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Background: A variety of residential and experiential therapeutic programs exist for youth who experience emotional, behavioral, or substance abuse problems that are not adequately responsive to traditional treatment options. While evaluations of programs are available in the literature, investigation of the experiences of professionals who undergird these programs and oversee reentry of youth back into their communities is lacking. Purpose: The research reported here aimed to explicate the experiences of recreational therapists. Methodology/Approach: Qualitative design was used to collect and analyze data. Semistructured interviews were employed, and data were analyzed by content analysis. Findings/Conclusions: Findings indicated recreational therapists were optimistic, intrinsically motivated to spend time outdoors, became personally invested in their work and experienced personal growth from their work. They required additional systems of support and guidance to effectively counter compassion fatigue and associated burnout. Measures for organizations to effectively counter compassion fatigue through enhancement of peer support systems and self-care guidance are needed. Implications: The results provided insight into the characteristics, needs, and experiences of recreational therapists who work with high-promise youth. Further, the work provided a proposed change to current models of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue subscale interactions in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) struggle to acquire and develop writing skills. To support their students' unique needs, it is important for teachers to monitor student writing progress to make instructional decisions based on data. In this article we describe methods for progress monitoring focused on writing skills. We describe a feasible system for continuous progress monitoring. We also address setting and monitoring goals for students with and at risk for EBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored whether initial skill moderated outcomes of Promoting Algebra Readiness, a Tier 2 sixth-grade mathematics intervention targeting conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions. The study analyzed data from a quasi-experimental pilot study in which at-risk students (N = 198) from Oregon middle schools were assigned to the treatment or control condition at the school level. Proximal and distal measures of math proficiency were collected in the fall (pretest) and spring (post-test). Analyses examined initial student achievement as a moderator of mathematics outcomes. Results indicated that intervention outcomes were not moderated by initial skill. Implications for tiered mathematics instruction and future mathematics intervention research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student–teacher relationships are crucial for adolescents' adjustment in the school context. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of teacher closeness in academic emotions and achievement among adolescents with and without learning difficulties during the first year in lower secondary school. Students' learning difficulties (LDs) were identified based on tested reading and math skills. In addition, students evaluated their teacher relationships and rated academic emotions in literacy and math domains. The results indicated that higher teacher closeness was related to increasing positive emotions and increasing literacy achievement during seventh grade, whereas lower levels of teacher closeness were associated with increasing learning-related anger and boredom. The results were mostly similar for students with and without LDs, which indicates that students in general benefit from close teacher relationships during the first year in lower secondary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Criminological literature frequently argues that the rehabilitative penological paradigm of the 20th century ('penal welfarism') has been replaced by pre-crime, risk-based, 'new penology'. Under the conditions of social and economic neoliberalism, it is claimed, the commitment to rehabilitating individuals has been withdrawn. In this article, we explore the curious persistence of rehabilitation—enacted within crime prevention and countering-violent-extremism programmes. We show that rather than 'new penology' replacing 'penal welfarism', the history of social crime prevention programmes demonstrates the presence of a 'hybrid penology'. Here, rehabilitation was brought into the pre-criminal space and practised upon pre-delinquents. This pre-emptive rehabilitation of at-risk subjects pervaded preventive policy in both Western Europe and the socialist Former Yugoslavia. In both case studies, this logic of pre-crime rehabilitation then transferred into the counterterrorism sector—with ideological dissidence identified as the threshold for reform-oriented intervention. Rehabilitation remains with us, warped by the turn to pre-emption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The middle school version of the Washington Assessment of Risks and Needs of Students (msWARNS) is a self-report instrument designed for use by school personnel to identify barriers to school attendance and school success for sixth- to eighth-grade students. It measures six domains relevant to improving school outcomes that include aggression-defiance, depression-anxiety, substance use, peer deviance, home environment, and school engagement. In the present study, a bifactor S − 1 model, for which the aggression-defiance domain was the reference factor for the general factor and the other domains constituted the subfactors, had good fit and better fit than several other alternative models. Results of multigroup confirmatory factor analysis revealed invariance across different groups defined by gender and race/ethnicity (Native American, African American, Hispanic, and White), with a sample of referred middle school students (N = 2,356; ages 10–15 years). Reliability analyses support the use of the general factor to guide decision-making, the reliable use of the depression-anxiety factor for providing additional insights, and the remaining factors for guiding communication, as part of an assessment and intervention program for middle school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to better understand how schools were addressing U.S. state policies targeting summer reading interventions for students not meeting accountability standards. Survey data were gathered from 580 public and private elementary schools in one state (67% response rate) regarding the barriers to