The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM's) "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (2000) outlines fi ve Process Standards that are essential for developing deep understanding of mathematics: (1) Problem Solving; (2) Reasoning and Proof; (3) Communication; (4) Connections; and (5) Representation. The Common Core…

Christian educators can learn much from institutional autopsies of Christian schools of higher education that have failed. The untold story of the now-defunct American Theological Seminary (ATS) in St. Augustine, Florida, provides an excellent example of critical errors that Christian educators can learn from to avoid the same fate. An…

This article describes the early outcomes of an ongoing project at the University of South Florida in Tampa that involves using a logistics regression formula derived from pre-matriculation characteristics to predict the risk of individual student attrition. In this piece, the authors will describe the results of the prediction formula and the…

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (2002), there has been increased interest in using student achievement data (through standardized tests) to evaluate teacher effectiveness. Two U.S. Department of Education secretaries, Secretary Spellings and Secretary Duncan, have expressed interest in growth models and the need to…

NCATE (2002) requires the measurement of knowledge, skills, and dispositions as part of its accreditation requirements for teacher education programs (Standard 1) and the use of unit assessment systems to aggregate and analyse data with a view toward program improvement (Standard 2). Data must indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and…

This paper discusses the role of transition in school reform and methodology for developing a Florida database on transition-related programs. It describes procedures for ensuring the validity and reliability of database information sources. Findings from the data collection process, concerning common program terminology and school district size…

With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), state education agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) have stepped up activities to broadly expand their data collection and reporting systems. The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) has advocated strongly for states to build robust student-level longitudinal data systems based on…

In response to a legislative mandate, this report assesses the validity of the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) and offers recommendations for increasing the passing rate of students. Section I summarizes the Florida State Legislature's interest and intent in establishing CLAST an achievement test--measuring skills in computation,…

In 1986, the Florida State Legislature passed a law requiring teachers to demonstrate knowledge of their subject areas before being granted teacher certification. The state also provided funding for developing subject area examinations. The generic procedures for developing these examinations are outlined. During the first phase of the project, an…

Educational Progress in Careers (EPIC), Inc., was organized (1) to develop and validate a system for evaluating career, economic, and community education projects in Florida schools and to assist educators and school district administrators in assessing the status of career, economic, and community education programs; (2) to develop valid data…

The Florida Council on Educational Management (FCEM), a 17-member council appointed by the Governor, Senate, and House of Representatives, is central to the present control of public school management in Florida. The duties of the FCEM are to identify: (1) relevant management competencies of school managers; (2) standards and procedures for…

Provided in this document are the text of H.R. 4971, a record of testimony offered in a congressional hearing, and a wide variety of supplemental materials. H.R. 4971 is a bill to amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1985 through 1989 and for other purposes. Numerous…

The purpose of this paper is to discuss Florida teachers' recommendations for improving the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and to compare their recommendations with those of Florida administrators. Although teachers' suggestions varied as to the types and extent of remedies needed to improve the FCAT, some common themes emerged. The…

This description of career education activities in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was prepared as part of a study conducted to identify evaluated, exemplary career education activities which represent the best of the current career education programs and practices referred to in Public Law 93-380. (See CE 018 212 for the final report of this study.)…