This topic is of considerable relevance to all professionals in a school setting, including teachers, administrators, school psychologists, special education providers, special service providers, and school nurses who interact with children who may be prenatally exposed to alcohol. Successful interventions will need to balance the use of environmental modifications, immediate and meaningful positive and negative consequences for behaviors, and opportunities to teach children skills to monitor and modify their behavior.
Understanding evolutionary mechanisms is fundamental to a balanced biological education, yet practical demonstrations are rarely considered. In this paper we describe a bacterial liquid microcosm which can be used to demonstrate aspects of evolution, namely adaptive radiation, niche colonisation and competitive fitness. In microcosms inoculated with Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25, evolved mutants such as the Wrinkly Spreader (WS) rapidly arise to form biofilms covering the air-liquid (A-L) interface. WS are readily isolated due to a distinctive colony morphology and reach ∼30% of the population within five days. When re-inoculated into static microcosms, WS preferentially colonises the A-L interface by producing a biofilm, demonstrating a niche preference distinct from the ancestral SBW25 which grows throughout the liquid column. This ability provides the WS with a ∼2.5× competitive fitness advantage over the non-biofilm forming ancestral SBW25. However, WS and SBW25 have similar fitness in shaken microcosms where biofilms cannot form. These practical demonstrations of WS evolution, suitable for secondary or tertiary-level classes, can be linked with a literature-based review of the underlying molecular biology of the WS phenotype to provide a true exemplar of the modern evolutionary synthesis, the current paradigm in evolutionary biology.
Expanded school mental health (ESMH) programs often involve individuals from a variety of professions working together to address student needs evident across school, family, and community systems. Professiondriven differences in philosophies, expectations regarding confidentiality, and graduate training that reinforces isolated rather than interprofessional approaches to working with students, however, represent real challenges to maximizing the potential of ESMH. To address these issues, this exploratory study identified a common set of competencies to support interprofessional practice in ESMH. A total of 51 competencies were identified across seven theme areas, including: (1) Key Policies and Laws; (2) Interprofessional Collaboration; (3) Cross-Systems Collaboration; (4) Provision of Academic, Social-Emotional, and Behavioral Learning Supports; (5) Data-Driven Decision-Making; (6) Personal and Professional Growth and Well-Being; and, (7) Cultural Competence. Mapping of the competencies to existing accreditation and practice standards for selected professions revealed shared and unique competencies. Implications for workforce development and future research are offered.
Clinicians and training programs strive to implement evidence‐based practices and manualized treatments with fidelity. However, the constraints of a local setting may limit the extent to which this is possible. In the current study, an adapted model of an evidence‐based social–emotional learning small group curriculum, the Incredible Years Children’s Small Group Training Series (Webster‐Stratton, 2004), was implemented and evaluated in an elementary school setting. Results of the study demonstrated statistically significant decreases in problem behaviors and intensity of problem behaviors, as rated by teachers. Teachers also reported improvement in classroom behavior, emotion regulation, problem‐solving, and friendship skills, as well as a high overall level of satisfaction with the intervention itself. Discussion of the results includes a review of the strengths and limitations associated with outcome research in a naturalistic setting, suggestions to consider when adapting evidence‐based programs, and recommendations for future research.
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