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Assessment is at the core of high-quality education. When educators purposefully engage in assessment, the learning experiences and outcomes of all students, especially of students diagnosed with specific learning disabilities (SLDs), are improved. In this chapter, we discuss assessment as unfolding within a framework that includes purposes, processes, and tools of assessment existing in the educational context. We open the chapter with an explanation of this framework. Then, in Part 1, we review the construct of SLD and detail how assessment is used within prominent approaches to diagnosis. In Part 2, we discuss how assessment is used to inform instruction before and after diagnosis. We ground our discussion in a vignette that follows Tess, a student who, at the beginning of third grade, has undiagnosed SLD in the area of reading. We show how educators at Tess's school collaborate in the purposeful use of assessment to inform instruction before and after Tess's diagnosis of SLD, highlighting traditional and innovative assessment techniques along the way.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of a resource designed to support practitioners, who are not sexual health specialists, but who work with young people who may be at risk of teenage pregnancy or parenthood. Its aim was to enable practitioners to carry out an assessment using a screening tool, and to use educational interventions designed to reduce risk-taking behaviour or refer to a sexual health specialist. A research project to examine the perceptions of practitioners who had used the resource is reported.

The resource was based on a local needs assessment and developed by a multi-agency working group. The research utilised an online questionnaire and telephone interviews with practitioners.

Practitioners reported using the screening tool with young people with an average age of 13.1 years. They thought the educational interventions provided knowledge and helped with communication, self-awareness, reflection, confidence, attitudes and values clarification.

The project was based in one county in England. A sample of 17 per cent of the practitioners responded to the questionnaire, and they might be biased towards those who had engaged most, or most positively, with the resource. Three practitioners undertook interviews. The views and behaviours of young people are yet to be evaluated.

Within a climate of limited resources, the findings suggest that the project is providing an acceptable proportionate universalist, early sexual health intervention for young people.

This paper aims to assess the reliability, validity and use of the Family Star Plus, one of several Outcomes Stars increasingly used as part of outcomes-based accountability approaches in the delivery of family support services. The Family Star Plus measures progress towards effective parenting but a lack of evidence exists on its psychometric properties and suitability for use as an outcomes tool.

Based on data from 1,255 families receiving a pilot support service, Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the internal reliability of the 10-item scale, while principal component analysis (PCA) examined the number of constructs in the tool. Using matched data from evaluation of 80 families, correlations between the Family Star Plus and psychometrically validated tools were used to assess concurrent validity. Findings from a process evaluation explore practical issues around use of the tool.

Cronbach’s alpha indicated sufficient internal reliability of the Family Star Plus; however, the PCA raised questions concerning the internal validity the Star. Correlations between the Star and validated tools were not strong enough to support concurrent validity of the Star. Process evaluation findings highlight inconsistencies in Family Star Plus data capture, which may explain these differences.

Further work is required before the Family Star Plus can be considered for use as an outcome measure.

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first peer-reviewed analysis of the psychometric qualities of the Family Star Plus.

This study aims to examine the existing literature on sleep-related interventions and confirm the intervention methods and their effectiveness led by occupational therapists.

All the relevant literature published from 2010 to June 31, 2022, in five prominent databases were searched using the five-stage review framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley.

In this review, four types of sleep-related interventions were led by occupational therapists (tool use, exercise program, sleep education and occupational-based program). When the intervention was analyzed based on its content, occupational therapists demonstrated excellent ability in interventions based on sensory intervention and lifestyle redesign.

Various factors cause sleep problems; hence, the development of individualized and extensive occupational therapy intervention methods is required.

Building on the introduction to positive psychology and positive education in Chapter 1, the aim of Chapter 3 is to focus on wellbeing and positive education in secondary schools. This includes an overview of approaches to intervening in mental health (‘traditional’ and those which draw on the principles of positive psychology) that have been used in schools, and the factors that can influence their outcomes. When and how to apply interventions across three levels: the system, the community, and the individual, are also explored, alongside four different approaches: whole school, whole class, small group, and one-to-one. The chapter draws on up-to-date research and practical experience in secondary school settings, and includes a case study of Positive Psychology in Practice, based on the delivery (by the author) of a multi-component PPI (mPPI) – The Hummingbird Project, which has now been delivered to approximately 4,000 students in 24 secondary schools across the North West of England. The effectiveness of the mPPI, key lessons learned and insights gained are shared, including how to overcome the challenges of working in a culture not conducive to positive education.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize studies that have examined patient safety culture in maternity units and describe the different purposes, study designs and tools reported in these studies while highlighting gaps in the literature.

Peer-reviewed studies, published in English during 1961–2016 across eight electronic databases, were subjected to a narrative literature review.

Among 100 articles considered, 28 met the inclusion criteria. The main purposes for studying PSC were: assessing intervention effects on PSC (n=17), and assessing PSC level (n=7). Patient safety culture was mostly assessed quantitatively using validated questionnaires (n=23). The Safety Attitude Questionnaire was the most commonly used questionnaire (n=17). Interventions varied from a single action lasting five weeks to a more comprehensive four year package. The time between baseline and follow-up assessment varied from 6 to 24 months. No study reported measurement or intervention costs, and none incorporated the patient’s voice in assessing PSC.

