In an effort to leverage students' positive community engagement experiences as they transition to and become alumni, Portland State University (PSU) embarked on a pilot "Continuing Engagement Program." This article provides a rationale for this effort, an overview of the programmatic elements, lessons learned, and future engagement…

In January 2007, the Oregon State Board of Education mandated a new Oregon diploma that strengthened high school graduation requirements with the aim of improving student readiness for college and career. Among the major changes was a requirement that students demonstrate proficiency in nine "essential skills" that included the…

The purpose of this paper is to begin the process of bringing conceptual clarity and order to the discussion of competency based education. Toward this end, a number of steps have been taken: (1) the wide variety of educational practices that relate to the concept of competency based education, and the variety of programs that carry the label,…

In their paper entitled "Why should postsecondary institutions consider partnering to offer (Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)?" the authors reviewed frequently asked questions they encountered from higher education professionals about IDAs, but as their research continued so did the questions. FAQ II has more in-depth questions and…

Presents evidence from a national demonstration program, Project Redirection, and the Salem, Oregon YWCA Program, which demonstrates that by including vocational and employent-rated services in comprehensive programs for pregnant teens and teenage parents, service providers can help equip young parents with skills needed to compete for jobs paying…

Interest is growing in planning and implementing new systems of holding child and family services accountable for results. The Results-Based Accountability (RBA) Project at the Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) has supported and built upon recent state efforts to develop these new accountability systems for child and family services. The RBA…

Small, sometimes multi-cultural, rural schools need specialized preservice teacher education programs to prepare teachers. After outlining the classroom, school, and sociocultural characteristics affecting a teacher's success and survival in a rural community, this paper discusses the apparent lack of rural content in teacher preparation programs…

This bulletin describes two exemplary mathematics programs in Oregon: the Math Lab at Mountain View Junior High School in Beaverton and the Academy Math Program at Jefferson High School in northeastern Portland. The Math Lab at Mountain View is a weekly supplemental unit that is integrated into general math and pre-algebra courses for seventh and…

A three-year career education project involving grades 1-14 in twenty schools was undertaken to continue and expand the development and implementation of new and proven career education and guidance concepts, to demonstrate the process used in developing and implementing these concepts, and to provide a visible and transportable model of career…