A framework for developing computing courses is presented, that has the potential to increase student engagement by enhancing student perception of relevance. The framework employs established andragogical approaches, course design methodologies, and measurement tools. A preliminary report on the application of this framework is presented. The results are encouraging, and the framework can be easily adapted to a variety of environments.

The history of continuous improvement, particularly requirements to close the feedback loop, was explored through an analysis of experiences at St. Cloud State University (SCSU). A method for generating evidence of the use of assessment data is provided. Several program improvements tied to this example were cited, including increasing the number of program area reports, adding to the number of qualitative studies, and strengthening advisement. Difficulties encountered with the system included institutionalizing the approach, response rates, and workload issues.

We collected data on 170 college students to assess retrospective perception of school-aged bullying experiences, hardiness and aspects of friendships and romantic relationships on the dimensions of trust, relationship quality and shyness. We found that rates of reported victimization were positively correlated with contemporaneous shyness levels. We also noted a statistically significant, inverse relationship between retrospective victimization levels and both friendship quality and trust.

The experiences of persons with developmental disabilities (DD) in two northern-tier states were studied on an exploratory basis. Overall, the analysis reveals that caregivers in residential facilities believed that persons with DD (primarily global cognitive disabilities) benefit from the same grief processing rituals as other individuals. Some conflicting attitudes were revealed, however. Specifically, many respondents expressed a sense that caregivers (or family members) “know best” when individuals with disabilities prove “ready” to experience the activities and ritual surrounding loved ones' deaths. In addition, many respondents argued that clients with cognitive disabilities ought to be educated ahead of time as to what happens during the death and dying process. Primary care providers reported very few overt behavioral changes, though four clients in 10 were observed to cry more frequently (for more than 1 month) and about one-fifth reportedly experienced changes in sleep/wake patterns. Initial evidence emerged that staff training patterns varied by facility, not with years of service.

A brief providing clear definitions of bullying, teasing, and disability harassment. Bullying has been proven by numerous studies to be a serious problem nationwide. Harassment of youth with disabilities in particular has been steadily increasing. Whole school anti-bullying/anti-violence programs are necessary to address this problem effectively. The publication also outlines research about bullying and harassment, and describes two effective, comprehensive, whole-school, anti-bullying programs. Finally, the brief offers recommendations and resources for further action.

Quantitative analyses of survey or observational data underlie much of the current knowledge about bullying. Rarely have investigators qualitatively tapped the complex and sophisticated knowledge base of children. The present investigation was conducted in order to plumb the working knowledge of intermediate and middle school students about potential strategies for alleviating bullying. Fifth, sixth and seventh-graders (three males and three females) discussed the prevalence of bullying in their school, methods for dealing with bullying employed in the past and future coping strategies. Two of three female interviewees but none of the males reported experiencing bullying at the time of the interviews. While respondents struggled to articulate strategies for coping with bullying, most participants clearly expressed their desire to rationally work through problems with aggressors. When asked to rank order suggested strategies, participants selected violent or aggressive retaliation as the least effective and least desirable coping strategy. Additional themes emerging from the data include gender based experiential and interpretive differences, including the tendency for males to classify most potential conflicts as harmless horseplay. Interviewees portrayed chronic victims as passive and ineffectual when it came to dealing with aggression.