offering summer programs, characteristics of the students served, amount of instructional and enrichment time provided, curricular materials used, means of monitoring students' progress, and staff qualifications. Approximately 65% of respondents held summer reading programs, despite not being required or specially funded to do so. Because the programs usually were intended for students not reading proficiently and those in special education, we discuss the practical implications of common program features and the potential misalignment with the existing literature base guiding the design of summer programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dr. Peter Leone is an internationally renowned researcher and advocate for incarcerated youth. Throughout his almost four decades at the University of Maryland, his expertise and research have influenced lawsuits related to the provision of education and special education services in juvenile corrections and paved the way for changes in policy and practice. Dr. Leone shared his reflections on his career, progress that has been made in juvenile justice education, urgent matters, future directions, and recommendations for future juvenile justice educators and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a morphological awareness intervention on the spelling and writing of second-grade (n = 16) and third-grade (n = 10) students at risk for learning disabilities. The intervention was provided for 25 min per session 4 to 5 times per week for 5 weeks. Students were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 13) or comparison (n = 13) condition. Students were pre- and posttested using standardized tests of spelling and writing and were progress monitored twice weekly with a curriculum-based measure of writing. Intervention effects were measured using a univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) on each outcome. Growth on the progress monitoring task was measured using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). Results indicated the intervention did not have a significant effect on outcomes but a moderate positive effect was detected on writing. Practical applications including intervention revisions and feasibility of use are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topic: This scoping review investigated research regarding the magnitude of minor sex trafficking (domestic minor sex trafficking and/or commercial sexual exploitation of children) in the United States, summarizing estimates, methodologies, and strengths and weaknesses of the studies. Method: Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, peer-reviewed articles and the gray literature were accessed via databases searches, reference harvesting, and expert advice. Articles were included if they provided a count or prevalence proportion estimate of trafficked or at-risk minors across or within a region of the United States. Six empirical studies, published from 1999 to 2017, were included in the review. Results: Included studies produced count estimates (n = 3) or prevalence proportion estimates (n = 3) for youth at risk of minor sex trafficking (n = 2) or reporting victimization (n = 5). Studies examined sex trafficking risk and victimization in different geographical areas, including across the United States (n = 2), in New York City (n = 1), and in Ohio (n = 1). Further, several studies focused on particular populations, such as street and shelter youths (n = 1) and adjudicated males (n = 1). Sampling methodologies of reviewed estimates included traditional random sampling (n = 1), nationally representative sampling (n = 2), convenience sampling (n = 1), respondent-driven sampling (n = 1), purposive sampling (n = 1), and use of census data (n = 2). Conclusion: Little research has estimated the prevalence of minor sex trafficking in the United States. The existing studies examine different areas and populations and use different categories to estimate the problem. The estimates reviewed here should be cited cautiously. Future research is needed on this important topic, including methodologies to produce more representative estimates of this hard-to-reach population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and timely identification of reading disabilities (RDs) is essential for providing appropriate and effective remediation for struggling readers. However, practices for identifying RDs lack sufficient documentation within and across educational and clinical settings. The wide range of possible practices intended to identify struggling readers can render the field vulnerable to inconsistencies in how the needs of struggling readers are recognized and supported. To better understand the range of current practices used to identify RDs in school-age children, we created and disseminated a survey nationally, and analyzed data from 965 practitioners. The findings indicate lengthy timelines to identify RDs; substantial variability in the composition of assessment teams, identification criteria, and diagnostic labels; and notable opportunities for enhancing practitioner training experiences. This study aims to promote cross-contextual dialogue about the identification of RDs and their implications for students' educational experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta-analysis assessed the effect of word-problem-solving interventions on the word-problem-solving accuracy of students identified as having a learning disability (LD) or at risk for an LD in kindergarten to the sixth grade. Eighteen randomized control group designed studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, word-problem-solving interventions yielded a significant positive effect on the word-problem-solving accuracy of students in elementary grades with LD (effect size [ES] = 1.08). Instructional components that underlie effective studies were also identified. Results suggest that peer interaction and transfer instructions yielded large effects on treatment outcomes. Results also suggested that intensive interventions (50-min sessions, 34 total sessions) in Grade 3 regardless of instructional setting yielded the largest ESs. These findings support the need to develop and implement quality evidence-based instruction in classroom settings (Tier 1 instruction) prior to utilizing additional resources for more intensive and individualized intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with disabilities are one student group with elevated risk of sexual violence. Although they would benefit from streamlined access to campus support, little is known about their patterns of campus service use. This qualitative analysis includes data from