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Against the background of the low mathematical performance of South African learners in international panel studies, there is an urgent need to improve mathematical education. In particular, the curriculum and its structure raise questions. It is logical that the prescribed curricula should align with learners' developmental trajectories. Given the hierarchical structure of mathematics, the curricular requirements should pay attention to learners' current knowledge of mathematical concepts. The aim of this study was to compare the curricular requirements as defined by the CAPS with the conceptual current knowledge of South African learners. South African Grade 1 learners (N = 602) were assessed on a test of numeracy concepts, based on a theoretically informed and empirically validated model of developing mathematical proficiency. The content of the CAPS for Grade 1 was aligned to the model levels by two experts (Cohen's κ =.753, p < 0.001). Results show that the curricular requirements go far beyond the current knowledge required to engage with these new concepts of the vast majority of South African Grade 1 learners. The mismatch may to some extent be responsible for the unsatisfactory results in international comparison studies. These results show that the intended curriculum is beyond the grasp of most South African Grade 1 learners. These children are unlikely to develop new arithmetic concepts based on their lack of required foundation knowledge. We therefore argue that the intended curriculum for Grade 1 should focus more on counting skills, ordinal relations between numbers and—most importantly—set-based number representations and part–part–whole relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chain of progression from teacher education to qualification to classroom instruction and student engagement, and then to learning and achievement, is not as straightforward as often presented. Societal, political and economic pressures create either a positive climate or a stressful one for both teachers and students. Nevertheless it is safe to say that in a subject like mathematics, the importance of subject matter knowledge cannot be underestimated. Research in this area supports the presumption that formal qualifications in the subject, in this case mathematics, are necessary, as this focused engagement with mathematics provides the foundation for mathematics teaching and learning. The allocation of fully qualified teachers to schools has in the past been uneven, with the supposition that students at higher socio-economic levels are being taught by better qualified teachers. In South Africa the improvement of teacher qualifications has been identified as a core area of action with the relevant policy on teacher education renewed in 2007 and again in 2014. The focus of this paper is to understand the change in patterns of teacher qualifications, and the interrelationship with school contextual variables. The analysis is based on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data from 2003, 2011 and 2015, where teachers from the TIMSS sample provided contextual information. Descriptive statistics were calculated using the IEA IDB Analyzer. The results show that South Africa has made substantial progress in uplifting teachers' formal qualification levels and in reducing structural inequality within its education system. Out-of-field teaching of mathematics is still shown to be a common phenomenon and is unevenly distributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of the Annual National Assessment (ANA) Grade 6 Mathematics assessment instrument, administered in the year 2012 guided by the main question: to what extent does the 2012 Grade 6 Mathematics assessment instrument provide meaningful and consistent information for making appropriate interpretations? The responses to 29 questions, comprising 56 items, from 546 learners' scripts were coded individually, recaptured and analysed. The analysis shows that the Annual National Assessment was not well targeted, that is, the mean of the item and the mean of the person measures were not approximately equivalent. Specifically, in relation to this cohort, and taking into account the many factors that influence performance, we recommend that for reliable inferences to be made from test results, the quality of the assessment instrument should first be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although buoyed by the induction of a democratic government, and the high ideals of our constitution, the South African education system has in many ways not met the expectations of its people, in this case, the mathematics education community. With the birth of an expansive intended curriculum came the monitoring of the outcomes through systemic type testing, the so-called attained curriculum. In time, it became clear that the inevitable 'teaching to the test' would constitute a narrowing of the implemented curriculum. Two possible constraining influences of the systemic test were identified, namely, a narrowing of the curriculum, and reliance on only one source of external monitoring. To counteract these, a project titled Assessment Enhanced Teaching and Learning (AETL) has been initiated, involving Grade Nine mathematics teachers. The aim of the project is to provide intermittent markers of progress to the teachers and learners at strategic points throughout the year. Teacher involvement in the design and implementation of these formative assessment tasks is thus central to the project. In this paper, we report on a case study at one school in the Pretoria region, and explore the use of structured assessment tasks as an approach to professional development. The question posed here is, "How does the implementation of strategically designed assessment tasks support professional development and enable professional agency?" Our findings indicate a strong sense of agency motivated by the need to excel in systemic type testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational measurement is generally thought of as empirical, quantitative, and large-scale, whose purpose is to monitor educational