SARS-CoV-2 cross-sectional seroprevalence study among public school staff in Metro Vancouver after the first Omicron wave in British Columbia, Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among school workers within the Greater Vancouver area, British Columbia, Canada, after the first Omicron wave. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study by online questionnaire, with blood serology testing. SETTING: Three main school districts (Vancouver, Richmond and Delta) in the Vancouver metropolitan area. PARTICIPANTS: Active school staff enrolled from January to April 2022, with serology testing between 27 January and 8 April 2022. Seroprevalence estimates were compared with data obtained from Canadian blood donors weighted over the same sampling period, age, sex and postal code distribution. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody testing results adjusted for test sensitivity and specificity, and regional variation across school districts using Bayesian models. RESULTS: Of 1850 school staff enrolled, 65.8% (1214/1845) reported close contact with a COVID-19 case outside the household. Of those close contacts, 51.5% (625/1214) were a student and 54.9% (666/1214) were a coworker. Cumulative incidence of COVID-19 positive testing by self-reported nucleic acid or rapid antigen testing since the beginning of the pandemic was 15.8% (291/1845). In a representative sample of 1620 school staff who completed serology testing (87.6%), the adjusted seroprevalence was 26.5% (95% CrI 23.9% to 29.3%), compared with 32.4% (95% CrI 30.6% to 34.5%) among 7164 blood donors. CONCLUSION: Despite frequent COVID-19 exposures reported, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among school staff in this setting remained no greater than the community reference group. Results are consistent with the premise that many infections were acquired outside the school setting, even with Omicron.

Thematic analysis of national online narratives on regular asymptomatic testing for Covid-19 in schools in England.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the public perceptions of the schools Covid-19 testing programme in England. DESIGN: Qualitative social media analysis. SETTING: Online users of parenting forums (Mumsnet and Netmums), Facebook newspaper pages and Daily Mail online readers, who responded to posts or articles about the schools testing programme in England, between 1 and 31 March, 2021. RESULTS: Overall, seven main themes were identified, these were divided into barriers and facilitators to engaging in testing for Covid-19. Barriers were: uncertainty around testing in the absence of symptoms; concerns about testing; implications about testing positive; mistrust in the Government. Facilitators were: desire to protect others; desire to return to normality; and hearing others' positive experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis highlighted that alongside well-established barriers to engaging in asymptomatic testing, parents were having to negotiate additional complex decisions around balancing their child's anxiety over testing alongside acknowledgement of the implications of regular testing, such as return to normality and protecting others. Parents and children would benefit from additional practical and social support to facilitate engagement with the schools testing programme.

Barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 testing among staff and parents from San Diego schools.

COVID-19 testing is an important risk mitigation strategy for COVID-19 prevention in school settings, where the virus continues to pose a public health challenge for in-person learning. Socially vulnerable school communities with the highest proportion of low-income, minority, and non-English speaking families have the least testing access despite shouldering a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Through the Safer at School Early Alert (SASEA) program, we investigated community perceptions of testing in San Diego County schools, with a focus on barriers and facilitators from the perspective of socially vulnerable parents and school staff. Using a mixed-methods approach, we administered a community survey and conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with staff and parents from SASEA-affiliated schools and childcares. We recruited 299 survey respondents and 42 FGD participants. Protecting one's family (96.6%) and protecting one's community (96.6%) were marked as key motivators to testing uptake. School staff in particular reported that the reassurance of a negative status mitigated concerns about COVID-19 infection in schools. Participants expressed that COVID-19-related stigma, loss of income as a result of isolation/quarantine requirements, and lack of multilingual materials were the most significant barriers to testing. Our findings suggest that the testing barriers faced by school community members are predominantly structural. Testing uptake efforts must provide support and resources to manage the social and financial consequences of testing while continuously communicating its benefits. There is a clear need to continue to incorporate testing as a strategy to maintain school safety and facilitate access for vulnerable community members.

Disparities in the Implementation of School-Based Mental Health Supports Among K-12 Public Schools.

OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to explore the availability of mental health supports within public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic by using survey data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. K-12 public schools collected in October-November 2021. METHODS: The prevalence of 11 school-based mental health supports was examined within the sample (N=437 schools). Chi-square tests and adjusted logistic regression models were used to identify associations between school-level characteristics and mental health supports. School characteristics included level (elementary, middle, or high school), locale (city, town, suburb, or rural area), poverty level, having a full-time school nurse, and having a school-based health center. RESULTS: Universal mental health programs were more prevalent than more individualized and group-based supports (e.g., therapy groups); however, prevalence of certain mental health supports was low among schools (e.g., only 53% implemented schoolwide trauma-informed practices). Schools having middle to high levels of poverty or located in rural areas or towns and elementary schools and schools without a health infrastructure were less likely to implement mental health supports, even after analyses were adjusted for school-level characteristics. For example, compared with low-poverty schools, mid-poverty schools had lower odds of implementing prosocial skills training for students (adjusted OR [AOR]=0.49, 95% CI=0.27-0.88) and providing confidential mental health screening (AOR=0.42, 95% CI=0.22-0.79). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation levels of school-based mental health supports leave substantial room for improvement, and numerous disparities existed by school characteristics. Higher-poverty areas, schools in rural areas or towns, and elementary schools and schools without a health infrastructure may require assistance in ensuring equitable access to mental health supports.

Observed Mask Use in Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Schools in Georgia-Fall, 2021.

BACKGROUND: Universal masking, with additional layered prevention strategies, was an essential tool for limiting the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and ensuring a safe return to in-person learning for kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) students and staff. Few studies have examined mask adherence in this setting and none have described types of masks worn or locations of mask adherence. This project sought to assess mask adherence, types worn, and location of mask adherence in K-12 settings. METHODS: This study used direct in-person observations to measure the proportion of persons wearing masks correctly; type of masks worn; and location of mask adherence in 19 K-12 schools in Georgia. RESULTS: A total of 16,222 observations were conducted. Among those observed, 85.2% wore masks, with 80.3% wearing the mask correctly. Persons in high school were less likely to wear masks correctly. Correct mask use was most often observed among persons wearing N95-type masks. The prevalence of persons wearing masks correctly in transitional spaces was 5% higher than in congregate spaces. CONCLUSION: In K-12 schools with a universal masking policy, correct mask adherence was high among individuals. Examining adherence to recommended prevention measures can provide K-12 schools feedback to inform targeted messaging and policies during future disease outbreaks.

Changes in perceptions of teaching quality in secondary schools in Rwanda during the COVID-19 global pandemic and the subsequent closing and reopening of schools.

The stability of measures of teaching quality is essential for making generalizations of results stemming from these measures to other teaching situations. However, no research has examined the effects of unexpected situational factors on the stability of these measures. Therefore, the purpose of this two-phase quantitative research study was to examine the following aspects among secondary school teachers in Rwanda, using a score-validated, multiple-dimension measure: (a) perceptions of teaching quality (PTQ) prior to the onset of the COVID-19 context (Phase 1; descriptive and correlational design); and (b) the extent to which COVID-19 and the subsequent closing and reopening of secondary schools affected PTQ among STEM teachers in Rwanda, and the associations between these changes in PTQ and selected socio-demographic/locational variables (Phase 2; descriptive and correlational research design). Phase 1 findings revealed that two measures of cultural values (i.e., Attitudes Towards Cultural Values Scale, Inculcating Cultural Values Scale, respectively) generated the most positive attitudes, whereas the Satisfaction with Resources and Material Subscale yielded the least positive attitudes. Phase 2 findings revealed that for four of the nine PTQ scales/subscales, the COVID-19 context negatively affected PTQ. These findings provide compelling evidence of the importance of monitoring PTQ, especially during times of crises. Moreover, these findings have implications for Rwandan educational policymakers, Rwandan administrators, teacher training administrators, and, above all, the teachers themselves, as they all seek to maximize teaching quality in Rwandan secondary schools.

