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A controversial innovation within the rapidly expanding field of teacher education is the relocation of teacher preparation to new graduate schools of education (nGSEs), which are not university based but are state authorized and approved as institutions of higher education to prepare teachers, endorse them for initial teacher certification, and grant master's degrees. Despite media attention and both public and private funding, however, there is little empirical research about the phenomenon of teacher preparation at nGSEs based on access to actual programs, participants, materials, and institutional records. This article is the first in a planned series that draws on a Spencer Foundation-funded study of teacher preparation at nGSEs to introduce the phenomenon. It has three purposes: to situate the emergence of teacher preparation at nGSEs within larger professional, policy, and political contexts; to define and clarify the characteristics of teacher preparation at nGSEs and identify its institutional domain; and to present a field- and theory-informed analytic framework for studying teacher preparation at nGSEs.

In recent decades, several novel approaches to teacher preparation have emerged to challenge the dominance of university-based programs. Included in those approaches are two well-publicized, but little-researched phenomena: new graduate schools of education (nGSEs) and fully online teacher preparation. Drawing on data generated from a comprehensive qualitative case study of one institution, this article offers a theorized profile of teacher preparation at the intersection of these two phenomena. Based on a systematic analysis, it details the conceptualization and enactment of teacher preparation at TEACH-NOW Graduate School of Education, a fully online nGSE.

Examining community views on genetic/epigenetic research allows collaborative technology development. Parent perspectives toward genetic/epigenetic testing for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not well-studied. Parents of children with ASD (n = 131), non-ASD developmental delay (n = 39), and typical development (n = 74) completed surveys assessing genetic/epigenetic knowledge, genetic/epigenetic concerns, motives for research participation, and attitudes/preferences toward ASD testing. Most parents (96%) were interested in saliva-based molecular testing for ASD. Some had concerns about privacy (14%) and insurance-status (10%). None (0%) doubted scientific evidence behind genetic/epigenetic testing. Most reported familiarity with genetics (88%), but few understood differences from epigenetics (19%). Child developmental status impacted insurance concerns (p = 0.01). There is broad parent interest in a genetic/epigenetic test for ASD. It will be crucial to carefully consider and address bioethical issues surrounding this sensitive topic while developing such technology.

A controversial innovation within the rapidly expanding field of teacher education is the relocation of teacher preparation to new graduate schools of education (nGSEs), which are not university based but are state authorized and approved as institutions of higher education to prepare teachers, endorse them for initial teacher certification, and grant master's degrees. Despite media attention and both public and private funding, however, there is little empirical research about the phenomenon of teacher preparation at nGSEs based on access to actual programs, participants, materials, and institutional records. This article is the first in a planned series that draws on a Spencer Foundation-funded study of teacher preparation at nGSEs to introduce the phenomenon. It has three purposes: to situate the emergence of teacher preparation at nGSEs within larger professional, policy, and political contexts; to define and clarify the characteristics of teacher preparation at nGSEs and identify its institutional domain; and to present a field- and theory-informed analytic framework for studying teacher preparation at nGSEs., Introduction Within the rapidly expanding field of teacher education, a controversial innovation, which emerged in the early 2000s, is the relocation of teacher preparation to new graduate schools of education [...]

Most of today's reforms of initial teacher education programs, policies, and practices have positioned teachers and teacher educators as the objects, rather than the agents of reform. In contrast, this article focuses on teacher educators as reformers by analyzing three approaches to reform that are initiated, developed, and promoted by teacher educators themselves: "entrepreneurial reform," "managerial reform," and "democratic reform." The article concentrates primarily on "teacher educators as reformers" in the US, but also includes examples from other countries. For each approach, the article considers: who the teacher educator reformers are and how they are positioned; how they construct the 'problem' of teacher education; what reforms they advocate as the 'solution'; and, how these are related to larger policy and political agendas. The article argues that this kind of analysis is critical to understanding the current discourse of reform and the competing agendas that dominate the politics of teacher education.

In keeping with the theme of the 40th anniversary issue of "EJTE," this article looks back and forward at US teacher education accountability. It argues that "holding teacher education accountable" has been the major approach to reforming teacher education in the US for the last two decades, assuming that enhanced teacher education quality depends on vigilant public evaluation and monitoring of outcomes related to teacher education institutions, programs, and teacher candidates. This article looks back at the "era of accountability" by examining five policy, political, and professional developments that contributed to its emergence and strong hold on US teacher education. Looking forward to the future of teacher education accountability in the US, the article argues that we need a new approach--democratic accountability in teacher education--which is based on intelligent professional responsibility for students' learning including democratic knowledge and skills, strong equity, and genuine collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

"[T]he persons to be inspected should always feel themselves as if under inspection.., for the greatest proportion of time possible, each man should actually be under inspection." --Jeremy Bentham, The [...]

