FSCA NEWS

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  Schools/Healthy Students Program (Federal Register: January 24,

  2008 [CFDA# 84.184L])

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Purpose of Program: The Safe Schools/Healthy Students program

(SS/HS) supports the implementation and enhancement of integrated, comprehensive community-wide plans that create safe and drug-free schools and promote healthy childhood development.

    Applications Available: January 24, 2008.

    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 14, 2008.

    Eligible Applicants: LEAs, including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law, and consortia of LEAs.

    Estimated Available Funds: $72,000,000.

    Estimated Range of Awards: Up to $750,000 for an LEA with fewer than 5,000 students; up to $1,500,000 for an LEA with at least 5,000 students but fewer than 35,000 students; and up to $2,250,000 for an LEA with at least 35,000 students.

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $750,000 for an LEA with fewer than 5,000 students; $1,500,000 for an LEA with at least 5,000 students but fewer than 35,000 students; and $2,250,000 for an LEA with at least 35,000 students.

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $750,000 for an LEA with fewer than 5,000 students; $1,500,000 for an LEA with at least 5,000 students but fewer than 35,000 students; and $2,250,000 for an LEA with at least 35,000 students.

    Estimated Number of Awards: 55.

    Additional Information: Applicable regulations, priorities, and other information are available in the Federal Register notice.

Additional information is available online at:

http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2008-1/012408c.html

Florida’s College Goal:
 Put More Free Money in Students’ Pockets

Annual College Goal Sunday program expands to help more
college-bound students qualify for financial aid

Tallahassee – The Florida Department of Education (DOE) is working to break down financial barriers for Florida students who want to go to college.  For the third year in a row, Florida is hosting College Goal Sunday, a free statewide event that provides expert assistance filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a form needed to receive federal and state financial aid for college tuition.  Florida’s College Goal Sunday 2008 will be held the weekend of February 24th at sites serving all of Florida’s 67 counties.
 
“We launched this program to help students who dream of going to college gain better access to millions of dollars in financial aid,” said Commissioner Eric J. Smith, Florida Department of Education.  “In just one day, anyone who wants to learn about the financial aid process can get one-on-one help from the experts.”

Eighteen year-old Cheyenne McGregor spent a few hours at the College Goal Sunday event in the Tampa Bay area last year and walked away with free money in her pocket for college. The aspiring TV personality won a $500 on-site scholarship and qualified for financial aid after receiving help completing her FAFSA.  
 
“Before I heard about College Goal Sunday, I wasn’t sure I could afford college. The experts there answered all of my questions and told me about the average costs for books and tuition,” Cheyenne explained.  “With the help I received, I got money to go to Florida A&M University where I’m now a freshman in the School of Journalism.  I was also excited to win the $500 scholarship drawing just for showing up.”
 
Not only will students have a chance to win an on-site scholarship, they’ll also receive credible and reliable information about grants, work study programs and scholarships to pay for college. Several companies are now using heavy television and radio advertisements to promise money for college tuition. Students or their parents may be tempted by these offers.   
“Some programs saddle students with high-interest loans, which have to be paid back. We’re different,” said Chancellor Will Holcombe, of Florida’s Community Colleges.  “Our program is designed to help Florida’s college bound students qualify for as much free money as they can through state and federal funds that don’t come with a hefty price tag.”
According to the Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance, college-bound students who complete the FAFSA could qualify for thousands of dollars in federal and state need-based financial aid.



“By getting access to free or low-interest money, students can reduce their exposure to high interest loans and huge debts after graduation,” said Need Unit Director Cynthia Williams, Office of Student Financial Assistance.



In addition, national data provided by the Lumina Foundation shows that a large number of students who qualify for financial aid are not completing their FAFSA accurately and on time, which decreases their funding options. This is particularly true among students from low-income and minority households, or who are the first in their family to attend college.  
 
To reach students from diverse backgrounds, the DOE is working with a number of community groups and multicultural organizations across the state to promote Florida’s College Goal Sunday events. These groups include the Boys and Girls Club, the Florida High School Athletic Association and ENLACE Florida – a community-focused initiative designed to increase the number of minority students going to college.
 
“Many students face barriers that make it difficult for them to pursue an education past high school. We believe that Florida’s College Goal Sunday removes many of these barriers and that is why we are helping spread the word,” said Braulio Colon, Assistant Director of ENLACE Florida. “I applaud the Department of Education for tailoring this program to meet the needs of our diverse population with bi-lingual financial aid experts and materials translated into Spanish and Creole.”
   
Florida’s College Goal Sunday is meeting a need. Last year more than 4,600 students and families participated in College Goal Sunday events and many were from low-income and minority households. With help from its community partners, Florida’s community colleges, some universities and high schools, the DOE expects to exceed that number the weekend of February 24th.  
  
“Money is available for college, but if you’ve never been through the financial aid process, it can be overwhelming,” said Chancellor Holcombe.  “Florida’s College Goal Sunday program is back to give students help in navigating the process.”


To find the location of the College Goal Sunday event in your community and what documents to bring, visit www.fldoe.org/collegegoalsunday <http://www.fldoe.org/collegegoalsunday> .


About College Goal Sunday
The College Goal SundaySM program was created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc., and with supplemental support from the Lumina Foundation for Education. Florida’s College Coal Sunday is a joint effort of the state Department of Education, the Foundation for Florida’s Community Colleges, and financial aid directors across the state who have volunteered to help make completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) easier for students low-income, first-generation college bound students. For more information, visit www.fldoe.org/collegegoalsunday <http://www.fldoe.org/collegegoalsunday> .
 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/uoh-vrt012808.php

Public release date: 28-Jan-2008

Contact: Amir Gilat
agilat@univ.haifa.ac.il
972-482-40092
University of Haifa

Virtual reality teaches autistic children street crossing

Recent research conducted at the University of Haifa found that children with autism improved their road safety skills after practicing with a unique virtual reality system. "Children with autism rarely have opportunities to experience or to learn to cope with day-to-day situations. Using virtual simulations such as the one used in this research enables them to acquire skills that will make it possible for them to become independent," said Profs. Josman and Weiss, from the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Haifa.

