Peter Mulhall - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Peter Mulhall
Middle School Journal, 2002
The Project on High Performance Learning Communities: Applying the Land-Grant Model to School Reform
Phi Delta Kappan, 1997
Aging--Let's Look Before We Leap: The Effects of Physical Activity on Smoking and Drinking Patterns
Journal of alcohol and drug education
Drinking and smoking habits of a group of college students did not change after a 15-week period ... more Drinking and smoking habits of a group of college students did not change after a 15-week period of exercises. Results indicate a conscious commitment to changing life-styles may be an important factor and should be considered before physical activites are added to drug and alcohol abuse programs. (Author/JAC)
The impact of middle school reform for the middle years: Longitudinal study of a network engaged in Turning Points-based comprehensive school transformation
Phi Delta Kappan
Research on Middle School Renewal: How Familiar Are Parents with Middle Level Practices?
Research on Middle School Renewal: Are Middle Level Principals an Endangered Species?
Evaluation of an Authority Innovation-Decision: Brief Alcohol Intervention for Pregnant Women Receiving Women, Infants, and Children Services at Two Illinois Health Departments
Substance Use & Misuse, 2014
Despite the availability of clinical tools and evidence-based screening recommendations, there ha... more Despite the availability of clinical tools and evidence-based screening recommendations, there has been little discussion regarding screening of prenatal alcohol exposure in community-based settings, including adoption and implementation. This study's aim is to evaluate and validate--through surveys and focus groups--obstacles and challenges that shape efficacious implementation of the BAI at two Illinois health departments. Results suggest that BAI implementation is facilitated by staff perceptions of its benefits, readiness to implement the intervention, and organizational support for it. Limitations of the management information system, ambiguous screening questions, and high case-loads present barriers to effective BAI implementation.
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2005
Purpose: To describe coalition membership, examine associations between coalition processes and s... more Purpose: To describe coalition membership, examine associations between coalition processes and short-term coalition outcomes, and assess the relative contribution of key coalition processes to perceived accomplishments in teen pregnancy prevention coalitions. Methods: A self-administered survey was distributed to active members of 21 teen pregnancy prevention coalitions in 13 communities. The overall response rate was 67%, with 471 surveys returned. Process measures included staff competence, member influence in decision making, and coalition functioning. Short-term outcome measures included perceived accomplishments, member satisfaction, member participation, and coalition viability. Results: About 50% of coalition members represented health or teen pregnancy prevention or youth development service organizations, with 13% participating primarily as residents or youth. None of the process measures were associated with coalition viability (defined as active 2 years post-survey). Many bivariate associations between coalition processes and other short-term outcomes were significant at the individual and coalition levels of analysis. In a multivariate random coefficients model, coalition functioning (p Ͻ.001) and member influence in decision making (p ϭ .019) were significantly associated with perceived coalition accomplishments. Conclusion: Consistent with research on coalitions that have addressed other health issues, good coalition processes were associated with short-term indicators of effectiveness in these teen preg-
The Journal of Primary Prevention, 2003
This paper researches the impact of the contextual characteristics of the community on self-repor... more This paper researches the impact of the contextual characteristics of the community on self-reported 8th grade ATOD use. The study addresses a criticism of past research by relying on objective measures of community contextual characteristics and aggregated data from self-reported, individual substance use surveys. By analyzing 40 counties in the state of Illinois, we test the results of multivariate models
Development and Psychopathology, 2003
The influence of perceived teacher support on trajectories of depression and self-esteem in middl... more The influence of perceived teacher support on trajectories of depression and self-esteem in middle school was examined using multigroup latent growth cross-domain models. A longitudinal sample of 2,585 students was followed from the sixth through the eighth grades. Students' perceptions of teacher support and general self-esteem declined and depressive symptoms increased over the course of middle school. We further found that, for both boys and girls, changes in perceptions of teachers' support reliably predicted changes in both self-esteem and depression. In particular, those students perceiving increasing teacher support showed corresponding decreases in depressive symptoms and increases in self-esteem. Gender differences were found for the initial levels of both perceptions of teacher support and general self-esteem. A competing model was also tested, which gave additional support for pathways of influence from perceptions of teacher support to depression and self-esteem,...
Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Proximal Environmental Experiences, and Socioemotional and Academic Adjustment in Early Adolescence: Investigation of a Mediated Effects Model
Child Development, 1995
This study investigated interrelations among conditions of household socioeconomic disadvantage, ... more This study investigated interrelations among conditions of household socioeconomic disadvantage, proximal environmental experiences, and adaptational outcomes in a sample of 398 middle grade, early adolescents from a predominantly poor, rural area. Findings indicated that levels of disadvantage were related to both socioemotional and academic adjustment, with those from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds faring most poorly. Specifically, youth from homes in which adults were employed in low-income, unskilled occupations were found to have lower levels of school performance and achievement compared to those from homes in which adults were employed in higher paying semi-skilled or skilled/professional occupations. Further, youth from families in which neither parent had graduated from high school exhibited significantly worse socioemotional and academic adjustment than did those whose parents had higher educational levels. Youth who lived in relatively disadvantaged homes also reported more negative experiences of proximal environmental conditions relating to family and school contexts and greater exposure to stressful life events. Most notably, findings provided support for employing an ecological-mediational perspective to understand patterns of linkage between socioeconomic disadvantage and levels of adjustment. Support for this viewpoint included the finding that proximal environmental experiences were significant predictors of adolescent adjustment, independent of shared variance with conditions of household disadvantage, whereas conditions of disadvantage in several instances were no longer related significantly to indices of adjustment once their association with proximal environmental conditions was taken into account. The discussion considers implications for the targeting and scope of ecologically oriented approaches to preventive intervention.
How teaming influences classroom practices
Middle School Journal, 2000
Successful middle grades class-rooms come in many differ-ent shapes and sizes. Some are colorful ... more Successful middle grades class-rooms come in many differ-ent shapes and sizes. Some are colorful and stress creativity. Others are open and welcoming. All are active laboratories for the goals and programs of the school. Although schools operate on mul-tiple levels ...
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
Teacher Views on Collaborative Review of Student Work
Middle School Journal, Nov 1, 2005
Examining student work is not a new concept. Teachers have always spent a great deal of time grad... more Examining student work is not a new concept. Teachers have always spent a great deal of time grading student work and planning assignments for students. Historically, however, when teachers have looked at student work, they have generally done so alone rather than collectively (Little, Gearhart, Curry, & Kafka, 2003). These individual assessments of student work remain very important, and the process of collaboratively reviewing student work is not meant to replace them (Center for Collaborative Education, 2001). Rather, collaborative review of student work is meant to enhance a
Frontiers in Public Health, 2012
Research reviews have identified a gap in understanding the diversity of health department govern... more Research reviews have identified a gap in understanding the diversity of health department governance structures and in understanding how the variations in governing relates to health outcomes. This report details the categorization of local public health governance and reveals that certain governance types may be better suited to achieve better population health outcomes. State systems achieve the poorest health outcomes, but the best health outcomes are achieved when the political branches have a key role in local public health governance. Public health systems should consider greater local control and involvement in governance; but local governance should include the political branches -and even the state -to achieve more positive health outcomes.
RMLE Online, 2017
This article presents the results of a study examining the highest implementers of the Schools to... more This article presents the results of a study examining the highest implementers of the Schools to Watch (STW): School Transformation Network Project, and the impact the project had on their teaching/learning practices and outcomes. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Investing in Innovation (i3) grant program and was designed to improve the educational practices, experiences, and outcomes of 18 low-performing middle grades schools in California, Illinois, and North Carolina by offering a whole school reform model with a multilayered system of support. The framework for the project was the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform's STW criteria, a set of strategies and practices for middle grades schools. The data presented were collected as part of the project's evaluation which used a quasiexperimental design. Data are from the Forum's STW Rubric and the Center for Prevention Research and Development's (CPRD) Self-Study Teacher Survey from project schools, as well as student achievement test scores from project and comparison schools. The findings showed that the highest implemented STW Project schools achieved higher levels of implementation of the STW criteria, teacher collaboration, leadership practices, and best middle grades instructional practices, and showed significant improvement in mathematics achievement.