When I Think of Home: Black Families Supporting Their Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis, and persistent systemic and structural racism have plagued Black communities. The continued physical and symbolic violence and murders of Black bodies are undeniable. As White institutions, schools are definite contributors to this brutality as they center the culture and realities of White children while ignoring or denigrating Black children. This is even evident in the undermining of Black families' efforts to prepare their children to face the inequities and injustices they experience in the U.S. In this article, we discuss Black families' engagement in their children's education amid threats through racial socialization research aimed at developing and validating Black children's perspectives, experiences, and realities in Black identity to promote their positive social-emotional and psychological development. Black families must know how to cultivate their child's healthy self-identity, voice, and agency, along with academic achievement. Schools should learn from these practices. Schools that choose to ignore these concepts will continue contributing to trauma and violence against Black children and maintain deficit-oriented views. The article includes examples and implications for teaching and supporting the well-being of Black children, and concludes with practical ideas that educators can learn from and integrate into their practices.

Principal Perspectives on School Staffing Struggles: Finding from the 2022 Learn Together Survey. American Educator Panels. Research Report. RR-A827-14

In this report, a nationally representative sample of kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) public school principals were asked about their experiences with covering classrooms and hiring staff. In the spring of the 2021-2022 school year, which coincided with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) omicron variant surge, most principals struggled to keep classrooms consistently staffed and many reported that hiring had become more challenging since the previous school year. Principals indicated that a lack of substitute teachers -- not an increase in open teaching positions -- was the main reason for classroom coverage shortages. In addition to day-to-day coverage issues, most principals reported that teacher vacancies were on the rise. Most of these principals believed that vacancies had grown more difficult to fill than in the prior school year, largely because of declining applicant counts. Principals' preferences when hiring teachers lend further insight into potential drivers of hiring challenges. A large majority of principals expressed strong preferences for like-minded teachers whose mindsets aligned with the vision and culture of the schools. Few principals prioritized the diversity of the educator workforce at their schools.

The Syncretic Effect of Dual-Source Data on Affective Computing in Online Learning Contexts: A Perspective from Convolutional Neural Network with Attention Mechanism

Affective computing (AC) has been regarded as a relevant approach to identifying online learners' mental states and predicting their learning performance. Previous research mainly used one single-source data set, typically learners' facial expression, to compute learners' affection. However, a single facial expression may represent different affections in various head poses. This study proposed a dual-source data approach to solve the problem. Facial expression and head pose are two typical data sources that can be captured from online learning videos. The current study collected a dual-source data set of facial expressions and head poses from an online learning class in a middle school. A deep learning neural network using AlexNet with an attention mechanism was developed to verify the syncretic effect on affective computing of the proposed dual-source fusion strategy. The results show that the dual-source fusion approach significantly outperforms the single-source approach based on the AC recognition accuracy between the two approaches (dual-source approach using Attention-AlexNet model 80.96%;single-source approach, facial expression 76.65% and head pose 64.34%). This study contributes to the theoretical construction of the dual-source data fusion approach, and the empirical validation of the effect of the Attention-AlexNet neural network approach on affective computing in online learning contexts.

Emotional well-being and performance of middle leaders: the role of organisational trust in early childhood education

PurposeThe current study investigated the impact of organisational trust on emotional well-being and performance of middle leaders during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA convenience sample of 265 middle leaders in kindergartens in China responded involving trust in schools (e.g. trust in principal and trust in colleagues), emotional well-being and job performance. Both confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used in the investigation.FindingsThree hypotheses on the relationships between the three constructs were verified. Trust in schools significantly influenced emotional well-being and job performance of middle leaders which correlated with each other. The interactive effects of trust in principal and trust in colleagues were discussed for improving the well-being and job performance of middle leaders. Relationships between the two kinds of trust and pride were also identified in the research.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies may put efforts towards improving these three outcomes synchronously.Practical implicationsBased on the evidence of the current study, future research may focus on how middle leaders act as a bridging role between different stakeholders such as principal and teachers, principal and parents, teachers and children, meanwhile how to boost the leaders' own well-being and performance in the early childhood education (ECE).Originality/valueThis study established the empirical linkages between school trusts, emotional well-being and job performance.

