Background. Research studies have examined CBMs as predictors of standardized test performance; however, no studies have examined the possible predictive relationship between CBMs and the MAP test with a diverse population in the state of Nebraska. Purpose. This study measures the efficacy of using curriculum-based measurements, oral reading fluency and maze, as predictors of performance on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) in the state of Nebraska. Methods and Results. Archival data were collected from a public elementary school in Nebraska, which enrolls diverse students from many cultural backgrounds. The participants of this study were 376 elementary students in 2nd through 5th grade. The participants took the CBM oral reading fluency, maze, and MAP reading assessments in the Spring and Fall Semesters of the year 2009. The findings of this study indicated that the oral reading fluency and the combination of oral reading fluency and maze scores significantly predicted MAP reading scores (p < .05) in both semesters. Conclusions. The evidence obtained in the present study suggests the idea of using oral reading fluency to monitor students’ progress and to use it to target students who are at-risk of failing high-stakes reading tests.

The goal of providing early intervention services is to decrease costs to society by decreasing the need for special services in school and beyond (Carpenter, 2007; Jacob, Hartshorne, 2007). Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare the perceived importance of infant mental health services and the perceived performance of these services as provided in the United States and Lithuania. Material and methods. A questionnaire was created by the researcher and comparisons were made for importance and performance as rated by Lithuanian students as compared to that rated by students and practitioners in the United States. Results. Results indicated that both Lithuanian and American respondents rated significant differences between importance and performance of services. When groups were compared, Lithuanian students rated “services provided in the appropriate environment” significantly higher in importance than American respondents. American students and practitioners rated “services being coordinated by a single agency” as being performed signifiantly better than Lithuanian students’ ratings. Conclusion. This study brings awareness to the international differences that exist when providing early intervention services to students.

Background. The death of a parent may have a profound negative impact on student’s academic achievement, as a parent plays a large role in most children’s academic development. Purpose. The purpose of this research was to better determine what types of struggles a student faces following the loss of a parent by death. Methods and Results. Previous research was analyzed to help determine what manifestations are more significant following parental death. Results indicate the following: academic achievement is not researched enough to state whether it is specifically impacted by parental loss through death, elementary and secondary age groups are the most academically impacted, a child’s developmental level contributes to their reaction to parental death, a student’s emotional well-being is the most commonly researched manifestation, and University faculty are the most common publishers of this topic from previous research. Conclusions. Further research regarding the impact of a parental death on students is recommended.

Background. Ethnicity, language and poverty have all been linked to the academic achievement of children within our educational system. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine if ethnicity, ELL and poverty are indicative of third, fourth, and fifth grade performance on the Nebraska State Accountability Reading Test (NeSA-R). Methods and Results. An archival data set was volunteered by an elementary school in a small Midwestern town. The data set for the ethnicity portion included 347 students from two schools combined, while the data set for the poverty/ELL subset included 197 students from only one of the schools as the other did not have poverty/ELL data. An analysis of the data concluded that ethnicity is not a significant factor in the performance scores on the NeSA reading test among the three ethnic groups (p> .05). Additional analysis of the data set concluded that there is a significant difference between students who receive free and reduced lunch and are ELL and students who only receive free and reduced lunch (t(195)=6.551, p<.05). Conclusions. The findings of this study provide implications that ethnicity alone will not have a significant impact on student performance on the NeSA-R. Results indicated the students who are likely to have the lowest scores on this standardized, high-stakes test are those who are ELL and receiving free and reduced lunch. Thus, providing implications for how the results of this standardized test are used when looking at the scores of students from diverse backgrounds.

Background. Schools can play a significant role in preventing the negative effects of harassment and bias while enhancing resiliency of LGBTQ youth. Through establishing strong, supportive, and safe school environments for sexual minority youth, schools can help increase achievement for all students. Purpose. This study is designed to investigate the extent to which schools in Nebraska perceive LGBTQ youth issues as important and to what extent they are addressing the needs of these students. Methods and Results. A survey was sent to 100 Nebraska schools grades 6-12. Participants rated the importance of LGBTQ issues within their school and the extent to which their school is implementing the best practice strategies using a 5-point Likert scale. Results indicate that school personnel rated the importance of each of the nine best practice items significantly higher (p<.05) than the school’s performance on implementing those practices including: specific language, policy enforcement, educating staff, inclusive curriculum, resources available, neutral language, safe person, gay-straight alliance, and community resources. Conclusions. School personnel in Nebraska feel that including LGBTQ practices within the school environment is important but schools should be increasing their implementation of these practices. Through establishing a safe, strong, and supporting environment for sexual minority youth, schools can help increase achievement for all students.