With the majority of "good jobs" that pay a family-sustaining wage requiring at least some college education -- such as a technical certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree or another credential of value -- ensuring the existence of high-quality postsecondary CTE [Career Technical Education] programs and programs of study is more…

Due to the growing importance of the professional role of teachers, effective evaluation practices are essential to ensuring highly qualified educators. The problem addressed was how Volusia County School teachers in the state of Florida experienced the teacher evaluation process and how that impacted the effectiveness of instructional practices…

The ability to evaluate and accurately articulate the outcomes associated with leadership development programs is critical to their continued financial and administrative support. With calls for outcome-based accountability, the need for rigorous evaluation is particularly relevant for those programs administered through the Cooperative Extension…

Sophia Graff, a beginning algebra teacher at Valencia College in Orlando, had an idea. The state of Florida had instituted a mandatory competency test that students needed to pass to enter intermediate algebra, but only a third of her students were succeeding. As part of an action-research project that was required for all professors seeking…

This three-volume report describes the "SAM (School Administration Manager) process," an approach that about 700 schools around the nation are using to direct more of principals' time and effort to improve teaching and learning in classrooms. Research has shown that a principal's instructional leadership is second only to teaching among…

This applied dissertation evaluated the effectiveness of literacy coaching in a central Florida district as perceived by teachers working in the district's middle schools. The study investigated teacher's perceptions of literacy coaches, the literacy coaches' perceptions of their roles within the schools, and the literacy coaches' impact on…

Math experts developed Formative Assessment Lessons that teachers can incorporate throughout the year's curriculum. Both tools target the "instructional core." A study by Research for Action (RFA) examining the first year of piloting the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and Math Design Collaborative (MDC) tools (2010-11) found…

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of instructional tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Literacy experts have developed a framework and a set of templates that teachers and other educators can use to develop content…

Drawing on results of a Florida project, it is argued that statewide evaluation of college student financial aid programs, involving institutional aid officers, system-level administrators, and others may promote change beneficial to students and administrators. Emphasis is on the role institutional aid administrators can play in such a…

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…

Reports a study which sought to identify and then to prioritize the goals for community service programs in Florida's 28 public community colleges on a state-wide basis. Makes specific recommendations based on the results. (DC)

Assessment of farmworker needs and resource agencies revealed that a significant number of migrant and seasonal farmworkers are not receiving essential services available to them. Interviews conducted with 475 farmworkers gathered demographic data and information about perceived needs, knowledge and use of agencies, and satisfaction with services.…

This career education project achieved four goals; to (1) identify roles and functions for persons responsible for local school programs; (2) determine personnel performance competencies; (3) develop methods to bring personnel to operational confidence levels; and (4) establish a career education personnel training center. The center, which served…

Explains how a regional community-corporate partnership in Florida addressed recommendations for reducing violence among middle school students through an innovative distance education learning project on conflict resolution. Highlights include virtual field trips; components for teachers and for parents; and project evaluation and results. (LRW)

The Florida Juvenile Justice Act of 1994 reorganized and redefined the juvenile justice system. The Act fosters innovation in response to juvenile crime, with five levels of restrictiveness. It also provides for benchmarks to evaluate the system and defines the responsibility of the public school system in prevention, education, and community…