systems. Sociocognitive studies, on the other hand, are associated with small-scale, theoretical, and qualitative studies, the purpose of which is to conduct fine-grained analysis of learning or teaching, or to comprehend in depth the development of a mathematical topic. This article describes an application of the Rasch model in mathematics education in which theory and measurement are used interactively to provide greater understanding of a constellation of mathematical concepts within the multiplicative conceptual field. It is affirmed here that Rasch measurement provides the basis for a coherent research model based on principles of measurement, while giving consideration to the theoretical construct. Challenges to educational measurement demand that researchers provide substantive theoretical models to support, firstly, educational measurement and, secondly, the level of inference that can be made from the measurement outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Clients with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders are not well served in traditional health care systems where specialist services offer segregated interventions and the client is left to negotiate required treatment across both systems. In recent years, policy change guiding the treatment of dual diagnosis in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and elsewhere has triggered the development of diverse models of treatment, each of which function at different points on a continuum from serial to fully integrated care. This paper outlines key models and provides examples, while considering their potential for appropriately addressing the needs of this client group. Consideration is given to the benefits of an interaction between stepped care and the chosen model, as a means of enhancing care efficiency while retaining the focus on positive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 'Dual diagnosis' is the term of choice in many countries to describe clients with co-occurring mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues. However, it is not known if its meaning is consistently represented within and across health care services. This uncertainty has significant implications for referral, consultation and research. Aim: To obtain information about the way that different health care professionals understand the term 'dual diagnosis'. Method: Twenty-nine health care workers across five service types (medical, mental health, AOD, dual diagnosis and community health) in Victoria, Australia were interviewed about their understanding of the term 'dual diagnosis'. Results: The findings indicated that service providers working in AOD and Mental Health had a shared general understanding of what was meant by 'dual diagnosis', despite uncertainties about more specific inclusion criteria. In contrast, medical and community health staff lacked a similar shared understanding, and were more likely to recommend change, but offered no consensus on alternatives. Conclusion: The results indicate that while the term 'dual diagnosis' has value in efficiently directing attention to the complexity of treatment issues, health practitioners cannot assume it will convey the intended meaning outside mental health or AOD services. Clear articulation of the intended definition may be a necessary requirement in wider health care communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets out descriptive baseline data on the first 111 Australian families participating in a current study of the efficacy of child- focused and child-inclusive Family Law Mediation. The families come from the first of two treatment groups in that comparative study. While outcome data are not yet available on this group, the baseline data, gathered prior to intervention, are of interest and value. The paper describes the nature of parents' conflict with each other, the strength of their parental alliance, and the psychological functioning of theft children at the time of presentation to the mediation service. High mental health risk for the children in these families is evident, both from parents' and children's perspectives. Uniquely, the paper includes the perceptions of 73 children about theft parents' conflict and its impact on them. Implications are discussed, underscoring the imperative of early intervention with separating families that includes screening of the children's experience of conflict and their own needs for recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children have largely been absent from or on the periphery of mediation processes in postseparation parenting disputes. An accompanying paper (Moloney & McIntosh, 2004) canvasses a number of reasons why this may be the case. Moloney and McIntosh draw a distinction between child-focused and child-inclusive practice, provide a definition of both, and argue that the time is now right for child-focused mediation to become the minimum yardstick by which practice is measured. Child-inclusive practice, on the other hand, more formally fulfils the aspirations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (and statements from similar bodies) that children should be consulted when decisions about their welfare are being made. Further, child-inclusive practice (as defined in Moloney & McIntosh) allows for consultation without placing the burden of decision making oil the child. The present paper goes on to describe a current prospective study of outcomes for families utilising these two different forms of mediation: child focused and child inclusive. Over 12 months, the study follows the pathways of individual adjustment and parental alliance for families across the two forms of intervention, addressing whether and in what cases a child-inclusive mediation process enhances postseparation family outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses how the position of a faculty outreach librarian (FOL) evolved to meet the needs of faculty members and individual departments. Studies on faculty attitudes toward librarians; Impact of the Internet on education; Projects developed to improve faculty communication and awareness of the library's services; Desirable characteristics of a FOL.