Effect of Distant Education on Children's Academic Achievement in Primary Schools During Corona Pandemic in Dubai Emirate- Field Study

This study aimed to examine the effect of distance education on the level of educational achievement of children during the Corona period in ten primary schools in the Emirate of Dubai. To achieve the objectives of the study the researchers adopted the descriptive analytical approach. The quantitative method of data collection had been applied using the electronic questionnaire tool consisted of four main axes for data collection and had been distributed to the study sample consisted of 190 students' parents and administrators selected by using simple random techniques. The results of the study indicated that the participation of students in the educational process, and in the establishment of appropriate educational programs and applications for the transmission to distance learning have contributed to reducing the negative effects of the process of shifting from traditional education / face-to-face education classroom teaching to virtual classroom (ZOOM).The study recommended the need for strengthening distance education mechanisms, which contribute in developing the student's interests, tendencies, attitudes, concentrating on the study material, and using of safe and secured electronic devices to increase the search for additional information to reach the correct knowledge. Also, the school administration should have good e-learning plan ahead with required financial credits that will help in overcoming the crisis and mange distance learning processes to reach future objectives successfully. © 2022 Owner/Author.

The Effect of Primary School Education on Preventive Behaviours during COVID-19 in Japan

Education plays a critical role in promoting preventive behaviours against the spread of pandemics. In Japan, handwashing education in primary schools was positively correlated with preventive behaviours against COVID-19 transmission for adults in 2020, during the early stages of COVID-19. The following year, the Tokyo Olympics were held in Japan, and a state of emergency was declared several times. Public perceptions of and risks associated with the pandemic changed drastically with the emergence of COVID-19 vaccines. We re-examined whether the effect of handwashing education on preventive behaviours persisted by covering a longer period of the COVID-19 pandemic than previous studies. A total of 26 surveys were conducted nearly once a month for 30 months from March 2020 (the early stage of COVID-19) to September 2022 in Japan. By corresponding with the same individuals across surveys, we comprehensively gathered data on preventive behaviours during this period. In addition, we asked about the handwashing education they had received in their primary school. We used the data to investigate how and to what degree school education is associated with pandemic-mitigating preventive behaviours. We found that handwashing education in primary school is positively associated with behaviours such as handwashing and mask wearing as a COVID-19 preventive measure but not related to staying at home. We observed a statistically significant difference in handwashing between adults who received childhood handwashing education and those who did not. This difference persisted throughout the study period. In comparison, the difference in mask wearing between the two groups was smaller but still statistically significant. Furthermore, there was no difference in staying at home between them. Childhood hygiene education has resulted in individuals engaging in handwashing and mask wearing to cope with COVID-19. Individuals can form sustainable development-related habits through childhood education.

Getting Students to (and Through) Advanced Math: Where Course Offerings and Content Are Not Adding Up. American Educator Panels. Research Report. RR-A827-10

This report uses Spring 2022 data from nationally representative surveys of principals and math teachers in kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) to explore students' opportunities to prepare for and take advanced math. The authors found that small high schools, high schools in rural areas, and high schools that predominantly serve students from historically marginalized communities tend to offer fewer advanced math courses (e.g., precalculus, Advanced Placement math courses) and that uneven access to advanced math begins in middle school. K-12 teachers who work in schools that predominately serve students living in poverty are more likely to report skipping standards-aligned content and replacing the skipped content with concepts from previous grade levels. Also, more than half of K-12 math teachers said they need additional support for delivering high-quality math instruction, especially teachers who work in schools that serve predominantly high-poverty students. In the wake of the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students living in poverty and students of color, these results highlight a critical need for resources to support teachers and to increase student access to advanced courses. [For technical information about the surveys and analysis in this report, see "Learn Together Surveys. 2022 Technical Documentation and Survey Results. Research Report. RR-A827-9" (ED626092).]

