This digest discusses two recurrent themes presented in the New Directions for Community Colleges volume titled "Organizational Change in the Community College: Ripple or Sea Change?" First, change in the external environment is accelerating, and colleges must respond to these changes to thrive. External environmental influences include…

This digest describes the nature and implications of scientifically based research (SBR). SBR grew out of the No Child Left Behind act of 2001, which stipulates that federally funded programs and practices must be grounded in scientifically based research. Scientifically based research is defined here as "persuasive research that empirically…

In recent years, community colleges have developed innovative assessment programs to respond to more explicit state guidelines and mandates for greater accountability. In California, for example, the State Assembly began requiring community colleges to address specific educational and fiscal performance issues in assessments in 1989, while…

School governance has recently come under scrutiny as one of the many areas of public education being examined in the educational reform movement. School boards are being criticized by state governments, educational experts, and the public. Crisis situations have developed in many educational systems nationwide, particularly in urban areas. In…

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…

Educational vouchers are the most controversial of numerous school-choice alternatives. This ERIC Digest in Spanish provides some background on the topic and discusses the support educational vouchers has received, as well as arguments for and against vouchers. The digest supplies information concerning the degree of success for voucher programs…

Educational vouchers are the most controversial of numerous school-choice alternatives. This ERIC Digest provides some background on the topic and discusses the support that educational vouchers has received, as well as arguments for and against vouchers. The digest supplies information concerning the degree of success for voucher programs and…

This digest of a full-length report provides a review of state level budgeting for higher education in terms of the underlying interplay of human and external forces coupled with factors that are present in the budgeting process itself. The environmental context includes historical, political, economic, and demographic factors. These factors…

Public service in higher education is an important function of American colleges and universities. The nature and purposes of higher education can be revealed through three popular metaphors--ivory tower, social service station, and culture mart. It can best be fulfilled through ideas of value, social criticism, social problem solving, or social…

Collaborative efforts between vocational education, the military services, and defense-related industries have been reviewed to meet the defense preparedness needs of the Nation. The U.S. Department of Education has responded to these needs by establishing the Defense Preparedness Task Force, convening a Defense Preparedness Review Group, and…

One promising practice for improving workplace preparation, apprenticeship, has been effective in preparing skilled workers for the changing needs of the workplace. Apprenticeship is a training strategy with eight components: it combines hands-on training on the job with related instruction; employer needs dictate programs; it is regulated by law;…

Japan's educational system, in particular its K-12 schools, remains one of the very best in the world. This digest provides an overview of the following topics: (1) Japanese educational achievements; (2) the structure of K-12 education in Japan; (3) the K-12 curriculum, with an emphasis on social studies education; (4) educational reform in Japan;…

This digest discusses shared governance in community colleges and identifies issues highlighted by recent shared governance experiences. Governance structure in public community colleges tends to have many variations at both the state and local level. Shared governance is a pattern of self-government in which decision-making is shared among…

A small but increasing number of school-aged children are engaging in home schooling--pursuing learning at home or elsewhere in the community. This digest summarizes research findings on and issues around home schooling. It describes the historical roots of home schooling, the estimated number of participants, the constitutionality and legal…

Projecting the future for U.S. community colleges into the early 21st century involves projecting the future for the United States in general. Based on trend data, it can be expected that the number of community colleges will not change, except to the extent that public universities organize additional two-year branch campuses or community…