A capstone experience, as an exit degree requirement, allows Master of Public Administration (MPA) students to build quasi-experimental practices by applying learned knowledge and skills throughout their curriculum in the United States. Accredited MPA programs have implemented their capstone courses differently to achieve required standards. Small…

This is the third paper on the topic of outcomes-based funding written by Dennis Jones for Complete College America. The first paper, "Performance Funding: From Idea to Action" (ED535356), proposed a set of design and implementation principles to help states develop and implement their own outcomes-based funding models. The second paper,…

As the price of a public college education has risen at well above the rate of inflation for decades, college affordability has become a key concern in public policy discussions. At the same time, recent high school graduates from lower-income and middle-income families are nearly 20 percentage points less likely to enroll in college the following…

Research tells us that specialized training and education of teachers is one of the strongest predictors of child care quality. In the late 1960s, however, most states did not require preservice training or higher education for teachers in early childhood programs or family child care homes. At that time, Missouri wanted to develop a project that…

Much criticism has been levied in recent years on professional preparation programs in schools of education offering the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree. This paper is about Saint Louis University's (SLU) redesigned doctoral program in education (Ed.D) that includes an emphasis on social justice. The purpose here is to describe how the faculty…

This bulletin reports results from an evaluation of six sites of the Safe Kids/Safe Streets (SK/SS) program, which applies a comprehensive, collaborative approach to the child maltreatment field. The bulletin provides insights into collaboration building, systems reform, service options, and other strategies. Among the findings were that the SK/SS…

This article describes strategies for redesigning the University of Missouri's Statewide Cooperative Ed.D. Cohort Program in educational leadership. Results had suggested a need to redesign aspects of the program in order to achieve higher levels of cognitive learning outcomes inclusive of transformational learning. To help meet this objective,…

A profession has been defined as a calling requiring specialized knowledge and intensive academic preparation. At the University of Missouri-Columbia, specialized knowledge and intensive academic preparation have been the hallmarks of its program since its inception in 1839. The University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) is the flagship and land-grant…

Despite the demonstrated need for better basic skills among adolescents and growing public concern over the condition of urban junior high schools, only a small proportion of ESEA Title I money is used to help students beyond the sixth grade. This study was designed to determine what Federal, State and local resources are being used to assist…

This final report of a research project to design and develop a master plan for vocational education in Missouri's correctional institutions is divided into five sections. Section 1 contains a rationale for the project and a summary of the literature regarding the role of vocational education in American penal institutions. A number of problem…

Evaluates three participatory civic education learning programs developed by the Citizenship Education Clearing House: the Election Program, Missouri State Government Program, and the Metropolitan Issues Program. Evaluation consisted of questionnaires, observation, and interviews. Discovers that the programs are both popular and effective. (MJP)

This comprehensive admissions model is designed to assist school personnel on both the secondary and postsecondary levels in the State of Missouri with the admission and selection of students for vocational programs. Presented in flow chart form with an accompanying outline to describe its various steps, the model addresses the following stages of…

This document describes the mentoring relationship from the perspectives of several virtual schools that have built mentoring programs to assist their new teachers. Each school's mentoring program is unique and has been designed specifically for the school's staff, size, and instructional approach. These schools have learned that a successful…