The independence of children with autism depends on their receiving treatment in natural settings. One of the main problems they face is their inability to learn how to safely cross the street, a necessary skill for independent living. While acquiring this skill could greatly improve these children's independence, most of the methods for teaching street-crossing have been designed for use within the classroom, and they have been shown as insufficiently effective among autistic children.

The best way to teach children with autism skills is through repeated practice in natural settings, but the danger of learning to cross the street in a natural setting obviously prohibits this method. This is where virtual reality is very effective, as demonstrated by the research team which included Hadass Milika Ben-Chaim, then a student in the Occupational Therapy master�s program and Shula Friedrich, the principal of the Haifa Ofer School for Children with Autism as well as Profs. Josman and Weiss.

Six autistic children, ages 7-12, spent one month learning how to cross virtual streets, to wait for the virtual light at the crosswalk to change and to look left and right for virtual cars using a simulation programmed by Yuval Naveh. The children in the study showed substantial improvement throughout the learning process: at the beginning of the study, the average child was able to use the 2nd level of the software while by the end they mastered the 9th level, which is characterized by more vehicles traveling at a higher speed.

However, the research team was not looking to teach a virtual skill; they wanted to see if the children were able to transfer the skills they had mastered in a virtual environment to the real world. A local practice area with a street and crosswalk, complete with traffic signals, was used for this purpose. The children's ability to cross the street safely was tested in this area evaluating, for example, whether they stopped to wait on the sidewalk or waited for a green light before crossing. The children were brought to the practice area before and after their virtual learning. Here too, the children exhibited an improvement in their skills, following the training on the virtual street, with three of the children showing considerable improvement.

One of the study participants, 16 years old, had participated in the past in a road safety program in the school, but he was not able to learn how to cross the street safely. Following learning the skill in a virtual environment, he learned how to stop on the sidewalk before stepping into the street, to look at the color of the traffic light, to cross only when the light was green and to cross without waiting too long.

"Previous studies have shown that autistic children respond well to computer learning. In this research we learned that their intelligence level or severity of their autism doesn't affect their ability to understand the system and therefore this is an important way to improve their cognitive and social abilities," summarized Profs. Josman and Weiss.

http://www.sdb.k12.wi.us/tribes/TRIBES-WebVideo/index.html

The School District of Beloit, WI introduced TRIBES in 1996 through a competitive Alcohol and Drug Prevention grant.  TRIBES is a "process" to enhance learning and human development by creating "learning communities" where all students feel included, accepted and safe.  A three-year evaluation of TRIBES in the Beloit Schools showed some amazing results: more caring, supportive classrooms, fewer behavioral problems and a positive impact on student achievement.  TRIBES helps students maximize their learning and social development and is utilized from kindergarten through high school.  TRIBES is, indeed, a new way of learning and being together.

http://www.fla-schoolcounselor.org/counselors/index.htm

The Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA) expands the image and influence of professional school counselors through advocacy, leadership, collaboration and systemic change at the state level. FSCA empowers professional school counselors with the knowledge, skills, linkages, and resources to promote student success in the school, the home, the community, and the world.

Professional school counselors across the country and abroad all share the same vision – to do the best job they can for the students under their guidance and care. Florida is no different. Academic success alone isn’t enough to ensure today’s students are prepared to be tomorrow’s adults. They also need to focus on social/personal and emotional development.

Professional school counselors are a vital part of helping children develop into well-rounded individuals. And FSCA is a vital part of helping school counselors develop the programs necessary to meet students’ needs in Florida.

An FSCA membership offers you more than just periodicals, professional development and peer networking. Although it offers that too! Joining the only organization dedicated to furthering the needs and mission of Florida school counselors helps you grow professionally as well as personally. You’ll learn about best practices in school counseling. You’ll benefit from others’ experience and research. Most of all, you’ll know you’re joining with thousands of other Florida professional school counselors to share a common vision – that of turning today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders.

http://www.greatlakescenter.org/

Promoting ELL Parental Involvement: Challenges In Contested Times
M. Beatriz Arias, Ph.D., Milagros Morillo-Campbell, Ph.D., Arizona State University

      The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education, has released two new dropout prevention intervention reports. Find out how the WWC rated First Things First, a reform model intended to transform schools serving economically disadvantaged students.

Read the WWC analysis of New Chance, a program for young welfare mothers who have dropped out of school that aims to improve both their employment potential and their parenting skills.  For a complete listing of all dropout interventions the WWC has reviewed please visit this website:

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/topic.aspx?tid=06

      The WWC is continuing its work to connect educators with the best research on effective practices and interventions. Please visit our website at http://www.whatworks.ed.gov/ and check your email inbox for updates and new releases throughout the year.

Links to relevent websites:

First Things First:           http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/dropout/ftf/

New Chance:                   http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/dropout/new_chance/

WWC dropout interventions:      http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/topic.aspx?tid=06

WWC:                          http://www.whatworks.ed.gov/

The What Works Clearinghouse Team

The Women's Sports Foundation's Ambassador Team Awards program will provide a total of $50,000 in grants to teams of female high school students that demonstrate leadership in their communities by inspiring girls to get involved in sports and physical activity. 

Teams will create their own projects designed to get girls in their local community to be physically active. To be eligible, teams must be school, amateur, community, and/or nonprofit affiliated teams whose members are all of the following: female; enrolled in 9th-12th grade; and residents of the United States, its territories, or protectorates.

