Extension educators have been enlisted to assist farmers in meeting requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (PSR). Although food safety is a familiar topic for Extension educators, helping farmers learn how to prepare for PSR regulations is new. In this article, we describe a needs assessment conducted in the north…

A well-constructed just qualified candidate (JQC) description is needed to arrive at a reasonable passing score for licensure tests. Traditionally, such descriptions consist of a list of knowledge and skill statements without sufficient context to internalize its intended meaning, allowing the standard-setting panelists to make idiosyncratic…

Instructional collaborations between classroom teachers and school librarians often involve the "research project." These annual assignments (typically) are opportunities to put the inquiry process into practice and provide a rich context for learning. The National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School…

The accuracy of decision rules for progress monitoring data is influenced by multiple factors. This study examined the accuracy of decision rule recommendations with over 4,500 second-and third-grade students receiving a tier II reading intervention program. The sensitivity and specificity of three decision rule recommendations for predicting…

In the higher education settings, the following questions are discussed and debated in modern times. Is 'teaching' a profession? Are university faculty members professionals? The paper attempts to answer these questions by adopting qualitative methodology that subsumes descriptive, evaluative, and interpretative approaches. While answering these…

In the divergent discovery style of teaching the teacher designs problems that engage students in finding multiple solutions. The purpose of this article is to show how physical educators can use the divergent discovery style in the gymnasium. A brief description of this style and its connection to the SHAPE America National Standards for K-12…

This study investigated how state licensure examinations address school counseling program evaluation and research. In the 31 states that require them, examinations gave little attention to measuring competencies associated with designing and conducting a program evaluation. We found variability in how these examinations addressed research…

Many states and districts are working toward developing and implementing high-quality systems that align assessments with each other, and to college and career readiness, and a comprehensive set of higher-order thinking skills. In order to support states, districts, and communities in this, the following 10 principles as guidance and common…

The purpose of this research study was to identify and prioritize the professional development needs for teachers of CTAE subjects within metropolitan Atlanta school systems. The methodology was primarily relational with descriptive components that relied on quantitative data. The administered survey called for participants to self-report…

Is homework an essential component of rigorous schooling or a harmful practice that alienates and discourages a significant number of students? Nine years after "Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs" was published, the debate over this complex question endures. In this updated edition, Cathy Vatterott examines…

For many years, U.S. employers have stated that today's youth are not prepared for college or equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st Century workforce. As we enter into an age where the American Dream is no longer possible with just a high school diploma, there is an increasing need to prepare students for college and the…

With the academic rigor of kindergarten increasing, it is imperative that children come to kindergarten with a foundation that will allow them to be successful in the kindergarten classroom. This mixed-method research project sought to explore the impact of participation in an early childhood on the academic achievement in the areas of literacy…

This report reviews the accomplishments of higher education accreditation relative to its symbiotic relationship with assessment, acknowledges serious criticisms and proposed reforms, and indicates how accreditation might reform itself so as to disarm calls for radical change, improve its performance, strengthen the institutions and programs it…

Low levels of student achievement, high rates of principal turnover, and the pressures of the academic accountability challenges seen in urban schools underscored the need to investigate the approaches employed by principal supervisors in urban school districts to build principals' instructional leadership capacity and stability. The purpose of…

This chapter discusses the elements of interventions provided to students who are visually impaired within the context of past instructional advancements still in effect today and current instructional advancements preparing the field for tomorrow. Disability-specific interventions and the theoretical framework that encompasses the unique areas of…