In South Africa, the use of systemic assessments is controversial, raising issues of fairness. However, an argument can be made that they yield valuable insights into the current levels of literacy and education in the country. National systemic assessments are used to gauge scholastic progress across schools and provinces, while international tests provide some measure of comparability across countries. This article investigates the Lexile® Framework for Reading as an educational tool for gauging the reading difficulty of texts used in national and international assessments conducted in South Africa. The results of the Lexile analyses showed that the reading difficulty of the Annual National Assessments (ANA), conducted in 2014, varied between grades and did not match the same grade level in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). We argue that by using the Lexile framework during the designing phase of assessment, and selecting texts that are level appropriate for the learners, the assessment process may be enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offers insight on information resources, citing the 1998 RUSA President's Program, aimed at librarians. What the program will examine; Importance of the responsibility of librarians to collect and archive knowledge; Details on bots, and information seeking technology.

Features the Reference and User Services Association's (RUSA) journal `Reference and User Services Quarterly'. Who created the design to go with the title; Further reference to the journal.

Aims Despite recognition of the harms related to alcohol misuse and its potential to interfere substantially with sustained recovery from drug dependency, research evaluating drug treatment outcomes has not addressed the issue comprehensively. It has been overlooked possibly because treatment research has been framed according to the primary drug of choice, rather than investigating the interactions between different combinations of drugs and/or alcohol use. This paper reports on a systematic review investigating whether concurrent alcohol use could impede recovery from illicit drug use in two potential ways: first, alcohol could become a substitute addiction and/or secondly, alcohol misuse post-treatment may place an individual at risk for relapse to their primary drug problem. Method A systematic search of four relevant databases was undertaken to identify peer-reviewed, quantitative drug treatment outcome studies that reported alcohol use pre-, post-treatment and follow-up. Results The search revealed 567 papers, of which 13 were assessed as fulfilling the key inclusion criteria.The review indicated inconsistent and therefore inconclusive support for the substitution hypothesis. However, the data revealed consistent support for the hypothesis that alcohol use increases relapse to drug use. Conclusions (i) The potential negative impact of alcohol misuse on drug treatment outcomes remains under-researched and overlooked; (ii) alcohol consumption post-drug treatment may increase the likelihood that an individual will relapse to their primary drug; (ii) existing evidence regarding the substitution hypothesis is inconclusive, although there was an indication that a subgroup of participants will be vulnerable to alcohol becoming the primary addiction instead of drugs. We argue that future drug treatment outcome studies need to include detailed analysis of the influence of alcohol use pre- and post-drug treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agency has been used as a lens to focus on how educators learn through pedagogical risk‐taking, advocacy for curricular reform, and resisting policies that are not focused on the needs of students. We explored the role of agency as 65 preservice science teachers created learning opportunities for themselves during their clinical placements. Specifically, we investigated whether the types of agentive episodes varied by the level of congruence novices perceived between the vision of science teaching supported in their university coursework and the prevailing practices and culture of their host classrooms. Interview and survey data of participants from three preparation programs indicate that those in highly congruent placements experienced earlier and more mentor‐scaffolded opportunities to take on active roles in teaching, and exercised agency to extend research‐informed practices or tools they observed their mentors using. This resulted in participants seeing the richness of students' thinking and how capable they were of challenging work, given strategic supports. Those in low congruence placements had fewer chances to play active roles in teaching, were more likely to draw upon agency to make minor adjustments as they emulated their mentors' instructionally conservative lessons, and expressed concern they were "getting better" at aspects of teaching they viewed as inequitable or less responsive to students. Regardless of congruence, however, even simple acts of agency such as asking mentors to explain their instructional decisions were remarkably rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In captive populations of rhesus macaques, novel adult males are commonly introduced to female groups every few years to prevent inbreeding, which mimics male dispersal in wild macaque populations. However, introducing adult males is challenging because macaques are aggressive to newcomers, which can result in serious injuries. Efforts to reduce trauma risk during the introduction process and increase the probability of success are needed. Here we investigate the impact of multiple factors, including male attributes (e.g., age, weight, rank, and