Community college efforts to increase completion rates typically involve small programs or pilots that serve relatively few students and often rely on temporary outside funding. However, small-scale innovations, such as learning communities, supplemental instruction, and mentoring programs--particularly if implemented in isolation from larger…

A systems approach was used to assess, remediate, and/or develop compensatory strategies in learning disabled college students. The approach consisted of four components: an analysis of the educational task, preparation of criterion measures, preparation of behavioral objectives, and preparation of instructional sequences. A task analysis was…

Performance standards are a powerful means to begin the process of systemic educational change. An educational culture must be created in which standards become the internalized goals of everyone in the system. Principles for developing internalized standards are discussed, along with appropriate government roles. (JDD)

The Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC) Clinical Evaluation Program, initiated in 1979, is described. Efforts toward improvement of evaluation focused on three tasks: definition of educational objectives, specification of criteria for determining when those objectives are met, and development of methods for assessing individual…

An evaluation system which was used to monitor the progress of resident physicians in the Family Practice Residency at the University of North Carolina is discussed. The system was designed as an information management system which reflects both broad philosophical principles and goals as well as specific behavioral objectives. The three major…

The application of behavioral and cognitive learning theories to the design of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) at the college level is discussed. A model of instructional design and the unique qualities of computers are also briefly reviewed. The general model of instruction, which is used for designing a curriculum, has five major components:…

The School Improvement Model of teacher performance evaluation is described, and its development is traced. Original work in the late 1960s in Naperville (Illinois) and subsequent work by Iowa State University and several cooperating school districts led to the development of a model of teacher evaluation that included multiple appraisers, student…

Project ABLE, a systems approach to occupational education, was conducted (1) to demonstrate increased effectiveness of instruction whose content is derived from analysis of desired behaviors after graduation and (2) to apply newly developed educational technology to the design, conduct, and evaluation of vocational education. Several procedures…

The Equipped for the Future (EFF) initiative asked adult learners to describe the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill their roles as parents, citizens, and workers and identified these four purposes: to provide access to information; to give voice to their ideas and opinions, to take action to solve problems, and to provide a bridge to the…

This document presents the Equipped for the Future Framework (EFF) content standards that were developed over a 6-year period by hundreds of adult education practitioners, experts, and others nationwide to create a working consensus on what adults need to know and be able to do in the 21st century. Chapter 1 defines adult literacy for the 21st…

This monograph contains eight papers examining vocational teacher education theory and practice within the context of new teacher education reforms and practices. Various theoretical and practical aspects of preparing vocational teachers for tomorrow's workplace are discussed, including the following: challenges/opportunities affecting the field;…

This document profiles the Lansing Area Manufacturing Partnership (LAMP), which is a model school-to-career initiative featuring an innovative integrated, employer-driven curriculum that was designed, developed, and implemented through the joint efforts of the Ingham Intermediate School District in Lansing, Michigan, the United Auto Workers (UAW),…

This document details Wisconsin's state plan for implementation of activities mandated by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 and funded by a grant from the National School-to-Work Opportunities Act. The plan is divided into 23 sections dealing with the following topics: geographical areas; local support/expansion of school-to-work…

This document reviews progress in vocational education and training (VET) reform in the candidate countries for accession to the European Union in light of developments in European policy on vocational training. The document consists of a cross-country overview and individual overviews of VET in 12 candidate countries: Bulgaria, the Czech…

A 6-month consultation process was conducted to identify changes needed in Ireland's system of adult education in the era of lifelong learning. The following issues were addressed: (1) financial barriers for adults wishing to return to education; (2) the lack of access to mainstream programs of education and training; (3) the lack of information…