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The present work describes the development of a new measure of school counselors' perceived self-efficacy regarding their knowledge of information and processes necessary to effectively guide their students through the college transition process. Researchers developed the School Counselor Efficacy for College Knowledge Questionnaire and examined data from a national sample of 600 school counselors to determine its psychometric properties and factor structure. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported use of a modified five-factor model. Results showed strong internal consistency and preliminary evidence for convergent and divergent validity of the resultant scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Resilience is crucial for students in health schools as care becomes more complex and as the adjustment to meet patient, environmental, and professional demands with success can seem a daunting challenge. Self-care activities can support the development of resilience in the student population. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe self-care practices, health-promoting behaviors, and resilience among students, faculty, and staff of the health professional schools at a large metropolitan university. Method: This was a cross-sectional study of data from 148 participants. Analysis included descriptive statistics, t tests, analysis of variance, crosstabs, and Pearson correlations. Results: Resilience was lower among students than among faculty and staff. The most frequent self-care activities were humor and music. Resilience was significantly correlated with the self-care behaviors of praying (p =.006), healthy sleeping habits (p =.024), reading (p =.007), and mindful acceptance (p =.025); yoga and meditation were not significantly correlated with resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death from trauma. The Stop the Bleed (STB) initiative provides basic education about bleeding to potential immediate responders. The present study aimed to assess the perceptions of self-efficacy and school preparedness related to responding to a life-threatening bleeding emergency in school personnel at an urban high school. Methods : High school personnel from an urban high school (N = 156) completed a 1-hour STB course that included a didactic and hands-on component. Participants rated their agreement with statements about self-efficacy and school preparedness on a 5-point Likert-type scale, responded to items regarding how school personnel could be better prepared for life-threatening emergencies, and had the option to provide written responses pre- and post-course. Findings : Independent samples t tests revealed that perceptions of self-efficacy and school preparedness increased after the course (p <.001). Before the course, 87% of participants felt they needed training, 80% felt the school needed clearer procedures, and 74% felt the school required more equipment for a life-threatening bleeding incident compared with 63%, 69%, and 78% post-course, respectively. Thematic analysis of written responses revealed that participants desired higher frequencies of STB training, more equipment, clearer school procedures, and realistic training scenarios with students. Conclusions/Application to Practice : The STB course increased both perceptions of self-efficacy and school preparedness in a sample of high school personnel. Qualitative analyses provided insight to personnel's opinion of STB's effectiveness and what is necessary to maintain or follow through with this knowledge after completion of the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural school principals continue to have difficulty hiring and retaining qualified teachers. Researchers have sought to determine the preferred type of preparation programs and the specific characteristics of teacher candidates, but few have specifically focused on the perceptions of the rural principal. The purpose of this study was to understand current rural school principals' perceptions regarding various factors affecting the selection of teacher candidates. Using an online, cross-sectional survey of rural school principals, data were collected to understand their perspectives regarding various factors that may affect the selection of potential teacher candidates. Results indicate that rural principals prefer to hire applicants who have completed a traditional 4-year college/university preparation program. In addition, when reviewing applicant materials they look for specific factors such as experience, those who are known in the community, cooperating/lead teacher evaluations, and areas of licenses held among teacher candidates. Rural school principals specifically reported a preference toward hiring applicants who hold a dual license in elementary and special education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined school personnel's engagement in bystander action in situations of teen dating violence (DV), sexual violence (SV), and sexual harassment (SH). We conducted focus groups with 22 school personnel from three high schools in New Hampshire. School personnel identified their own barriers to intervening in situations of teen DV, SV, and SH (e.g., not having the time or ability to intervene). School personnel also discussed the ways in which they intervened before (e.g., talking with teens about healthy relationships), during (e.g., breaking up fights between dating partners) and after (e.g., comforting victims) instances of teen DV, SV, and SH. These data can be used to support the development of bystander training for school personnel as one component of comprehensive DV, SV, and SH prevention for teens. In addition, these data provide information that can be used to develop measures that assess school personnel bystander action barriers and behaviors in instances of teen DV, SV, and SH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, including JUUL, has risen to epidemic levels among high school and middle school students in the United States. Schools serve as a key environment for prevention and intervention efforts to address e-cigarette use, yet little is known about the awareness of and response to e-cigarettes in schools. This national survey of middle and high school teachers and administrators (n = 1,420) measured JUUL awareness, e-cigarette policies, and barriers to enforcement in schools. While two thirds of respondents had heard of a product called JUUL (67.6%), less than half accurately identified a photo of a JUUL as a vaping device/e-cigarette (47.3%). Awareness of JUUL (80.9%) was higher among high school teachers (83.3%) than among middle school teachers (78.3%). A large majority of respondents reported that their school had an e-cigarette policy (82.9%), but less than half of the sample worked in a school with a policy that specifically included JUUL (43.4%). Those working in a school with an e-cigarette policy in place noted that e-cigarettes' discreet appearance (65.6%) and difficulties in identifying origin of