semi-structured interviews with 51 students with disabilities who experienced sexual violence focused on service use across campus. The resultant conceptual model shows that greater accessibility is associated with positive experiences, and lower accessibility is associated with negative experiences. Students with disabilities who experienced or expected negative reactions (e.g., judgment) were less likely to use services and were less satisfied. Advocacy and support in connecting students with disability or sexual violence services was associated with positive experiences and increased accessibility. These findings highlight key facilitators and barriers to campus service use for students with disabilities with sexual violence histories and suggest key intervention points for increasing accessibility, reducing stigma, and improving student experiences with campus providers, staff, and faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health–related disabilities are a leading cause of health issues worldwide. Because of this, an argument can be made that schools integrate mental health services for their students to positively impact their mental health outcomes. This article outlines how multitiered systems of support (MTSS) can assist schools in providing all students with mental health services including students with disabilities. The role of school-based mental health professionals (i.e., school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker) within the MTSS framework is discussed to better assist teachers in helping their students access school-based mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study occurred in Title 1 schools located within a large urban area. The sample included 23 general educators and 551 students in second through fifth grade, with 57 students identified as at risk for an emotional or behavioral disorder. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) to what extent general education teachers used evidence-based practices—specifically, opportunities to respond, positive specific feedback, and precorrections—during classroom instruction, and (b) if those practices occurred at different rates across demographic groups (i.e., race and disability risk). The results indicated that teachers used higher rates of opportunities to respond and positive specific feedback with students not at risk compared with at-risk students. We did not find main effects of race or race-by-disability risk interaction effects. These findings support the need to continue examining teachers' differing uses of evidence-based practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much can be learned from practicing school leaders, including how they describe their roles navigating between policy and practice with a focus on meeting students' needs. This article considers how alternative school administrators work with school personnel to create communities for supporting students once considered at risk in traditional public schools. Findings include (1) creating a culture of high standards, (2) adopting a personalized or caring approach to leadership, (3) exploring and implementing innovative practices for teaching and learning, and (4) managing students as a collaborative and individualized process. For further understanding, authors apply emergent themes to a model for advancing democratic professional practice in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many students fall below benchmarks in the area of fractions computation, particularly students with disabilities. Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is one strategy with proven effectiveness for improving outcomes for students with disabilities, although very few studies have applied SRSD to the area of mathematics. In this study, we used SRSD Fractions to teach adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, simplifying fractions, and converting fractions to mixed numbers using the mnemonics FILMS, CUT, and EDIT. A researcher provided instruction in small groups to fifth-grade students at risk for disabilities. The results from use of a multiple-baseline-across-groups design suggest a functional relationship between SRSD Fractions and 8 fifth-grade students' digits correct on timed fraction probes. Results from treatment fidelity, social validity, and academic engagement during the intervention are also reported. We also discuss limitations and directions for future researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on the instruction provided in district-designed intensive summer reading programs. The Tier 3 intervention was provided to 374 students from 24 school districts who were not meeting the end of third-grade reading benchmarks; students were exiting third grade and entering fourth grade. Observations of the 40 classes were conducted near the beginning, middle, and end of the average 23 days of instruction, and analyzed to capture the proportion of time spent in various instructional groupings (e.g., whole class, small group) and components (e.g., phonological awareness, comprehension). Findings revealed that most time was spent in whole-class instruction, despite the need to offer students a more intensive intervention. Only two thirds of instructional time was spent specifically in reading-related activities. Approximately 30% of literacy instruction was code-focused (e.g., phonics), and 70% was meaning-focused (e.g., comprehension). The discussion addresses the alignment of observations with prior research on effective instruction and implications for designing future district-designed intensive summer reading programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we examined predictive validity of Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) scores for use at the middle (N = 2,313 from four middle schools) and high (N = 2,727 from two high schools) school level. Results indicated middle and high school students with high levels of risk according to fall SRSS-IE scores (particularly those with externalizing behaviors) were likely to have lower grade point averages, fail more courses, have more nurse visits, and spend more time in in-school suspensions compared with students at low risk for externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Education implications, limitations, and future directions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a practitioner implementation of Fusion, a first-grade mathematics intervention. Studies such as this evaluation of a loose implementation under realistic conditions are important to curriculum developers’ understanding of how evidence-based programs and tools work under a variety of implementation scenarios. In