interventions, with the caveat that if those conditions are not met, the results could be misleading. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED622943.]

School disciplinary practices affect student academic and life outcomes. Many schools have recently shifted towards the prevention of behavioral disorders rather than the punishment of such disorders, but disciplinary actions are still disproportionately meted out to Black students. We took advantage of a natural experiment in a large school district to investigate the costs and effects of a school-wide intervention based on the principles of restorative justice on suspensions, referrals, and three school climate constructs. The study involved 14 elementary and middle schools, each of which was already implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Six of the schools integrated Restorative Practices into their PBIS framework during the first year of the study, whereas the other eight served as comparison schools and implemented the program the following year. We tested a difference-in-difference regression model for each of our five outcomes of interest after 1 year of implementation using Quasi-Poisson models for referrals and suspensions. We found no statistically significant effects on four of the outcomes, either for the overall sample or by racial subgroup. We found negative effects on student-reported personal safety. An additional analysis 1 year later showed that Black students in schools implementing Restorative Practices for 2 years experienced a greater reduction in suspensions than Black students in schools implementing the program for only 1 year. We used the ingredients method to estimate start-up costs and ongoing costs for the first full year of implementation. Our reference case analysis results using a societal perspective, national average prices, and a 3% discount rate were $57,450 per school and $139 per student for the first year of Restorative Practices implementation. These estimates included training costs from the prior year and were incremental to the costs of PBIS, which served as the business-as-usual condition. We compared these costs to those of a number of other behavioral interventions and concluded that Restorative Practices are relatively low cost but may need to be implemented for several years with greater fidelity in order to produce the desired improvements in behavior events and school climate.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) established the Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC) in 2008 based on its history of providing health information for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The NLM long-range plan (Charting a Course for the 21st Century: NLM's Long Range Plan 2006-2016) called for creation of a center to show 'a strong commitment to disaster remediation and to provide a platform for demonstrating how libraries and librarians can be part of the solution to this national problem'. NLM was urged to 'ensure continuous access to health information and effective use of libraries and librarians when disasters occur.' This article describes the efforts of DIMRC to ensure librarians have access to training to understand their roles in preparedness and response, online and mobile disaster medicine and public health emergency resources are available, and tools are developed to enhance the exchange of critical information during and following disasters. Keywords: disasters, information management, public health emergencies, libraries, The red pickup anxiously plowed through the corn field, heading toward the dark, ominous funnel, an F5-class tornado. Despite their many failed attempts, Jo and Bill were ready this time. [...]

This quantitative study evaluated the effects of Supplemental Educational Services (SES), a federally mandated component of No Child Left Behind, on student achievement in reading and mathematics. SES provides free tutoring outside school to disadvantaged students who attend Title I schools that are in their third year of failing to achieve adequate yearly progress on state assessments. Data from the fifth year of SES implementation in a large urban school were analyzed to determine if the mostly small and not statistically significant effects obtained in prior years were stronger as the tutoring services acquired additional refinement and maturity. A matched treatment-control group design was employed, in which students who received SES tutoring in reading, mathematics, or both were matched to similar schoolmates who were eligible for SES services but did not participate. Results showed consistently positive but small, not statistically significant, effect sizes for the outcome measures. Student achievement results and their implication for policy and practice are discussed. (Contains 6 tables.)

The increasing accountability demands are leading some districts to departmentalize or consider departmentalizing at the elementary school level (Delviscio & Muffs, 2007). Departmentalization allows teachers to specialize and teach one content area in-depth which may, in turn, lead to higher accountability test scores. Although, due to accountability pressures, schools may feel it is more important to departmentalize, this might not be the best way to improve school connectedness and its outcome--student success. In fact, unless combined with looping, a departmentalization model decreases the amount of contact time between students and teachers, which, in turn, may decrease the likelihood that students feel attached to their teachers. Previous research indicated that students who feel closer to their teachers have fewer behavior problems and higher gains in academic skills (Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004; Silver et al., 2005). The current study examined the relationship between departmentalization and student connectedness to school. Findings indicated that a departmentalization model, where a student interacts with multiple teachers, does not necessarily facilitate the establishment of a caring classroom where students feel connected. If we agree that students' connectedness to school is intimately related to academic success, then it is imperative to move to a whole-child approach where teachers are aware of each student's learning style.