vapor or scent (46.1%) made the policy difficult to enforce. Efforts to increase middle and high school staff awareness of the ever-evolving e-cigarette market are essential to help prevent youth use. Adoption and enforcement of policies will be critical to ensure that schools remain tobacco-free spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a well-documented need for school health programs (SHPs) among schoolchildren, there is little school health funding in California and limited research on the role of those who manage SHPs. This qualitative study investigated the work of a selected group of school health administrators (SHAs) in California. Study aims were to explore SHA job pathways and responsibilities, the contextual factors influencing their work, and how they get their work done, given limited funding for SHPs. Thirty in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with SHAs and their staff, supervisors, and deputy SHAs. The main themes and subthemes are (1) district hierarchies marginalize SHAs and (2) in response to this marginalization, SHAs engage in brokering strategies to get their work done, including (a) raising awareness, (b) cultivating powerful allies, and (c) adjusting to working conditions. Despite structural disempowerment, SHAs have developed strategies to secure political support for SHPs and school nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to establish a robust measurement to obtain a comprehensive understanding of perceptions of programming education (POPE) of teacher and principal groups. In this study, the POPE scale contains three dimensions: (a) understanding in programming (UP), (b) support for programming (SP), and (c) expectation of programming (EP). Self-reported questionnaires were administrated among 258 teachers and 229 principals. Multigroup analyses were used among the two groups. The results of measurement invariance tests show that configural and metric invariance are fully supported, and scalar invariance is partially supported, suggesting the factor structures, loadings, and most item intercepts of the POPE scale are equivalent across the groups examined. Implications of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the development, initial implementation, and formative evaluation of Arkansas’s plan to reduce suspensions and expulsion from early care and education (ECE) settings. We describe how Arkansas used multifaceted implementation strategies to facilitate change in six areas: policy, workforce development, specialized supports, family partnerships, child screening, and data tracking. We also highlight key findings from the formative evaluation. For example, needs assessment data revealed that 40.8% of ECE providers suspended at least one child in the past year, and 9% expelled one or more children. We evaluated efforts to educate ECE providers on new nonexpulsion policies and new supports, and results indicate that 89.5% of directors agreed that they understand why young children should not be suspended or expelled, though the majority reported concern about implementing a nonexpulsion policy. Initial utilization data from a new ECE provider support system indicate that in the first quarter, 53 requests were submitted for help with challenging classroom behavior. Most requests involved male children over the age of 3, and one-third of the requests referenced traumatic events experienced by the children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has documented the elevated levels of stress experienced by families of autistic children. Yet remarkably little research has examined the types of support that these families perceive to be beneficial to their lives. This study, co-produced by researchers and school-based professionals, sought to establish these families’ support needs from their own perspectives. In total, 139 parents of autistic children with additional intellectual disabilities and limited spoken communication, all attending an inner-city London school, participated in an initial survey examining parental wellbeing, self-efficacy and the extent to which they felt supported. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subgroup of parents (n = 17), some of whom reported in the survey that they felt unsupported, in order to gain their in-depth perspectives. The results from both the survey and the interviews suggested that existing support (particularly from formal support services) was not meeting parents’ needs, which ultimately made them feel isolated and alienated. Parents who were interviewed called for service provision that adopted a relational, family-centred approach – one that understands the specific needs of the whole family, builds a close working relationship with them and ensures that they are supported at times when the parents and families feel they need it most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School nurses are at the forefront of health resource decisions, education, and health advocacy in the school setting. When it comes to sex education and condom availability, navigating the politics and controversy surrounding student access and education is not an easy task. Moreover, recent research shows school administrators are not aware of sexual health issues in their district and are not typically supportive of condom availability, limiting evidence-based practice implementation in the school setting. At the district level, school nurses must recognize these challenges and develop plans to promote science-based interventions for students’ sexual health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the evidence of stress-related training for the school leader in the UK. It is intended to stimulate thought and interest in the subject of stress preparation for extant and aspiring school leaders through a review of the current literature and the presentation of data from all UK training institutions and universities. Importantly, the approach from the main training providers, including the National College, the National Association of Head Teachers and the Department of Education, will be explored. Evidence will be given from dialogues with managers and directors who are responsible for managing and directing these programmes. The literature review will show that the range of materials specifically on stress and the school leader is limited and that there is a need for further empirical evidence and research on the subject. It will also place stress and ‘stressors’ in a broader psychological perspective to approach an understanding of how stress relates to the person and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study which examined the responses of teachers and school administrators of secondary schools in Ontario to government accountability initiatives. Assessment of the role of leadership practices; Data and framework of the study; Explanation for the negative motivations to implement government accountability policies; Differences in the motivation between teachers and school-level administrators; Implications on administration.