The United States is experiencing a teacher shortage crisis that is even more pronounced in rural communities. Teachers may be driven away from the profession if they feel inadequately trained or under-supported to address students' mental health needs. As such, an important teacher retention strategy is to ensure schools have enough mental health professionals. The goal of this study was to explore three different yet complementary strategies to recruit and retain a robust rural school mental health workforce: a rural immersion program for graduate students enrolled in counseling and school psychology programs, a virtual professional development series for existing rural school mental health professionals, and a workforce hiring strategy. Each strategy showed promise: six out of seven students stated they were more inclined to work in a rural setting as a result of the immersion, self-efficacy and job satisfaction significantly increased for rural school mental health professionals participating in the virtual professional development, and important recruitment strategies were identified by rural school leaders. While there is reason for optimism when it comes to creating a robust rural school mental health workforce, funds are urgently needed to make these strategies available to rural communities across the country.

Service learning has been established as a promising method of teaching and learning that engages youth as change agents in their schools and communities. But service learning has not been widely implemented or studied in rural K-12 schools. This study explores the case of a service learning curriculum, the Working Together Project (WTP), in a rural, high-poverty school. Data collection included classroom observations, surveys, and individual/focus group interviews with participants of the curriculum. The case study findings illustrate how the WTP curriculum unfolded with students, benefits for the school (cross-generational collaboration, school introspection and improvement), benefits for the students (collaborative skills, professional skills, growth, and maturity), and the challenges of the WTP. This case highlights the potential of service learning to promote democratic citizenship in rural schools and communities.

The purpose of this study was to determine how the research intervention called Healthy Eaters, Lifelong Movers (HELM) and associated San Luis Valley Physical Education Academy (SLVPEA) influenced teachers' beliefs about physical education and the extent to which they sustained pedagogical changes over time. Seventeen physical educators who completed the 2-year intervention were interviewed 3 years later, and data collected during HELM/SLVPEA using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time were analyzed to create an individual change profile. Mean difference of System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time variables at baseline and postintervention was analyzed using dependent, paired-samples t tests, treating each participant as a separate case. Qualitative data were analyzed using a standard interpretive approach and constant comparison methodology. Teachers made significant changes during HELM/SLVPEA and maintained these changes 3 years later. Their beliefs about physical education were altered, and many reported feeling less marginalized. The provision of resources along with ongoing site support facilitated changes in beliefs and practice.

This paper describes the implementation and outcomes of the Southeast Colorado Physical Education Academy (SECPEA). The SECPEA intervention aimed to improve the quality of physical education taught by 21 teachers in 19 rural schools in Southeast Colorado over a two-year period by supporting the implementation of an enhanced physical education program (EPE). The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention at baseline, post year one, and post year two. Post year one, a moderate and significant increase was observed in overall MVPA% per lesson. The largest increase was observed in the MVPA% during the first five minutes of lessons. Significant increases were also observed in girls’ MVPA% and for teacher promotion of MVPA. Post year two, significant positive increases were observed in the percentage of vigorous physical activity and energy expenditure rate. The SECPEA was a successful model for implementation of an EPE. Continued testing of the model in diverse settings is warranted.

Purpose: Don Hellison’s scholarship made a lasting impact on the academic literature, policy, and practice of physical education and sport pedagogy. In this essay, we summarize and interpret Don’s perspective on scholarship, his own work, and the literature that it spawned.Method: Don’s work, published and unpublished, as well as the rapidly expanding body of teaching personal and social responsibility literature was analyzed using Boyer’s comprehensive framework for scholarship reconsidered.Results: Don was a strong advocate for broader definitions of scholarship in kinesiology, whose work integrated the scholarship of discovery, integration, application, and teaching. This influence remains evident in the teaching personal and social responsibility literature.Discussion/Conclusions: Amid calls for broader and more flexible definitions of scholarship in higher education, Don was a role model who demonstrated what is possible in this regard in the field of kinesiology.

Objective: The Working Together Project (WTP) is a classroom-based curriculum in which rural, low-income middle school students completed "Assess. Identify. Make it Happen," a strategic planning process to improve student health by implementing evidence-based initiatives. The curriculum consisted of 30, 55-minute lessons and 28 "workdays" for students to conduct research, create communication materials, and develop presentations. Study goals were to: (1) assess the extent to which the WTP led to the implementation of evidence-based practices; and (2) describe student-level outcomes that resulted from participating in the WTP. Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental, convergent mixed-methods study with 4 intervention and 2 control middle schools located in a low-income, rural region. We carried out pre/post student surveys and interviews with teachers, principals, and students. Results: Two of the 4 intervention schools completed the entire curriculum and implemented evidence-based practices. Students in control schools showed a decline in school connection, academic engagement, and knowledge of health problems, whereas students in the intervention arm showed increases in personal responsibility to solve problems, 21st century skills, school connectedness, and program planning skills. Conclusions: When implemented fully, the WTP is a promising youth-led, adult-supported strategy for implementing evidence-based practices to promote health in schools.

