The development of a standards-based assessment policy represented a significant cultural shift in assessment practice at one university. Concurrently, the implementation of a policy framework represented a significant procedural shift in policy development and review. The assessment policy was the first policy scheduled to be reviewed through the…

Through a comprehensive overview of policies and data related to the renewed European agenda for adult learning, this Eurydice report aims to support the exchange of policy and practice between countries. The report concentrates on measures to ensure that the most vulnerable groups of adult learners, in particular those with low basic skills or…

European countries have set themselves 22 specific goals by 2014 to support their long-term vision for vocational education and training (VET). This report is a first step in understanding progress by mid-2012 towards these goals, endorsed in 2010 in the Bruges communique to help achieve the Europe 2020 agenda. Attention has clearly focused on…

This is the fourth report in a series of five reports resulting from the Texas College and Career Readiness Initiative (TCCRI) established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) under contract with the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC). The purpose of the TCCRI is the Facilitation of the Development and Implementation…

How many students repeat a grade each year? How do retention rates vary across states and over time? Despite extensive research on the predictors and consequences of grade retention, there is no systematic way to quantify state-level retention rates; even national estimates rely on imperfect proxy measures. We present a conceptually simple…

Research Findings: Australian state and federal governments have increasingly recognized early childhood as a critical period for investing in interventions. At the same time, a number of organizational, structural, and environmental responses have been put in place to build the capacity of communities to better support children and their…

This brief presents the results of a national study designed to inventory state agency approval policies and procedures for postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs (Merkley & Johnston, forthcoming). The study was limited to the states' approval of CTE programs implemented by public, two-year degree-granting institutions and did…

Contributing to the debate on the nature of the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act, this report discusses three proposals that would establish standards of performance for vocational education and analyzes experiences from performance standards implemented as part of other social and educational programs, such as the…

Objective: Assessing the achievement of social work educational outcomes is a requirement of the Council on Social Work Education's Educational Policy and Standards (EPAS). The Evaluation Self-Efficacy Scale (ESE) was created to assess student progress in advanced concentration courses focused on evaluation and thereby provide data regarding…

In tertiary institutions in Australia, and no doubt elsewhere, there is increasing pressure for accountability. No longer are academics assumed "a priori" to be responsible and capable of self management in teaching and assessing the subjects they run. Procedures are being dictated more from the "top down". Although academics…

Describes the process used in Connecticut to validate the content of associate nursing degree programs and to articulate them with baccalaureate nursing programs. (SK)

Effective exploration of spatially referenced educational achievement data can help educational researchers and policy analysts accelerate interpretation of datasets to gain valuable insights. This paper illustrates the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze educational achievement gaps in Arkansas. It introduces the Geographic…

In the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District in California, prerequisite levels have been established for almost all courses offered, though students may insist on taking classes above their prerequisite level. In an effort to validate the district's prerequisite system, a study was conducted comparing academic success rates of students…