For more than a decade, the US Department of Labor (DOL) has prioritized apprenticeship expansion by promoting apprenticeship in nontraditional occupations (i.e., outside the construction sector) and by encouraging apprenticeship as a training option to increase the number of apprentices. Two ways to expand apprenticeships are to approve new…

High-quality summer learning programs in a given city are often only able to address a fraction of the need. Lack of access to program data and absence of stakeholder coordination compounds the problem. Working together to systematically increase program quality and provide more high-quality summer learning opportunities where families need them…

Mentoring programs are an effective way to offer gifted students authentic learning opportunities. Although there are many mentoring models, the fundamental relationship between mentor and mentee has remained consistent throughout the ages. One mentoring model that has recently grown in popularity is the cross-age mentoring model. In this model,…

Higher education accrediting bodies are increasing the emphasis on assessing student learning outcomes as opposed to teaching methodology. The purpose of this article is to describe the process used by Troy University's Master of Public Administration program to change their assessment approach from a course learning objective perspective to a…

In the growing shipbuilding industry along the Gulf Coast, not only is it difficult to find skilled workers to fill open positions, but the problem is also compounded because various shipyards have different definitions of what a welder or shipfitter does. To combat the issue, the Alabama Technology Network (ATN)--the state's Manufacturing…

To stem the tide of students dropping out, many schools and districts are turning to early warning systems (EWS) that signal whether a student is at risk of not graduating from high school. While some research exists about establishing these systems, there is little information about the actual implementation strategies that are being used across…

As Internet technology encroached on the public school classroom about a decade ago, Kim Ross, superintendent of the Houston School District in Houston, Minnesota, saw an opportunity. At first, he and his administrative team simply wanted to offer students in the district of 1,300 access to more classes via the web than what a district that size…

The Cherokee County (Alabama) horticulture training program provides 40 mildly mentally retarded adolescents with vocational training in a marketable skills. The broad spectrum of vocational skills makes horticulture ideal for the handicapped. (DB)

Because children who are deaf or hard of hearing are being identified at birth, fitted with advanced hearing technology, and enrolled in early intervention programs, families increasingly seek professionals who can provide services that support their choice of listening and spoken language. The increased demand for these services and shortages of…

Describes how an Alabama school system incorporated the National Staff Development Council's Standards for Staff Development into a district-wide effort to improve staff development. Evaluation of the professional development effort was a top priority, with participant input an important component. Professional development was designed to be…

The Master Technology Teacher (MTT) initiative at the University of Alabama is a collaborative technology partnership among university secondary education faculty, inservice teachers, and preservice teachers. MTT is designed to provide, to the partners, resources and long term development for enhancement of classroom technology integration and the…

Materials developed by the Alabama community, junior, and technical colleges as part of a state-funded professional development effort are presented. The first sections provide information on Alabama's systemwide professional development activities; the organization and characteristics of the community, junior, and technical college system;…

A project initiated by the Auburn University (Alabama) program in music education in the College of Education and the Auburn University Cooperative Extension Service brought together school and community groups from targeted communities in Alabama to plan a conference to initiate thinking and develop action strategies for enriching the lives of…

This master plan has been designed to involve and guide the citizenry and public officials of Alabama in environmental planning. Environmental awareness is one of the goals of the master plan. The publication is divided into two sections. Part one presents the Alabama environmental education philosophy, major environmental goals, and…

This booklet outlines the details of a training workshop to provide Right to Read directors with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop comprehensive reading programs for their districts. In the first section, 26 criteria for the development of successful reading programs are listed under the three categories of organization and…