The Plus 50 Initiative is a three-year initiative of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), launched in June 2008 and funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. It was created to support a pilot group of two-year institutions to develop or expand campus programs that engage plus 50 learners. The overarching goal of the Plus 50…

Over the last decade, online distance education has become a common mode of study in most states in the USA, where it is known as virtual schooling (VS), but many people have misconceptions about it. Pre-service teachers' personal histories as students and their preconceptions, misconceptions, and concerns influence pre-service teacher training…

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 provides an overview of the successful laptop implementation in the College of Education at the University of South Florida (USF). The pilot initiative began with one cohort of preservice teachers in 2003; since then, the program has expanded throughout the college. Through a chronological outline of the issues, formative evaluations,…

The American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Plus 50 Initiative (2008-2011), funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, was created to build the capacity of community colleges nationwide to develop programming that engages the plus 50 learner. The Initiative supported a pilot group of 13 two-year institutions to develop or expand college…

Through current hiring practices, many school districts may be missing an untapped pool of potential employees--individuals with disabilities. In this article, the authors describe the Hiring Practice Initiative (HPI) and its implementation in 17 Florida school districts. The Hiring Practice Initiative Project goals are to: (a) increase the…

Describes Florida's Impaired Nurse Program, the goals of which are to protect the public from unsafe nursing care, to recognize chemical addiction as a treatable disease (thus conserving the valuable resource nursing represents to society), and to work to solve a problem that affects nurses nationwide. (CT)

Reciprocal teaching is an instructional approach designed to increase students' reading comprehension at all grade levels and in all subject areas. Students are taught cognitive strategies that help them construct meaning from text and simultaneously monitor their reading comprehension. This Information Capsule summarizes reciprocal teaching's…

Researchers have identified ninth grade as one of the most critical periods of time for intervention to prevent the loss of motivation, failing grades, and dropping out of school. This Information Capsule is concerned with the efficacy of ninth-grade centers or academies which isolate ninth-grade students into separate school buildings or in wings…

The Urban Academies of Broward County (UABC) was conceived and implemented as a collaborative teacher preparation model designed to develop, hire, and retain high-performing and motivated educators in predominantly poor minority schools. The program targets high school students, college students majoring in education, and practicing teachers.…

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 American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Plus 50 Initiative is a three-year initiative launched in June 2008 and funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. It was created to support a pilot group of two-year institutions to develop or expand campus programs that engage plus 50 learners. The initiative focuses on three types of…

One question frequently arises in the work of the Regional Comprehensive Centers: "What are states, districts, and schools doing about RTI?" This document addresses that question, with particular focus on instruction and the implementation of effective practices. It uses a frequently asked questions (FAQs) format, with answers based on…

Implementation of Florida Choices, a computer-assisted career guidance system, was evaluated through a survey of 17 high schools. Implementation enablers, barriers, and resource needs were consistent across school type and size. Staff training, collaboration, and adequate resources were key implementation issues. (SK)

This State-specific summary report serves as an assessment of Florida's Year 1 Race to the Top implementation, highlighting successes and accomplishments, identifying challenges, and providing lessons learned from implementation to date. Florida received a Race to the Top award in September 2010 as part of Phase 2 of the Race to the Top…