This article describes the use of project-based instruction in activities and labs intended to develop higher-order thinking skills with high school students and pre-service teachers through the use of soap making.

The present study explores how gender, ethnicity, and performance-based perceived competence impact students' learning, performance, and enjoyment from playing a digital STEM learning game. We had 199 9th-11th grade students play a 2D digital STEM learning game across six science classes. Based on the results of demographic surveys, matched…

No previous research has employed learning environments criteria in evaluating the effectiveness of the system of teacher certification sponsored by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Because the litmus test of any professional development effort is the extent of the changes in teaching behaviours in participating teachers'…

The main focus of this study was to investigate if, or to what extent, there is a significant relationship between high school science course sequencing and proficiency on 11th grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Science. The Florida Legislature mandated a specific number of sciences as a requirement for graduation. High schools…

During the 2013/14 school year two Florida school districts sought to develop an early warning system to identify students at risk of low performance on college readiness measures in grade 11 or 12 (such as the SAT or ACT) in order to support them with remedial coursework prior to high school graduation. The study presented in this report provides…

This study examines whether scores from an interim reading assessment in grade 9, the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading--Florida Standards, can be used to identify students who may score below the college readiness benchmark on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and ACT Plan in grade 10. Using scores on an…

This Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) is designed to keep Florida moving forward toward national and international competitiveness. Florida will compare its National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores to those of the top five states and its Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International…

The study compares faculty and school demographics in selected high school science classrooms to expand the research on women with careers in science. The classrooms are either situated in "high need Local Education Agencies" or the classrooms are situated in "low-performing schools," as categorized by the Florida Department of…

Staffing problems are pervasive in certain subject areas, such as secondary math and science and special education, where the combination of training requirements and relatively high alternative wages makes it difficult to attract and retain high-quality teachers. This project evaluated the impacts of the Florida Critical Teacher Shortage Program…

No other food industry depends so heavily on a wild caught resource than those associated with aquatic food products. Domestication of fish, shellfish, and other aquatic resources production has lagged behind other terrestrial livestock products; however, demand for these aquatic natural resources has continued to increase dramatically. Teaching…

The quinmester course described in this guide is intended as an elective for grades 10-12. The student should have considerable background in the social studies and be considering a career in this field. The course emphasizes methods of the social scientist, including research techniques, statistics, historiography, social sampling surveys, case…

Listed are guidelines for the steps in the development of a flexible long-range senior science curriculum. The program is separated into biology, chemistry, and physics, and a course outline is given for each. These outlines are not committed to any one approach, but draw on the many curriculum improvement projects and other sources. The emphasis…

The forces affecting relations among nations as well as the effectiveness of decision making processes in international politics are examined and analyzed by 10th through 12th grade students in the elective quinmester course clustering around political studies. Goals emphasize helping students to understand state interaction and the variables…

The quinmester course of study for 10th through 12th grade students examines the means and ends of archaeology so it may be better understood and shows how archaeology is used to provide a key to understanding of cultures in the past, enrich the present, and offer a frame of reference for the future. Major archaeological concepts are stressed and…

The course outlined in this guide offers an in-depth look at the political left and right, including characteristics held by the extreme left and right, related social and economic theories, and the differences between theory and practice. The students will read and discuss viewpoints illustrative of a cross section of ideological positions and…