Children's Digital Privacy and the Case Against Parental Consent

Children's engagement with the internet has exploded. From education to social media, companies have offered products and services that-far from being mere distractions for children-have increasingly become necessities. These necessities are most keenly felt in the EdTech world. As companies in the United States rely on the verifiable parental consent required by the Children 's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) to collect and use minors' data, reviewing boilerplate waivers of liability and consent forms for children's online activities has thus become part of parenting. This piece argues that under the common law tradition of protecting the best interests of the child, when it comes to protecting children's digital privacy, relying solely on parental consent is insufficient and ill-suited. This work compares parental consent forms for children's online activities to parental waivers for tort liability for physical injuries suffered by children. In the latter, courts have not reached a consensus on whether such contracts are enforceable or altogether void. However, most courts have struck down such waivers as against public policy in commercial settings. By relying on courts ' decisions regarding the role of parents in protecting the best interests of the child when faced with a child's physical injury, this piece argues that public policy should have to force to override parental consent as it pertains to the protection of a minor's digital privacy and their use of EdTech tools. It thus encourages lawmakers at the federal and state levels to move away from a parental consent apparatus and instead put forward new measures for the protection of children's digital privacy. It further illustrates that, despite COPPA, common law privacy torts are not fully preempted. Adopting the approach proposed in this work will also motivate companies to be more vigilant towards handling minors' data to avoid potential lawsuits. It will further encourage a market for competition between socially responsible companies that would prioritize children's privacy over an endless list of corporate interests.

Covid-19 and online classes: Measuring Indian parents' attitude towards online classes at kindergarten and junior school level

The study aims to examine the readiness of Indian parents towards online classes at kindergarten and junior school levels, by identifying the perceived barriers, perceived effectiveness and health impact of online classes on young children. The study is based on data collected across a random sample of 750 parents of students studying at junior and kindergarten levels in urban private schools which offer online classes. The data was analyzed through exploratory factor analysis, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Technological, infrastructural, and personal barriers related to students, and parents, were identified as perceived barriers by parents in availing online classes for their kids. Parents' attitude towards online classes at kindergarten and primary levels gets negatively influenced by the barriers they face, and the perceived negative impact of technology usage on their kids' health, while;perceived effectiveness was found to have a positive impact on the parents' attitude. The study is unique as it includes the interest of such young stakeholders of the education system. The study highlights the barriers faced by parents related to online classes and the health-related concerns which play a major role in the adoption of online mode of education for their kids. Research gives insights to school authorities and the government to work on these barriers and make the online education system effective which is the need of the hour during COVID-19.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical education: adaptability and remote learning experience of the Peruvian American Medical Society

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on medical care and medical education in Peru. In response, the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS), a charitable medical organization based in the USA, pursued its medical and educational missions in Peru by adopting virtual learning technology. We developed closer collaborative relationships with several medical schools and the Peruvian Association of Medical Schools (ASPEFAM) while offering a faculty panel of twenty-four members to provide lectures and multidisciplinary webinars in Spanish. We conducted 19 webinars including COVID -19 and non-COVID-19 related topics that over the last two years attracted 14,489 participants from 23 countries. They were the foundation for twenty publications in Peruvian medical journals. Our clinical investigations competition was positively received as was our pilot project on research mentorship. The COVID -19 pandemic had a positive effect on the educational mission of PAMS in Peru.

Post-Pandemic Onset Trends for Public School English Learners in Virginia. COVID-19 Impacts Research Brief Series No. 3

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the educational experiences of diverse student populations throughout the country and among Virginia public schools. English Learners (ELs) had a unique set of needs and services prior to the pandemic, and potentially were more vulnerable to pandemic-related disruptions in typical school operations than other student groups. We analyze statewide, student-level administrative data on the composition of the EL population, the identification for and reclassification out of EL services, and the exit of ELs from public school enrollment in kindergarten through grade twelve between the 2010-11 and 2020-21 school years to examine changes between the pre-pandemic period and first post-pandemic onset year (2020-21). Our key findings include the following: (1) Following the onset of the pandemic, the number of students classified as EL decreased for the first time in a decade. Specifically, whereas the number of students classified as EL increased by 26.0% (25,171 more students) between 2010-11 and 2019-20, the number of students classified as EL decreased by 3.2% (3,852 fewer students) between 2019-20 and the first post-pandemic onset year (2020-21). (2) There was a 21.6% decline (6,223 fewer students) in the number of Virginia K-12 public school students newly identified for EL services in 2020-21 as compared to 2019-20. The drop in new EL identification occurred across student groups, but was largest among Hispanic students, economically disadvantaged students, and ninth graders. (3) The number of EL students reclassified as fully English proficient decreased by 57.3% (8,169 fewer students) in 2020-21 as compared to the pre-pandemic period. This decline is nearly three times the size of the previous largest year-to-year change. The drops in reclassification among ELs occurred across student groups and were somewhat larger among Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. (4) EL students' exits from Virginia public schools in the post-pandemic onset were a continuation of pre-pandemic trends and did not meaningfully vary by race/ethnicity, economically disadvantaged status, or disability status.

