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The quality of teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) is critical for effective teaching and mathematical learning of students. However, most efforts on measuring MKT tend to focus on teachers' content knowledge (CK), with less attention to teachers' pedagogical content knowledge for teaching (PCK). This study reports on our initial efforts to develop and pilot a measure for assessing teachers' PCK for fractions. Analysis of cognitive interviews from two expert teachers combined with Rasch modeling of 85 pre-service and in-service teachers was conducted to examine validity evidence for the PCK-Fractions measure. Results provide useful validity evidence for the initial validity argument of the measure. Namely, evidence suggests differences between pre-service (PSTs) and in-service teachers' (ISTs) scores based on their professional level (junior PSTs, senior PSTs, & ISTs). Implications of this and additional validity evidence suggest a measure useful for assessing the effect of teacher education and professional experience initiatives, as well as indicators for revising this initial measure.

Assessment data should serve as the cornerstone of the rehabilitation process, guiding the provision of sevice offerings. Numerous studies, however, document that the results of psychometric instruments (e.g., IQ and personality tests) and traditional vocational evaluation procedures (e.g., work samples) have little relationship to actual rehabilitation performance of persons with special needs (Frey, 1984). As an alternative, functional assessment methods (Halpern & Fuhrer, 1984) that focus on the actual skills and capacities of the individual have been recommended. In the first section of this article, we discuss the rationale for functional assessment procedures to rehabilitation and present a conceptual model of these procedures. In the second section, we describe a model demonstration project that was funded in the fall of 1993 by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to develop and provide functional assessment services for adolescents and adults with cognitive disabilities at an existing assessment facility: Project FASTER (Functional Assessment Services for Transition, Education, and Rehabilitation) (Bullis, 1993). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of manual Trigger Point Therapy (TrPt) on mandible abduction range of Analog Astronauts (AA) surviving isolation conditions during consecutive missions at the LunAres Habitat was performed. This physiotherapy method was applied to decrease stress-related neuromuscular tension. Abduction measurements were conducted on the two groups of five AA, who endured severe isolation conditions for 14 days in the limited space of the LunAres Research Station Habitat (Piła, Poland) during missions. The test group consisted of abduction measurements of AA who received TrPt and control group of abduction measurements of AA who did not receive TrPt. All measurements were noted in the TemporoMandibular Joint (TMJ) diagnosis aspect of the integrated dental examination card SZOPPDP©. The ischemic compression was performed on an active localized trigger point-resulting in cessation of pain. Maximum abduction measurements were made with an electronic caliper, and the abduction range was compared. The change of abduction range in AA with TrPt was bigger than in AA without TrPt. A larger increase in abduction range was observed in every case in the group receiving TrPt compared to the control group. TrPt effectively decreases the neuromuscular tension, which results in an increased mandibular abduction range of AA. Observations conducted in LunAres Research Station regarding stress-related neuromuscular tension can help identify effective therapeutic methods for circumstances of social isolation.

Analog space missions were created to study the human factor in extraordinary conditions that would occur in future space habitats. Isolation has been shown to cause stress and disrupt individuals' daily routine, which can also affect their oral hygiene and lead to an increased risk of dental caries and gingivitis. The astronauts' specific freeze-dried diet is associated with "lazy" chewing, potential dehydration and vitamin A deficiency, which may adversely affect their saliva. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the freeze-dried diet on selected oral hygiene indicators in analog astronauts (AA) enduring strict isolation conditions during six consecutive analog space missions at the LunAres Research Station. During the experiment the oral hygiene and gingival inflammation status measurements were conducted on the group of AAs at the beginning and at the end of each mission. Measurements included four oral hygiene indicators: API, sOHI, PI by Silness and Loe and GBI by Ainamo and Bay. Each AA's individual scores were noted and analyzed. Statistically significant reduction in the amount of plaque and intensity of gingival bleeding was observed over the course of the study, which could indicate positive results of applied oral hygiene procedures despite unfavorable dietary and stressful isolation conditions.