States' efforts to incorporate technology and engineering into K-12 science instruction appear to be bearing fruit: More than five years after states began adopting K-12 science standards that feature technology and engineering, eighth graders have notched higher scores on a national assessment of those subjects. This Policy Brief presents…

In the fall of 2009, Van Meter Community School in Iowa adopted a one-to-one laptop initiative in grades 6-12 and a strong technology focus throughout the district. Since that time, an atmosphere of respect, creativity, collaboration, and connection as well as independent thinking and learning has prevailed at the school. Today, Van Meter has…

Assessments have been a major topic of concern in the American education for the past several years. With the enactment of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, student assessment has become a high stakes event in all school districts. In the same way that classroom teachers need assessment literacy to make meaningful use of student assessments,…

Iowa secondary students (n=1,429) indicated that the people who most influenced agricultural education enrollment were parents, instructor, friend, and former ag student. Other influences included personal interest, farm background, and fun of participating. They were least satisfied with classroom facilities, agricultural mechanics, and…

This document is a resource for distance education research in Iowa, including information on developing, implementing, and administering distance education systems. This second edition contains the original 16 research papers published previously, as well as 8 additional, more recent research studies. The first section describes distance…

Presents a list of the 25 most popular reading choices of Iowa high school students. Provides brief summaries and publication information on books in the following categories: autobiography and personal narrative; contemporary realism; historical fiction and nonfiction; humor and satire; sports; and mystery, adventure, and the supernatural. (MM)

This publication highlights the opportunities to celebrate statewide diversity experienced by the 1998-99 Iowa Teacher of the Year, an African-American woman. Section 1 highlights her visits to 16 colleges around Iowa. Section 2 discusses her visits to 400 classrooms in 93 K-12 schools in 50 districts. Section 3 discusses the conferences and…

The Substance Education Program of the Iowa Department of Education began a series of tri-annual studies of youth substance behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge in 1975, with later data collections in 1978, 1981, 1984, 1987, and 1990. This report presents the normative data from the 1990 survey which was administered to approximately 7,000 students…

The Substance Education Program of the Iowa Department of Education began a series of tri-annual studies of youth substance behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge in the fall of 1975. The youth studies have continued with data collections in 1978, 1982, 1984, and 1987. A survey administered in 1987 to Iowa students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 focused…

A study examined the attitudes of 107 preservice teachers at the University of Iowa regarding which social institution (home, church, or school) should be responsible for teaching values to young people. The literature was reviewed to find an adequate survey instrument to measure the variables of interest from a similar study, and a survey…

A study was conducted to determine how to reverse the downward trend in high school vocational agriculture enrollments in Iowa. The study sought to describe student perception of the agriculture program and what factors are involved in this perception; the length and names of the curriculum offerings within the agriculture department and how they…

Reports the results of a poll of southeastern Iowa tenth through twelfth graders to find the most popular of 250 recently published books. Genres include fantasy, war stories, contemporary realism, romance, science fiction, horror, and supernatural. Reviews of the readers' choices are included. (RBW)

A study of assistance received from parents and teachers with supervised occupational experience programs. Teachers provided the greatest assistance in areas of recordkeeping, encouragement, setting educational goals, and learning skills in agriculture. Parents' greatest assistance was in providing facilities, developing interest in agriculture,…

Teachers in Iowa's North Scott School District have become writers helping their students learn through the writing process approach. The district's reading assessment is based on student writing samples, cumulative writing folders, and a holistic evaluation system. Includes two references. (MLH)

A study of the Agricultural Occupational Employment Experience program at Iowa Falls, Iowa, revealed that the program was recognized as an important component of the vocational agriculture program. Participants had specific expectations of the program. To meet these expectations, the program must be structured following cooperative vocational…