"Earth Ovens and Desert Lifeways: 10,000 Years of Indigenous Cooking in the Arid Landscapes of North America" is a book that explores the history and diversity of in-ground earth ovens and hot-rock cooking in the arid regions of southwestern United States and northeastern Mexico. The editors and authors examine the cultural practices and demographic changes associated with these cooking methods, highlighting the incredible diversity of past societies. The book also discusses the concept of food intensification and the complex decisions people made to secure reliable sources of food. While the book provides valuable insights, it is noted that there is a lack of Indigenous authors and limited mention of collaborative research partnerships with descendant communities. The inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and traditional knowledge is seen as crucial for future research in this field. [Extracted from the article]

Funding agencies and policy makers often criticize residential addiction treatment because the cost of residential services is typically higher than for outpatient services and it is unclear whether the outcomes are significantly better for most clients. To address these concerns, proponents of residential treatment require economic evidence to justify further investments in this modality over less intensive and less costly options. Recent studies have developed methods and empirical guidelines for using the drug abuse treatment cost analysis program (DATCAP) and the addiction severity index (ASI) in a comprehensive economic evaluation of addiction treatment. The present study applied these methods and guidelines to estimate the economic costs and benefits of residential addiction treatment at five programs in the State of Washington, USA that serve publicly funded clients. Program- and client-specific economic cost estimates were derived using data collected on-site with the DATCAP along with opportunity cost estimates associated with treatment attendance. Economic benefits were calculated from client self-reported information at treatment entry and at 6 months post discharge using the ASI. Outcome categories included inpatient services, employment, medical and psychiatric conditions, and criminal activity. Results indicate that average weekly economic cost of treatment services at the five programs ranged from $463 to $703. Average (per client) economic cost of treatment was $4912 (composed of $3650 in program cost and $1262 in client cost) for all subjects that completed both a baseline and follow-up questionnaire (N = 222; 82%). Average (per client) total economic benefit was $21,329, leading, to estimates of $16,418 for average net benefit and 4.34 for the benefit-cost ratio. Total and net economic benefits were significantly related to gender, race, religious preference, and baseline ASI composite scores for drug use and legal status. A detailed sensitivity analysis did not alter the qualitative findings. This study provides conclusive evidence that, for this sample of programs in Washington State, the economic benefits of residential addiction treatment significantly exceeded the economic costs. Although the results are not necessarily generalizable to private-paying clients or clients from other States in the US, the methods are based on widely used data collection instruments and well-accepted economic principles. Thus, extensions of this research to other clients, States, and modalities should be feasible and straightforward. Keywords: Benefit-cost analysis; Addiction treatment; DATCAP; ASI, Washington, USA

Despite increasing awareness of gender issues in substance use treatment, women with substance use disorders (SUD) and gender-specific treatment remain understudied. This study examines differences, including identification of comorbid issues and patients' perceived treatment needs, between women in different SUD treatment settings: an intensive VA outpatient program (VA; N = 76) and a private residential/ outpatient program (Residence XII; N = 308). In both settings the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) was administered at intake; ASI data were collected from retrospective chart review. Results support previous findings that women entering SUD treatment endorse high rates of psychiatric and medical comorbidity, and past abuse. Women in VA SUD treatment experienced more impairment on indices of medical, psychiatric, and employment issues whereas the private agency sample had higher alcohol and family/social composite scores. The differences between and similarities among the two treatment groups have implications for design of women-specific SUD treatment programs. Keywords: Women; Addictions treatment; Gender-specific treatment; Veterans; Psychosocial issues

Background: Pragmatic trials of empirically-supported behavior therapies may inform clinical and policy decisions concerning therapy sustainment. This retrospective trial design paper describes and discusses pragmatic features of a hybrid type III implementation/effectiveness trial of a contingency management (CM) intervention at an opioid treatment program. Prior reporting (Hartzler et al., J Subst Abuse Treat 46:429-438, 2014; Hartzler, Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 10:30, 2015) notes success in recruiting program staff for voluntary participation, durable impacts of CM training on staff-level outcomes, provisional setting implementation of the intervention, documentation of clinical effectiveness, and post-trial sustainment of CM. Methods/design: Six pragmatic design features, and both scientific and practical bases for their inclusion in the trial, are presented: (1) a collaborative intervention design process, (2) voluntary recruitment of program staff for therapy training and implementation, (3) serial training outcome assessments, with quasi-experimental staff randomization to either single or multiple baseline assessment conditions, (4) designation of a 90-day period immediately after training in which the setting implemented the intervention on a provisional basis, (5) inclusive patient eligibility for receipt of the CM intervention, and (6) designation of two staff as local implementation leaders to oversee clinical/administrative issues in provisional implementation. Discussion: Each pragmatic trial design feature is argued to have contributed to sustainment of CM. Contributions implicate the building of setting proprietorship for the CM intervention, culling of internal staff expertise in its delivery, iterative use of assessment methods that limited setting burden, documentation of setting-specific clinical effectiveness, expanded penetration of CM among staff during provisional implementation, and promotion of setting self-reliance in the oversight of sustainable implementation procedures. It is hoped this discussion offers ideas for how to impact local clinical and policy decisions via effective behavior therapy dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on media war in Venezuela and discusses President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez government's position supporting media regulations like banning violent photos. It describes two main objectives justifying media regulation in Venezuela including protection of children and preservation of national security. It reflects on the role of media regulation in Venezuela from the perspective of Chávez's opposition.