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PurposeThis study aims to examine the role of a school-university-community partnership in developing, implementing and evaluating a statewide principal leadership academy and principal mentor program.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative case study design with elements of participant observation, the study explored the initiative’s first fifteen months as an example of collective impact (CI) in education.FindingsFindings provide a broad view of the CI process, showing how collaboration, shared goals and a systematic approach are used to address the complex problem of developing and supporting high-quality school leaders equipped to navigate varied and demanding educational settings.Originality/valueInsights from this study can inform future efforts to design, implement and scale effective leadership development programs, contributing to improved teacher and leader recruitment and retention.

Improving charge mobility in quantum dot (QD) films is important for the performance of photodetectors, solar cells and light-emitting diodes. However, these applications also require preservation of well defined QD electronic states and optical transitions. Here, we present HgTe QD films that show high mobility for charges transported through discrete QD states. A hybrid surface passivation process efficiently eliminates surface states, provides tunable air-stable n and p doping and enables hysteresis-free filling of QD states evidenced by strong conductance modulation. QD films dried at room temperature without any post-treatments exhibit mobility up to μ  ~ 8 cm 2  V −1  s −1 at a low carrier density of less than one electron per QD, band-like behaviour down to 77 K, and similar drift and Hall mobilities at all temperatures. This unprecedented set of electronic properties raises important questions about the delocalization and hopping mechanisms for transport in QD solids, and introduces opportunities for improving QD technologies. High charge mobility while retaining signatures of quantum-confined states is obtained in films of surface-passivated HgTe quantum dots.

Purpose This paper explores how collaborative leadership in school-university partnerships (SUPs) cultivates a sense of belonging and creates engaged learning communities. By connecting collaborative leadership dynamics with musical metaphors, the paper introduces the collaborative leadership through musical elements (CLME) model as a framework for effective collaboration in SUPs. Design/methodology/approach The paper synthesizes literature on SUPs and collaborative leadership practices while developing connections to musical elements. The conceptual synthesis method examines jazz ensemble dynamics and popular music themes to illuminate collaborative leadership processes. This framework bridges theoretical foundations with accessible metaphors to enhance understanding of complex collaborative dynamics in educational partnerships. Findings The CLME model proposes that SUPs may benefit from structured communication (rhythm), aligned institutional goals (harmony) and adaptability to changing circumstances (improvisation). Practical applications include rhythmic frameworks with integrated communication cycles and feedback loops, harmonic alignment through shared goal creation and cross-institutional bridge-building and improvisational capacity via innovation sessions and pilot programs. These elements translate to student experiences through participation opportunities, mentoring, curriculum enhancement and collaborative leadership modeling. This approach aims to create environments where all stakeholders experience belonging while supporting both individual growth and collective achievement. Originality/value The paper offers an innovative approach by using musical analogies from both popular music themes and jazz ensemble dynamics to illustrate collaborative leadership practices in educational partnerships. Our original CLME model presents insights that may inform the development and sustaining of partnerships that foster belonging in SUPs.

PurposeThis grant-funded research utilized conversational agents (CAs), specifically Alexa Flash Briefings, to deliver supplemental audio content across educational settings, expanding the online learning environment of graduate students, residency teachers and mentors. The study aimed to determine the perceived usability of Flash Briefings and explore participant experiences related to Flash Briefings.Design/methodology/approachTo explore Flash Briefing usability and participant perceptions, a review of relevant literature and researcher experience feedback was conducted. Additionally, graduate student feedback was sought via a modified Children’s Usage Rating Profile (CURP) Assessment survey, which also included questions related to listening habits and provided space for participants to share open-ended qualitative feedback. Data were analyzed for themes and descriptive statistics were calculated.FindingsFindings suggest an overall positive perception of the use of Flash Briefings. A mix of positive experiences and challenges are identified based on user population. The study provides valuable insights for refining the utilization of Flash Briefings in higher education settings.Research limitations/implications Variable levels of participation across a small sample size minimizes the generalizability of the results and fails to explore perceptions of student teachers and mentors.Practical implicationsThe study offers an initial indication of benefits and challenges found in the implementation of an innovative technological intervention.Originality/valueThere is a continued need and demand for extending online instructional accessibility and communication across broad geographic areas. This study considers a unique approach and provides a step toward closing this gap by analyzing the effectiveness this content modality offers in higher education.

Localized actionable evidence for addressing threats to the environment and human security lacks a comprehensive conceptual frame that incorporates challenges associated with active conflicts. Protective pathways linking previously disciplinarily-divided literatures on environmental security, human security and resilience in a coherent conceptual frame that identifies key relationships is used to analyze a novel, unstructured data set of Global Environment Fund (GEF) programmatic documents. Sub-national geospatial analysis of GEF documentation relating to projects in Africa finds 73% of districts with GEF land degradation projects were co-located with active conflict events. This study utilizes Natural Language Processing on a unique data set of 1500 GEF evaluations to identify text entities associated with conflict. Additional project case studies explore the sequence and relationships of environmental and human security concepts that lead to project success or failure. Differences between biodiversity and climate change projects are discussed but political crisis, poverty and disaster emerged as the most frequently extracted entities associated with conflict in environmental protection projects. Insecurity weakened institutions and fractured communities leading both directly and indirectly to conflict-related damage to environmental programming and desired outcomes. Simple causal explanations found to be inconsistent in previous large-scale statistical associations also inadequately describe dynamics and relationships found in the extracted text entities or case summaries. Emergent protective pathways that emphasized poverty and conflict reduction facilitated by institutional strengthening and inclusion present promising possibilities. Future research with innovative machine learning and other techniques of working with unstructured data may provide additional evidence for implementing actions that address climate change and environmental degradation while strengthening resilience and human security. Resilient, participatory and polycentric governance is key to foster this process.