Are Middle Level Principals an Endangered Species?
Middle School Journal, 2004
Much has been written and recommended regarding the critical role of the principal as a transform... more Much has been written and recommended regarding the critical role of the principal as a transformational leader in the educational success of middle grade students (Anfara, Andrews, Hough, Mertens, Mizelle, & White, 2003; Clark & Clark, 2002; Jackson & Davis, 2000). What makes up this role and how it plays out in middle grades settings is a complex and poorly understood phenomenon. At the same time that national attention is being placed on the role of leadership in improving school achievement, educators and policymakers have become increasingly concerned about a potential principal shortage and apprehensive that a shortage of qualified principals will seriously affect middle grades reform. For example, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) reports that by 2005 almost 40% of public school administrators will be eligible to retire and that through 2006 the state will need approximately 2,100 new public school principals, assistant principals, and other school administrators (ISBE, 2003). Since middle grades comprise a majority of Illinois schools and serve a significant part of the student population, the impact of a principal shortage for the middle grades could be very serious. This problem is not unique to Illinois; it is a national issue that many states are either currently facing or are likely to face in the future. The results of this study have national implications for proposed solutions and recommendations to address this critical issue. In late 2003, the Center for Prevention Research and Development at the University of Illinois partnered with the Illinois Principals Association (IPA) to assess the status of principals in terms of current and future labor supply, and some of the major factors that influence the decision to become a principal. Although the larger study examined high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, this article focuses on the results of respondents from current and prospective middle grades principals in Illinois. The overall goals of the study were to address the following three questions:
Early Adolescent Participation in Physical Activity: Correlates with Individual and Family Characteristics
Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2011
Background:Early adolescence is developmental period when youth begin to shift exercise and physi... more Background:Early adolescence is developmental period when youth begin to shift exercise and physical activity patterns toward increased sedentary living. The major causes and contributing factors to this change are poorly understood. This study examines the relationship between sociodemographic factors, behavioral and family factors that influence physical activity patterns of middle grades students.Methods:The 1578 youth ranged in age from 12 (22%) to 13 (78%) and were divided between white (65%), African American (19%), and Hispanic (16%) subpopulations, with 37% overall qualifying for reduced-price or free school lunches. The assumptions for Analysis of Covariance versus Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were examined, with the final results reported separately for attitudes toward exercise as predictors and sociodemographic variables and measures of family functioning as predictors.Results:Positive attitudes were more strongly associated than were negative attitudes with exercise. Of...
The impact of school reform for the middle grades: A longitudinal study of a network engaged in Turning Points–based comprehensive school transformation
Preparing Adolescents for the Twenty-First Century, 1997
Individual and School Predictors of Middle School Aggression
Youth & Society, 2007
Hierarchical linear modeling is used to assess individual student, family, and school predictors ... more Hierarchical linear modeling is used to assess individual student, family, and school predictors of aggression in 111,662 students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Nine measures of problem-solving strategies, quality of family and peer interaction, and perceptions of school climate are analyzed at the individual student level. Eight measures of school climate are included in the analysis at the school level. Aggression is operationalized with student self-report of the previous 6-month frequency of hitting others, being mean to others, and getting into a fight. At the level of the individual student, measures of problem solving were most strongly predictive of aggression. Inclusion of students in policy and rule processes, cultural sensitivity education, and teaching that emphasizes understanding over memorization were significant predictors of aggression at the school level. The potential for abatement of student aggression across individual and school levels offers opportunit...
