The increasing number of children with asthma in the nation's schools necessitates an examination of the preparedness of teachers in the care and management of children with asthma. This article reports the findings of a random sample of 291 public elementary school teachers regarding the knowledge and perception of the training they have received on asthma and its management. Data from this study suggest that teachers are not adequately prepared to assist children with the management of asthma in the classroom. Implications for school nurses on assisting teachers with asthma management are provided.

Teacher knowledge of asthma and its management was low among all teachers regardless of educational attainment, health status, or whether teachers taught at elementary or middle-school levels.

Self-employment is an increasingly popular choice among all Americans, including individuals with disabilities. In this article, we report the results of a qualitative study of four persons with disabilities who are self-employed. We describe the characteristics of successful self-employment as these individuals define it, conditions that led to their choosing self-employment, and contextual factors that were associated with their decision making.

The authors evaluate and advocate the need for comprehensive sexuality education that meets the unique needs of youth who are deaf or hard of hearing, while calling for the expansion of teacher preparation in this critical area. Effective comprehensive sexuality education is designed to prepare young people to become more comfortable with, and informed about, their sexuality. Teachers and parents are key adults in this process. However, the responsibility for preparing teachers to handle sexuality education lies with both the postsecondary teacher preparation program and the administrative team at the individual school; their willingness to provide comprehensive training, current resources, and continued support are crucial to the success of any comprehensive sexuality program. In the individual school, effective guidance of youth who are deaf or hard of hearing in making appropriate decisions about their sexuality is built upon a team that includes not only school staff, but also parents and deaf adults in the community.

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This article evaluated the impact of a group counseling intervention on African-American students’ achievement rates during the spring administration of high-stakes testing at a rural high school in Georgia. Eighty percent ofeligible students who participated in the intervention received passing scores on the four sections tested during the spring administration of the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT), and all participating students received passing scores on the English Language Arts and Math sections of the GHSGT. Additionally, the achievement gap between African-American students and White students on the Enhanced Math narrowed during the 2007-2008 testing period, with 63.2% of African-American students achieving pass rates as compared to 70.5% of White students. The pass rate increased from the 38.7% pass rate among African-American students from the previous school year, indicating that the intervention was successful in improving pass rates on high-stakes testing. Implications for professional school counselors include utilizing the practice of group counseling and disaggregating data to promote achievement among underachieving student subsets.

This paper presents the design and evaluation of the Teacher Capability and School Resource Scale for Asthma Management. Based on a sample of 589 kindergarten to eighth grade teachers, the scale yielded two factors: the Teacher Capability in Social and Emotional Aspects of Asthma Management factor (alpha = 0.83) and the School Resources/Institutional Capability for Asthma Management (alpha = 0.86). This scale fills a needed gap in the literature regarding assessment tools for school-based asthma management that focus on teacher efficacy.

The study in this article was designed to examine the outcomes of positive behavior support approaches at a Southeastern suburban elementary school that had been experiencing increased discipline referrals. Schoolwide initiatives were implemented as well as a support group for targeted students. Post-intervention data indicated that behavioral referrals decreased. Additionally, the positive behavior ratings reported by teachers increased for most of the children who participated in the support group. After participating in the intervention, 60% of those students participating in the support group reduced their discipline referrals to zero.