Preparing pre-service students to teach agricultural mechanics is a difficult task due to the career pathway including a great variety of topics (Byrd et al., 2015). This study examined the trend in requirements in 1862 land-grant universities for number of courses, course credit hours, and course topics related to agricultural mechanics, as well…

Objectives: In the USA, 18% of school-aged young people are classified as obese, and rural populations appear to be particularly at risk. Achieving high levels of fitness reduces the risk of obesity and underlying health conditions. To better understand youth obesity trends and fitness levels, annual fitness testing ([FT], that is, surveillance)…

As part of a 12-state nationwide study, elementary teachers in small-town and rural Idaho were surveyed regarding their actual use of differentiation versus their desired use of differentiation in the classroom across five teaching-learning behaviors: classroom expectations of students; student objectives; student evaluations; teacher…

This exploratory research surveyed faculty who instruct in community colleges from 18 states about their attitudes toward the concealed carry gun policies that allow appropriately licensed citizens to carry a handgun in public places such as college campuses. Building upon previous research involving 4-year institutions, we surveyed 1,889…

This study continues the work that National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) and its partners, Clowder Consulting and Education-Counsel, began with their "Right Trajectory" study (see ED581172), released in 2015, and continued in their "Still the Right Trajectory" study (see ED581173) released in early 2017. In…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand whether certain theoretical benefits that open educational resources (OER) might have on teacher practice were being realized by a group of secondary teachers using open science textbooks. In surveys and interviews, teachers were asked to describe their classroom practice before and after…

The increased interest in program- and university-level assessment over the past few decades has led to increased faculty involvement in developing program learning outcomes and performing program assessment activities. Depending on the level of support and encouragement faculty receive from administration and other entities, they may support or…

Higher education institutions need to be able to adapt to changes, which requires flexibility and learning. Researchers have questioned whether higher education institutions are learning organizations, a concept of which university faculty have been traditionally skeptical. This article describes a study of faculty perceptions about their…

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) provide the basis for meeting the challenges and expectations in today's educational environment. Effective PLCs provide the framework for school improvement and ultimately impact student academic success. School leadership is fundamental in this process (Bennis, 2009; Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2009;…

As part of state transitions to college- and career-ready (CCR) standards, including the Common Core State Standards in more than 40 states (NGA & CCSSO, 2010), states are for the first time administering new summative assessments aligned to those standards and aiming for a higher bar in assessment quality. For a majority of states, this means…

This study compares the experiences and perceptions of new and experienced teachers in 235 schools in six western states (Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming) that have adopted the Reading First school reform initiative. Using previously collected data from surveys and interviews, the study considers four areas of the reform…

Inverness Research studied the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Seminars on Science program for eight years, from its inception in 1998 to 2006. In 2009, Inverness Research conducted additional studies of the AMNH's new online course, The Solar System. This paper presents teacher survey ratings for The Solar System, along with profiles of…

A study was conducted to determine factors that may indicate a quality high school vocational agriculture program, as perceived by Idaho vocational agriculture teachers and their principals. The study identified specific indicators of quality programs and determined the difference in mean value ratings of selected factors indicating vocational…

The report is based on a survey of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) teachers in Idaho. A total of 72 usable returns were received, representing a 70 percent response rate. Demographic data for the Idaho respondents and their ranking of the competencies both in terms of their perception of their own competencies and in terms of their opinions as to…

A model is presented for evaluating the basic science portion of a program in which the first year of medical school is taught at sites remote from the medical center. A methodology is described for assessing student performance and student and faculty satisfaction with the program. (Author/GK)