 Twenty teams will be awarded $2,500 each. Team awards are to be used for equipment, apparel, travel, or training costs for the team. Prizes will be made payable to the school, nonprofit institution, or 501(c)(3) organization.

http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/cgi-bin/iowa/funding/featured.html?record=34

The Attorney General's Gang Reduction Strategy Work Group has submitted
their summary reports which were compiled from the Gang Reduction Strategy
Summit breakout groups.  While some of you could not attend the summit, the
summaries are being sent to all invited guests as we welcome your input and
recommendations.  The reports, along with a letter from the Attorney
General have been posted on our Safe Streets website.  Below is a link to
access the website.


http://www.myfloridalegal.com/safe.nsf/pages/C49AFDA246C8200E852573D8005366F8

http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MRAY-7AVLTL/$file/EighteenthStatewideGrandJury.pdf

Response to Intervention' Sparks Interest, Questions

Critics say approach depends on too many complex factors.

By Christina A. Samuels

As a demonstration site designated by Oregon as a prime example of “response to intervention” in action, the Tigard-Tualatin district has had to pare visiting groups down to no more than 25 people. During the last few visits, 50 people descended on the district just outside Portland at one time.

“We’re trying to strike a balance between efficiency for our district and, at the same time, offering something for people who want to see what we’re doing,” said David Putnam, one of the RTI project managers in the 12,000-student district.

As educators in Tigard-Tualatin and elsewhere are learning, a lot of people want to see what they are doing. Response to intervention—an educational framework that promises to raise achievement through modification of lesson plans based on frequent “progress monitoring”—is one of the most-discussed education topics today.

“People are hungry” for information, said Maurice McInerney, a co-project director for the newly created National Center on Response to Intervention. The technical-assistance center, based in Washington, is funded by a five-year, $14.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s office of special education programs.

While supporters are urging widespread adoption of RTI, saying it can transform educational practice, others are offering cautions.

Although RTI has shown success with children just learning how to read, skeptics note that the research base is less solid for older students and students in other academic subjects. Some parent groups also are concerned about how RTI fits into the legal process created by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal law that guides educational practice for special education.

Creating an effective RTI process in thousands of schools, moreover, is a huge undertaking. And other observers are unsure whether RTI can do what federal law suggests—offer a way to diagnose accurately whether a student has a learning disability. Supporters say such a process, properly used, could reduce the rolls of special education and save districts millions.

If RTI is a train that is already rolling down the track, “it’s a track that’s being constructed right in front of the train,” said Douglas Fuchs, a professor of special education at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and longtime researcher in learning disabilities.

Many Tiers

Those concerns shouldn’t halt the adoption of a process that could be a powerful tool for improving student achievement if carefully implemented, say RTI proponents. Federal education law requires that before any student is placed in special education, the school must ensure that his or her learning problem is not linked to inadequate instruction.

The data-crunching element of RTI is a way to do that, said George M. Batsche, a professor of school psychology at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, and the co-director of its Institute for School Reform. “The law says before we ever think about special ed, we have to look at general ed,” he said. “Support services can’t fix the basic service.”

In most RTI programs, students are given a basic screening early in the school year, to spot any potential educational deficits. Those who may have difficulties are given additional tests, to allow school-based teams to zero in on the problems and craft an approach to addressing them.

Students are then given intensive education in a “multi-tiered” system of service delivery. The small numbers of students who do not respond well to any interventions are considered to be at the top of the tiers, and are more carefully evaluated for possible referral to special education services.

The promise is that general education teachers will be able to accurately identify the problems that students are having, and nip those in the bud before they lead to entrenched difficulties, or referral to special education.

The process has been endorsed by the federal government through the 2004 reauthorization of the IDEA, which allows schools to use up to 15 percent of federal special education dollars on early-intervention programs for students who are not identified as needing special education, but who need extra support in the classroom.

The special education law also allows RTI to be used as part of the process for determining if students have a learning disability.Widespread practice for identifying students with learning disabilities involves testing students’ intelligence and comparing it with their classroom achievement. Students who have a severe discrepancy between IQ and achievement are often considered learning-disabled, but that process has been criticized as a “wait to fail” model that identifies students as learning disabled who could be helped just by getting better teaching.

Maligned Tools

The IDEA does not eliminate severe-discrepancy testing, but says that states must not require it if a school or district would like to use another process. Most states allow districts to use RTI and severe-discrepancy testing or other methods if they choose, but two states—Colorado and West Virginia—have eliminated or plan to eliminate severe-discrepancy as an identification method altogether.

Florida and Indiana have proposed doing so, according to Perry A. Zirkel, a professor of education and law at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

Critics of RTI often focus on the question of how students with learning disabilities are identified. RTI replaces one maligned tool, standardized IQ testing, with another, standardized instruction, they say. But not enough is known about what makes some students respond to certain interventions, they argue, and RTI relies heavily on skilled general education teachers to give students interventions with fidelity—meaning that they are taught the way researchers intended them to be.

“I’m concerned that it is a reinvention of ‘wait to fail,’” Naomi P. Zigmond, a professor of special education at the University of Pittsburgh, said of RTI. “Although it was a promoted as a new way of identifying children with learning disabilities, it is still a waiting game as different things are tried.”

Ms. Zigmond also suggested that RTI might not cut down on a common criticism of severe-discrepancy testing, which is that it overidentifies students.

Teachers using the model will be swimming in data about whether their students are making progress, but the progress targets are “quite arbitrary,” she said. Constant exposure to data, and faulty targets, could cause some teachers to refer just as many students to special education as they have in the past, she said.

And the tests don’t address children whose disabilities have a clear neurological basis. Such children don’t need more instruction; they need a different kind, said Daryl F. Mellard, a research associate at the Center for Research on Learning, based at the University of Kansas, in Lawrence. Mr. Mellard was also one of the leaders of a U.S. Education Department-funded study on RTI and learning disabilities.

“You would hope there would be a more-diagnostic work-up that would be brought to bear” in identifying children with learning disabilities, Mr. Mellard said, “so we don’t rely on the general practitioner to do all the work.”