Middle School Journal, 2002
The Project on High Performance Learning Communities: Applying the Land-Grant Model to School Reform
Phi Delta Kappan, 1997
Aging--Let's Look Before We Leap: The Effects of Physical Activity on Smoking and Drinking Patterns
Journal of alcohol and drug education
Drinking and smoking habits of a group of college students did not change after a 15-week period ... more Drinking and smoking habits of a group of college students did not change after a 15-week period of exercises. Results indicate a conscious commitment to changing life-styles may be an important factor and should be considered before physical activites are added to drug and alcohol abuse programs. (Author/JAC)
The impact of middle school reform for the middle years: Longitudinal study of a network engaged in Turning Points-based comprehensive school transformation
Phi Delta Kappan
Research on Middle School Renewal: How Familiar Are Parents with Middle Level Practices?
Research on Middle School Renewal: Are Middle Level Principals an Endangered Species?
Evaluation of an Authority Innovation-Decision: Brief Alcohol Intervention for Pregnant Women Receiving Women, Infants, and Children Services at Two Illinois Health Departments
Substance Use & Misuse, 2014
Despite the availability of clinical tools and evidence-based screening recommendations, there ha... more Despite the availability of clinical tools and evidence-based screening recommendations, there has been little discussion regarding screening of prenatal alcohol exposure in community-based settings, including adoption and implementation. This study's aim is to evaluate and validate--through surveys and focus groups--obstacles and challenges that shape efficacious implementation of the BAI at two Illinois health departments. Results suggest that BAI implementation is facilitated by staff perceptions of its benefits, readiness to implement the intervention, and organizational support for it. Limitations of the management information system, ambiguous screening questions, and high case-loads present barriers to effective BAI implementation.
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2005
Purpose: To describe coalition membership, examine associations between coalition processes and s... more Purpose: To describe coalition membership, examine associations between coalition processes and short-term coalition outcomes, and assess the relative contribution of key coalition processes to perceived accomplishments in teen pregnancy prevention coalitions. Methods: A self-administered survey was distributed to active members of 21 teen pregnancy prevention coalitions in 13 communities. The overall response rate was 67%, with 471 surveys returned. Process measures included staff competence, member influence in decision making, and coalition functioning. Short-term outcome measures included perceived accomplishments, member satisfaction, member participation, and coalition viability. Results: About 50% of coalition members represented health or teen pregnancy prevention or youth development service organizations, with 13% participating primarily as residents or youth. None of the process measures were associated with coalition viability (defined as active 2 years post-survey). Many bivariate associations between coalition processes and other short-term outcomes were significant at the individual and coalition levels of analysis. In a multivariate random coefficients model, coalition functioning (p Ͻ.001) and member influence in decision making (p ϭ .019) were significantly associated with perceived coalition accomplishments. Conclusion: Consistent with research on coalitions that have addressed other health issues, good coalition processes were associated with short-term indicators of effectiveness in these teen preg-
The Journal of Primary Prevention, 2003
This paper researches the impact of the contextual characteristics of the community on self-repor... more This paper researches the impact of the contextual characteristics of the community on self-reported 8th grade ATOD use. The study addresses a criticism of past research by relying on objective measures of community contextual characteristics and aggregated data from self-reported, individual substance use surveys. By analyzing 40 counties in the state of Illinois, we test the results of multivariate models
Development and Psychopathology, 2003
The influence of perceived teacher support on trajectories of depression and self-esteem in middl... more The influence of perceived teacher support on trajectories of depression and self-esteem in middle school was examined using multigroup latent growth cross-domain models. A longitudinal sample of 2,585 students was followed from the sixth through the eighth grades. Students' perceptions of teacher support and general self-esteem declined and depressive symptoms increased over the course of middle school. We further found that, for both boys and girls, changes in perceptions of teachers' support reliably predicted changes in both self-esteem and depression. In particular, those students perceiving increasing teacher support showed corresponding decreases in depressive symptoms and increases in self-esteem. Gender differences were found for the initial levels of both perceptions of teacher support and general self-esteem. A competing model was also tested, which gave additional support for pathways of influence from perceptions of teacher support to depression and self-esteem,...
Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Proximal Environmental Experiences, and Socioemotional and Academic Adjustment in Early Adolescence: Investigation of a Mediated Effects Model
Child Development, 1995
This study investigated interrelations among conditions of household socioeconomic disadvantage, ... more This study investigated interrelations among conditions of household socioeconomic disadvantage, proximal environmental experiences, and adaptational outcomes in a sample of 398 middle grade, early adolescents from a predominantly poor, rural area. Findings indicated that levels of disadvantage were related to both socioemotional and academic adjustment, with those from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds faring most poorly. Specifically, youth from homes in which adults were employed in low-income, unskilled occupations were found to have lower levels of school performance and achievement compared to those from homes in which adults were employed in higher paying semi-skilled or skilled/professional occupations. Further, youth from families in which neither parent had graduated from high school exhibited significantly worse socioemotional and academic adjustment than did those whose parents had higher educational levels. Youth who lived in relatively disadvantaged homes also reported more negative experiences of proximal environmental conditions relating to family and school contexts and greater exposure to stressful life events. Most notably, findings provided support for employing an ecological-mediational perspective to understand patterns of linkage between socioeconomic disadvantage and levels of adjustment. Support for this viewpoint included the finding that proximal environmental experiences were significant predictors of adolescent adjustment, independent of shared variance with conditions of household disadvantage, whereas conditions of disadvantage in several instances were no longer related significantly to indices of adjustment once their association with proximal environmental conditions was taken into account. The discussion considers implications for the targeting and scope of ecologically oriented approaches to preventive intervention.
How teaming influences classroom practices
Middle School Journal, 2000
Successful middle grades class-rooms come in many differ-ent shapes and sizes. Some are colorful ... more Successful middle grades class-rooms come in many differ-ent shapes and sizes. Some are colorful and stress creativity. Others are open and welcoming. All are active laboratories for the goals and programs of the school. Although schools operate on mul-tiple levels ...
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
Teacher Views on Collaborative Review of Student Work
Middle School Journal, Nov 1, 2005
Examining student work is not a new concept. Teachers have always spent a great deal of time grad... more Examining student work is not a new concept. Teachers have always spent a great deal of time grading student work and planning assignments for students. Historically, however, when teachers have looked at student work, they have generally done so alone rather than collectively (Little, Gearhart, Curry, & Kafka, 2003). These individual assessments of student work remain very important, and the process of collaboratively reviewing student work is not meant to replace them (Center for Collaborative Education, 2001). Rather, collaborative review of student work is meant to enhance a
Frontiers in Public Health, 2012
Research reviews have identified a gap in understanding the diversity of health department govern... more Research reviews have identified a gap in understanding the diversity of health department governance structures and in understanding how the variations in governing relates to health outcomes. This report details the categorization of local public health governance and reveals that certain governance types may be better suited to achieve better population health outcomes. State systems achieve the poorest health outcomes, but the best health outcomes are achieved when the political branches have a key role in local public health governance. Public health systems should consider greater local control and involvement in governance; but local governance should include the political branches -and even the state -to achieve more positive health outcomes.
RMLE Online, 2017
This article presents the results of a study examining the highest implementers of the Schools to... more This article presents the results of a study examining the highest implementers of the Schools to Watch (STW): School Transformation Network Project, and the impact the project had on their teaching/learning practices and outcomes. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Investing in Innovation (i3) grant program and was designed to improve the educational practices, experiences, and outcomes of 18 low-performing middle grades schools in California, Illinois, and North Carolina by offering a whole school reform model with a multilayered system of support. The framework for the project was the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform's STW criteria, a set of strategies and practices for middle grades schools. The data presented were collected as part of the project's evaluation which used a quasiexperimental design. Data are from the Forum's STW Rubric and the Center for Prevention Research and Development's (CPRD) Self-Study Teacher Survey from project schools, as well as student achievement test scores from project and comparison schools. The findings showed that the highest implemented STW Project schools achieved higher levels of implementation of the STW criteria, teacher collaboration, leadership practices, and best middle grades instructional practices, and showed significant improvement in mathematics achievement.