The state education agency in a northern rural state funded a study that investigated paraeducator training and roles in special education. Surveys were completed by 153 principals, 297 general education teachers, 554 special educators, and 572 paraeducators. Study results include data on the role of paraeducators, their educational background, and their training. Findings include the following: (1) paraeducators served primarily students with mild disabilities; (2) while 28 percent of paraprofessionals provided services in self-contained classrooms, most services were offered in general education environments; (3) some problems of role confusion were noted; (4) paraeducators served a mean of 12.8 students, but about 10 percent served only 1 student; (5) about one fifth of paraeducators were in their first year of employment; (6) paraeducators tended to be well educated, with a third having 4-year degrees or better; and (7) paraprofessionals tended to be satisfied with state-mandated training. (CDS) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) /his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). John H. Hoover Bureau of Educational Services and Applied Research Box 7189 The University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-7189 THE ROLES OF PARAEDUCATORS IN A RURAL-REMOTE STATE: VIEWS OF ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, AND PARAS To paraphrase Charles Dickens, paraprofessional status in 1999 represents the best of jobs and the worst of jobs. The influx of students with disabilities into general education classes has led to the situation where ever more direct services are delivered by paras--and these services are delivered to evermore needy students. This may be particularly true in rural and remote sites where many licensed teachers remain itinerant (Murphy, 1994). Very little is objectively known about the lot of special education paraprofessionals (Blalock, 1991; Milner, 1998). Those with concerns about the nature of services delivered to students with disabilities legitimately pose the following questions: 1. What is the nature of the roles of paraprofessionals? 2. How much (and what type of) education do paraeducators bring to their positions? 3. How much training is received by paras and how do they perceive the effectiveness of these efforts? The research questions listed above guided the development of a study designed to investigated the roles of paraeducators in a rural remote state. Method The state education agency in a Northern-tier, rural state funded a study of paraeducators' roles and training. Building principals (N = 153, 53% response rate), special educators (N = 554, 57% return rate), general educators (N = 297), and special education paraeducators (N = 572, 57% response rate) served as respondents. Survey methods were employed, followed by calculation of descriptive statistics and, in some cases, inferential tests. Written responses were examined for emergent themes. Two surveys were developed; a form was designed targeting principals, general education teachers, and special educators. A second form was developed for paraeducators. Items addressed perceptions of paras' roles, the nature of students with whom they experienced contact, settings for services, the nature of supervision, the availability of job descriptions, and training issues. A letter addressed to each principal in the state included an administrator form and 10 copies of the general educator instrument; the administrator packet also included the quantity of surveys commensurate with the most recently-reported number of special education paraprofessionals in the building. Principals were requested to complete the administrator survey, distribute the general educator and paraeducator versions, collect completed surveys and place them in a postage-prepaid mailer. Surveys were returned to a university research bureau where they were tabulated and analyzed. 48 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Licensed special educators were surveyed via a direct mailer which included return postage. Lists of licensed special education teachers were obtained from the state education agency. All instruments were returned to a university research bureau where they were encoded and analyzed via SPSS for the Macintosh (SPSS, 1994). Results and Discussion The Role(s) of Paraeducators A considerable degree of concordance regarding paras' roles was noted. For example, general education teachers, special education teachers, building administrators, and paras, themselves, portrayed paraeducators as serving primarily four groups. These were, in order, students with learning disabilities, speech-language disabilities, mental retardation, and emotional disturbances. Paras were more likely than were members of other groups to report themselves as working with students evidencing speech and language disorders. This probably means that some paras were confusing the categorical designation with deficited language behaviors evidenced by students. Paras served in a variety of settings, led by general education classes (79.4%) and resource rooms (64.7%; the totals sum to over 100%, because respondents had observed paraprofessionals working in more than one setting per para). On average, paras were observed in a mean of nearly two settings each (M = 1.85, sd = 0.90). It is probably not possible, in other words, to focus training efforts on one disability--or even a few disabilities or settings. Settings where special education paraeducators were seen as working are shown in Table 1. The significant chi squares indicate that paras' service arenas are perceived differently by members of the different respondent categories. Table 1. Settings served by paras as a function of respondent group. Respondent Category Reg Class Resrc Rm Slf Cntnd Comm-Based Sp. Ed. Teachers 402 (72.6) 396 (71.5) 181 (32.7) 78 (14.1) Administrators 138 (90.2) 133 (86.9) 63 (41.2) 32 (20.9) General Ed. Tchrs. 256 (86.8) 119 (50.5) 39 (13.3) 79 (26.6) Total 796 (79.4) 648 (64.7) 283 (28.3) 13 ( 4.4) X2 36.6 119.8 50.5 29.1 p <.0001 <.0001 <.0001 <.0001 Three aspects of paras' roles specifically addressed in the survey were job descriptions, planning, and supervision. It could be argued that effective deployment of paraprofessionals depends first upon the existence of a useful job description (upon which supervision and evaluation would presumably be based). Only 38% of paras reported possessing a written job description. Obviously, the great majority either knew they did not have one (26%) or did not know (37%). Special education paraeducators were asked who wrote plans which guided their daily practice. Ten percent of paras either wrote their own daily plans (5%) or reported that they operated without direction (5%). Special education teachers were identified most often as the individuals planning for paraeducators.

Middle and high school students (N=207) in small-town midwestern schools were surveyed regarding factors that motivate and sustain bullying. Students failed to endorse statements that bullying teaches about behavior unacceptable to the group and that making friends with a bullied person would result in lowering one's social status. Students agreed that victims brought it on themselves, teasing was mostly done in fun, and that bullying helps people by making them tougher. Girls, but not boys, tended to agree that bullies held higher social status than did victims.