Michael M. Gerber, a professor of special education at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the chair of the special education department there, has also pointed to differences in teachers’ skill and preparation as a potential stumbling block for RTI implementation. Teachers have different ways of working with students, even when instruction is standardized, he said, and those variations will result in different student results. The problem becomes even more acute as a policy is put into effect on a large scale.

“You can’t make people be conscientious and attentive. You can only make them be compliant,” Mr. Gerber said.

Others say that while some parts of RTI are well fleshed out, such as interventions and progress monitoring for young readers, questions persist about how RTI can fit into other subjects, and with older students.

“With higher grade levels, we are walking on much shakier ground,” said Mr. Fuchs of Vanderbilt. Among questions he believes are still to be answered: How much response must a student make to be considered “responsive”? What role does special education play in RTI, since most of the early interventions are to be given in a general education classroom? How should schools evaluate their success?

“If I were a practitioner or an administrator right now, I would certainly implement RTI, but I would be very strategic in the use of it,” he said. “People need to appreciate that RTI is a complex system, and in order for it to work, all the parts need to work, and they need to work in coordination.”

No Alternative?

Practitioners acknowledge that response to intervention is a process that still requires research. But that’s not a reason, they argue, to stop the implementation now. As many see it, RTI offers the best method for getting research-based instruction to students, and helping students with disabilities is just one of many benefits.

Parents’ concerns that RTI is delaying special education services for their children usually fade when they’re shown that their children are getting an appropriate education geared directly to their needs, proponents say.

“It’s got connotations of special ed now. Everyone wants to know about RTI and [learning disabilities] identification, but it’s not been my focus. RTI, to me, means integrated service delivery,” said Judy L. Elliott, the chief of teaching and learning for the 47,000-student Portland, Ore., school district. She also implemented RTI practices as an assistant superintendent in Long Beach, Calif.

“When you work in the trenches and see that this really works, you know it’s not a fly-by-night thing,” she said.

One of the strongest messages about the worth of RTI, Mr. Batsche of the University of South Florida said, is that being sent by the federal government. By creating technical-assistance centers and sponsoring events that allow RTI researchers and practitioners to share their views, federal officials are proving that RTI is important to the future of general and special education, he said.

Mr. Batsche, one of the speakers at a recent RTI summit held just outside Washington, said he could not remember in his 35 years of education experience a similar event where federal education officials asked teams from all the states and territories to gather to discuss an educational issue.

“The message was straightforward: We’re going to be doing this,” Mr. Batsche said. “That’s a very simple message, but very powerful.”

Vol. 27, Issue 20, Pages 1,13

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/vu-klm012308.php

Public release date: 23-Jan-2008

Contact: Melanie Moran
melanie.moran@vanderbilt.edu
615-322-2706
Vanderbilt University

Kids learn more when mom is listening

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Kids may roll their eyes when their mother asks them about their school day, but answering her may actually help them learn. New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that children learn the solution to a problem best when they explain it to their mom.

“We knew that children learn well with their moms or with a peer, but we did not know if that was because they were getting feedback and help,” Bethany Rittle-Johnson, the study’s lead author and assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development, said. “In this study, we just had the children’s mothers listen, without providing any assistance. We’ve found that by simply listening, a mother helps her child learn.”

Rittle-Johnson believes the new finding can help parents better assist their children with their schoolwork, even when they are not sure of the answer themselves. Although the researchers used children and their mothers in the study, they believe the same results will hold true whether the person is the child’s father, grandparent, or other familiar person.

“The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer,” she said. “Explaining their reasoning, to a parent or perhaps to other people they know, will help them understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations.”

The research is currently in press at the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.

Rittle-Johnson, along with co-authors Megan Saylor, assistant professor of psychology, and recent graduate Kathryn Swygert, set out to determine if 4- and 5-year-olds learn more when they have to explain the solution to a problem to someone else. They were shown a series of plastic bugs, and then had to say which bug should come next in the series based on color and type of bug, a problem that is challenging for 4- and 5-year-olds. The children were told to explain the solution to their moms, to themselves or to simply repeat the answer out loud.

The researchers found that explaining the answer to themselves and to their moms improved the children’s ability to solve similar problems later, and that explaining the answer to their moms helped them solve more difficult problems.

“We saw that this simple act of listening by mom made a difference in the quality of the child’s explanations and how well they could solve more difficult problems later on,” Rittle-Johnson said.

The researchers also found that children experience the benefit of explaining a solution at an earlier age than previously thought.

“This is one of the first studies to examine whether or not explanation is useful in helping children under 8 apply what they’ve learned to a modification of a task,” Rittle-Johnson said. “We found that even 4-year-olds can use explanation to help them learn and to apply what they’ve learned to other tasks.”

###

The new research was supported by funds from Peabody College. Rittle-Johnson and Saylor are Learning Sciences Institute and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development investigators.

Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College was ranked as the No. 3 education school in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in 2007. To learn more about Peabody, visit http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu. For more Vanderbilt news, visit VUCast, http://www.vanderbilt.edu/news.

http://powertolearn.typepad.com/teacher_tech_blog/2008/01/opening-the-doo.html

Opening the Door to Learning for All Children

Deborah J. Stipek, Dean & Professor of Education at Stanford University says, "Neuroscience is beginning to unravel the mysteries of learning and memory, while illuminating the wondrous uniqueness in every learner." In order for educators, parents, and others interested in learning, attention, and memory to find out about the latest research and discussion, conferences have been scheduled in California and Massachusetts. Learning & the Brain conferences will be held in San Francisco, February 7-9, 2008 and in Cambridge, April 26-29, 2008. Sponsors include Stanford University, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Yale University School of Medicine, The Dana Foundation, University of California at Santa Barbara, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Sargent College, and Boston University.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/uoc--srq012208.php

Public release date: 22-Jan-2008

Contact: Mark Wheeler
mwheeler@mednet.ucla.edu
310-794-2265
University of California - Los Angeles

Study raises questions about diagnosis, medical treatment of ADHD

'New ways of thinking' about the disorder are necessary, researchers say

A new UCLA study shows that only about half of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, exhibit the cognitive defects commonly associated with the condition.