Are Middle Level Principals an Endangered Species?
Middle School Journal, 2004
Much has been written and recommended regarding the critical role of the principal as a transform... more Much has been written and recommended regarding the critical role of the principal as a transformational leader in the educational success of middle grade students (Anfara, Andrews, Hough, Mertens, Mizelle, & White, 2003; Clark & Clark, 2002; Jackson & Davis, 2000). What makes up this role and how it plays out in middle grades settings is a complex and poorly understood phenomenon. At the same time that national attention is being placed on the role of leadership in improving school achievement, educators and policymakers have become increasingly concerned about a potential principal shortage and apprehensive that a shortage of qualified principals will seriously affect middle grades reform. For example, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) reports that by 2005 almost 40% of public school administrators will be eligible to retire and that through 2006 the state will need approximately 2,100 new public school principals, assistant principals, and other school administrators (ISBE, 2003). Since middle grades comprise a majority of Illinois schools and serve a significant part of the student population, the impact of a principal shortage for the middle grades could be very serious. This problem is not unique to Illinois; it is a national issue that many states are either currently facing or are likely to face in the future. The results of this study have national implications for proposed solutions and recommendations to address this critical issue. In late 2003, the Center for Prevention Research and Development at the University of Illinois partnered with the Illinois Principals Association (IPA) to assess the status of principals in terms of current and future labor supply, and some of the major factors that influence the decision to become a principal. Although the larger study examined high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, this article focuses on the results of respondents from current and prospective middle grades principals in Illinois. The overall goals of the study were to address the following three questions:
Early Adolescent Participation in Physical Activity: Correlates with Individual and Family Characteristics
Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2011
Background:Early adolescence is developmental period when youth begin to shift exercise and physi... more Background:Early adolescence is developmental period when youth begin to shift exercise and physical activity patterns toward increased sedentary living. The major causes and contributing factors to this change are poorly understood. This study examines the relationship between sociodemographic factors, behavioral and family factors that influence physical activity patterns of middle grades students.Methods:The 1578 youth ranged in age from 12 (22%) to 13 (78%) and were divided between white (65%), African American (19%), and Hispanic (16%) subpopulations, with 37% overall qualifying for reduced-price or free school lunches. The assumptions for Analysis of Covariance versus Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were examined, with the final results reported separately for attitudes toward exercise as predictors and sociodemographic variables and measures of family functioning as predictors.Results:Positive attitudes were more strongly associated than were negative attitudes with exercise. Of...
The impact of school reform for the middle grades: A longitudinal study of a network engaged in Turning Points–based comprehensive school transformation
Preparing Adolescents for the Twenty-First Century, 1997
Individual and School Predictors of Middle School Aggression
Youth & Society, 2007
Hierarchical linear modeling is used to assess individual student, family, and school predictors ... more Hierarchical linear modeling is used to assess individual student, family, and school predictors of aggression in 111,662 students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Nine measures of problem-solving strategies, quality of family and peer interaction, and perceptions of school climate are analyzed at the individual student level. Eight measures of school climate are included in the analysis at the school level. Aggression is operationalized with student self-report of the previous 6-month frequency of hitting others, being mean to others, and getting into a fight. At the level of the individual student, measures of problem solving were most strongly predictive of aggression. Inclusion of students in policy and rule processes, cultural sensitivity education, and teaching that emphasizes understanding over memorization were significant predictors of aggression at the school level. The potential for abatement of student aggression across individual and school levels offers opportunit...