Assessing PSC in maternity units is feasible using validated questionnaires. Interventions to enhance PSC have not been rigorously evaluated. Future studies should report PSC measurement costs, adopt more rigorous evaluation designs and find ways to incorporate the patient’s voice.

This review summarized studies examining PSC in a highly important area and highlighted main limitations that future studies should consider.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the study results conducted at a four-year university in Hawaii investigating the impact of providing nursing students with an educational intervention session aimed at improving cultural competence.

A descriptive-correlational research method was used to examine the correlations between a control group and experimental group using pre-and post-tests. The t-test for equality of means and Levene’s test for equality of variances were conducted for statistical analysis on pre-and post-test scores. In addition, a power analysis was conducted due to the small sample size.

The control group receiving no intervention scored lower on the post-test in overall competency by five points, while the experimental group increased their post-score by five points after receiving the intervention; however, this increase did not change the overall cultural competence score. The results indicate that the educational intervention of a two-hour didactic, discussion and presentation did not provide as robust as what was needed to increase domain scores for the experimental group. Further, the domains of awareness, skill, knowledge, encounter and desire cannot be taught by instruction alone and should be reinforced over time.

The study was a convenience sample and limited by the small sample size. The sample may not be representative of all senior nursing students. The study is limited to one school of nursing in Hawaii; the results may not be generalized to other populations.

This research provides a foundation for future curriculum development and the evaluation of nursing programs. For instance, incorporating a value-added instructional project on cultural competence into each nursing class would increase cultural competence awareness and knowledge.

This study also emphasizes the necessity of education in cultural competence for all health professionals, which has implications for improving quality, patient satisfaction and increased health outcomes.

This research is unique to examining and applying an educational intervention on cultural competence for nursing students in Hawaii. This research sheds light on studying the importance of culture competence for nursing students and other health professionals. This is not a skill that can be taught in one class or only even a single immersion experience and should be acquired over time where continuing education and encounters are necessary in order to become culturally competent; this will enable health professionals to provide meaningful and appropriate care to patients.

Evaluation of any given student's responsiveness to intervention depends not only on how effective the intervention is, but also whether the intervention was delivered as intended as well as in the appropriate format and according to the most useful schedule. These latter elements are referred to as treatment integrity and treatment intensity, respectively. The purpose of this chapter is to define and describe how treatment integrity and intensity can be incorporated in the evaluation of outcomes associated with individualized intervention delivery.

A comprehensive intervention test platform, Valla Coach, including quantitative and qualitative methods to measure and improve work flows on site and promote coaching and collective learning has been developed jointly by researchers and practitioner. The study aims to describe the methodological underpinning of the platform, and discusses the preliminary results and implications.

Expansive Learning Theory grounded in a cultural–historical perspective underpins the conceptual realisation of the test platform. The viability of the platform was tested in four contextually different construction sites (and contractors), combining established and new measurement tools, qualitative intervention approaches and coaching according to the production challenges at hand.

Valla Coach created a space on site where researchers-as-coaches and operatives converged to co-construct (new) knowledge and learn together. The knowledge that emerged from the interactions gained legitimacy through its situatedness and practical value for the operatives.

Valla Coach provides opportunities for researchers and practitioners to probe the taken-for-granted. Moreover, a variety of methods and tools are tested in different contexts. The interventions prompt questioning of assumptions and make contradictions visible. Valla Coach remains work-in-progress and needs further evaluation and validation.

We contribute insights from negotiating socio-technical complexities, evaluating digital measurement tools and technologies and experiences of operatives. Tensions at the interface between the organisation and project are rendered visible.

A bottom–up approach that is a combination of practice-based tools and methods and of theories of learning and sustainable and continuous improvements where the operators are the main actors that enable productive activity.

This paper aims to present a discursive and evaluative analysis of Energy + Illawarra, an Australian Government Low Income Energy Efficiency Program (LIEEP) funded interdisciplinary social marketing energy efficiency programme. Energy + Illawarra was a community programme working with low-income older people in Australia and involving social marketers, human geographers and engineers. The paper aims to identify how ecological systems theory can inform social marketing, and what practicalities there may be in doing so. The paper also aims to assess whether a social marketing programme that draws on ecological systems theory can have a positive impact on people’s thermal comfort.

First, the paper uses critical discursive analysis to examine the use of various elements of a social marketing energy efficiency programme in relation to the different levels of ecological systems theory. Second, a longitudinal cohort survey study design is used to evaluate the programme’s influence on people’s perceptions of thermal comfort and satisfaction with thermal comfort in their homes.

The study found that ecological systems theory could be an effective framework for social marketing programmes. The evaluation study found that the intervention had a positive impact on participant’s perceptions of thermal comfort, satisfaction with thermal comfort and attitudes towards energy efficiency. However, the paper identifies some potential tensions in using ecological systems theory and suggests that issues of power, representation, agenda setting, the need for reflexive practice and consideration of unintended consequences are important considerations in social marketing programmes.

The work presented here suggests that multi-level social marketing programmes that draw on ecological systems theory can make a useful contribution to social change as demonstrated by the evaluation survey finding positive impacts on thermal comfort and attitudes of participants. However, issues of power, representation, agenda setting, the need for reflexive practice and consideration of unintended consequences should be considered in social marketing programmes.