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 today's information-age society, America must have more well-educated individuals to remain competitive as a world leader. The standardized testing movement is a sign of public mistrust of education and will result in denying opportunity to many students with the potential to succeed. (MLW)

No population exists where it is more important to produce information literate individuals than teacher candidates, yet few would suggest that practitioners newly entering the field are adequately prepared to model and teach information literacy to their students. Consequently, information literacy has recently been established as a key outcome…

This guide is designed to assist Florida teachers helping students achieve the Sunshine State Standards for Special Diploma. To meet the needs of students with disabilities more effectively and to align with the intent of the Sunshine State Standards and the Florida System of School Improvement and Accountability, the Student Performance Standards…

In 1999, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was administered to students in grades 4, 5, 8, and 10 to assess student achievement of the Sunshine State Standards in reading and mathematics as mandated by the Florida legislature. This report informs administrators, legislators, and the general public about the reading and mathematics…

Questions and answers are presented concerning the consequences for higher education of the passage of the RAISE Bill (Senate Bill 357), a comprehensive education bill designed to raise educational standards in Florida. This statement by Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) covers: (1) the bill and its provisions for higher education; (2) ways in…

Vocational cooperative education programs have a definite position in a comprehensive high school curriculum; however, concern has been expressed regarding whether students can fulfil academic requirements for graduation. The Raise Academics in Secondary Education bill in Florida requires more academic courses for graduation. In order for…

The phenomenon of minimum competency testing (MCT) is explored, beginning with its origins in public concern for educational accountability. Three major themes appearing in the states enacting prescriptive legislation are described: state standards/state test (Florida); state standards/local test (Oregon); and local standards/local test…

This paper examines Florida's standards-driven performance assessment, emphasizing teacher preparation, and touching on K-12 accountability. Florida's educational reform and accountability efforts are driven by the Florida System of School Improvement and Accountability document. The system is derived from state goals similar to the national Goals…

In 1999,the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was administered to students in grades 4, 5, 8, and 10 to assess student achievement of the Sunshine State Standards in reading and mathematics as mandated by the Florida legislature. This report informs administrators, legislators, and the general public about the reading and mathematics…

In 1999, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was administered to students in grades 4, 5, 8, and 10 to assess student achievement of the Sunshine State Standards in reading and mathematics as mandated by the Florida legislature. This report informs administrators, legislators, and the general public about the reading and mathematics…

When the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) was mandated in Florida, a schedule of incremental increases in the required passing scores was legislated. The 1986 passing standards were scheduled to be increased in 1989. This change was projected to reduce by half the number of students admitted to upper-level status at Florida's colleges. A…

Factors are discussed which affect the role played by faculty in implementing legislation mandating that each of the Florida community colleges define the skills that must be mastered by students before transferring to a baccalaureate program. The report first presents a rationale for this mandate, based on the disproportionately high number of…

The situation in Florida's higher education community following the influx of Cuban refugees is discussed, including cultural and behavioral differences, financial needs, lack of English language skills, academic standards, and special refugee needs. (MSE)

From 1946 to 1976, the field of higher education operated in a growth-based mode, encouraged by government decisions and financed by government funds. During the massive recession and exploding federal deficits of the early seventies, however, legislators began examining the real value of higher education, and asking whether higher education was…