The study also found that in populations where medication is rarely prescribed to treat ADHD, the prevalence and symptoms of the disorder are roughly equivalent to populations in which medication is widely used.

The results of the first large, longitudinal study of adolescents and ADHD, conducted among the population of northern Finland, appeared in several papers in a special section of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry published in December and are currently online.

ADHD is a common, chronic behavioral disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that is thought to affect some 5 to 10 percent of school-age children worldwide.

In adolescence, ADHD is generally associated with cognitive deficits, particularly with working memory and inhibition, which have been linked to overall intelligence and academic achievement, according to UCLA psychiatry professor Susan Smalley, who headed the research. Interestingly, the study showed that these deficits are only present in about half of adolescents diagnosed with ADHD.

Part of the explanation may lie in the common method for diagnosing the disorder. The researchers found that ADHD is an extreme on a normal continuum of behavior that varies in the population, much like height, weight or IQ. Its diagnosis, and thus its prevalence, is defined by where health professionals "draw the line" on this continuum, based on the severity of the symptoms and overall impairment.

However, children with cognitive deficits do not show increased levels of inattention or hyperactivity when compared with other children diagnosed with ADHD, the study found, suggesting that behavior-rating scales alone are not sensitive enough to differentiate between the two groups. Additional psychological testing is recommended to confirm the presence of cognitive impairments.

Researchers also found surprising results regarding the effectiveness of medicine in treating ADHD. In contrast to children in United States, youth in northern Finland are rarely treated with medicine for ADHD, yet the 'look' of the disorder — its prevalence, symptoms, psychiatric comorbidity and cognition — is relatively the same as in the U.S., where stimulant medication is widely used. The researchers point out that this raises important issues about the efficacy of the current treatments of ADHD in dealing with the disorder's long-term problems.

"We know medication is very effective in the short-term," said Smalley, who authored or co-authored each of the papers. "But the study raises important questions concerning the long-term efficacy of ADHD treatment. Here we have two different cultures and two different approaches to treatment, yet at the time of adolescence, there are few differences in the presentation and problems associated with ADHD."

Other findings from the wide-ranging study include:

·        Further confirmation that ADHD symptoms do change with age: Hyperactivity and impulsivity decrease with age, while inattention increasingly predominates. In fact, about two-thirds of children with ADHD continue to exhibit significant levels of inattentiveness and impairment into adolescence.

·        ADHD is associated with increased rates of other psychiatric problems. Most prominent in adolescence are depression; anxiety; oppositional behaviors, such as arguing, losing one's temper and being easily annoyed; and conduct disorders like vandalism and truancy. Surprisingly, post-traumatic stress disorder is significantly elevated among adolescents with ADHD, compared with non-ADHD youth. The prevalence of these co-occurring disorders is comparable to that found in other ADHD populations worldwide.

·        Two genes, labeled DBH and DRD2, involved in the regulation of dopamine — a neurotransmitter involved in attention, motivation and emotion — have also been associated with ADHD in the population of northern Finland. Although the researchers involved say they likely account for very little of the genetic variation underlying ADHD, the findings further support the involvement of the dopamine pathway in the etiology of the disorder.

"This set of articles brings to light the necessity of engaging in new ways of thinking about ADHD," said Smalley, who is also a member of the Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics at UCLA. "Certainly it is a valid disorder in terms of its diagnosis; there are relatively similar prevalences around the world. But the predisposition to ADHD is a normal distribution in attention and activity level, much like diabetes and glucose tolerance, or dyslexia and reading disability.

"The continuous nature of liability to ADHD requires that we examine more carefully what environmental pressures may be leading to impairment, instead of broadening our diagnostic classifications even further," she said.

The study started in 1986, when researchers from Imperial College, London, and Finland's University of Oulu began studying 9,432 children in northern Finland. They tracked the children from the early fetal period to adolescence (age 16 to 18). UCLA researchers then joined in the effort to examine the adolescents for ADHD behaviors, using a standard screening survey and diagnostic criteria. Among the 6,622 respondents to the survey, a subset of 457 likely cases and controls were evaluated for ADHD and other psychiatric disorders. The estimated prevalence of ADHD among these adolescents was 8.5 percent, with a male-female ratio of 5.7 to 1.

###

In addition to Smalley, UCLA researchers involved in the study included Lorie A. Humphrey, Sandra K. Loo, James T. McCracken, James J. McGough and Stanley F. Nelson.

Funding was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Juselius Foundation in Finland and the Academy of Finland.

http://www.jahonline.org/content/suppl07

Youth Violence and Electronic Media: Similar Behaviors, Different Venues?
Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

SAVE THE DATE!  April 13-15 Houston, Texas

Get a national perspective on the impact of school counselors in creating an equitable school counseling practice.  This conference will focus on

• Sharpening academic counseling skills
• Advancing equitable access and success in preparation for college and the workforce
• Connecting student learning to future aspirations and career goals
• Cultivating a school climate for high achievement of all students
• Unique opportunities for professional development and networking with colleagues

Registration information is available online at http://professionals.collegeboard.com/prof-dev/events/nosca.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/education/17admissions.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

http://www.clevelandfed.org/Education/essay08/challenge.cfm

Essay Contest for Juniors and Seniors: Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland's 2008 essay contest, Life After High School, s open to 11th- and 12th-grade students attending schools in the Fourth Federal Reserve District: Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky and the northern panhandle of West Virginia. Students need to submit a brief essay that evaluates their post-graduation plans, options and choices. Savings bonds prizes will be awarded for the top 10 essays. Application deadline is April 11, 2008.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=j8Bz99rQ2WXO596m5chGXA_3d_3d

As educators we are committed to keeping schools safe and supporting children and their families. That is why the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Education Association Health Information Network (NEA HIN) developed this easy-to-use crisis guide with essential, to-the-point advice for schools and districts.