this quasi-experimental study, first-grade students (n = 253) in 10 schools were assigned to treatment (n = 154) or control (n = 99). Rather than randomly assigning students, schools assigned those students most at risk to treatment and, typically, those less at risk to control. School staff administered pre- and postassessments and led Fusion sessions approximately 30 min per day, 3 days per week. The intervention resulted in a significant positive effect on a researcher-developed first-grade math measure. The implementation of Fusion and feedback from school staff provided insights to guide the curriculum development process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mindfulness-based curricular interventions can support adolescents who are at risk of school failure as they negotiate the transition from high school into young adulthood. Researchers hypothesized that a 6-week mindfulness-based intervention would lower participants’ perceived stress while increasing their reported levels of self-esteem. Participants (N = 23) ranged in age from 17 to 20 years while the majority were male students of color. Pre- and postintervention survey mean responses revealed statistically significant differences on the Single-Item Self-Esteem Scale and 3 items on the Perceived Stress Scale (with small to moderate effect sizes). Postintervention focus group (n = 8) data indicated that the most valued daily practice was the body scan technique. Open coding of the focus group data also revealed several key themes in the form of overarching codes as participants discussed intervention benefits. These included (a) self-regulation, (b) attention-awareness, and (c) positive thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the narrative experiences of Hmong American adolescent males who were labeled at risk or high risk for academic failure or underperformance by their predominantly White school counselors and teachers. Additional data sources included classroom observations at two racially diverse public high schools and semi-structured interviews with two White American female classroom teachers to ascertain how the “at-risk” label manifested in everyday practices ranging from classroom management/discipline methods, instructional decisions, interpersonal interactions, referrals, and tracking practices. The findings will highlight how the “at-risk” label along with a range of other deficit-based expectations intersected with several problematic assumptions about Asian American masculinities and Hmong American culture that suggested that in general, White school personnel were not aware of how their understandings of racial deviance and difference shaped how they assessed, diagnosed, and interacted with these students. Critically, the “at-risk” label had direct implications for tracking the youth participants into non-college-preparatory tracks including pathways toward alternative, remedial, and special education, or in one case, juvenile detention. Implications are offered for practice and theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Closing the vocabulary gap for young children at risk for reading and language delays due to low socioeconomic status may have far reaching effects, as the relationship between early vocabulary knowledge and later academic achievement has been well-established. Vocabulary instruction for young children at risk for reading and language delays during classroom play is understudied, but appears to be a useful context for such interventions. A multiple probe design across behaviors replicated across participants was conducted to evaluate the effects of Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) techniques embedded in play sessions on target vocabulary word acquisition for preschool participants. Participants acquired target word sets in an average of 14 sessions, which, in addition to a book with target vocabulary, included interventionist’s use of the words in conversation and prompts to use target words in play routines. Implications for vocabulary instruction during play and future research are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated a scheduling methodology referred to as intervention-based scheduling to address the problem of practice regarding the fidelity of implementing Response to Intervention (RtI) in an existing school schedule design. Employing panel data, this study used fixed-effects regressions and first differences ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models to analyze the impact of intervention-based scheduling on student reading achievement and growth. Findings suggest that an intervention-based scheduling design holds promise for addressing the commonly reported concern of implementing interventions with fidelity. Results indicate that students obtained higher rates of achievement and growth in the area of reading while receiving instruction through an intervention-based schedule design. Students accessing Tier 2 interventions demonstrated higher growth rates in reading than those not accessing Tier 2 interventions. However, additional research is required to determine the extent to which intervention-based scheduling may influence other educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural reward function has been proposed as a possible biomarker for depression. However, how the neural response to reward and aversion might differ in young adolescents with current symptoms of depression is as yet unclear. Thirty-three adolescents were recruited, 17 scoring low on the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (low risk group) and 16 scoring high (high risk group). Our functional magnetic resonance imaging task measured; anticipation (pleasant/unpleasant cue), effort (achieve a pleasant taste or avoid an unpleasant taste) and consummation (pleasant/unpleasant tastes) in regions of interest; ventral medial prefrontal cortex, pregenual cingulate cortex, the insula and ventral striatum. We also examined whole brain group differences. In the regions of interest analysis we found reduced activity in the high risk group in the pregenual cingulate cortex during anticipation and reduced pregenual cingulate cortex and ventral medial prefrontal cortex during effort and consummation. In the whole brain analysis we also found reduced activity in the high risk group in the prefrontal cortex and the precuneus during anticipation. We found reduced activity in the hippocampus during the effort phase and in the anterior cingulate/frontal pole during consummation in the high risk group. Increased anhedonia measures correlated with decreased pregenual cingulate cortex activity during consummation in the high