As early-career Extension educators challenged by societal, structural, agricultural, and fiscal trends, we designed a multiyear educational program to support the diverse needs of emerging specialty crop producers in northwest Michigan. This article presents outcomes of that program. We explore how Extension professionals can develop impactful…

In September 2011, the Association of American Universities launched a major initiative to improve undergraduate STEM education. The overall objective was to influence the culture of STEM departments at AAU institutions so that faculty members are encouraged and supported to use teaching practices proven by research to be effective in engaging…

Scientists need to engage stakeholders in natural resource management; however, few graduate programs prepare students to conduct outreach and engagement. Given this need, the authors' goals were to (1) create a one-credit course that introduced outreach and engagement practices and participatory approaches, (2) improve the quality of graduate…

Michigan radically altered its school finance system in 1994. The new plan, called Proposal A, significantly increased state aid to the lowest-spending school districts and limited future increases in spending in the highest-spending ones, abolishing local discretion over school spending. I investigate the impact of Proposal A on the distribution…

A national provider of afterschool and summer programming plans to expand quickly into new regions, bringing its successful model of out-of-school learning to more children in disadvantaged schools and neighborhoods. A large number of staff members must be trained in the provider's program model in a short window of time. The organization needs to…

Every year 1.3 million U.S. high school students drop out of school with one quarter of female students failing to graduate on time. Female dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, to earn less when they are employed, to become pregnant before the age of 20, to become obese, to smoke, and to drink more heavily than their male counterparts. This…

The educational achievement and attainment of young people in the United States has been a long-standing issue of concern. While analyses of long-term trend data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that students in the United States have made gains in reading and mathematics over the past few decades, a sizeable…

Evaluation of a Title I Prekindergarten Program serving thirteen elementary schools is presented. Through a screening test, children most needing prekindergarten experience were chosen for participation. The program followed the Piagetian theory of child development concentrating on the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains. Both process…

This report discusses one elementary school's implementation of a system of teaching and testing by objectives in compliance with a Michigan State Board of Education accountability model. The model used by the school called for (1) goals developed by each building; (2) performance objectives identified for subdivisions of schools, for teachers,…

A series of structured experiences in a wilderness setting was used to generate changes in the feelings and attitudes of students and faculty in the 7th grade classes in the Battle Creek, Michigan Public Schools. The objectives of the project were to reverse racial separatism; reduce racially related, negative black/white incidents, to increase…

Among nearly 40 States attempting to apply the accountability principle to school operation by legislative fiat, Michigan is clearly a leader. This exhaustive study reveals disturbing defects in Michigan's plan, particularly in the assessment component. (Editor)

This booklet is intended to aid classroom teachers in implementing the accountability model developed by the Michigan Department of Education. The authors discuss and provide examples of each of the accountability model's six steps--1) identification of goals, 2) performance objectives, 3) assessment of needs, 4) analysis of delivery systems, 5)…

Accountability currently is an important concept throughout education. Michigan has assumed leadership among the States in exploring and applying accountability procedures. The purpose of this report is to examine the quality and implications of that leadership. Specifically, the authors' purpose is to assess the Michigan Accountability System…

The Saginaw Prekindergarten Program is designed to provide four-year-olds with an environment that will enable them to develop skills needed for future success in school, and to prepare inner city children for entry into kindergarten. The objectives of the program include specific achievements in 16 cognitive skills, psychomotor skills, and…

Describes the Birmingham (Michigan) Public Schools Program Evaluation Plan. Included is an overview of the plan, the reason why the plan was developed, the cost of the plan, and a step-by-step description of procedures. (Author)