Knowing what to do can be the difference between stability and upheaval. This step-by-step resource created by educators for educators can make it easier for NEA leaders and school district administrators and principals to keep schools safe — so teachers can teach and children can learn.

The guide also suggests ways for NEA state and local associations to lend expertise, saving schools precious time in the midst of a crisis and helping children and staff return to learning.

http://www.neahin.org/crisisguide/

As educators we are committed to keeping schools safe and supporting children and their families. That is why the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Education Association Health Information Network (NEA HIN) developed this easy-to-use crisis guide with essential, to-the-point advice for schools and districts.

Knowing what to do can be the difference between stability and upheaval. This step-by-step resource created by educators for educators can make it easier for NEA leaders and school district administrators and principals to keep schools safe — so teachers can teach and children can learn.

The guide also suggests ways for NEA state and local associations to lend expertise, saving schools precious time in the midst of a crisis and helping children and staff return to learning.

http://www.parentingteensonline.com/

The New Highs: The Drugs Teens Are Taking Now and What You Can Do About It

http://www.latinitasmagazine.org/

Latinitas is a non-profit organization focused on informing, entertaining, and inspiring young Latinas to grow into healthy, confident, and successful adults. Latinitas Magazines are the first digital magazines made for and by Latina youth. Founded in 2002 in Austin Texas.

Alachua County Counselor Receives State Recognition
The Florida Association of School Counselors has named Monica Bayer from Buchholz High School the 2007 High School Counselor of the Year. Mrs. Bayer began her career as a French teacher and currently is in her 34th year as an educator, 23 of them with Alachua County Public Schools. Before going to work at Buchholz in 1982, she worked as a counselor at both Eastside High School and J.J. Finley Elementary School. For more information, please visit http://www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2007/12-10-2.asp.

Attorney General Bill McCollum and Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith announced a statewide CyberSafety challenge to superintendents and principals to sign their schools up for the Attorney General's CyberSafety Education presentations. The challenge is part of Attorney General McCollum's goal to reach every middle and high school in the state with his CyberSafety presentation.

Two challenge winners will be announced in May - the district that signs up the largest total number of schools for presentations and the district that signs up the highest percentage of its schools for presentations. The winning districts will receive special CyberSafety presentations hosted in person by Attorney General McCollum and Commissioner Smith next fall. For more information, visit http://www.safeflorida.net/safeschools.

Governor Charlie Crist recently recommended $33.5 billion in funding for all phases of education. Included in this amount is $138 million to fully fund any K-12 reductions that would occur as a result of voter approval of Amendment 1 and a 5.46 percent increase in per-student funding - up $394, for a total of $7,606 per student. The proposed budget also includes funds for middle school physical education, reading coaches, virtual tutors, bonuses for outstanding teachers and prevents a tuition increase for community colleges and state universities. For more information, visit http://www.flgov.com/release/9781

According to the 2008 Quality Counts report - a national comparison of state education systems - Florida ranked among the top 15 in the country. Since last year, Florida schools have jumped from 31st place in the nation to 14th. Florida was recognized for:

• Outstanding participation in Advanced Placement (AP) programs, specifically more students taking AP courses and passing AP exams
• Academic gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress
• Closing the achievement gap between white and minority students
• Preparing, attracting and recognizing quality teachers
• Preparing our students for the future by setting high standards and measuring progress

For more information, visit http://www.fldoe.org/news/2008/2008_01_09.asp

The National Football Foundation’s Play It Smart program is currently recruiting interested applicants for part time "Academic Coach" positions in the following cities: Atlanta, GA; Brooklyn, NY; Chicago, IL; Charlotte, NC; Dallas, TX; Fort Lauderdale, FL & Los Angeles, CA;   

Positions are open immediately for the 2007-2008 academic year. The academic coach typically is required to work a minimum of 20 hours/week for the entire school year. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: the development and coordination of a comprehensive support program for high school student athletes that includes academic, career, and personal counseling; and facilitating community service projects. Academic coaches may receive stipends of up to $15,000 per year and are to be compensated through the school or school district.

The academic coach position requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree, experience in the field of academic-athletic counseling, education, or related field, and a demonstrated appreciation of interscholastic athletics. All successful candidates must comply with local school district requirements for criminal background screening. Final interviews and selection are conducted on school grounds typically with a school administrative team and head coach.

To apply, please send a cover letter, résumé, and the contact information for three references to:

The National Football Foundation;

ATTN: Play It Smart Program- Academic Coach Recruiting

433 E. Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 1130, Irving, TX 75039

playitsmart@footballfoundation.com;

972-556-1000

For a comprehensive listing of schools and cities, more information on the program, and a more detailed job description, please visit www.playitsmart.org

National School Counselor of the Year Finalists Announced

FSCA congratulates Mary Janell Leatherman, Emerald Cove Middle School, Wellington, Fla. for being one of 10 finalists in the National School Counselor of the Year Award. We are proud! This newly enhanced program brings 10 finalists and their nominators to Washington, D.C., in February 2008, where they will participate in a congressional briefing, tour Washington, D.C., and be honored at a black-tie awards ceremony on Feb. 1. From these 10 finalists, one school counselor of the year will be selected.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/ace-cai122807.php

Public release date: 3-Jan-2008

Contact: John E. Donovan
donovanje@upmc.edu
412-246-6950
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Robert A. Zucker
zuckerra@umich.edu
734-232-0280
University of Michigan Addiction Research Center

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

Children are introduced to sipping and tasting alcohol in the home

·        Very little is known about alcohol use by children.

·        New findings show that the introduction to alcohol use may occur as early as eight or 10 years of age, and is an experience that typically occurs in the home.

·        Sipping and tasting reflect exposure to parental alcohol use in the home and do not reflect a proneness to engage in delinquent behavior or other problem behaviors.

Most studies of alcohol use among youth have focused on drinking by children in middle or high school. This study is one of the few to examine the earliest exposure to alcohol – sipping or tasting – in a large community sample of children. Findings indicate that the introduction to alcohol occurs long before adolescence, and it is an experience that occurs in the home.