Sojourning Educators at International Schools Overseas and the Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has jolted educational organizations and their stakeholders. Mobility between countries is a requisite feature at international schools, with students and educators shifting between home, host, and intermediary countries. Stakeholders are diverse in international schools, representing transcultural interests, giving rise to complex needs and considerations for school leadership. This article explores a subset of data from a study on educator acculturation in international schools that unpacks the effects of, and responses to, the pandemic by sojourning educators at international schools in Southeast and East Asia. Effects on students were not examined. Findings include adaptive responses, mobility barriers and role/school precarity, spikes in acculturative stress, and creative problem-solving. These effects have generated substantial leadership enigmas. Implications include an urgent need to activate adaptive leadership practices, including contingency planning and action research projects aiming at experiential learning from different stakeholder groups in international schools.

Understanding student technology teams within K-12 technology ecosystems

Access and use of computer-based educational technology within K-12 schools have been steadily increasing since the 1980s (Cuban, 1993;Delgado et al., 2015;Penuel, 2006), including more school districts providing every student with a device (1:1) after the year 2000 (Gray & Lewis, 2021;Harper & Milman, 2016;Penuel, 2006;Zheng et al., 2016). Despite this steady increase in devices, information systems, and learning platforms within schools, growth of information technology (IT) staff positions has not grown proportionally with technology and has resulted in a staff capacity issue for district technology departments (CoSN, 2021;Gao & Murphy, 2016;Kentucky Department of Education, 2017). This issue was exacerbated by the emergency switch to distance learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which relied on devices and online systems for learning to continue and further strained the technology departments (CoSN, 2022a, 2022b;Rauf, 2020;White, 2020).Since computers were introduced to these educational institutions, schools and districts have positioned students as technical and pedagogical supports for educational technology (National School Boards Association, 2002;Van Eck et al., 2001). Commonly known as student tech teams (STTs), this type of program is still frequent today within schools and there is a wealth of practitioner-created resources on the topic. Yet, studies on these programs are absent from the decades of research on technology integration within K-12 schools (Peterson & Scharber, 2017).This dissertation was designed to fill this void within the literature, provide a foundational understanding of STTs within K-12 educational technology initiatives, and identify practical strategies for school educators and leaders. Using a philosophically pragmatic lens and an ecological framework (Zhao & Frank, 2003), this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011) explored the following research questions:* How are student technology teams structured within K-12 school ecosystems?* What is the role of student technology teams within K-12 technology integration initiatives?Results from the study indicated that STTs are structured as work- and project-based courses, assistantships, and extracurriculars that can support the technical and instructional needs of staff and students within a school or district environment. STTs also provide opportunities for students to collaborate and create by tinkering with technologies and developing products that interest them while building their digital literacy skills. No two STTs are structured the same;however, staff and students' technical and instructional needs are common programmatic focus areas across STT environments.The role of STTs within K-12 technology integration initiatives is to give students autonomy, unique experiences, and opportunities to learn while serving the school and/or district community. The role of STT, as well as the benefit to its student members, is shaped by the coaches, tech department, and administrators' intentionality and mindset related to the capacity of students. Secondly, the STT's role is also shaped by the school and district's technology, schedules, and location. The findings of this study contribute to and extend the current understanding of educational technology initiatives, student tech teams, computing education in schools, and ecological framing of educational technologies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Reaching Rural Students with Resources and Enrichment-Focused Learning in the Summer Months

Each student selected books during the last week of school and during the last days of the summer program, so that they had access to books when school was not in session. Since book ownership is an important motivator for reading, the students kept their books and were treated to one additional book on the last day of the program, when they took a field trip to a bookstore. Study Design Reallocating school resources required a research focus with data collection and analysis for continued approval of summer program funding. The mixed-methods design of the study included quantitative data (e.g., registration, attendance, STAR reading scores, Likert scale questions on student and parent questionnaires) and qualitative data (e.g., student focus groups, open-ended questions on student and parent questionnaires). Parents' written consent and students' assent were provided for STAR reading, focus group, and questionnaire data collection each summer.