The purpose of this study was to understand the consortial approach to distance education at the state level, with a focus on examining the way three state-level virtual universities engaged colleges and universities in participating in distance education initiatives. Specifically, three research questions guided this study: (1) What structure was…

The challenge of producing the systemic changes that are needed to boost educational attainment and economic competitiveness across the country falls heavily on entities that coordinate public postsecondary institutions. Coordination of postsecondary education, whether of a single system of institutions or across an entire state, requires…

In November 1996, forty-five higher education technology leaders convened in Washington, D.C., to discuss the virtual university (VU). The Western Governors Association had announced establishment of the Western Governors University (WGU). As a result, VU initiatives were emerging from, or being contemplated by, almost every state-level higher…

Organized to provide leadership, motivation, and coordination to foster a favorable climate for occupational research and development in vocational education, a research coordinating unit was established on June 1, 1965. The unit director operates under the Assistant Superintendent for Vocational Education and the Dean of the College of Education…

Designed to provide visiting committees of the Commission on Colleges with an orientation to the University of Kentucky Community College System (UKCCS), this nine-part report provides a detailed description of the UKCCS, including a review of its governance structure, planning and evaluation processes, and relationships among the 14 colleges in…

Designed to provide visiting committees of the Commission on Colleges with an orientation to the University of Kentucky Community College System (KCCS), this nine-part report provides a detailed description of the KCCS, including a review of its governance structure, planning and evaluation processes, relationships among the 14 colleges in the…

One of the most pressing challenges in public education today is the recruitment and retention of high quality teachers for America's schools. Research shows teacher shortages exist nationwide but vary by geographic area, content area, demographics, and individual schools. In a recent study of the Future Educators Association[R] (FEA) initiative…

In June 2001, Asia Society's National Commission on Asia in the Schools released its report which concluded that "young Americans are dangerously uninformed about international matters" (National Commission on Asia in the Schools, 2001 p. 6). Since then, Asia Society has been leading a major national initiative to stimulate teaching and…

A project report describes a Tennessee State University planning project for an educational laboratory serving the Appalachian states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. A needs assessment and think tank session were conducted to identify educational problems, gather data on educational strengths/weaknesses in each state, generate…

An experimental health-care delivery and teaching model, the health department-medical school affiliation, is described. Its conceptual basis and the affiliation agreement are reviewed and its impact is likened to that of the medical school-teaching hospital affiliation. The affiliation between the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department and…

The Council of Public Higher Education, Kentucky's higher education coordinating body, has developed a five-year plan to provide computing, consulting, and communication services for all of the public higher educational community, regardless of the size of the institution. The proposal includes a centralized network which provides instructional,…

Selected information is displayed in the form of charts, tables, and graphs about: (1) the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) program and other state-level student financial assistance programs; (2) the primary state agency or organization responsible for administering these programs; and (3) the general state characteristics relating to student…

This paper describes the processes and methodology used in a 3-year study of the Kentucky Foundation Program--a body of related Kentucky revised statutes which directs the amount and flow of State aid for public education in the State. A technical committee, a research committee, a citizens advisory council, and local study committees examined…

The mission of the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) was to build a long-term capacity that would improve the educational structures of the rural communities it served. The major strategy ARSI used to create improvement communities across Appalachia was to identify, embrace and educate individual teachers, who became ARSI Teacher…