Assessment practitioners are well aware that evidence of learning improvement in higher education is scarce. A Learning Improvement Community has been created to promote learning improvement. Recently, this group created a "Readiness for Learning Improvement Tool." Given learning improvement projects are resource intensive, this tool was…

James Madison University has used dedicated Assessment Days for more than 30 years to collect longitudinal data on student learning outcomes. Our model ensures all incoming students are tested twice: once before beginning classes and again after accumulating 45-70 credit hours. Although each student completes only four instruments during a 2-hour…

Recently, accrediting bodies are placing great responsibility for accountability on universities and academic schools, departments, and programs. The goal of the increased accountability is improved quality of teaching and learning. In this paper, we describe several levels of accountability for quality teaching and learning in a small, private,…

Three community colleges--El Paso Community College, Bunker Hill Community College, and Patrick Henry Community College--incorporated technology into the curriculum to support student progress in mathematics through developmental education. Each college took its own path: El Paso developed a self-accelerated emporium-style computer lab, Patrick…

Newport News is a city of 193,000 people, located between Williamsburg and Norfolk in Southeastern Virginia. Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) educates approximately 30,500 children, grades Pre-K to 12, of whom 55.7% are Black, 29% are White, 9.9% are Hispanic, 2.9% are Asian, and 2.5% are other races. Newport News Public Schools' (NNPS') Special…

In this paper, the authors draw on empirical data from CCRC's Scaling Innovation project to examine trends in developmental education instructional reform and outline a framework for reform adoption and adaptation. The paper's findings are based on two qualitative data sources: a scan of developmental education reforms that involved changes to…

As Internet technology encroached on the public school classroom about a decade ago, Kim Ross, superintendent of the Houston School District in Houston, Minnesota, saw an opportunity. At first, he and his administrative team simply wanted to offer students in the district of 1,300 access to more classes via the web than what a district that size…

Seven small private colleges in three states have found a way to reduce their administrative technology costs and expand their technological capability at the same time. They have done it by choosing the common-sense, yet unconventional, college and university strategy of genuine collaboration. The result, the Independent College Enterprise (ICE),…

This master plan sets forth a general strategy for providing administrative and academic computing services and satisfying the data processing requirements for the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) during the 1980's. Following an executive summary, chapter 1 sets forth the purpose of the plan and outlines the planning processes used.…

Designed to provide direction for those who contemplate establishing a competency-based program for vocational teachers, this monograph contains major papers developed for the Institute on Competency-Based Teacher Education for Virginia Vocational and Technical Teacher Educators held in Blacksburg, November 23-26, 1975. Also included are two…

The rising number of individuals returning to communities from prison and jail represents one of the defining issues of time. Individuals reentering society face myriad challenges, not the least of which is securing viable employment; in addition, each individual has a unique set of experiences, needs and resources. This project stems from the…

Ten years ago, students at the University of Vermont (UVM) had to carry separate ID cards, meal cards, and athletic cards. Today, the single CATcard combines all of these functions, plus library privileges, an optional declining balance program called CAT$cratch, access to computer labs, use of vending machines without quarters, and even a ride on…

Designed to serve as an introduction to the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) for agencies serving the handicapped, this guide analyzes the CETA process and suggests ways in which CETA funds can be used to help handicapped persons achieve their vocational potential. After giving a brief history and overview of the legislation, the…

Surveyed Virginia's colleges (N=23) to ascertain how financial resources, administrative support, and community interest might influence development of programs for older learners. Results indicated that general demand and administrative support were most positively related to growth while inadequate financial resources and cost to participants…

This study examined the characteristics of school systems and programs that have been successfully involved in change over the past 10 years and that are continuing to update services through external sources. Four models of innovation are outlined: the traditional research-development and utilization (RDU) model, the Linkage Model (Havelock…