Results are published in the January issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

“Almost all of the limited scientific literature on alcohol use in children has focused on drinking, not sipping or tasting alcohol,” said John E. Donovan, an associate professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. “Local community studies seem to show that drinking by children – not sipping – correlates with higher levels of disinhibition, more positive alcohol expectancies, more peer alcohol use, and lower school grades, just as it does in adolescence.”

Donovan, also the corresponding author for the study, added that most surveys of adolescent and child drug and alcohol use ask about ever having had more than a few sips of alcohol. “This type of question essentially ignores the alcohol experience of those who have only had sips and tastes of alcohol, which can be a substantial number of children,” he said. “I wanted to determine what percentage of young children have had this level of experience with alcohol, and to find out if children who have only sipped alcohol are different from those who have not.”

Researchers used targeted-age directory sampling and random-digit dialing to recruit a sample of 452 children (214 boys, 238 girls), aged eight or 10, and their families from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The children reported their own sipping or tasting, as well as their perceptions of alcohol-related parental beliefs and behavior, through computer-assisted interviews. Parents were also interviewed.

“Nearly forty percent of children aged eight to 10 have sipped or tasted alcohol, whereas only six percent have ever had a drink of alcohol,” said Donovan. “If one only asked about drinks, one would have the impression that few children at these ages have had experience with alcohol, whereas the reality is that nearly seven times as many have had some experience. Second, alcohol is most often sipped by children in the family context or during religious services, and almost never with friends or when alone. Third, children in families in which the parents drink are at greater risk for having sipped or tasted alcohol as young as age eight or 10. Additionally, children whose parents drink more frequently are at higher risk of having had a sip or taste of alcohol. Surprisingly, it appears that much of this greater risk is not due to parents having offered the children alcohol: a third of the mothers and half of the fathers whose children have sipped alcohol are not aware of it.”

“In short,” commented Robert A. Zucker, director of the Addiction Research Center at the University of Michigan, “early encounter with alcohol in young children is largely an opportunistic experience, related to what happens in the family, such as drinking at family dinners, or at family celebrations such as weddings, barbecues, etc., and the fact that parents are themselves drinkers. Thus, young children’s sipping/tasting of alcohol reflects parental modeling of alcohol use and increased opportunities to try alcohol in the home rather than deliberate family socialization of alcohol use.”

“People need to recognize that parents are not the only source of models for drinking to which children are exposed,” added Donovan. “They are literally bombarded by beer commercials on TV, by alcohol ads in magazines and on the radio, and by characters in primetime TV shows and even in half of all animated children’s films who are shown drinking alcohol … usually without any negative consequences like bar fights, unwanted or unintended sexual experiences, or car crashes. Children whose parents do not drink, or who do not drink in the presence of their children, are also exposed to these other models for alcohol use. Seeing their own parents drinking, however, is an important predictor of whether they themselves have ever had a sip or a taste of alcohol.”

Both Donovan and Zucker noted that even though it appears that by age 10, roughly half the population has had some personal experience with alcohol, sipping/tasting by children does not seem to be associated with a tendency to engage in delinquent or other problem behavior.

“We still do not have a clear sense of what the longer-term outcomes are of early sipping/tasting,” said Zucker. “Only when this study, and others like it, follow these children into adolescence will we have the full picture of what the long-term consequences of this early experience are.”

Donovan confirmed that this study is part of the first wave of an ongoing longitudinal study of these children. “We need to study alcohol use in ways that are developmentally appropriate,” he said. “When studying childhood, it is important to study sipping and tasting, but not important to study alcohol dependence. In adolescence, it is much less important to study sipping and tasting, but more important to study alcohol abuse and dependence. Furthermore, we hear over and over again about the importance of peer pressure for adolescent drinking and drug use. Here we can see that if you focus on the earliest stages of involvement in alcohol use, the most important influences are parents and the family context, not peers.”

###

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. The co-author of the ACER paper, “Children’s Introduction to Alcohol Use: Sips and Tastes,” was Brooke S.G. Molina, also of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/uom-dpp010808.php

Public release date: 8-Jan-2008

Contact: Laura Bailey
baileylm@umich.edu
734-647-1848
University of Michigan

Device prevents potential errors in children's medications

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---A device designed to eliminate mistakes made while mixing compounds at a hospital pharmacy was 100 percent accurate in identifying the proper formulations of seven intravenous drugs.

Five potentially serious medication errors were averted over an 18-month period in a test at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in the University of Michigan Health System by using the technology, said Jim Stevenson, associate dean of Clinical Sciences at the U-M College of Pharmacy. Stevenson also directs Pharmacy Services at the U-M Health System.

Stevenson said the hospital is the first in the world to use this device to test patient drugs compounded in the pharmacy. The U-M Health System already has many safeguards, such as bar coding, in place to avert mistakes.

"Errors in compounding these types of medications are rare. However, when they occur they can have a significant negative impact on patients and staff," Stevenson said. "We know from having this technology in place we've deterred five errors that might have happened. I really believe having technology like this needs to be the standard around the country."

The table-top device manufactured by ValiMed, a division of Tuscon, Ariz.,-based CDEX Inc., uses a technique called enhanced photoemission spectroscopy to determine if the compounds are correct. Light is shot into the drug compound, which excites molecules, and the energy emitted by the excited molecules is measured by a spectrometer. Each drug compound tested has its own so-called light fingerprint, which is compared to the fingerprint of the control compound. If they match, the drug is considered correct.

There are many potential safeguards that are being pursued to improve medication safety, Stevenson said. However, the primary safeguard for intravenous drugs compounded in hospital pharmacies today remains a visual check by the pharmacist. Using a technology like this helps prevent mistakes that can occur due to human error, he said.