experience), introduction method (punctuated vs. continual exposure to females), and female behavior, on males' trauma risk and integration success. We studied eight introductions of multimale cohorts (3–7 males each; N = 36 total) into existing female groups of rhesus macaques at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. Four cohorts were introduced using the punctuated exposure method where adult males were moved each morning from run housing to the females' indoor enclosure and returned to run housing in the afternoon, and four cohorts were introduced using the continual exposure method where adult males were moved to an introduction enclosure attached to the females' outdoor compound, allowing males to live in protected contact next to the female group continuously. Generalized linear mixed models fitted to trauma risk (e.g., latency to first trauma; total trauma count) and success or failure to integrate (i.e., continual residence within the female group for greater than 53% of days within a 28‐day window after first overnight stay) showed that continual exposure to females in the introduction enclosure reduced male trauma risk and increased the likelihood of successful integration compared to punctuated exposure. Males received less trauma when they received a higher rate of grooming from females. Male attributes had no effect. These findings highlight the importance of introduction technique and female behavior in the process of males' social integration into female groups. Highlights: Introduction methods that allow continual exposure between males and females reduces trauma risk to males and increases overnight stays with femalesMales receiving a higher rate of grooming from females have lower trauma risk during introduction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patel M, Stefanidou M, Long CB, Fazzari MJ, Tesfa L, Del Rio M, Lamour J, Ricafort R, Madan RP, Herold BC. Dynamics of cell-mediated immune responses to cytomegalovirus in pediatric transplantation recipients. Pediatr Transplantation 2012: 16: 18-28. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: CMI responses, combined with quantification of CMV DNA (DNAemia), may identify transplantation recipients at risk for invasive disease. PBMC were collected in pediatric transplantation candidates at one, three, and six months post-transplant in 10 subjects (six renal, three cardiac, one stem cell) and at single time points in eight HC and 14 children greater than one yr post-transplant (LTTx). Cells were stimulated with anti-CD3mAb or CMV pp65 peptide pools and responses assessed by IFNG enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay and cytokine secretion. IFNG responses to anti-CD3mAb were significantly lower pretransplant relative to HC and were further decreased at one and three months post-transplant, but recovered to levels comparable to HC by six months. Responses to pp65 among CMV-seropositive recipients followed a similar pattern but recovered by three months. CMV-seropositive LTTx and HC showed a Th1 cytokine response to pp65 stimulation. Three LTTx subjects developed CMV DNAemia; two demonstrated decreased responses to anti-CD3mAB (and pp65 in the CMV seropositive subject) at the onset of DNAemia, which recovered as DNAemia resolved. Monitoring CMI in children is feasible and may provide an adjunct biomarker to predict CMV progression and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This prospective study compared outcomes over one year for two groups of separated parents who attended mediation about their entrenched parenting disputes. The two treatments studied both aimed to improve the psychological resolution of parental conflict with associated reduction of distress for their children. The child-focused intervention prioritised the needs of children in high conflict divorce without any direct involvement of the children, while the child-inclusive intervention incorporated separate consultation by a specialist with the children in each family and consideration of the children's concerns with the parents in the mediation forum. Measures were collected from parents and children before mediation commenced and again three and twelve months after the mediation concluded. Significant and enduring reduction in levels of conflict and improved management of disputes occurred for both treatment groups in the year after mediation. Across all ages, children in both interventions perceived less frequent and less intense conflict between their parents and better resolution of conflict, with a significant lowering of the children's related distress. The child-inclusive intervention showed a number of independent effects not evident in the other treatment group, related to relationship improvements and psychological well-being. These effects were strongest for fathers and children. Agreements reached by the child-inclusive group were significantly more durable and workable over the year, and these parents were half as likely to instigate new litigation over parenting matters in the year after mediation than were the child-focused parents. The article considers possible mechanisms of change underpinning these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author responds to the commentaries on her article concerning the role of alcohol in the recovery from drug abuse. She discusses the causal relationship between alcohol and drug abuse relapse, and states other factors, such as psychiatric comorbidity and trauma issues, could contribute to alcohol use. The article also discusses the role of impulsiveness and mindfulness techniques that could be used in the treatment of illicit drug use.

