We use statewide administrative data from Missouri to examine the role of high schools in explaining students' initial college and major placements at 4-year public universities. To facilitate our investigation of postsecondary sorting, we develop a "preparation and persistence index" (PPI) for each university-by-major cell in the…

We use statewide administrative data from Missouri to examine the explanatory power of high schools over student sorting to colleges and majors at 4-year public universities. We develop a "preparation and persistence index" (PPI) for each university-by-major cell in the Missouri system that captures dimensions of selectivity and rigor…

Providing global educational experiences for students in higher education has been viewed as a desirable educational objective for decades. Although there is a common appreciation that students should be exposed to, and gain awareness of, other peoples and cultures, the majority of community colleges in the United States have done little to…

Higher education requires exemplary faculty to provide a high quality education to college-level students. When faculty is new to an institution, issues of transition can affect job satisfaction negatively. The literature concludes that job satisfaction can affect retention of quality personnel. As a result, college and university administrators…

Little is known regarding the social network relationships that influence dissemination of evidence-based public health practices and policies. In public health, it is critical that evidence-based guidelines, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs," are…

This study examined the predictive relationship of fifth-, sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students' final numerical grades for mathematics and communication arts (e.g., English or language arts) and their standardized scores on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). It examined the relationship between students' performance on the MAP in the…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze how high school principals approached developing a collaborative culture and providing collaborative leadership in a large high school setting. The population sample for this study was 82 principals of large comprehensive high schools of grades 9 through 12 or some combination thereof with…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe Missouri middle-level school principals' perceptions of their instructional leadership practices. The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) by Philip Hallinger was used to define the measured leadership tasks (www.philiphallinger.com). There were a total of 77 middle-level…

Schools and educators have been increasingly educating students with disabilities in the general education setting; while at the same time the level of accountability for making a positive outcome on high stakes assessments for all students has increased. As educators feel pressure for their students to perform well on state assessments and meet…

Although research has provided a substantial amount of information about key characteristics of effective school leaders, there is a growing need for continued improvement and reflective practice on the continuous development of instructional leaders. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent elementary principals perceive they are…

Describes a study conducted to determine the accuracy of the Cohort-Survival Method of Enrollment Forecasting, based on enrollment data collected over a ten-year period from a random sample of 42 Missouri school districts. Compares forecast accuracy with the enrollment stability and location of each of the districts. (JP)