Faculty and students from the Adrian Dominican School of Education recently undertook a unique research experiment aimed at understanding how Holocaust education in Florida may be related to the development of citizenship values in public school students. The research is being headed by associate professor of education Gerene Starratt, PhD, and students Ivana Fredotovic and Sashay Goodletty.
In 1994, the Florida Legislature passed the Holocaust Education Bill, which makes teaching of the Holocaust mandatory. The Florida Department of Education Commissioner’s Task Force on Holocaust Education has an interest in understanding the degree to which Holocaust education in the state of Florida may be related to the development of citizenship values in public school students.
Starratt, Fredotovic, and Goodletty will conduct the research to determine the relationship between Holocaust knowledge and citizenship values in Florida middle schools. The community-based research model uses a collaborative approach where all partners contribute their unique strengths and resources to the research process.
The findings of the Holocaust education study will inform decision making of the Task Force and contribute to the scholarly literature related to Holocaust Education in the state of Florida.
Starratt is currently involved in a number of education research projects in Broward and Miami-Dade Coubty Public Schools. Fredotovic and Goodletty are graduate students in Barry’s School of Education. Fredotovic is earning her PhD in higher education administration while Goodletty is earning a MS in counseling.