It is pointed out in this Digest that there is an imbalance between the number of Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American teachers and the percentage of children of similar ethnic backgrounds in the schools. The growing minority student enrollment in public schools has increased the demand for proportional minority teacher representation.…

This digest offers general information about American community colleges and lists a variety of sources of additional information about these institutions. The digest provides the defining characteristics of community colleges and information on their curricula; statistics on enrollments and student characteristics; information on faculty…

The heightened interest in college program review is traced to a widespread interest in improving educational quality and the need to respond creatively to financial constraints and external expectations for accountability. Current program reviews have also been designed to aid in decision making about resource reallocation and program…

This digest offers general information about American community colleges and lists a variety of sources of additional information about these institutions. The digest provides the defining characteristics of community colleges and information on their curricula; statistics on enrollments and student characteristics; information on faculty…

Researchers have long investigated whether smaller classes improve student achievement. Their conclusions suggest that class size reduction (CSR) can result in greater in-depth coverage of subject matter by teachers, enhanced learning and stronger engagement by students, more personalized teacher-student relationships, and safer schools with fewer…

The digest is based on a full length report (with the same title) on African-American and Hispanic faculty at predominantly white, four-year institutions of higher education. The full report provides a definitive review of the literature and institutional practice on the topic. Three topics are discussed: (1) how necessary affirmative action…

Two groups of students at risk of not developing adequate mathematical knowledge and skills are (1) the "typical or usual" and (2) "the nominal mathematics students"--those who do not achieve at a satisfactory level in mathematics and/or do not enroll in mathematics courses beyond typical required courses. This digest provides…

Institutional self-study is an appropriate method for determining quality and demonstrating accountability which can lead to academic and administrative excellence. With a trend toward state and federal government involvement in higher education, colleges will do well to conduct internal program assessments in order to maintain control. A…

A brief overview is presented of some successful minority teacher education recruitment programs. The sample of programs includes the following: secondary education programs targeting junior and senior high school students; teaching profession magnet programs; articulation programs between four- and two-year colleges for community college…

The increasing number of black students in private schools has been stimulated partly by concern about the adequacy of the public schools; a desire by parents for greater choice about, and control over, their children's schooling; and a desire to find schools with values similar to their own. Private school efforts to draw minority students have…

This brief report summarizes a longer report with the same title. It examines the problems of the increasingly severe shortage of qualified teachers in American higher education and the need to recruit large numbers of new faculty during the next decade and, as the potential solution to both problems, the recruiting of women to fill these faculty…

Despite the proliferation in the last decade of school-college collaboratives designed to help disadvantaged students, a number of unsolved problems about their operation have limited their effectiveness. Schools and colleges collaborate to solve mutual problems in the areas of student development, school improvement, and college improvement. Some…

This brief report summarizes a longer document with the same title. It reviews literature on the importance of using active learning teaching techniques in the classroom, describes what active learning is, discusses how this technique can be incorporated into the classroom and identifies barriers to the use of this approach. Strategies that…

Factors that affect the attainment of a bachelor's degree by urban students are outlined. The demographic profile of American school children makes it clear that problems for urban colleges and universities will grow in the years ahead. There is a correlation between income and education achievement; low income students do not achieve, persist, or…

Within the last few years, American schools have moved toward routinely measuring the outcomes of their educational programs. Two national associations dealing with community colleges have also developed quantitative indicators to assess outcomes for two-year colleges. There are still colleges that make only minimal efforts at assessment, citing…