"Our goal needs to be to have zero tolerance for errors," Stevenson said. "If we wanted to eliminate errors completely we knew we couldn't continue to rely completely on human visual checking. We needed to implement some sort of technological solution to overlay our human process for these drugs to be failsafe."

The hospital tested 40-50 samples daily, at strengths and at variations below and above the proper dosage amount. The process takes about a minute, so the technology was able to be integrated into the workflow of the pharmacy when used for select high risk products, the paper said. The paper, "Enhanced photoemission spectroscopy for verification of high-risk IV medications," appears in the Jan. 1 issue of the American Journal of Health System Pharmacy.

The device is now used at C.S. Mott and University Hospital, both in the U-M Health System. The next step, Stevenson said, is for the company to develop more signatures so that more drugs can be tested

The idea for the project started in 2004 when Stevenson learned that a colleague at the University of Utah was using a similar device to test narcotics being returned in their operating room. Stevenson contacted the company about developing applications to check intravenous drug compounds prepared in the pharmacy for accuracy.

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For more on Stevenson, visit: sitemaker.umich.edu/jimsteve/home

For more on the College of Pharmacy, visit: www.umich.edu/%7Epharmacy/

University Health System: www.med.umich.edu/

Florida School Counselor Association acknowledges ASCA Intern Andrew Woodward for his work in compiling this data for the FSCA legislative committee.

Florida Stats

·       Florida ranked first nationwide in the number of new National Board Certified Teachers® (NBCTs) and ranks second in the total number of educators who achieved certification over time (10,875)

·       FL shows 11% increase in number of educators who achieved certification in 07

·       NBCTs make up 7% of FL teaching force (this includes School Counselors and Media Specialists)

·  32% teach in Title I Schools

·       Broward County is the largest school district in the nation in the cumulative total of NBCTs (1,283).

·        Eleven Florida school districts ranked among the nation’s top 20 in terms of the number of educators who achieved National Board Certification in 2007 – Broward County-1st (302); Miami-Dade County-3rd (192); Hillsborough County-6th (131); Orange County-7th (95); Brevard County-8th (91); Duval County-9th (88); Palm Beach County-12th (72); Pinellas County-13th (65); Polk County-17th (45); Volusia County-17th (tie) (45); Seminole County-19th (43).

Research

The effects of NBPTS-Certified Teachers on Student Achievement -  Harris, D.N. and Sass, T.R.,  Florida State University (January, 2007)

This study considers the effectiveness of certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards® (NBPTS). Researchers first studied its effects on student achievement and then analyzed the potential spillover of National Board Certified Teacher® (NBCT) mentoring. Using a large data set of Florida teachers and students over a four-year span, researchers investigated the relationship between National Board Certification® and the impact of teachers on student test scores from both low-stakes and high-stakes exams.

Results from this study suggest that the answer depends largely on the achievement test used to measure student performance. In some cases National Board Certification "provides a positive signal of teacher productivity;" however, these effects were not consistent across subjects and grades. The study also found that teachers who achieve National Board Certification at some point during their careers boost student achievement in reading significantly more than their non-NBCT counterparts. Positive spillover of NBCT mentoring was found in student achievement scores in both reading and math, using the norm-referenced student performance measure but not found using the criterion-based performance measure.

More math NBCTs helped their students achieve greater testing gains in 9^th and 10^th grades than their non-certified colleagues- demonstrating particular benefits among special needs students and African-American and Hispanic students., L. Cavalluzzo, CNA Corporation. (November, 2004)

A new study, conducted by The CNA Corporation (CNAC), a non-profit research and analysis institution, found that National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT's) did a better job than other teachers of raising ninth and 10th graders' year-end math test scores in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The research, which systematically accounted for other factors that could have led to higher scores, found that all else being equal — student characteristics, school environment and teacher preparation — National Board Certified math teachers in Miami-Dade County Public Schools helped their students achieve larger testing gains than did colleagues who had not earned the certification. The study of more than 100,000 student records found that NBCTs were particularly effective with students who have special needs, and also provides some evidence that underserved minority students may receive extra benefits.

In this study, NBC proved to be an effective signal of teacher quality. Indeed, seven of nine indicators of teacher quality that were included in the analyses resulted in appropriately signed and statistically significant evidence of their influence on student outcomes. Among those indicators, having an in-subject-area teacher, NBC and regular state certification in high school mathematics had the greatest effects. These findings suggest that school systems that wish to target pay increases to teachers of the highest quality can use NBC for this purpose. Such a strategy will benefit students in the long term if NBC has the desired effect of attracting better candidates into teaching through incentives that are targeted to top performers or by and raising the professionalism and prestige associated with teaching. To increase student outcomes in the nearer term, the challenge for school systems will be to implement professional development programs or strategies that change practices so more teachers will adopt methods used by those who have already earned a NBC

The effect of National Board Certified Teachers on average student achievement in North Carolina schools - Bundy, University of North Carolina (Spring, 2006)

North Carolina is home to the largest concentration of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in the country. This is in part due to the generous incentive program offered to those successful in gaining National Board Certification. In 2005, the state invested over $40 million in salary supplements for North Carolina NBCTs. This study seeks to determine if NBCTs presence in schools has a direct effect on student performance and/or an indirect effect on student performance mediated by working conditions of teacher empowerment, leadership and professional development. The statistical analysis reveals when student demographic variables are controlled, schools with a larger proportion of NBCTs demonstrate moderately higher test scores. Additionally, a larger proportion of NBCTs coincides with a small increase in teacher empowerment, but these gains are unrelated to the improvement in student test scores. The results indicate North Carolina is receiving benefits from investing in National Board Certification.

Student Achievement and Performance - O’Sullivan, R., Hudson, M., Orsini, M., Arter, J., Stiggins, R., Iovacchini, L., University of North Carolina - (June, 2005).

Results of this study showed that National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) were more proficient at classroom assessment than their non-NBCT counterparts. This result was supported by all measures used in the study, including evaluation of actual classroom assessments and responses by teachers on the survey and interview. Results did not al