Genetics,Faith, and Responsibility

The Battle of Dover is now concluded; and Charles Darwin's theory of evolution has won the legal day. The Theory of Evolution in the Darwainian and neo-Darwinian form is a very fertile theory; it generates hypotheses and research programs that lead to new knowledge. Even as a secular pursuit of knowledge, Christians appreciate science.

What the Christian community cannot tolerate is second-rate science; and it especially eschews pseudo-science. We ask for a general commitment; support the best science in our schools and laboratories as an expression of our Christian faith. In light of the public controversy regarding alternatives to teaching Darwinian science in our public schools, we offer six recommendations.     

Pediatric Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitation Orders and Public Schools: A National Assessment of Policies and Laws

Some children living with life-shortening medical conditions may wish to attend school without the threat of having resuscitation attempted in the event of cardiopulmonary arrest on the school premises. Despite recent attention to in-school do-not-attempt-resuscitation (DNAR) orders, no assessment of state laws or school policies has yet been made. We therefore sought to survey a national sample of prominent school districts and situate their policies in the context of relevant state laws. Most (80%) school districts sampled did not have policies, regulations, or protocols for dealing with student DNARs. A similar majority (76%) either would not honor student DNARs or were uncertain about whether they could. Frequent contradictions between school policies and state laws also exist. Consequently, children living with life-shortening conditions who have DNARs may not have these orders honored if cardiopulmonary arrest were to occur on school premises. Coordinated efforts are needed to harmonize school district, state, and federal approaches in order to support children and families' right to have important medical decisions honored.     

Survey of School Psychologists' Attitudes,Feelings, and Exposure to Gay and Lesbian Parents and Their Children

Abstract

School psychologists' attitudes and feelings toward gay and lesbian parents were surveyed in relation to their training and exposure, and professional services offered to gay and lesbian parents and their children. The relationship between attitudes, feelings, training, exposure, and demographic characteristics was explored as well. A stratified random sample of 500 school psychologists who were members of NASP was surveyed using a 30-item questionnaire. Out of the 500 surveys sent, 267 school psychologists (53.4%) returned them. Overall, school psychologists have positive attitudes and feelings toward gay and/or lesbian parents. More specifically, school psychologists who were female, homosexual/bisexual, or living in the Western region of the United States had significantly more positive attitudes and feelings toward gay and/or lesbian parents. Although few school psychologists (30%) received any formalized training, those who had some training indicated more positive attitudes. The majority of school psychologists (89.4%) reported having personal associations with homosexual individuals. More exposure to homosexual individuals by a school psychologist indicated more positive attitudes as well as feelings. Implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.     

How Schools Respond to Traumatic Events

Abstract

School systems face crises of a variety of types and forms, including the suicide death of a student, the death of a teacher, mass shootings, and the aftermath of terrorist attacks. This article examines ways for school systems to deal with the aftermath of those crises, both immediately and in the long term. Suggestions for classroom interventions, group experiences, and homework assignments are included. The impact of terrorism on school personnel is also discussed.     

A Trauma-Informed Call to Action: Culturally Informed,Multi-Disciplinary Theoretical,and Applied Approaches to Prevention and Healing,Part II

The prevalence of trauma and its negative impact on humankind have created a burgeoning awareness of the need for systems that are trauma-informed across the lifespan. A collaborative project with the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence (NPEIV) sought out research as a call-to-action to mitigate the impact of trauma. The following is Part II of an introduction to a special double-issue focused on theoretical and applied approaches to using trauma-informed care in multi-disciplinary, mental and physical health, criminal justice, school-based, and community settings. Consideration is given to essential issues such as resilience, self-care, and intersectional cultural awareness. Introspective exploration of biases was encouraged to address barriers to implementing trauma-informed care.     

Perceived Learner School Citizenship Behaviours in a Sample of Historically Disadvantaged South African Primary Schools

This study investigated learner in-school behavioral adjustment after the banning of corporal punishment in South African schools. Participant informants were 16 teachers from eight schools in a historically disadvantaged school district. Of the 16 teachers (females=10, age range between 35 and 56 years). They responded to a structured questionnaire which focused on the level of good citizenship behavior among township primary school learners. The data were quantitatively analyzed. Findings suggest that the teachers perceived the learners to have good behavioral adherence regarding attendance and learning participation. The teachers perceived some learners to have significant disruptive behavior and to display negative attitudes towards peers and teachers. The teachers did not perceive a role for parents in managing learners' in-school behavior. Retrospectively, it appeared the abolition of corporal punishment did not result in increased behavioral non-adherence by the learners.     

Guidance and Counseling Services in South African Schools: Issues and Challenges

This study seeks to determine if guidance and counseling: (a) lessons are provided to students; (b) services provided are adequate; (c) students are aware of guidance and counseling services provided; and (d) difficulties that counselors face in implementing the programme. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from counselors in sampled schools. The instrument was pilot studied and modified before administration to the study sample. This study found that 90% of the participants indicated that they had some guidance lessons in their schools whilst 10% had none at all. These findings show that a significant minority of students have no guidance lessons in their schools.     

Practice‐based evidence in school‐based counselling

Aims: Counsellors are becoming commonplace within the support structures of secondary schools. To date, research findings from practice‐based outcome studies suggest this is a positive move. There are, however, numerous limitations to this work, and this project aims to develop this existing body of literature. Method: Nine 13–15 year olds attending counselling in six school‐based services participated in the project – one individual withdrew. A standardised self‐report questionnaire (YP‐CORE) was collected at four intervals: (1) the point of referral; (2) the onset of counselling; (3) the completion of counselling; and, (4) a two‐month follow‐up. The change indicated in each of these phases is examined and reported here. Additionally, YP‐CORE was completed during each session. Findings: The YP‐CORE indicates an improvement in the well‐being of this small sample, while waiting for and attending therapy. Further examination of session‐by‐session data also highlights how pre‐ and post‐outcome data should not necessarily be viewed as linear in nature. Discussion: This is a small‐scale investigation and further work is needed in this area. It does, however, raise a number of issues regarding the complexity inherent in conducting outcome research that warrant further investigation.     

Check-in/check-out: a systematic evaluation and component analysis

Tier 2 interventions are implemented similarly across students and thus serve as an efficient and cost-effective method of behavior support in school settings. Check-in/check-out is a Tier 2 intervention with documented effectiveness (e.g., Hawken & Horner, 2003; Todd, Campbell, Meyer, & Horner, 2008). Key features of the intervention include brief morning and afternoon meetings with the intervention coordinator, use of a point card on which the teacher monitors student behavior, and teacher feedback at predetermined times. The present study sought to add to the literature by examining the relative contributions of the teacher-feedback components of check-in/check-out via the use of a component analysis. Working with 4 children in a general education setting, we first evaluated the effectiveness of the procedure using reversal designs. Next, we systematically removed teacher-feedback components to assess effects on problem behavior and academic engagement. For 3 of 4 participants, we were able to remove all teacher-feedback sessions and the point card; for the 4th participant, we removed only 2 of 3 teacher-feedback sessions due to time constraints.