Empowering children with safety-skills: An evaluation of the Kidpower Everyday Safety-Skills Program

Changes in child safety knowledge concerning bullying, boundary-setting, and help-seeking were evaluated after participation in the Kidpower Everyday Safety Skills Program (ESSP), a workshop designed to increase children's knowledge of safe choices. The program consisted of an in-school workshop, weekly follow-up sessions, and homework assignments over 10 weeks and included skills-training, parental involvement, and opportunities to practice safety skills. Third-grade students (n = 128) participated in pre- and post-tests of safety skills, and were compared to a comparison group (n = 110) that did not participate in the program. Findings indicate that students who participated had increases in safety knowledge (maintained over 3 months) greater than the comparison group. Additional assessments indicate that the program was implemented with high fidelity and both teachers and students found the program successful. Children's understanding of the competency areas boundary-setting, stranger safety, help-seeking, and maintaining calmness and confidence improved.     

Mystery or Typical Teen? The Social Construction of Academic Engagement and Disability

A qualitative study of academic engagement of five high school students labelled mentally retarded describes strategies of student participation and non-participation, and teacher perceptions. These students were non-verbal or inarticulate, and functioned in an environment of competing formal and informal assessments of their participation and understanding in the academic environment. Teachers' informal assessments of student participation revealed how the students challenged the conventional categories employed by teachers. The examples show the power of educators' perceptions to reveal or obscure student engagement.     

The role of positive academic self-concept in promoting school success

Identity research argues for enhancing students' current and future positive academic self-concepts to strengthen educational success. However, multiple factors from youths' home and school ecologies, as well as structural disadvantage, influence this relationship. Using the data from the Beyond High School Study (N = 9658), this analysis examines the role of academic self-concept in predicting school success over and above co-occurring contributors. The effects of positive academic self-concept on future educational aspirations, accessing educational guidance counseling, and student GPA were tested using stepped linear regression, controlling for student socio-demographics, school environment factors, and parental support. Results confirmed hypotheses for each academic indicator, with positive academic self-concept demonstrating the strongest coefficient. Implications for school-based intervention are discussed, linking to social psychological literature on future-oriented self-cognitions and strengthening motivational and regulatory function, particularly among youth facing systemic challenges.     

Research Note—Multiple Time Point Course Evaluation and Student Learning Outcomes in an MSW Course

ABSTRACT

Evaluation methods play a key role in measuring student learning outcomes. Yet traditional assessments focus on assessing student satisfaction with instructors or courses rather than their progress toward competencies. In addition, the common pretest-posttest assessment is problematic because of response-shift bias. Although multiple time point assessment is suggested, very little is known about its application and potential in social work education. This research note examines how student self-assessments of their progress on core competencies in an MSW-level social work course change across three time points (pretest, posttest, retrospective test). The findings suggest that students underrated and overrated their competencies at the pretest. We argue that using multiple time point self-assessment addresses this internal validity threat and should be considered in social work course evaluation.     

From assessing needs to designing and evaluating programs: Case study of a family support program in Portugal

In the last years, researchers have been emphasizing the importance of promoting needs-led, context-specific, user-centered services in the context of child protection. However, policy-makers and service planners around the world largely depend on US-based research evidence of what is effective in the domain of family support. This work presents, in two studies, the process of design and evaluation of a targeted family support intervention that was developed and implemented in Portugal.Following the Common Language Approach to needs assessment (Dartington Social Research Unit, 2001), in study 1 we screened 100 children and their families attending a generalist child care service for risk and protective factors. Four different clusters of needs were identified. One cluster was selected as target-group for the design of a service to match their needs. Results indicated that families in this cluster had socioeconomical disadvantages, a challenging family environment and inadequate parenting practices. Children were showing signs of problematic social behaviors.In study 2 we describe the theoretical process model and the logic model for the intervention, and experimentally evaluate the program's efficacy. Results from pre–post assessments indicate improvements in the intervention group (N = 20) in several areas of parental empowerment and family relations, comparing with the control group (N = 20).This approach to need-service matching seems to be a viable pathway to design needs-led, context-specific, and user-centered services, and to assess their efficacy, thereby informing policy makers and service planners.     

The role of parental involvement in trajectories of aggression in children from 24 months to Pre-Kindergarten using growth curve models

The significant contribution of parental involvement in children's education to children's educational success is well supported. Yet less frequently studied is the influence of parental involvement on children's social-emotional development. Given that problem behaviors are negatively associated with child outcomes and that parental involvement is widely accepted as a conduit through which children's educational outcomes can be enhanced, it is important to examine this relationship.In this study, we examine the effect of early parental involvement on the social-emotional development of children. Using data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation study (EHSRE), we examine the within individual and between-individual differences in trajectories of aggression among children (N = 1586) ages 24 months through Prekindergarten. Contrary to hypotheses, after controlling for significant covariates (i.e., race, gender, poverty, mother's education, and adult male in the household), parental involvement was not related to aggression at 24 months. In addition, change in aggression did not vary by level of parental involvement. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