BACKGROUND:Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. Prior research has primarily focused on associated medical problems and skill deficits. This study takes a novel positive psychology approach by examining critical individual characteristics and environmental factors that facilitate exceptional quality of life for people with DS.METHOD:A qualitative multiple case study design was used to document the lives of four adults thriving with DS. Thriving was defined as high subjective well-being coupled with continued personal development.RESULTS:Descriptive contexts were provided for each case along with four overarching themes: a supportive social ecology, high expectations for independence, advocacy, and strengths facilitating happiness. A new conceptual framework for understanding thriving with DS was proposed.CONCLUSIONS:These findings provide insight as to what is possible for people with DS, including ideas for future research and practice to promote thriving in the DS population.

Curriculum development has been an issue of contention for more than a century, with scientific (Bobbit, 1918; Charters, 1923; Popham, 1972), artistic (Dewey, 1934; Eisner, 1994), theoretical (Slattery, 1995), and practical (Tyler, 1949; Schwab, 1970/2013) orientations all influencing the form and function of curricula in U.S. education. As many have noted, it is critical to be mindful of students and the throughout the development of curriculum and best to engage local perspectives in the development and evaluation of curriculum (Isler et al., 2015; Schwab, 1983). However, because of recent accountability measures (No Child Left Behind, H.R. 1, 2001; Race to the Top, S. 844, 2010), curriculum in the United States has grown increasingly standardized--developed for national audiences without recognition of the unique contexts of students and teachers (Parkison, 2009). Such an approach to curriculum is based predominantly on the perspective of the subject-matter specialist, effectively marginalizing student and voices in curriculum design (Clandinin & Connelly, 1992). The call for curriculum responsive to the is lost amidst the unified chant of the Common Core (see Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2016), and the field remains, by and large, where it has been for decades: moribund (Schwab, 1970/2013, p. 591). Scholars in related fields, such as sociology, political science, and public health, have acknowledged the complementary knowledge and skills of communities and universities through community-engaged partnerships (see Israel, Schulz, Parker, & Becker, 2001; Strand, Marullo, Cutforth, Stoecker, & Donahue, 2003). Others have utilized these partnership frameworks to engage communities in educational initiatives, eager to leverage the perspectives in their work. However, few frameworks exist for facilitating such a partnership in curriculum, and little attention has been devoted to connecting methods of curriculum development to principles of university-community partnerships. The need for research on community-engaged curriculum development, therefore, is two-fold. First, engaging the is a principle of curriculum development theory that has failed to matriculate into mainstream practice. Second, little is known about how to engage the in these activities. This study addresses these concerns. Prior to engaging in such a discussion, we first review relevant instances of engaging the in curriculum development and clarify the context of the study at hand. Community-Engagement in Curriculum Development Among the many conceptions of curriculum development, several recognize the importance of engaging the in the process. Note that our use of the term community includes students and local stake-holders both within and beyond the school building. In this section, we review curriculum theorists who have most directly attended to the inclusion of in curriculum development. John Dewey (1902, 1938) views curriculum as an experience orchestrated through the subjectivities of the student in interaction with the objective conditions of the environment. It is through the lived experience of the student (whom we may also consider a member of the community) that education manifests. To Dewey (1902), we are to abandon the notion of subject-matter as something fixed and ready-made in itself, outside the child's experience;... the child and the curriculum are simply two limits which define a single process (p. 8). (1) Beyond the student, Dewey (1916) offers the notion of society as the context and translator of socialization: ... it is the office of the school environment to balance the various elements in the social environment, and to see to it that each individual gets an opportunity to escape from the limitations of the social group in which he was born, and to come into living contact with a broader environment. …

This work chronicles strategies used to engage a low-income rural community in the development of a middle school service-learning curriculum. Through interviews, focus groups, meetings, and retreats, we engaged in a cycle of implementing the curriculum, soliciting feedback, and revising materials. The community’s feedback led us to simplify the curriculum, make lessons user-friendly for teachers, and incorporate more engaging activities for students. The significance and implications of this approach are discussed.

