The 2008 Public Policy Agenda summarizes the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' (AASCU's) principles and priorities in key areas of higher education policy. The document is intended to serve as a point of reference for federal and state policymakers, the association's members, and other interested organizations and…

This document contains witness testimony and prepared statements from the Congressional hearing called to examine the operations of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Witnesses include the administrator, deputy administrator, and head of the research division of the OJJDP, along with a program specialist and a staff…

Perspectives on secondary school preparation and college admissions, and specifically admissions to selective colleges, are provided. According to a 1977 Stanford University document (which is briefly summarized but not appended), there is considerable variation in the number of solid academic courses taken by high school students, and capable…

The admissions process at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), freshmen year courses, and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) are discussed. MIT's admissions criteria include the College Board Achievement Test, Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, high school transcripts, essay replies by applicants, letters of…

A practical guide to the process of selecting and appointing new college presidents is presented, based on a literature reivew, questionnaire responses, and institutional case studies. The following nine steps in the process are examined: (1) establishing the machinery of search and selection; (2) organizing the committee; (3) formulating the…

The College Admissions Practices Project examined the effects of rising admissions standards on postsecondary minority enrollment. A national survey of 158 institutions gathered data on changes since 1980 in the following areas: enrollment, faculty data, admissions practices, and racially motivated incidents on campus. In addition, questions were…

Background information is presented on the history and operation of educational research and development (R&D) centers supported by the National Institute of Education (NIE). The objective is to provide information for the four study groups that are assisting NIE in identifying missions for center competition. In addition, some lessons that…

This report analyzes the content and development of the 45 school district career ladder plans submitted in 1984 to the Utah State Office of Education. Descriptive commentary and data tables are used to examine (1) the structure and composition of planning committees; (2) teacher evaluation provisions, including changes in evaluation methods, the…

A National Institute of Education (NIE) statement of policy and procedures is presented regarding administering institutional contracts and grants with regional educational laboratories and research and development centers during fiscal years 1983 and 1984. Definitions are presented of regional educational laboratories and research and development…

This hearing is the first of two to consider whether the priority setting, the guidelines, and the competitive process for the funding of 12 proposed research and development centers (which constitute nearly 80% of the budget of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) for center-based research) will be adequate to establish a…

To compete with other professions for the most able people, teaching needs a career ladder system for elementary and secondary teachers comparable to the peer review model offered in higher education. Such a system should consist of three levels. Following the initial, probationary position on the career ladder, that of beginning instructor, the…

A National Institute of Education (NIE) policy statement is presented regarding competition for future funding of regional educational laboratories and research and development (R&D) centers with appropriations available for Section 405(f) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). Attention is also directed to continuing eligibility of…

This essay reviews research pertaining to the relative merits and drawbacks of expanding family choice in public education. A primary objective is to identify and explore tensions among competing objectives in the design of expanded choice systems. After an introductory section on goals and definitions, the second section explores how more family…