What constitutes great IDEA? An examination of corporate diversity communication on facebook and external and internal stakeholder reactions

This study conducted a quantitative content analysis to examine corporate Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) communication (n = 1216) from 48 corporations on Facebook through the lens of dimensionality, stakeholders, drivers (legitimation), and level of investment. Findings indicated that most of the IDEA communication on Facebook focused on gender and racial/ethnicity diversity, employee, and community stakeholders. The IDEA communication was almost equally value- and performance-driven and reflected external promotion level of investment. External stakeholders engaged more with performance-driven and external promotion IDEA communication. The volume of IDEA posts reflected corporate internal diversity practice and was positively related with Glassdoor ratings of the corporation by African American, Middle Eastern, and LGBTQ+ employees.     

Work functioning: a conceptual framework

Adequate and reliable methods for evaluation of clients with work disabilities are crucial for both the individuals who are assessed and for society as a whole. Sound and precise work assessments are needed to guide clients to suitable interventions using a minimum of rehabilitation resources. Occupational therapy literature contains evidence that work function assessments are complex and that there is confusion over work assessment concepts. Therefore, further development and evaluation of adequate concepts and theoretical models within the area of work assessment is needed. This article proposes a conceptual framework for different dimensions of work functioning and points out important factors for work assessment. The concepts proposed and defined in the article are: work functioning, work participation, work performance, and individual capacity.     

Youth participation in foster youth advisory boards: Perspectives of facilitators

Foster youth advisory boards (YAB) have the objective of promoting foster youth participation in decisions that are made about their lives. There is currently little known about how youth participation is conceptualized or implemented within or across boards. This qualitative study explored youth participation from the perspectives of 42 primary YAB facilitators in 34 states. The study's findings are derived from telephone interviews. A thematic analysis identified four primary approaches to youth participation, which we labeled as being, ‘Adult-Led’ (n = 2); ‘Adult-Driven Youth Input’ (n = 14); ‘50–50 Youth-Adult Partnership’ (n = 16); and ‘Youth-Led’ (n = 2). Within each of these approaches to youth participation, we present findings that explore facilitators' conceptualizations of youth participation, the strategies and program activities they use to enact youth participation, and the strengths and limitations of each of the approaches. Our discussion explores implications for YAB program activities, youth participation in child welfare systems, and future research.     

Expectations,Aspirations, and Achievement Among Latino Students of Immigrant Families

ABSTRACT

This study examines the relationship between various measures of parental and student expectations and aspirations and math achievement among Latino 12th graders of immigrant parents in the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS): 2002 database. Findings indicate parental expectations and aspirations were not significant predictors of student achievement after controlling for an index of covariates. Moreover, neither were student expectations, agreement between student and parent expectations, nor student perceptions of parental aspirations. The analyses of the secondary questions likewise indicated only one strong relationship between aspirations, expectations, and parents' time in the United States – parental aspirations and expectations.     

A comparison of methods to obtain active parental consent for an international student survey

Many school-based research efforts require active parental consent for student participation. Maximizing rates of consent form return and agreement is an important issue, because sample representativeness may be compromised when these rates are low. This article compares two methods for obtaining active parental consent: return of consent forms in the mail versus return by students to their classrooms. The methods were tested in a pilot study of 46 schools (1,058 students), with half of the schools randomly allocated to each of the alternative methods. A hierarchical nonlinear model of consent form return and agreement rates suggests that the student-delivered method is more successful at producing higher rates of consent form return and agreement to participate in the study, after controlling for school-level characteristics. The authors discuss the findings and their implications for other researchers engaged in school-based research with adolescents.     

Parenting Styles: The Impact on Student Achievement

ABSTRACT

Parenting style and its impact on student achievement in a multidimensional society continues to pose significant challenges to clinicians, researchers, educators, and parents alike. This literature review summarizes the research surrounding five domains: (1) parental control; (2) gender and parenting style; (3) parental education; (4) perceptual differences between parents and their children; and (5) ethnicity and diversity. Behavioral control and psychological control were found to be two inherent features of parental style that have a direct affect on student achievement. Adolescents' perceived level of independence when interacting with their parents also seemed to have a direct relationship on their academic achievement. Research concerning children's progress in mathematics as related to parenting style and gender stereotype was also uncovered. Evidence was found to support the notion that parental education can have an indirect impact on children's academic achievement in various cultures. Implications for future research are identified including the need for applied research in learning communities factoring in variables for family structure, expectations, ethnicity, communication, and involvement.     