risk group only. Our results are the first to show that adolescents with depression symptoms have blunted neural responses during the anticipation, effort and consummation of rewarding and aversive stimuli. This study suggests that interventions in young people at risk of depression, that can reverse blunted responses, might be beneficial as preventative strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has suggested that different strategies used when solving fraction problems are highly correlated with students’ problem-solving accuracy. This study (a) utilized latent profile modeling to classify students into three different strategic developmental levels in solving fraction comparison problems and (b) accordingly provided differentiated strategic training for students starting from two different strategic developmental levels. In Study 1 we assessed 49 middle school students’ performance on fraction comparison problems and categorized students into three clusters of strategic developmental clusters: a cross-multiplication cluster with the highest accuracy, a representation strategy cluster with medium accuracy, and a whole-number strategy cluster with the lowest accuracy. Based on the strategic developmental levels identified in Study 1, in Study 2 we selected three students from the whole-number strategy cluster and another three students from the representation strategy cluster and implemented a differentiated strategic training intervention within a multiple-baseline design. Results showed that both groups of students transitioned from less advanced to more advanced strategies and improved their problem-solving accuracy during the posttest, the maintenance test, and the generalization test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early identification of student behavioral needs allows educators the opportunity to apply appropriate interventions before negative behaviors become more intensive and persistent. A variety of screening tools are available to identify which students are at risk for persistent behavior problems in school. This article provides two examples in which the Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS) was used to identify students at risk of emotional or behavioral problems. Example 1 demonstrates how the EBS can be used within a schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports framework to inform decision making. Example 2 demonstrates how the EBS can be used to inform behavioral intervention decisions in an individual teacher's classroom. Finally, suggestions for using the EBS across various school formats are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minority students at risk for math difficulties (MD) struggle with word problems for various reasons beyond procedural or calculation challenges. As a result, these students require support in reading and language development in addition to math. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a math comprehension strategy based on a dynamic assessment (DA) framework, which provided scaffolding support based on the student's reading and language levels. A multiple baseline design was used to assess eight third-grade minority students at risk for MD. As compared with the baseline phase, the strategy increased problem-solving ability for all participants. All students maintained performance levels during follow-up sessions. Results suggest that the intervention facilitated word-problem-solving performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gifted students’ learning gains result from complex, advanced, and meaningful content provided by a knowledgeable teacher through high-quality curriculum and instruction at an appropriate pace with scaffolding and feedback. These elements exert influence that increases with dosage and within structures that facilitate student engagement in rigorous experiences, including interactions with one another. Talent development is a two-part process. First, educators and parents must provide opportunities for talent to surface, and then they must recognize the talent and provide educational opportunities that engage the emerging talent and move it to exceptional levels. Unfortunately, a variety of barriers exist that limit underserved students’ participation in this process. We discuss these barriers within a proposed model of talent development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed two nationally representative, longitudinal data sets of U.S. children to identify risk factors for persistent mathematics difficulties (PMD). Results indicated that children from low socioeconomic households are at elevated risk of PMD at 48 and 60 months of age, as are children with cognitive delays, identified developmental delays or disabilities, and vocabulary difficulties. In contrast, children attending preschool either in Head Start or non–Head Start classrooms are at initially lower risk of PMD. Kindergarten-aged children experiencing either low socioeconomic status or mathematics difficulties are at greatest risk for PMD across third, fifth, and eighth grades. Also at risk for PMD between third and eighth grades are children displaying reading difficulties or inattention and other learning-related behaviors problems, children with identified disabilities, and those who are retained. Educationally relevant and potentially malleable factors for decreasing young children’s risk for PMD may include increasing children’s access to preschool, decreasing their risk of experiencing vocabulary or reading difficulties, and avoiding use of grade retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the number of writing samples needed to obtain a reliable estimate of young struggling writers’ capabilities. It further assessed if performance in one genre was reflective of performance in other genres for these children. Second- and third-grade students (81 boys, 56 girls), who were identified as struggling writers in need of special assistance by their teacher and scored at the 25th percentile or lower on a norm-referenced story-writing test, wrote four compositions: a story, personal narrative, opinion essay, and informative text. Applying generalizability theory (G-theory), students’ scores on three writing measures (total number of words [TNW], vocabulary diversity, and writing quality) for the four compositions were each portioned into variance due to the following sources: students, writing tasks, and the interaction between students and writing tasks. We found that 14, 8, and 11 compositions, respectively, would be needed to obtain a reliable estimate of these students’ writing capabilities in terms of TNW, vocabulary diversity, and writing