The purpose of this study was to examine postsecondary agriculture students' perceptions of and their personal competence in various workforce readiness skills. In addition, we sought to determine students' views of the importance of workforce readiness skills. The findings indicate that the participants felt most confident in their abilities to…

In the classroom, great effort is made to educate the next generation of leaders on the importance of training for them and their future employees. As educators, the natural emphasis is placed on formal education, however as employees are promoted, their success often rests with their ability to manage a larger unit. In higher education the most…

America and the South seem to have turned a corner on the deep and prolonged recession that started in 2008. The stranglehold it has had on jobs and job prospects caught many by surprise, and it has caused education leaders to refocus state policy on the relationship between career preparation and education. This report provides updates on the…

This study sought to determine the effectiveness on increasing student achievement of principals trained in a traditional principal preparation program and those trained in an alternate route principal preparation program within the same Mississippi university. Sixty-six Mississippi principals and assistant principals participated in the study. Of…

Reflecting the growing momentum in support of quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) as a key strategy to improve early care and education quality, significant amounts of public dollars have been devoted to their development and implementation. In this brief, the authors report on their investigation of both quality rating and improvement…

"Gauging Progress, Accelerating Pace" is the seventh biennial report to Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states on their progress in meeting SREB's Challenge to Lead goals for education. Each customized state report documents progress on both measurable outcomes and state policies. Through effective policy implementation, the…

This paper is a report of a study of a federally funded technology innovation grant, C*R*E*A*T*E for Mississippi. Qualitative techniques were used to examine the significance of the role of a school-based educational technologist (ET) in four middle schools. The study also examined how the qualifications that the ET possesses impact the…

Designed to examine the factors that contribute to student achievement, this study focused specifically on the relationship between physics achievement and selected teacher characteristics, student characteristics, and school and district characteristics. Questionnaires and attitude surveys were completed by 39 randomly selected Mississippi…

A survey of 461 Mississippi employers revealed that they were particularly interested in good work attitudes among potential employees, along with oral and written communications and problem-solving skills. The employers also indicated that high schools should place more emphasis on developing these attitudes and skills. (PGD)

A content validity study of the National Teacher Examination (NTE) was conducted by Educational Testing Service for the Mississippi State Board of Education. Its purposes were: (1) to assess the NTE's appropriateness as a measure of knowledge acquired through teacher preparation programs and required as a qualification to teach in Mississippi; and…

The job satisfaction and organizational commitment of rehabilitation counselors working in public rehabilitation agencies in Mississippi are the focus of this study. Participants were 71 rehabilitation counselor survey respondents whose agencies agreed to take part in the study. A total of 145 surveys were mailed. Job satisfaction was measured…

The purpose of this paper was to determine what communication skills are considered most important by employers in the accounting profession as well as to determine the general office, income tax, and bookkeeping software packages used by CPA firms in Mississippi. The data was collected by means of an electronic five-point Likert-type survey…

A study of two rural Mississippi school districts compared the impact of school district wealth on special education programming. The wealthy school district had greater local revenues, reflected in special education teachers with higher degrees and more experience, a broader range of related services provided to more students, and better student…