In the 21st century economic landscape, many argue the importance of a college degree, as entry into many occupations now requires advanced credentials. Pursuing a college degree costs time and money, often presenting barriers to those pursuing the dream. Prior learning assessment (PLA) offers a solution to spend less time and money earning a…

Guided pathways reforms can take several years to implement at scale because they require a thoroughgoing redesign of a college's major functions, including: (1) organizing programs into career-focused meta-majors to enhance student recruitment and exploration and program improvement; (2) mapping clear paths to degrees, employment, and further…

K-12-level competitive robotics is growing in popularity around the country and worldwide. According to one of the leading organizers of these events, FIRST--For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology--250,000 students from 56 countries take part in its competitions. FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a yearly event the organization puts…

As state governors grapple with their budgets for 2012, public universities and colleges are facing some of the deepest funding cuts in memory. To make matters worse, most of the federal stimulus funds, which have helped dull the pain so far, will have been spent by June. It seems almost inevitable that IT departments are going to be asked to…

Across the country many schools and communities are trying to create and support efforts to institutionalize partnerships for learning, including those that rethink the use of time across the school day and year, and across the developmental continuum. Referred to by different terms--integrated, expanded, or complementary learning--the concept has…

Library intranets require flexibility and efficiency and enhance the internal communication and collaborative nature of creating and organizing the institution's information. At the University of Houston Libraries, the focus was on public services, so little attention was given to the intranet--the tool every department relied on for quick access…

Background: School-based body mass index (BMI) measurement has attracted much attention across the nation from researchers, school officials, legislators, and the media as a potential approach to address obesity among youth. Methods: An expert panel, convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005, reviewed and provided…

A consortium in North Texas to facilitate interinstitutional cooperation in research programs is described. Benefits included reduced duplication of effort, better information and grantsmanship, increased extramural funding, and improved industry-university relations. A faculty directory illustrating research capabilities was developed and a…

In 1987, Texas created two competitive grants programs for faculty at Texas higher education institutions, designed to help diversify the state economy. The second funding cycle of the two programs (fiscal year 1990-91) is described, including the administrative infrastructure to support proposal solicitation and grant awarding. Project…

For the benefit of Texas Association of Private Industry Council (TAPIC) volunteers who oversee dislocated worker projects, a report examined the initial efforts of putting together a cost-effective and responsive system that can reemploy people. In addition to a review of the state's role in the management and administration of the Economic…

This document was developed to assist Texas school districts in planning and implementing quality programs for migrant students in the areas of identification and recruitment, parental involvement, improving academic achievement, and increasing graduation rates. A holistic framework is proposed to address the academic, social, and emotional needs…

Describes the process of developing a long-range plan for the statewide implementation of Tech Prep associate of applied science (AAS) degree programs in Texas. Suggests that the most critical issues of implementation are effective resource allocation, program access, quality assurance, and building program infrastructure. (15 references.) (MAB)

The 20 Regional Education Service Centers in Texas were established in 1967 at the request of the State Board of Education. Governance is vested in locally elected boards of directors in the participating school districts, and each center is managed by an executive director. Operated by state appropriations, special projects and programs, and…

A study was done to determine the feasibility of using public schools as a delivery system for training the disadvantaged in rural areas, and to identify those factors which have prevented the establishment of meaningful working relationships between manpower training providers and vocational personnel. Utilizing a questionnaire and personal…

The design of the Phasing in Career Education Systematically (PICES) project was based on two data centered systems, sequencing and needs assessment. Four Texas independent school districts participated in the project which directly involved 986 students, 69 teachers, and 27 administrators. Some of the major activities conducted in each district…