quality. Furthermore, how well these students wrote in one genre provided a weak prediction of how well they wrote in other genres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitating economically disadvantaged students’ access to higher education is an important goal of educational policy. However, some practices toward this goal are based on theories and assumptions not informed by the students’ conditions or needs. The purpose of this study was to understand the challenges faced by students from high poverty, urban high schools in their yearning for a college education. Analyses of interview and observation data from a yearlong study in six high-poverty schools revealed that economically disadvantaged students face contextual challenges that necessitate additional efforts and resources not required by others, including money, time, knowledge, courage, sacrifice, and taking risks. The findings are discussed in light of Bourdieu’s theory of capital in education. Implications for educational policy and practice are outlined, including increased attention to non-psychological, structural factors impacting college attainment such as systemic and cumulative disadvantage resulting from lack of various forms of capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the classification accuracy of early static prereading measures and early dynamic assessment reading measures administered to 600 kindergarten students. At the beginning of kindergarten, all of the participants were administered two commonly used static prereading measures. The participants were then administered either a dynamic assessment featuring an onset-rime decoding strategy or a dynamic assessment featuring a sound-by-sound strategy. At the end of first grade, those same participants’ reading ability was assessed using multiple reading measures. Results indicated that the dynamic assessments yielded significantly higher classification accuracy over the static measures, but that the classification accuracy of the two dynamic assessments did not differ significantly. Sensitivity for the static measures was less than 80%, and specificity ranged from 33% to 51%. The sensitivity and specificity for the dynamic assessments was greater than 80% for all children, with the exception of specificity for the Hispanic children, which was at or greater than 70%. Results also indicated that the combination of static and dynamic measures did not improve the classification accuracy over the dynamic assessments alone. Dynamic assessment appears to be a promising approach to classifying young children at risk for future reading difficulty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of a regression discontinuity design (RDD) with those of an experimental design of a tiered vocabulary intervention for children at risk for reading disability to determine RDD's feasibility as a research methodology for this type of study. Researchers reanalyzed an archival dataset of a previous study that determined the effectiveness of the intervention through a randomized experiment. Results were comparable for the receptive outcome scores in direction, magnitude, and significance, although the magnitude of the treatment effect for the RDD was slightly higher. Results were also comparable for contextual outcome scores with respect to direction and magnitude. We present possible reasons for the different results between studies, limitations, and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of effective instructional strategies and interventions for kindergarten and first-grade students at risk in mathematics. The article reviews instructional strategies and interventions within a multitier instructional model in order to provide a framework for teachers and schools looking to increase the effectiveness of their instructional support in the area of mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The relationship between students’ living in poverty and academic underachievement challenges schools across the nation. Poverty is particularly prevalent among children with disabilities. One detrimental condition of poverty that directly affects student development and academic achievement is food insecurity and hunger. With the increasing number of children identified as living in food-insecure households, it is inevitable that at some point, a teacher will work with a child suffering from hunger. With this article, the authors hope to assist educators in understanding poverty and its relationship to childhood hunger. Tips for identifying the signs and symptoms of hunger are shared. School- and classroom-level recommendations are made to aid in alleviating hunger in school-age children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors used a large data set (N = 1,011,549) to examine literacy growth over a single school year comparing general education (GenEd) students to three high-risk subgroups: English language learners (ELL), those with a specific learning disability (LD), and those identified as both LD and ELL (LD-ELL) in students in Grades 3–10. The authors were particularly interested in whether variability existed between initial status and the growth trajectories of the three high-risk groups on measures of spelling, fluency, and reading comprehension across the school year and whether this variability was differentiated because of socioeconomic status (SES) as defined by free and reduced lunch (FRL) status. Results indicate that all high-risk groups began the year at substantially lower levels than their GenEd peers, with the largest differences seen between the LD-ELL students and the other subgroups. Further results suggest that students who are in the high-risk subgroups and also qualify for FRL perform significantly worse than their peers in similar risk status groups who do not qualify for FRL, demonstrating the significant impact of SES on academic outcomes for all groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative, narrative study explored experiences of six successful African American male high school students. Findings suggested that barriers prior to high school were negative elements in the home and community. To be successful in high school, they overcame barriers of absent fathers, disruptive homes, negative community, and peers, and an inadequate school system. They found support in spirituality, a desire to make mother proud, and from school personnel. Personal characteristics contributing to their success included self-esteem, spiritual maturity, and inner motivation to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fourth graders whose silent word reading and/or sentence reading rate was, on average, two-thirds