Many campuses across the California State University (CSU) system are seeking to improve academic advising as part of their efforts to increase student progress and graduation rates. In this exploratory study of efforts to improve academic advising at five CSU campuses, researchers at the Education Insights Center (EdInsights) working on behalf of…

Today's nationwide focus on college completion is central to both individual and societal success. For individuals, attaining a credential has become essential to earn a livable wage and support a family. In addition, as each person's educational attainment increases, so does his or her capacity to contribute to the economy, his or her community,…

Kern County Children and Families Commission (First 5 Kern) is funded by the Proposition 10 ballot initiative to support services for children prenatal to age five in California. The state revenue comes from an extra 50-cent tax on tobacco products, and is distributed according to the proportion of live births in each county. Following a…

Among its planning and coordinating responsibilities, the California Postsecondary Education Commission is required by state law to assess the ongoing effectiveness of postsecondary education in meeting societal, educational, and workforce needs. At its September 28-29 meeting, the Commission supported staff's proposed work plan to transition from…

The turn of the century brought a profound change in the accreditation of teacher preparation programs. This shift--from curriculum-based reviews to standards-based reviews--took place in the context of the accountability movement of the late 20th century. The 21st century ushered in what many refer to as "a culture of evidence." From…

This report summarizes a variety of information on the operation of county School Attendance Review Boards (SARB) in California and is intended to aid the legislature in evaluating the degree of implementation and degree of effectiveness of SARBs. SARBs are community-centered review boards intended to assist school districts, students, and parents…

In its annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the total program of vocational education in California, the California Advisory Council on Vocational Education and Technical Training identified five specific areas that need attention and improvement, including: (1) the State Plan, (2) the vocational education reporting system, (3) programs for…

In fall 1984, the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges implemented a new statewide occupational education program evaluation and reporting system, using information supplied by occupational education administrators, instructors, and advisory committee members. To collect the evaluation data, the 106 California community…

This report on the current status of state advisory councils on adult education contains data concerning the 1975 and 1980 status of state councils in the 50 states. It consists of an introduction, four sections, and an appendix. Provided in the introduction are some conclusions of a 1975 survey on state advisory councils on adult education as…

These guidelines and quality indicators are designed to help providers of vocational programs and services in California to identify policies, procedures, and practices that are exemplary or that might be improved. Addressed in the individual sections of the guide are the following topics: planning; fiscal resources; facilities, equipment, and…

California's school-to-career (STC) efforts were examined in a statewide evaluation study that was initiated in December 2000 and scheduled for completion by June 2002. The study's first phase was assessed in an interim report that focused on the following major activities: (1) development of a white paper describing the STC's national and state…