This paper reports on the evaluation of a kitchen garden program in primary schools in Victoria, Australia. It focuses on the motivations, impacts, and issues associated with volunteering in the program. The study revealed that volunteers are drawn from a range of sources, including: families of current and former students, former teachers, local residents, clients of aged care and/or disability services, other schools and communities, local universities, community organizations, the community services sector, and the corporate sector. Benefits to volunteers included: opportunities to use time productively, an increased sense of belonging, learning opportunities, and an increased sense of self-worth and enjoyment. For schools, volunteers enhanced engagement between the school and the local community, enabled them to engage more effectively with hard to reach groups, and increased student engagement. In addition, the involvement of volunteers improved the sustainability of the program, improved communication between teachers and families of students from minority ethnic groups, and gave students the chance to relate to new people, to learn from their experience and to have fun in working with the volunteers. Perhaps the most telling benefits to flow both to students and to volunteers were not the 'three Rs-reading, w'riting and a'rithmetic' but the three Cs-confidence, capabilities, and connections. However, a clearly identified issue was the importance of matching volunteers' motivations and needs with the roles they play to sustain current levels of volunteering and, therefore, the program itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evaluate achievement of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program in increasing child appreciation of diverse, healthy foods. Design: Comparative 2-year study. Setting: Six program and 6 comparison primary schools in rural and metropolitan Victoria, Australia, matched for socioeconomic status and size. Participants: A total of 764 children in grades 3 to 6 (8-12 years of age) and 562 parents recruited. Retention rates at follow-up included 85% children and 75% parents. Intervention: Each week of the school year, children spent 45 to 60 minutes in a garden class and 90 minutes in a kitchen class. Phenomenon of interest: Program impact on children's willingness to try new foods, capacity to describe foods, and healthy eating. Analysis: Qualitative data analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Quantitative data analyzed using random-effects linear regressions adjusted for school clustering. Results: Child and parent qualitative and quantitative measures (if never tried before, odds ratio 2.0; confidence interval, 1.06-3.58) showed increases in children's reported willingness to try new foods. No differences in articulation of food descriptions (program vs comparison groups). Qualitative evidence showed that the program extended its influence to healthy eating, but this was not reflected in the quantitative evidence. Conclusions and Implications: Findings indicate program success in achieving its primary objective, meriting further program research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared outcomes over 1 year for two groups of separated parents, who attended two different forms of brief therapeutic mediation for entrenched parenting disputes. The two interventions each targeted psychological resolution of parental conflict, enhanced parental reflective function, and associated reduction of distress for their children. The child-focused (CF) intervention actively supported parents to consider the needs of their children, but without any direct involvement of the children, while the child-inclusive (CI) intervention incorporated separate consultation by a specialist with the children in each family, and consideration of their concerns with parents in the mediation forum. Repeated measures at baseline, 3 months, and 1 year postintervention explored changes over time and across treatments in conflict management, subjective distress, and relationship quality for all family members. Enduring reduction in levels of conflict and improved management of disputes, as reported by parents and children, occurred for both treatment groups in the year after mediation. The CI intervention had several impacts not evident in the other treatment group, related to relationship improvements and psychological well-being. These effects were strongest for fathers and children. Agreements reached by the CI group were significantly more durable, and the parents in this group were half as likely to instigate new litigation over parenting matters in the year after mediation as were the CF parents. The article explores the potential of CI divorce mediation to not only safely include many children in family law matters related to them, but also to promote their developmental recovery from high-conflict separation, through enhanced emotional availability of their parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the joint factor structure of the WAIS-R and WMS-R in a sample of 289 participants (mostly males) with alcohol dependency. In a confirmatory phase we contrasted a range of factor models derived from previous analyses of the Wechsler scales. The best fitting model incorporated five factors representing Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, Attention-Concentration, Verbal Memory, and Visual Memory, with reassignment of factor loadings for two subtests. The invariance of the measurement model was then examined comparing data from a large sample of healthy participants (J. R. Carstairs & E. A. Shores, 1999). The results indicated that the number of factors was invariant across samples, and four of the factors satisfied the criterion of partial measurement invariance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]