The research and development (R&D) projects funded by the Florida Division of Vocational Education are intended to have utility for vocational educators in their efforts to improve vocational education programs and practices. This project was conducted to determine why some R&D products are accepted by potential users while others are not…

This guide is intended to assist employers, educators, and union officials in understanding the rationale behind developing and implementing tuition assistance plans. Examined in the introductory section are the importance of tuition assistance programs in light of contemporary economic and labor market conditions. The first chapter outlines the…

The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) mandates that service delivery areas shall expend 40 percent of Title IIA funds on training and employment programs for youth. To ensure quality programs, a substantial portion of resources should be targeted to the most seriously at-risk youth. The most effective youth programs take a comprehensive approach…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 10 titles deal with the following topics: (1) the television sermons of Jerry Falwell, W. A. Criswell, Robert Schuller, Jimmy Swaggert, James Robinson, and Howard Estep; (2) the preaching of Wallace E. Fisher; (3) Theodore…

Reflecting the renewed interest in a variety of plans to increase parent and citizen participation in education, this paper divides the questions surrounding this issue into the following four categories: co-production (partnership), decision making, citizen advocacy, and parent choice. Under each of these categories the paper considers such…

Using the Oklahoma State University (OSU) computerized community simulation model, extension professionals can provide local decision makers with information derived from an impact model that is dynamic, community specific, and easy to adapt to different communities. The four main sections of the OSU model are an economic account, a capital…

Four similarities between reading and writing and their corresponding instructional significance are examined in this literature review. Each of the four reviewed topics is prefaced by general instructional suggestions based on research cited in the review. Topics and suggestions are as follows: (1) linguistic--whenever possible, the processes of…

The dissatisfaction theory of school governance predicts that, when community dissatisfaction with schools is great enough, the following events occur: (1) public demand increases for new policies and procedures; (2) the number of split votes by the school board increases; (3) the rate of school board member turnover increases; and (4) involuntary…

Programs that have enhanced the teaching profession are described, as part of a competition sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (Showcase for Excellence Project). Member institutions of the association developed program models in seven categories requiring initiatives and innovation in the teaching profession.…

Statistical significance is misused in educational and psychological research when it is applied as a method to establish the reliability of research results. Other techniques have been developed which can be correctly utilized to establish the generalizability of findings. Methods that do provide such estimates are known as invariance or…

A tutor charged with the task of helping a third-grade child with good reading skills improve his writing skills developed a plan to move the student gradually from dictating stories to writing independently. The student had difficulty initiating and maintaining on-task behavior and disliked writing independently, although he had…

This study was commissioned by the State of Iowa to identify the current status and applicability of performance-based teacher compensation plans. After a review of the literature to establish the current status of merit pay and to identify districts throughout the United States that are presently using performance-based compensation plans, a…

A year-long, social-ecological study assessed a kindergarten classroom setting and the beliefs of 32 kindergarten children, 9 parents, and 2 teachers, for the purpose of illuminating the interactive nature of the person-environment interaction model of the learning environment. Children were from lower- and middle-income Anglo and Hispanic…

A training model to prepare practicing teachers in rural areas as special educators is described. Developed at Kansas State University, the model employs a multi-modal approach which combines a variety of long-distance teaching methods with traditional on-campus summer course work. The model incorporates the use of an interactive audio…

Previous studies on emergent literacy have shown that since young children learn a lot about writing and reading before they attend school, teachers can build on this knowledge in an integrated instructional program. But just how reading and writing are intertwined in the learning process has not been clearly defined. This study investigated the…