Reviews ERIC literature on selected topics related to community college governance, including bureaucratic, collegium, and political models of governance; organizational roots of community colleges; faculty participation in governance; and legislative shared authority. (DMM)

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…

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 represents the largest amount of federal funding ever authorized for vocational education. Effective July 1, 1991, the act enables Congress to spend up to $1.6 billion per year on state and local programs that teach the "skill competencies necessary to work in a…

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…

This report offers help to teachers, teacher trainees, students, and local foreign language professional organizations in moving out of their traditional environments and into the community where they may identify natural constituencies and develop public support for foreign language programs. The first section presents an outline for a six-part…

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…

Ways in which the efforts of vocational education and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) can be coordinated are discussed in this fact sheet. Following an overview of CETA, seven titles from the CETA amendments of 1978 which provide opportunities for vocational education-CETA coordination are described: (1) Title I:…

Information about current policy issues and relationships Between state governments and higher education is presented, with focus on the conceptual issue of accountability and autonomy. The relationship between state governments and colleges is continually evolving. Four sections cover the following: (1) leadership in higher education (the…

The role of individual institutions and college-state agency cooperation in reducing program duplication is discussed. Declining enrollments and financial problems have necessitated determining what courses/programs will be offered at which institutions. At the freshman and sophomore level, states usually require that community colleges and…

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…