Background:To address childhood obesity, strategies are needed to maximize physical activity during the school day. The San Luis Valley Physical Education Academy was a public health intervention designed to increase the quality of physical education and quantity of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during physical education class.Methods:Elementary school physical education teachers from 17 schools participated in the intervention. They received SPARK curriculum and equipment, workshops, and site coordinator support for 2 years. A pre/post/post within physical education teacher design was used to measure intervention effectiveness. System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) and a physical education teacher survey were collected 3 times.Results:MVPA increased from 51.1% to 67.3% over the 2-year intervention resulting in approximately 14.6 additional hours of physical activity over a school year and 4662 kcal or 1.33 lbs. of weight gain prevention. More time was spent on skill drills and less time on classroom management and free play.Conclusions:The San Luis Valley Physical Education Academy succeeded in increasing rural, low-income students’ physical activity. The multicomponent intervention contributed to the program’s success. However, cost-effective approaches are needed to disseminate and implement evidencebased practices aimed at increasing students’ physical activity during the school day.

Background: The National Institutes of Health’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Award program emphasizes the need to speed up the process of putting evidence-based practices into place. One strategy they promote is community engagement; however, few studies describe a process for meaningfully engaging communities in the translation process. Objective: This article describes steps taken by a university– community partnership to create a plan for implementing evidence-based physical education (PE) practices in rural schools. This partnership’s efforts resulted in the acquisition of a $1.86 million grant to implement the plan. Methods: Qualitative data collected during the planning process were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Key steps included undertaking a baseline assessment of community needs, reviewing and selecting evidence-based practices, developing a multilevel, community-driven action plan and establishing its feasibility with community stakeholders. Lessons Learned: These steps could be applied to other health topics across a variety of settings. Several strategies that made the process successful are described. Recommendations are made for expanding the roles of Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) and local health foundations in supporting community-engaged translational research. Conclusions: University–community partnerships have the potential to create plans and obtain large-scale funding for translating evidence-based research into practice.

BACKGROUND:School environment and policy changes have increased healthy eating and physical activity; however, there has been modest success in translating research findings to practice. The School Environment Project tested whether an adapted version of Intervention Mapping (AIM) resulted in school change.METHODS:Using a pair randomized design, 10 rural elementary schools were assigned to AIM or the School Health Index (SHI). Baseline measures were collected fall 2005, AIM was conducted 2005-2006, and follow-up measures were collected fall 2006 and 2007. Outcome measures included number and type of effective environment and policy changes implemented; process measures included the extent to which 11 implementation steps were used.RESULTS:AIM schools made an average of 4.4 effective changes per school with 90% still in place a year later. SHI schools made an average of 0.6 effective changes with 66% in place a year later. Implementation steps distinguishing AIM from SHI included use of external, trained facilitators; principal involvement; explicitly stating the student behavior goals; identifying effective environment and policy changes; prioritizing potential changes based on importance and feasibility; and developing an action plan.CONCLUSION:The AIM process led to environment and policy changes known to increase healthy eating and physical activity.

Introduction The federally mandated Local Wellness Policy (LWP) was intended to promote student health in schools. This study assesses the 5-year effects of the LWP on the health practices of rural elementary schools in Colorado. Methods One year before and 5 years after the LWP mandate, a survey was administered to a random sample of principals, physical education (PE) teachers, and food-service managers in 45 rural, low-income elementary schools in Colorado. Response rates were 71% in 2005 and 89% in 2011. Results Minutes for PE and recess did not increase, nor did offerings of fresh fruits and vegetables. More schools adopted policies prohibiting teachers from taking recess away as punishment (9.7% in 2005 vs 38.5% in 2011, P = .02) or for making up missed instructional time, class work, or tests in other subjects (3.2% in 2005 vs 28.2% in 2011, P = .03). More schools scheduled recess before lunch (22.6% in 2005 vs 46.2% in 2011, P = .04) and developed policies for vending machines (42.9% in 2005 vs 85.7% in 2011, P = .01) and parties (21.4% in 2005 vs 57.9% in 2011, P = .004). Conclusion Changes in school practices are modest, and arguably the important school practices such as increased PE and recess time and increased offerings of fruits and vegetables in the lunch line have not changed in the 5 years since the mandate went into effect. Further investigation is needed to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes as well as financial and physical resources required for school administrators to make changes in school practices.

