In this article we describe a graduate program for practicing teachers at the University of Florida. Offered in a blended format (mostly online but supported by a local faculty member), the program embeds graduate work within school reform efforts in hard to staff schools in partner school districts up to 350 miles away from campus in order to…

The purpose of this article is to propose the use of technology integration in elementary and middle level education courses, specifically, the use of WebQuests as vehicles for the infusion of content knowledge in preservice and in-service education courses. Observation in content area teaching methods courses found that teacher candidates often…

This article focuses on an evaluation of the Microsoft Peer Coaching (MPC) program in Florida, USA. First, the design of the MPC materials was analyzed using characteristics of exemplary peer coaching and technology integration models. Second, facilitators (n = 14) and coaches (n = 46) who attended the MPC workshops in Florida were surveyed…

A fully online graduate program that was developed at the UWF (University of West Florida) has been successfully implemented using synchronous instruction since fall 2009. The hybrid nature of the developed model has proven to be of benefit to both face-to-face and distance students. Aside from the robustness of students' discussions and…

This paper contributes importantly to the growing literature on the training of special education teachers and how it translates into classroom practice and student achievement. The authors examine the impact of pre-service preparation and in-service formal and informal training on the ability of teachers to promote academic achievement among…

One of the competitive priorities of the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top applications addressed science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). States that applied were required to submit plans that addressed rigorous courses of study, cooperative partnerships to prepare and assist teachers in STEM content, and prepare…

This evaluation examines whether Project Bilingual/ESOL Special Training (BEST) achieved its goal of training qualified bilingual/ESOL education teachers through the appropriate endorsement programs. It also attempts to determine whether Project BEST had a positive impact on Limited English Proficiency (LEP) student achievement across the district…

U.S. teacher educators are faced with serious challenges to demonstrate the quality of the graduates they prepare. These challenges are expressed in the country's fixation on accountability and testing. We are witnessing the growth of standardized tests and alternative routes to certification as panaceas intended to solve the teacher shortage…

Robin E. Perry's study compared the job performance of public child welfare agency caseworkers who had received bachelors degrees in social work and caseworkers whose bachelors degrees were in other practice fields. The study found no significant effects on subsequent job performance from having received a social work degree. Several…

After needs assessments were conducted in six Florida school districts, strategies were developed for implementing creative and relevant workshops emphasizing curricular innovations and individualized instruction. Procedures and techniques evolved from 50 workshops given to 1500 elementary school teachers. Among the activities were: multimedia…

This document represents a continuation of efforts partially reported in UNIVERSITIES AND TEACHER EDUCATION CENTERS IN FLORIDA. The present (1979) report presupposes the reader's familiarity with the contents of that previous document, and attempts to add to the picture of universities and TEC's by updating developments through the 1978-79 service…

The Florida Beginning Teacher Program was evaluated in 1985-86 to determine its impact on teacher performance and to study problem areas identified in the 1984-85 evaluation. A sample of 43 beginning teachers and their support team members (a peer teacher, a building-level administrator, and one or more professional educators) completed surveys.…

This paper describes the development of standardized evaluation procedures for Pasco County's inservice teacher education. Since 1983, legislation requires teacher education centers in Florida to report attainment data based on measurable objectives. Using a classification system adapted from the "Rand Change Agent Study," directors and…

The development and results of a program designed to meet the inservice educational needs of teachers of foreign languages in the elementary schools (FLES) and to coordinate with a previously developed preservice program are described. The 2-week summer institute for inservice teachers was designed to correspond in content and emphasis with the…

An impact assessment was conducted of projects funded under the Adult Education Act Sections 310 and 353 in Florida for the fiscal years 1984-1990. The assessment sought to determine the following: how well the projects have increased the knowledge of adult educators in methods, techniques, and materials for adult education; to what degree the…