The pervasive nature of online learning worldwide necessitates the creation, administration, and improvement of quality assurance mechanisms for higher education institutions. This article delineates a number of principles regarding features of high quality online learning systems and principles related to assessment of student learning, teacher…

The field of higher education attracts many talented, ambitious professionals who are inspired to work in this sector because of opportunities to support the academic, personal, and professional development of students. It is an irony that more attention is not paid to the professional and leadership development of administrative talent in…

The "Personnel Development Program to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities" is authorized under Section 662 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and is known as the Personnel Development Program (PDP). The PDP is administered by the U.S. Department of Education's (ED's) Office of Special…

A combined B.S.-M.D. program designed to provide family practitioners to northwest Pennsylvania is described. The impact of the program on the region goes beyond the number of physicians supplied. Gannon University attracts high-quality students, and Erie hospitals benefit from affiliation with the medical school at Hahnemann University.…

This report examined state tuition prepayment programs (STPPs) in Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, focusing on how the programs operate and the participation rates they have achieved. It also assessed the income level of program participants, options for increasing the participation of lower-income families, and…

This study examines the role of the 14 colleges participating in postsecondary programs in eight Pennsylvania correctional institutions, to assess the quality of instruction and educational services, and to determine the attitudes of the offenders towards the college program. Data used in the evaluation was collected by questionnaires administered…

The extent to which postsecondary access and choice are promoted by the scholarship and grant programs in California, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania is examined. Findings: these programs induce a substantial number of students from low-income families to attend, are particularly helpful to women, and are responsible for the attendance of…

This document is a transcript of a panel discussion on the development and early stages of implementation of an accountability system for vocational education professional personnel development in Pennsylvania. Representatives of the Bureau of Vocational and Adult Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education, and three of the four participating…

The freshmen orientation programs offered by the colleges and universities that hold membership in the Pittsburgh Council of Higher Education (PCHE) were studied, and recommendations for a comprehensive orientation process were suggested. Interviews with three individuals for each program at nine institutions were sought; attention was directed…

In response to a mutual need for better communication between the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Bureau of Vocational and Adult Education (BVAE) and four universities in Pennsylvania operating vocational education professional personnel development centers, an accountability system was designed through a cooperative effort with center…

This paper deals with the need to redefine and comprehensively restructure teacher education programs, emphasizing what teachers can best learn, in what contexts, and at what stages of their cognitive and social development as professionals. The report is organized into 5 parts: Part 1 concentrates on what schools should do that they are not…

Thirty-nine rural school districts in Pennsylvania responded to a survey designed to study new teacher induction programs. The total sample population of 392 included mentor/support teachers, inductees, and induction coordinators. Based on the survey data and information from 29 districts' documents, this report gives detailed descriptions of…

Pennsylvania does not have a legislatively mandated program in place for assessing teacher education programs in institutions of higher education. This study was conducted to examine how Pennsylvania's public and private universities and colleges assess the quality of their teacher education programs. Deans and/or chairs of teacher education…

Basic principles for the establishment of successful higher education/school district partnerships are given based upon experiences in Pennsylvania. In examining the need for school districts to obtain technical assistance for development and improvement, two themes are isolated: improvement in learning, and improvement in professional preparation…

A study sought to determine what factors and events have influenced the occupational behavior patterns of 1977-1978 Pennsylvania home economics education graduates. The study examined how women graduates of the traditionally female field of home economics education have experienced labor force participation over the past 10 years. Home economics…