standard deviation below their oral reading of real and pseudowords and reading comprehension accuracy were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 7) or wait-listed (n = 7) control groups. Following nine sessions combining computerized rapid-accelerated-reading program (RAP), which individually tailors rate of written text presentation to comprehension criterion (80%), and self-regulated strategies for attending and engaging, the treated group significantly outperformed the wait-listed group before treatment on (a) a grade-normed, silent sentence reading rate task requiring lexical- and syntactic-level processing to decide which of three sentences makes sense and (b) RAP presentation rates yoked to comprehension accuracy level. Each group improved significantly on these same outcomes from before to after instruction. Attention ratings and working memory for written words predicted posttreatment accuracy, which correlated significantly with the silent sentence reading rate score. Implications are discussed for (a) preventing silent reading disabilities during the transition to increasing emphasis on silent reading, (b) evidence-based approaches for making accommodation of extra time on timed tests requiring silent reading, and (c) combining computerized instruction with strategies for self-regulation during silent reading. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Data systems that use monolingual language frameworks to understand the reading achievement of third-grade students provide inadequate information about emerging bilingual (EB) learners. The authors of this research study apply two competing ideologies (parallel monolingualism and holistic bilingualism) to interpret one set of data. Their findings demonstrate that the same set of scores tells an entirely different story depending on the frames of reference and that these differences are statistically significant. Specifically, they use their analyses to problematize the impact of the Colorado Basic Literacy Act (CBLA) on the categorization of third-grade EB learners. Generalizing from the Colorado data, the authors consider the implications of their findings in a national context of increasing numbers of bilingual learners. Finally, they offer suggestions for site-based school district responses and broader state level policy implications by highlighting one school district’s response to their findings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

English Language Learners (ELLs) at risk for math disabilities (MD) are challenged in solving word problems for numerous reasons such as (a) learning English as a second language, (b) limited experience using math vocabulary, and (c) lack of strategies to improve word-problem-solving skills. As a result of these difficulties, ELLs may not only need math support but also oral language and reading development assistance. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a math comprehension strategy procedure based on a dynamic assessment (DA) framework. The strategy provided scaffolding support based on the student’s reading and language comprehension levels. A multiple baseline was used to assess 6 third-grade Latino ELLs at risk for MD. As compared with baseline, the strategy increased problem-solving ability for all participants. All students’ level of performance was maintained during follow-up sessions. Results suggest that a focus on comprehension strategies may help facilitate math skills development for ELLs at risk for MD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the efficacy of a multitiered systemic reading intervention for increasing the intensity and quality of explicit literacy instruction that teachers provide in first-grade classrooms. Schools (j = 16) were randomly assigned to the treatment or comparison condition. In both conditions, teachers (i = 42) provided 90 min of Tier I reading instruction to first-grade students (n = 883). In the treatment condition, Tier I classroom teachers were trained to enhance their core reading instruction by making instruction more explicit and intensive through standardized protocols and ongoing coaching support. At-risk treatment students (n = 240) also received an additional 30 min of Tier II supplemental reading intervention that was highly aligned with Tier I instruction. The focus of this study is on the Tier I portion of the multitiered intervention and the impact of the Tier I Enhancing Core Reading Instruction intervention on teacher practices. Results indicate positive effects of the Tier I intervention on the quality of explicit instruction and the frequency and accuracy of group practice opportunities provided to students. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examined the effectiveness of a number sense program on kindergarten students’ number proficiency and responsiveness to treatment as a function of students’ risk for mathematics difficulties. The program targeted development of relationships among numbers (e.g., spatial, more and less). A total of 101 kindergarten students (not at risk: 22 control and 36 experimental; at risk: 18 and 25) from five classrooms in a high-poverty elementary school participated in the study. Using a quasi-experimental design, classrooms were randomly assigned to either the intervention (number sense instruction, NSI) or control condition. Results indicated significant differences favoring the treatment students on all measures of number sense (e.g., spatial relationships, more and less relationships, benchmarks of five and ten, nonverbal calculations) at posttest and on a 3-week retention test. Furthermore, the effects were not mediated by at-risk status, suggesting that NSI may benefit a wide range of students. Implications in terms of preventing early mathematical learning difficulties are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drawing on the combined theoretical lenses of positioning theory and academic literacies, this article presents case studies of four children from one urban classroom, two of whom scored at or above proficient on the large-scale writing assessments required by their district and state and two of whom scored below. Using criteria from state rubrics, we closely analyzed the writing products children produced for high-stakes assessments and classroom writing projects as well as drew on a range of qualitative data to contextualize children’s writing within the complex relationships with writing observed across the school year. Our findings suggest test scores may be inaccurate or highly malleable based on relations between the features of the writing children produced, students’ identities as writers and preferred