Student debt and hardship: Evidence from a large sample of low- and moderate-income households

Student debt has risen in recent years as higher education costs have shifted to students and their families, particularly those with low-to-moderate incomes (LMI). Though a college degree continues to convey higher earnings, those who finance their degrees have lower net worth and greater financial difficulties than persons without student debt. We assess the relationship between student debt and material and health care hardship among a large sample (n = 5558) of LMI tax filers, using propensity score analysis to adjust for self-selection into student debt status and loan amount and monthly payment quartiles. We find that participants with student debt have a higher likelihood of hardship. Loan amounts only partially predict hardship, and borrowers making current loan payments are at lower odds for hardship than non-payers. We also find that among those with student debt, non-payers and those without college degrees have much greater social and economic disadvantages.     

Differences between risk factors for truancy and delinquency in Dutch adolescents

The present study examined differences in risk factors for truancy and delinquency. Research questions were: (1) Which risk factors are significantly different between truants and delinquents? (2) Which risk factors make the strongest distinction between truancy and delinquency? Participants were Dutch adolescents (N = 365) who received a penal sanction in the Netherlands. 83% (n = 304) of them had violated the penal law, and 17% (n = 62) received the penalty for truancy. Differences in risk factors for truancy and delinquency were found for age and parental punishment. Binary logistic regression showed that only parental punishment retained its predictive effects when controlling for other differences. Truants experienced more parental punishment than delinquent adolescents. The present study shows that addressing dysfunctional home circumstances could be more important for truants, indicating that existing interventions do not differentiate enough between truants and delinquents.     

To What Extent Can the School Reduce the Gaps Between Children Raised by Divorced and Intact Families

This study deals with the extent and conditions under which the school can compensate children for the deficit in parental investment due to the divorce of their parents. Pair matched samples of one- and two-parent children from seven elementary schools, located near Tel Aviv, Israel, are compared. Children raised by divorced mothers in regular schools turned out to have lower scholastic achievements as well as lower popularity (among peers) than children raised in intact families. However when the same comparison was carried out in an experimental school having an extended school day and student participation, most of these differences dissapeared. Some implications of these findings for educational policy are discussed.     

The Practice of Group Work,Edited by William Schwartz and Serapio R. Zalba. New York: Columbia University Press, 1971. 284 Pages, $10.00 Hardbound

A study of teaching methods for the first graduate course in social work research is reported in this paper. Three approaches involving different levels of student responsibility were compared in terms of their ability to increase the critical assessment abilities of students, their attitudes toward research and the course, and their assessments of the instructor. It was found that the differing methods had effects on all the variables except that concerning students' attitudes toward research. Considering the variables here under study, a lecture/student presentation approach was judged most productive of the three methods of instruction     

Parental emotional warmth and psychological Suzhi as mediators between socioeconomic status and problem behaviours in Chinese children

ObjectiveThis study investigated psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and problem behaviours in Chinese children.MethodsParticipants were 1128 children (556 females) from two Chinese elementary schools, aged 8–13 years (M = 10.82, SD = 1.26), attending the 3rd–6th grades. Children provided self-report on parental emotional warmth and psychological suzhi, whereas parents reported on SES and problem behaviours.ResultsData analyses, including structural equation modelling (SEM)—employed to test a three-path mediation effect of parental emotional warmth and psychological suzhi after controlling for gender and grade—revealed that: (1) SES, parental emotional warmth, and psychological suzhi were negatively correlated with children's problem behaviours; (2) SES indirectly affected children's psychological suzhi through parental emotional warmth; (3) psychological suzhi mediated the relation between parental emotional warmth and problem behaviours; and (4) children belonging to families with low SES were less likely to receive emotional support from their parents. This significantly predicted low psychological suzhi levels, which in turn negatively affected problem behaviours.ConclusionsStrategies that help parents provide warmth and support and those that help children improve psychological suzhi may help reduce problem behaviours in vulnerable groups.     

Why some Conferences are Difficult: a Study of the Professionals' Experience of Some Initial Child Protection Conferences

The views of 261 professionals attending 36 initial child protection conferences with parental participation were collected by means of a questionnaire. Overall, the professionals found the involvement of parents beneficial to the consideration of risk and the decision-making process, with some provisos. The data revealed that most of the negative responses arose from one third of the conferences, and that these conferences shared particular features relating to family profile and certain conference characteristics. The nature of the difficulties is identified and explored, especially with regard to the ambiguities and the uncertainties involved in risk assessments which contributed to the professionals, negative experiences, and which seemed to be heightened by the parents' presence.     

UNEVEN PLAYING FIELDS: STATE VARIATIONS IN BOYS' AND GIRLS' ACCESS TO AND PARTICIPATION IN HIGH SCHOOL INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS

Using 2000 aggregate Office of Civil Rights (OCR) data combined with demographic and contextual data from National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES); this paper finds gender parity in only a handful of states, wide variation among states in girls and boys access to single-gender interscholastic sports and teams, and that states vary widely in patterns of participation in single-gender sports activities. Regression analyses suggest that gender disparities in athletic participation opportunities among states is associated with states per pupil expenditures and student racial composition. Gender disparities in single-gender athletic participation rates among states are strongly associated with participation opportunities as well as per pupil expenditures and student racial and composition.