Heart valves play a vital role in efficient circulation of the blood, and the details of their physical structure are related crucially to their function. However, it can be challenging for the learner to make the mental connection between anatomical structures of valves and the changing pressure gradients that the valves experience and come to an understanding of valve function. Making your own simple, inexpensive working models allows your students to visualize valve action quickly and easily, and to predict effects on function if valve structure were altered. A link to a video showing use and construction of the working valve models is given.

This simple role-play exercise involves the whole class in learning about the function of hormones in promoting homeostasis and the value of negative feedback, using the example of regulation of calcium ions by parathyroid hormone.

Aim: Lack of engagement in parenting support programs by young parents has been identified previously in the literature. This paper reports an innovative strategy utilizing appreciative inquiry (AI) to involve service providers and young parents in identifying strategies to engage young parents in services and programs. Methods: A one-day workshop was held involving service/program staff and young mothers in three phases of AI: discovery, dreaming, and delivery. Avariety of activities were used to gather data from participants: Small group discussion, creative 'art work' development, and notes. Results: Results identified strategies that would promote and sustain young parents' engagement in services/programs, such as supportive non-judgmental attitude of staff, having a 'one stop shop' for services, and meeting childcare and educational needs of parents. Conclusion: Through AI, factors were identified that promote and sustain engagement of young parents into parenting support programs, and the need to engage fathers was also recognized.

The Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan successfully led an intensive, long-term, in-person survey for the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) for Fair Housing demonstration final impacts evaluation (Sanbonmatsu et al, 2011), achieving final effective response rates (ERRs) of 89.6 percent among MTO adults and 88.7 percent among youth, well above what response rates of surveys with comparable low-income populations have accomplished. A variety of survey field strategies ISR employed—careful staff selection, strategic use of financial incentives, and close collaboration between ISR and the National Bureau of Economic Research—all contributed to these high ERRs. The high costs associated with achieving high ERRs for in-person surveys like that employed in MTO raises questions about added value. Costs per survey interview nearly quadrupled during the last 4 fielding months. This extra investment increased the MTO adult survey ERR by only about 3.2 percentage points. A reanalysis of intention-to-treat estimates on selected outcomes suggests the merits of such an investment. If survey fielding had stopped at an 81-percent ERR for adults, we would have falsely concluded that MTO had no effect on two of four key health outcomes, that MTO had no effect on female youth mental health, and that MTO increased female youth idleness.

Introduction: Limited data exist regarding physical and cognitive functioning of adults with hypophosphatasia (HPP), and there are no guidelines for evaluation by physical therapists (PT), occupational therapists (OT), or speech-language pathologists (SLP). We evaluated physical and cognitive functioning among adults with HPP through comprehensive assessments and patient reported outcome tools. Methods: Sixteen participants with HPP (median age 42 (32.5–50.5) yrs, 73% female, 100% Caucasian, 50% on enzyme replacement therapy) completed standardized assessments of mobility, balance, fine motor control, activities of daily living and cognition, as well as self-reported measures of health-related quality of life, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Results: Compared with normative data from community dwelling adults, participants traveled less distance on a Six-Minute Walk Test (1,376 ± 431** ft vs 1873±299) and had slower gait on a 10-Meter Walk Test (1.04±0.21 vs 1.39–1.46 m/s). Participants were slower to respond on the Nine Hole Peg Test (20.6±2.4s** for right & 21.7±2.4s** for left hand vs 16.5s to18.5s), and 2 had an abnormally slow reaction time via Dynavision (0.9s* [0.85,0.96], functional speed is <1.15s). 20% scored in the low average/borderline range of performance on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, suggesting potential cognitive impairment. On the Short Form-36, 75% reported limitations in their ability to fulfill life roles due to physical problems (25%±39%ile**), 75% reported below average energy (30%±23ile**), and 100% rated their health as unlikely to improve (32%±15%ile**). Fatigue Severity Scale scores were well above the median for a healthy population (47 [34,60.5]* vs 2.3). Median scores for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress were within the normal range, but moderately severe depression was reported by 4 participants. Participants reported moderate (4), severe (1), or extremely severe (1) anxiety; and 4 reported severe (2) or extremely severe (2) stress. Conclusions: Objective functional assessments indicate mild deficits, but participants self-reported significant limitations due to physical dysfunction, indicating that current objective testing may not be sufficient in the HPP population. Impaired reaction time may indicate potential safety concerns with driving or certain occupations, and screening may be indicated. A subgroup of participants was significantly affected by depression, stress, and/ or anxiety. Guidelines and additional assessment tools should be created to further evaluate physical and cognitive functioning among adults with HPP. The use of PT, OT, and SLP specialists can aid in establishing baseline assessment of impairment and developing treatment plans with objective metrics for assessing efficacy of treatment. *median **mean