Community engagement is central to the public and civic mission of a growing number of colleges and universities, and numerous faculty members are applying their expertise to issues of importance to local communities and the larger society. However, there have been few first-hand descriptions of the career paths of faculty who engage in community-engaged scholarship. Faced with the current traditional typology of faculty work-teaching, research, and service-junior faculty in particular are often advised to postpone their community engagement work until after they secure their foundation in research and teaching. The author is a tenured full professor who regards community-engaged scholarship as central to his work. Using an autoethnographic style, he reflects on the motivations, influences, and experiences that have informed his intentional efforts to integrate teaching, research, and service into his professional identity as a community-engaged scholar. His story is an invitation for present and future scholars to view their work through an engaged lens: specifically to think imaginatively about how engaging in pressing social issues and developing respectful and productive relationships with individuals and organizations at the local community level might improve and advance their scholarship. The author's reflections contribute to the theory and practice of community-engaged scholarship by addressing the tensions facing community-engaged scholars as they navigate faculty roles and rewards in higher education.

With the goal of codifying student learning outcomes of community-based research (CBR), the authors created a conceptually valid and statistically reliable CBR Student Learning Outcomes Survey. The project began with individual interviews and focus groups with 70 undergraduates and faculty at six colleges and universities nationwide discussing perceived benefits of CBR. Based on analyses of these interviews, five CBR outcome con structs were derived: academic skills, educational experience, civic engagement, professional skills, and personal growth. The survey was piloted online in spring 2009 to students who had experienced CBR from 15 colleges and universities (N = 166). Factor analyses revealed strong statistical reliability across survey constructs. The authors invite faculty to use the instrument to assess CBR courses and invite students who have experienced CBR to complete the survey online through spring 2012, as part of a national study of CBR outcomes.

Universities and colleges are increasingly providing internal grants to encourage faculty and staff involvement in community-based research and service-learning projects; however, little attention has been given to the impact of institutional support of these efforts. This qualitative study employed focus group interviews with 17 faculty and staff at one mid-size private research university (high activity) to explore the impact of institutional funding on their professional roles and practice of community engaged work. Findings revealed that community-based projects energized the participants, helped them make their academic work relevant in communities, created formal and informal university-community partnerships, and elevated the University’s public image. However, a conundrum was evident in the tension between the University’s public expression of the importance of community engagement and participants’ concerns that the traditional academic reward structure could jeopardize their long-term commitment to community work. A framework is offered that may assist institutions that are pondering or have already committed to using institutional dollars to support engaged scholarship.

To increase opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity, US school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program were required to create a Local Wellness Policy (LWP) by June 2006. The What's Working project described the initial influence of this mandate on nutrition environments and policies. In 2005 and 2007 (before and after the mandate went into effect), a survey about school features related to nutrition and physical activity was sent to a random sample of 45 low-income, rural elementary foodservice managers and principals. Schools averaged 204 students, 27% Hispanic. Districts' LWPs were coded for strength and comprehensiveness. In addition, key informant interviews were conducted with foodservice managers almost 2 years after the LWP went into effect. Three improvements were observed: increases in the percent of schools with policies stipulating predominantly healthy items be offered in classroom parties (21.4% in 2005 vs 48.7% in 2007), daily fresh fruit offerings in the lunchroom (0.80 choices in 2005 vs 1.15 choices in 2007), and the percent of schools using skinless poultry (27% in 2005 vs 59% in 2007). LWPs were weakly worded and rarely addressed energy content. Nutrition guideline elements most commonly addressed included vending machines, school stores, and à la carte food offerings. Seveny-three percent of foodservice managers were familiar with their district's LWP but did not perceive it changed lunchroom practices. Although LWPs offer a framework to support opportunities for healthy eating, few evidence-based practices were implemented as a direct result of the mandate. Schools need more information about evidence-based practices, as well as technical and financial assistance for implementation.

The field of public health is increasingly using community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address complex health problems such as childhood obesity. Despite the growing momentum and funding base for doing CBPR, little is known about how to undertake intervention planning and implementation in a community-academic partnership. An adapted version of Intervention Mapping (AIM) was created as a tool for university and elementary school partners to create school-level environment and policy changes aimed at increasing student physical activity and healthy eating. After AIM was completed, interviews were conducted with school partners. Findings indicate AIM is closely aligned to 7 of 9 CBPR principles. Examples include equitable involvement of all partners, co-learning, and balancing knowledge generation and community improvement. Shortcomings, lessons learned, and suggestions for strengthening the AIM process are described.