Quality teachers are the single greatest determinant of student achievement. Teacher education, ability, and experience account for more variation in student achievement than all other factors. Studies have found that 40 to 90 percent of the difference in student test scores can be attributed to teacher quality. Knowing the subject matter,…

A collaborative study surveyed cooperative vocational education teachers (N=59) and secondary special education teachers (N=16) from metropolitan, urban, and rural school districts in Washington State regarding (1) the number of physically or mentally disabled youth who are enrolled in and placed on jobs from cooperative education classes; (2)…

This booklet is designed to help parents, educators, and communities facilitate parent and family involvement in the education of their children. Eight chapters provide: (1) a discussion of the basics of parent involvement, including the benefits of parent involvement, elements common to successful parent involvement programs, and types of parent…

A four-week summer project for 100 rural tenth graders in the University of Alabama's Biomedical Sciences Preparation Program (BioPrep) enabled students to acquire and apply social sciences research skills. The students investigated drinking water quality in three rural Alabama counties by interviewing local officials, health workers, and…