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The full-service community school (FSCS) strategy, an education reform implemented in the United States and internationally, seeks to improve learning by responding holistically to students' needs. While the literature on FSCSs has grown significantly, research on the role of teachers remains limited. This study expands the current knowledge base through an in-depth analysis of teachers in an award winning urban FSC high school in the northeastern United States. Specifically, using a mixed methods case study design, we examine the associations between teachers' academic optimism and features of their professional practice (i.e., beliefs about FSCSs, student-centered instruction, and outreach to families) that are aligned with FSCSs. Results indicate that teachers shared positive overall levels of academic optimism, but exhibited its defining dimensions at varying degrees. Teachers' trust in students and especially parents as educational partners was the lowest dimension of academic optimism at Promise High. While teachers reported high levels of some features of professional practice (e.g., student-centered instruction) aligned with the FSCS strategy, they reported low levels of others (e.g., family outreach and engagement), which may diminish the transformative potential of FSCSs. Finally, the study found a positive association between teacher academic optimism and the focal features of professional practice. Although exploratory, these findings have important implications for the effective implementation of FSCSs.

Managing test specifications--both multiple nonstatistical constraints and flexibly defined constraints--has become an important part of designing item selection procedures for computerized adaptive tests (CATs) in achievement testing. This study compared the effectiveness of three procedures: constrained CAT, flexible modified constrained CAT, and the weighted penalty model in balancing multiple flexible constraints and maximizing measurement precision in a fixed-length CAT. The study also addressed the effect of two different test lengths--25 items and 50 items--and of including or excluding the randoms item exposure control procedure with the three methods, all of which were found effective in selecting items that met flexible test constraints when used in the item selection process for longer tests. When the randoms method was included to control for item exposure, the weighted penalty model and the flexible modified constrained CAT models performed better than did the constrained CAT procedure in maintaining measurement precision. When no item exposure control method was used in the item selection process, no practical difference was found in the measurement precision of each balancing method. (Contains 5 tables and 5 figures.)

Purpose: This study tests key constructs of sociocultural and organizational learning theories with quantitative methods to better understand the nature and impact of district and school leadership and actions on the quality of programs of family and community involvement. Research Design: Survey data from a "nested" sample of 24 districts and 407 schools are used to measure theoretical constructs of district "assistance" to schools and "shared work" on partnership program development. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses explore the independent and simultaneous contributions of district leadership and school teamwork on the implementation of basic structures and advanced outreach in partnership programs. Also, gap analyses compare supplementary data from 220 schools that had consistent district leadership for 3 years to 106 schools without this support. Findings: HLM analyses show that principals' support for family and community involvement and schools' reports of district assistance contribute significantly to schools' basic program implementation and to advanced outreach to involve all families in their children's education. Over and above school measures, district leaders' direct facilitation contributes to the quality of the school programs. Gap analyses indicate that schools with consistent district leadership take more basic and advanced actions to establish and improve their partnership programs. Conclusions: This study--with a large sample of districts and schools, appropriate quantitative methods, and a content focus on partnerships--provides strong empirical support for the importance of sociocultural and organizational theories in studying school improvement. Implications for improving district and school policy and practice are discussed. (Contains 4 figures, 2 tables, and 5 notes.)

Although we know that family involvement is associated with stronger math performance, little is known about what educators are doing to effectively involve families and community members, and whether this measurably improves math achievement at their schools. This study used data from 39 schools to assess the effects of family and community involvement activities on school levels of math achievement. The study found that better implementation of math-related practices of family and community involvement predicted stronger support from parents for schools' partnership programs, which, in turn, helped to estimate the percentage of students scoring as proficient on math achievement tests. (Contains 5 tables and 1 note.)

INTRODUCCIÓN La dispensación de medicamentos y productos sanitarios es un servicio básico que las oficinas de farmacia prestan a la población y, como cualquier otra actividad humana, es susceptible de presentar errores en su realización, por lo que es importante tratar de evitarlos, pero todavía lo es más disponer de un procedimiento que permita detectarlos y corregirlos si éstos se producen. MÉTODO Estudio observacional descriptivo longitudinal realizado en una oficina de farmacia del municipio de Mislata (Valencia). Durante 31 meses (febrero 2006 a agosto 2008) a todas las recetas médicas dispensadas en la farmacia que contenían los medicamentos y productos sanitarios financiados y prescritos en recetas médicas del SNS y mutuas sanitarias privadas se les aplicó un PNT consistente en detectar y subsanar los errores cometidos en la dispensación. Se registraron, clasificaron y cuantificaron los errores detectados y el resto de datos recabados para su subsanación. RESULTADOS Y DISCUSIÓN La aplicación de este PNT ha permitido detectar los errores de dispensación cometidos (3,1‰) y subsanarlos en un 92%, con un tiempo medio de respuesta de 1-4 días. Los principales errores se deben a cambios en el tamaño (1,7‰) y en la dosis (1,0‰). A través de la revisión de recetas efectuada por la Administración sanitaria se ha detectado un error en la detección de errores de 1,9 recetas por cada 10.000 recetas revisadas. Un 36,08% de los errores detectados podría haber provocado un riesgo para la salud de los pacientes, pudiendo haberse subsanado el 88,57% de ellos.