State Assessment Score Reporting Practices for English Learner Parents

This study sought to investigate how states communicate results for academic achievement and English language proficiency (ELP) assessments to parents who are English learners (EL). This objective was addressed by evaluating: (a) whether score reports and interpretive guides for state academic achievement and ELP assessments in each state were translated for EL parents; and (b) if so, whether recommended score reporting guidelines were followed in practice. Results demonstrated that for state achievement tests, 29 states had translated score reports and 28 had translated interpretive guides. Nearly every state translated these materials for their ELP assessments in a wide variety of languages. Across ELP and state achievement assessments, most states were found to limit statistical jargon, utilize figures/graphics to communicate test results, and include follow-up information for parents. However, states rarely provided personalization, statements on intended score use, a student’s score history, or a direct link to their interpretive guide in their score reports. Improvements in a number of areas were observed from prior reviews. Recommendations on making score reports and interpretive guides more accessible and interpretable for EL parents are discussed.

More than Just a Crash of Rhinos: A Self-Study of My Time as a Wildlife Interpreter

This study seeks to fill a gap in research on interpretation by using my experience as an interpretive guide to critically examine the goals of interpretation and the use of the best practices of interpretation. In particular, this study examines conflicts that arose between my own goals, the goals of the visitor, and the goals of the institution. I utilized self-study methodology including conversations with critical friends, journal entries, visitor evaluations, a literature review, and a review of video data of my own tours. Qualitative analysis of the data triangulated evidence from these sources to find emergent themes. The paper also discusses the growth that occurred in my own teaching as I struggled with utilizing the best practices of interpretation. I investigated two main areas—the goals of interpretation and the types of practices used to achieve these goals. Themes that arose included tensions with the establishment I worked for, tensions with the perceived goals of visitors, as well as struggles with the use of humor, personal connections, and silence. Findings from the study suggest a need for greater communication about goals and practices within informal and free-choice learning institutions. Implications for using self-study as a tool for improving interpretation are discussed.

Interpreting Pedagogical Acts: Acts 8.26–40 and Narrative Reflexivity as Pedagogy

This article foregrounds a fact so basic that it often goes unnoticed: stories frequently depict the acts of reading and/or interpreting stories; many narratives are themselves concerned with proper modes of narrative interpretation. I contend that such scenes work rhetorically to inculcate particular kinds of hermeneutical skills in their audiences, and thus can be read as pedagogical scenarios vis-à-vis implied readers. I begin the article by introducing the contemporary notion of narrative reflexivity and situating that concept within the broader literary sub-field of rhetorical narratology. Then, I turn to Acts 8.26–40 as a brief case study in order to demonstrate how narrative reflexivity can help us to think in fresh ways about the pedagogical force of ancient narratives. Specifically, I argue that this story in Acts reflexively commends the following hermeneutical principle for its readers: because reading is not synonymous with understanding, one ought to have an authoritative interpretive guide, and embrace a hermeneutic of hospitality towards the received narrative. Finally, I highlight several examples from ancient literature that demonstrate why my proposed reading coheres with ancient views about pedagogy and textual interpretation more broadly.

The International Humanitarian Law Notion of Direct Participation in Hostilities – A Review of The ICRC Interpretive Guide and Subsequent Debate

The phrase "direct participation in hostilities" has a very specific meaning in international humanitarian law (IHL). Those individuals who are clothed with combatant status are authorised to participate directly in hostilities without fear of prosecution, while civilians lose their civilian immunity against direct targeting whilst they participate directly in hostilities. Any civilian activity which amounts to "direct participation in hostilities" temporarily suspends their presumptive civilian protection and exposes them to both direct targeting as a legitimate military target and prosecution for their unauthorised participation in hostilities. Since existing treaty sources of IHL do not provide a definition of what activities amount to "direct participation in hostilities", the ICRC in 2009 released an Interpretive Guide on the Notion of Direct Participation in Hostilities - in the hope of providing a neutral, impartial and balanced interpretation of the longstanding IHL principle of direct participation in hostilities. While not without criticism, the Interpretive Guide aims to respect the customary IHL distinction between "direct participation in hostilities" and mere involvement in the general war effort. The Guide proposes a three-pronged test which establishes a threshold of harm, and requires direct causation together with a belligerent nexus. Collectively, these criteria limit overly-broad targeting policies, while distinguishing occasions of legitimate military targeting from common, criminal activities. Together with these three criteria, the Guide introduces the notion of the revolving door of protection, together with the concept of a "continuous combat function". Both these new concepts have been the subject of criticism, as too the idea that a presumption of non-participation status should apply in cases of doubt. Nevertheless "nothing indicates that the ICRC's interpretive guidance is substantively inaccurate, unbalanced, or otherwise inappropriate, or that its recommendations cannot be realistically translated into operational practice"[1] in a way which will ensure that the fundamental principles of distinction and civilian immunity upon which all of IHL is built are observed.* [1] Melzer 2010 NYU J Int'l L & Pol 915.

Two-Layer Stratified Flow past a Valley

Observations and models of nocturnal katabatic winds indicate strong low-level stability with much weaker stability aloft. When such winds encounter an embedded depression in an otherwise smooth sloping plane, the flow responds in a manner that is largely describable by the inviscid fluid dynamics of stratified flow. Building on earlier work, the present study presents a series of numerical simulations based on the simplest nontrivial idealization relevant to the observations: the height-independent flow of a two-layer stratified fluid past a two-dimensional valley. Stratified flow past a valley has received much less attention than the related problem of stratified flow past a hill. Hence, the present paper gives a detailed review of existing theory and fills a few gaps along the way. The theory is used as an interpretive guide to an extensive set of numerical simulations. The solutions exhibit a variety of behaviors that depend on the nondimensional input parameters. These behaviors range from complete flow through the valley to valley-flow stagnation to situations involving internal wave breaking, lee waves, and quasi-stationary waves in the valley. A diagram is presented that organizes the solutions into flow regimes as a function of the nondimensional input parameters.

Developing a standard for youth modified therapeutic communities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of the Australasian Therapeutic Communities Association (ATCA) Standard to Australian youth-specific modified therapeutic communities (MTCs). An Interpretive Guide for Youth MTCs and Residential Rehabilitation (RR) Services was developed and a pilot trial conducted with three Australian youth MTC services. Design/methodology/approach Using a mixed-methods design, this study included three components: a consultation process with residential youth MTCs (N=15), which informed the development of the ATCA Standard Interpretive Guide for Youth MTCs and RR Services; a pilot trial of the materials with three Australian youth MTCs (N=53); and an evaluation of the interpretive guide and assessment of applicability of the ATCA standard to youth MTCs through pre- (N=32) and post- (N=19) pilot trial administrations of the Survey of Essential Elements Questionnaires (SEEQ), and post-pilot trial focus groups (N=21). Findings Results indicate that the ATCA Standard is applicable to youth MTC settings when applied with the Interpretive Guide, although no significant differences were found between the pre- and post-pilot trial administrations of the SEEQ. Practical implications Future research is recommended to explore active mechanisms of youth-specific MTCs, differences between adults and youth MTCs, and the development of TC-specific training. Originality/value To date, no standard for youth residential substance use services in Australia has been developed, and this is the first study of its kind internationally to explore the efficacy of standards in a youth MTC.