Past events, present conditions, and future possibilities provide the context for this examination of the direct or indirect control of college curricula by governmental agencies. The paper first notes that while external management may be resented by educators who are entrenched in the status quo, government intervention into college instruction…

The panel which conducted this study was invited by the Florida Teaching Profession--National Education Association (NEA) and the NEA to assess the educational soundness of implementation of the Florida Accountability Act. The panel felt that the overall purpose of the accountability program was praiseworthy, but that the minimum competency…

The major distinctions between evaluation and research are examined, the chief differences being the intent and type of criteria against which judgments are made. Conceptualization of the evaluation process in higher education is discussed on two levels. A collection of nine similes for understanding evaluation is examined in terms of major…

The purpose of this paper is to discuss Florida teachers' recommendations for improving the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and to compare their recommendations with those of Florida administrators. Although teachers' suggestions varied as to the types and extent of remedies needed to improve the FCAT, some common themes emerged. The…

The planning guide contains basic materials that are being used in vocational home economics education. Part 1, Program Planning, discusses goals for education in the nation and Florida, homemaking as an inherent component of vocational education, and vocational home economics (guidelines, funding, student organizations, and Florida goals).…

The chapters in this volume illustrate how teachers are bringing creativity, higher-order thinking, and meaningful learning activities into particular school settings despite pressures of standards and testing. The editors chose the word wise for the title of this book, and they use it frequently to describe the pedagogical practices they have…

This analysis of postsecondary student preparedness and remedial education needs attending Florida community colleges focuses on two cohorts: 125,000 first-time-enrolled community college students enrolled in a community college over a three-semester period during 1993-94 and a cohort of over 18,000 public high school graduates (1994) enrolled in…

The College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) is an examination of achievement in communication skills and mathematics that is mandated by state law for college students in community colleges and state universities in Florida as a requirement for an Associate's degree or for entry into upper-level courses. Higher CLAST standards went into effect…

The College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) is a mandated examination of the achievement of college students in communications skills and mathematics that must be passed by students in Florida public institutions of higher education to receive an Associate's degree or entrance into upper-level courses. This report gives test results on the…

The College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) is an achievement test mandated by the state of Florida to assess the communications and mathematics skills of college students in public institutions in Florida. Passing the CLAST is a requirement for an Associate's in Arts degree or entry into upper-level courses. This report presents and analyzes…

This publication focuses on the teaching quality goals and priorities of nine Southeastern U.S. states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), reviewing each state's Title II proposals. The report highlights seven priority areas of focus for regional alliances: constructing…

Addressing often neglected broad issues, rather than the pragmatics of test development and administration, this Conference on Minimum Competency Achievement Testing was organized around six topics: (1) social and philosophical roots, uniqueness among testing movements, and policy issues; (2) legal, curricular, and social-demographic consequences;…

The first National Drug Control Strategy set ambitious two and five-year performance based goals: (1) to lower the rate of drug use by 10 percent over 2 years among both youth and adults; and (2) to lower the rate by 25 percent over 5 years. The chapters in this updated version are keyed to the strategies three priorities: (1) Stopping Use Before…

This case study, part of the State Structures for the Governance of Higher Education study, focuses on governance and related issues in Florida's higher education system. The study's overall purpose was to examine differences among states in their governance structures, and to determine if differences in performance were related to governing…

Measuring History complements the cases presented in Wise Social Studies Practices (Yeager & Davis, 2005). Yeager and Davis highlight the rich and ambitious teaching that can occur in the broad context of state-level testing. In this book, the chapter authors and I bring the particular state history tests more to the fore and examine how…