practices, quirks of the testing context, and arbitrary features of the test itself. Indeed, our analyses found that some children’s test scores misrepresented their capabilities as demonstrated in the writing they produced both within and outside of the testing situation. Furthermore, the form of the assessments risked positioning these children in just the ways that would frustrate rather than promote their attempts to put their best writing on the page. Our data suggest that the children’s test scores did not provide the information about achievement in writing that such tests are assumed to convey and that both the form of on-demand writing assessments and the dichotomized sorting they facilitate potentially undermine some of the very goals, often articulated by policy makers, underlying the push for accountability through testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paraprofessionals are widely employed in response to intervention (RTI) settings to provide instruction to students at-risk for reading disabilities. However, little research has addressed effective and efficient ways to train these paraprofessionals to deliver instruction with high fidelity. In addition, given the limited time and finances available in most districts, training needs to be as efficient as possible. This study assessed the effects of a 5-hour fluency training package on the presentation rates, praise rates, and error correction accuracy of five paraprofessionals providing supplemental reading instruction within an RTI system using a multiple baseline design across participants. Students’ reading accuracy and percentage of intervals with on-task behavior were evaluated. Paraprofessionals generally increased their presentation rates, praise rates, and error correction accuracy. Students’ behaviors were affected less. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Early number sense is a strong predictor of later success in school mathematics. A disproportionate number of children from low-income families come to first grade with weak number competencies, leaving them at risk for a cycle of failure. The present study examined the effects of an 8-week number sense intervention to develop number competencies of low-income kindergartners (N = 121). The intervention purposefully targeted whole number concepts related to counting, comparing, and manipulating sets. Children were randomly assigned to either a number sense intervention or a business as usual contrast group. The intervention was carried out in small-group, 30-min sessions, 3 days per week, for a total of 24 sessions. Controlling for number sense at pretest, the intervention group made meaningful gains relative to the control group at immediate as well delayed posttest on a measure of early numeracy. Intervention children also performed better than controls on a standardized test of mathematics calculation at immediate posttest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This research examined the effectiveness of an emergent literacy intervention for prekindergarten children at risk for reading failure, to replicate and improve on significant findings from Year 1 of the study. Data are reported for 266 children in 72 child care and preschool sites in Year 2 of the study and for 374 children at 102 sites in Year 3. The intervention consisted of eighteen 30-min lessons delivered twice weekly to small groups of children. Lessons targeted critical emergent literacy skills through explicit, developmentally appropriate activities for prekindergarteners. Hierarchical linear models were used to nest children within center and measure treatment effects on phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and vocabulary skills. Results indicated significant treatment effects on multiple measures in Years 2 and 3. This study replicated and strengthened findings from Year 1 in demonstrating a positive impact of this intervention for prekindergarteners at risk for reading failure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The confluence of No Child Left Behind and the National Reading Panel report on the five essential components of reading instruction forged a path for struggling adolescent readers that supports a narrow curriculum designed to address gaps in constrained skills. Adolescents from a large school district in the state of Tennessee who failed state assessments in reading (N = 94) were assessed using measures of phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, orthography, vocabulary, and comprehension. Factor and cluster analysis of the assessment data revealed a heterogeneous population of students. Based on three factors (meaning, rate, and word knowledge), four clusters emerged representing varying abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Teaching mathematics to diverse learners can be a challenge. The extensive and specialized knowledge that special education teachers need to possess to be considered high-quality teachers is often lacking in preservice and inservice education, yet is mandated by current teacher reforms and rigorous measures of accountability. To provide direction for supporting teacher growth in these areas, this article highlights four knowledge bases that special education teachers should develop and expand upon as a way to improve their instruction for diverse learners in mathematics. Numerous resources and materials are provided to support the development of teacher expertise in content, characteristics of diverse learners, technology, and pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study examines how sixth grade students’ discussions about texts and comprehension strategies looked similar and/or different based on their identities as readers and their reading levels. Findings indicated that students who self-identified as high-performing readers talked about texts and strategies in ways that were different from students who self-identified as being average or low-performing readers. These differences remained regardless of students’ assessed reading levels. Students who identified as high-performing readers discussed using comprehension strategies as a way to clarify or deepen their knowledge of content and to support their interpretations of text. They also selected strategies based on what they believed would best help them address their specific comprehension problems. By comparison, students who identified as average or low-performing readers separated their talk about strategies from their talk about the texts and tended to have one or two favorite strategies that they repeatedly used regardless of their success. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]