Teacher characteristics and student achievement growth are currently a significant topic of investigation in the educational accountability arena. Given the environment of high-stakes accountability associated with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and state accountability systems, staffing all classrooms with highly qualified teachers is a critical national concern. A new era of research is needed to understand the complexity of teacher quality when defined by student learning growth. The present study evaluated the effects of teacher characteristics (i.e., experience, education, and race) in high school reading achievement gains using a multi-level growth model in an urban school district in Kentucky. Findings showed significant effects of time, but non-significant effects of teacher characteristics in high school reading achievement growth. Implications for educational policy and future research are discussed.

This study examined relations among effortful control, motivation, and attention regulation in preschoolers within the context of parent-child interactions. Sixty-one low-income children and their mothers participated in a puzzle-matching task. One week later, the children completed a puzzle-matching task independently. Hierarchical regression analyses supported the hypothesis that children's effortful control and motivation is related to the amount of children's attention regulation in the parent-child interaction. The role of effortful control on attention regulation differed for children classified as having mastery-or performance-oriented motivation. Analyses also supported the hypothesis that children's effortful control, motivation and attention regulation predicted children's accuracy on the puzzle-task when working independently. Findings from this study demonstrate the utility of studying individual differences in temperament, motivation, and attention regulation within the context of the parent-child learning environment. Implications for understanding how children's social-cognitive status is related to academic success in impoverished environments are discussed.

The current study examined the social and language development of 345 Spanish-speaking pre-kindergartners who attended pre-kindergarten programs that varied widely in how much Spanish was spoken in the classroom by the teacher. Previous studies on English language learners have focused on how the language of instruction impacts children's language proficiency, ignoring the context in which children are learning. The current study found better social skills and closer teacher-child relationships in classrooms where teachers spoke some Spanish. Teacher ratings of children's peer social skills and assertiveness were positively associated with increased amounts of Spanish being spoken. More Spanish language use in the classroom was also related to a decrease in children's likelihood of being victims of aggression as rated by independent observers. The findings have implications for better understanding how policy decisions regarding language of instruction impact children in the social domain. As early education programs are faced with the challenging task of developing best practices for English language learners, it is essential that programs are attentive to the social implications of language.

There is an increasing interest in linking character education programs with social and academic outcomes. The Child Development Project (CDP) is a character education program that promotes academic and social growth in teachers and students. This theory-driven evaluation employed a quasi-experimental design with matched control schools. School personnel participated in an intensive professional development process to learn the CDP model. Performance measures included state-mandated achievement measures, teacher self-assessment reports, and student attitudes and outcomes. Results yielded support for the CDP model as a strategy to improve social and, if properly implemented, cognitive outcomes in students; the model also improved teacher self-assessment and provided information that may facilitate professional growth about school collegiality. Implications for policy and practice will be discussed.

States have accumulated considerable experience in operating publicly sponsored pre-kindergarten programs. In spite of this extensive experience, only fragmentary accounts exist of how these pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs handle issues such as program intensity, location, staffing, and population served. These issues are addressed by the National Center for Early Development and Learning's Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten, which collected data from 240 programs. Data were weighted to represent the 4 states (Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio) and each of the 2 regions in California and New York from which they were drawn. Using these weighted data, we estimate that slightly more than half of these school-related programs were part-day and slightly more than half were located outside of school buildings. Although these programs varied in process quality, on average, they met National Association for the Education of Young Children recommended standards for class size, adult:child ratios, and teacher certification. The programs served an ethnically, linguistically, and economically diverse population of children, although about half of pre-k children were from low-income backgrounds. African American, Asian, and Latino children were more likely than White children to attend a pre-k class with a high proportion of children from low-income backgrounds. Issues of process quality were highlighted in the study. (Contains 7 tables and 4 footnotes.)

The movement toward inclusion has made educating and caring for children with disabilities an increasingly critical part of the early education teacher's role. The goal of this paper is to describe the extent to which early childhood teacher preparation programs are including early childhood special education/early intervention content and experiences as part of their core course and practicum requirements. A nationally representative survey of 438 chairs and directors of early childhood teacher preparation programs revealed that while a large proportion of programs consider early childhood special education/early intervention to be a part of the mission of their program, the amount of coursework and practicum experience vary considerably by content area and level of degree offered by the program. Implications are offered for policy and future research.