Florida's developmental education reform has benefitted most students directly impacted by the reform and has helped to reduce existing achievement gaps by race/ethnicity, English Language Learner status, and academic preparation in short-term outcomes like college course-taking and credit accumulation. Even though the reform was not specifically…

Teachers today operate in highly politicized accountability environments where quick results, typically measured by K-12 test scores, are demanded. Although focusing on student learning outcomes is critical, equally essential is assuring that teacher learning opportunities which can strengthen instruction are available to teachers. A decade ago,…

Executive Order 99-281 (1999), commonly known as the "One Florida Initiative," abolished affirmative action policies in university admissions, state employment, and state contracting. This dissertation studies the impact that the implementation of this initiative has had on the admission, retention and graduation rates of minority…

This report describes the development, implementation, and impact of pupil weighting education finance systems in Florida, Utah, and New Mexico. Data, which were analyzed for pre- and post-reform periods, came from public documents and interviews with 217 state and local officials. Topics covered by the report include a general overview of the…

A study surveyed county vocational directors in Florida to determine their equity concerns as well as their perceptions of the potential success of various program strategies. Results indicated that urban and rural districts had different equity concerns. Urban vocational directors perceived a greater degree of overall concern with all ten equity…

A discussion of concurrent enrollment programs, in which high school students can enroll in college-level courses before graduation and simultaneously receive credit for their diplomas and receive college credit, shows how such programs can address concerns about high school-college articulation and describes several program models in action. Two…