The basic components of apprenticeships are the same today as in 1937, when the National Apprenticeship Act set the foundation for apprenticeships in the United States. Apprentices enter into a structured training program of classroom and paid on-the-job training under the guidance of a mentor. As their skills increase, so do their wages. Upon…

The PDS Partnership between the University of Central Florida and Friendship Elementary School, a Title 1 school in Volusia County, focused on the National Association for Professional Development Schools' (PDS) "Essentials" in order to establish a shared vision of success for pre-service teachers. Key leaders from both the school and…

An effective faculty is essential to student success, and faculty development programs help sustain that effectiveness. Central to the faculty development programs at Hillsborough Community College (HCC) in Tampa, Florida, is the philosophy that they should lead to strengthened teaching and learning and, ultimately, improved student success. At…

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the applications of service-learning pedagogy for an advanced Spanish language course through a case study conducted at Rollins College, a comprehensive liberal arts institution in Winter Park, Florida. The paper discusses diverse theories on service-learning pedagogy, explaining how and why this teaching…

"Teacher leadership" is often described as a murky concept that refers not to a particular position, but rather to varied formal and informal leadership roles that teachers play within school communities. Teacher leadership may involve shaping curricula, choosing instructional materials, leading professional book clubs, planning staff…

This article chronicles the evolution of a large research extensive institution's General Education writing assessment efforts from an initial summative focus to a formative, improvement focus. The methods of assessment, which changed as the assessment purpose evolved, are described. As more data were collected, the measurement tool was…

This exploration into competency-based innovation at the school, district, and state levels suggests that competency-based pathways are a re-engineering of this nation's education system around learning--a re-engineering designed for success in which failure is no longer viable. This discussion draws on interviews and site visits with innovators…

This article describes the system of monitoring district instructional-reform efforts and the influences of the system on teachers and school and district leaders in Duval County, Florida. First, the author offers a brief description of the snapshot system. Second, the study's design, data sources, and analytic methods are presented. Third, the…

University of Central Florida faculty and administrators recently endorsed a library-initiated proposal to integrate information fluency across the curriculum. The information fluency proposal was drafted in response to a university-wide call for proposals for a quality enhancement plan, which is a requirement for reaffirmation by the…

Five major components of the Florida Vocational Instructional Materials Development System are (1) state division of vocational education, (2) instructional materials assessment survey, (3) Florida educators' information service, (4) decentralized instructional materials development, and (5) local educational agencies. Ten priority courses have…

The teacher's guide presents some of the basic considerations necessary for classroom implementation of a public school program for autistic and seriously emotionally disturbed (ED) children. Included are descriptive infomration about typical ED student's behavior and management techniques for use in the classroom. Also given are basic ideas…

Reported in summary form is an accountability model developed in Duval County, Florida (funded through Title VI) for planning, developing, and operating an educational program for trainable mentally handicapped children. Background information consists in such aspects of accountability as systematic planning, assessing, and refining educational…

The handbook provides a guide for the development of a public school program for autistic and seriously emotionally disturbed (ED) children which reflects the experience and successful elements of the Orange County (Florida) School District program. Included are sections on program rationale and philosophy (providing equal education…

This brief report of remarks of a three-day workshop in career education describes the workshop agenda, activities, and projects underway in Florida and gives a list of objectives for grades K-6 through post secondary education. A master plan for career education in Brevard County, with a planning and implementation checklist, is followed by…

A project entitled the Health Education Consortium was initiated to develop an articulated nursing educational route that would meet the educational needs of all types of nursing personnel from nurses aides through and including nurses with master of science degrees. Included among the major activities of the project were the following:…