Background: Inclusive STEM (traditionally known to stand for "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math") high schools are emerging across the country as a mechanism for improving STEM education and getting more and diverse students into STEM majors and careers. However, there is no consensus on what these schools are or should be,…

This study indicates that the state-mandated high-stakes social studies assessments in four states do not require students to demonstrate that they have met the cognitive demands articulated in the state-mandated learning standards. Further, the assessments do not allow students to demonstrate the critical thinking skills required by the…

The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to publish high school graduation rates for public schools; the U.S. Department of Education is currently considering a mandate to standardize high school graduation rate reporting. However, no consensus exists among researchers or policymakers about how to measure high school graduation rates. We use…

All students, including students with disabilities, must be included in state accountability systems as required by law. In April 2007, federal regulations provided states the flexibility to offer another assessment option--an Alternate Assessment based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS) for some students with disabilities. The AA-MAS is…

The goal of industrial technology for industrial arts education in Texas is the education of society to enable its members to function efficiently in the world of advancing technology. Policymakers in Texas have chosen to organize the industrial technology curriculum around three technology clusters: visual communication, production, and energy…

This publication should help educators provide a mathematics program that emphasizes productive time on task and active involvement of students in mathematics activities. The focus on problem solving is stressed. Time allotments are stated, followed by descriptions of essential elements for kindergarten through grade 8: understanding numbers and…

Major questions addressed in this study were (1) What is the educative purpose of cooperative education (CE) courses in postsecondary business programs? and (2) What are the essential objectives which will receive appropriate recognition and accreditation from the educational and accrediting community? A survey instrument containing sixteen…

Intended for use by Texas school administrators in developing and operating programs to better meet the vocational education needs of their handicapped students, this guide first examines the need for a clearly developed program design with specific objectives as the foundation on which program evaluation is based. Following this examination is a…

The "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" examines what is arguably the single most powerful authority over the teaching profession: state government. This Texas edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the first of what will be an annual look at the status of state policies…

This curriculum guide for Fort Worth schools covers grade 6 social studies, Texas history/geography, United States history/citizenship, pointers on how to study, and cultural studies. The guide includes the following materials: a statement of philosophy and broad goals for each content area; objectives organized around broad content goals or…

This teacher's guide was developed to aid in presenting units on general metal trades to students in Texas. The units are intended to provide students with basic knowledge and skills for each area of instruction in the general metal trades, and with the basic entry-level skills they will need to have in order to enter industry as trained workers.…

This teacher's guide was developed to aid in presenting units on general metal trades to students in Texas. The units are intended to provide students with basic knowledge and skills for each area of instruction in the general metal trades, and with the basic entry-level skills they will need in order to enter industry as trained workers. This…

The Rural Texas Domestic Violence Health Professionals Education Program (RTDVHPEP) was designed as an initial and circumscribed effort in the establishment of a comprehensive network of services for Texas victims of rural domestic violence. Immediate goals of RTDVHPEP were to provide rural health care professionals with knowledge and skills to…

This curriculum guide consists of materials for use in teaching a four-part course in electromechanical technical technology. The first part contains nine units dealing with hydraulics and nine units on pneumatics. Addressed in the individual units are the following topics: an introduction to hydraulics; control of hydraulic energy; check valves…

This handbook, consisting of a program development model that is based on three programs for ex-offenders that were implemented in Texas in fiscal year 1983, is designed to assist adult educators in implementing adult education programs for persons on parole or probation. Discussed first are the purpose of the handbook, the individual sites of the…