The purpose of this paper is to provide information and insight into how state assessment programs are governed, how individual state and state-consortium assessment programs actually operate, and how key policy and technical decisions on these programs are made. To address these issues, this paper is divided into three sections: First, the New…

People do not want to know the history, minutiae of policy, or operations, or even the political intrigues of a virtual consortium. People want to know if the consortium has value, whether it can help them, and if it is a threat. In this article, the author focuses on the operating principles and policies that have proven successful in the…

A statewide consortium effort in Connecticut was designed to increase the quantity and quality of services available to postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LD). Two model programs were funded and evaluated, and the consortium was developed to replicate the success of the models by encouraging program development throughout the…

In response to growing needs of older citizens, the University of Pennsylvania and the Office of Aging of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare developed a three-year gerontological program. A series of faculty seminars was planned as part of the first-year program, after an initial survey of all Pennsylvania institutions of higher…

To eliminate duplication of health education programs and more adequately distribute trained health workers, the Regional Technical Institute for Health Occupations (RTI) of the University of Alabama and 23 state 2-year colleges have developed a linkage program in which students attend a local junior college for one year, then transfer to the RTI…

The Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC) provides its 32 members with Information Technologies (IT) services including a portal Web site, course management software, course hosting and development, faculty training, a help desk, online assessment, and a student financial aid database. These services are supplied to two- and four-year…

Recognizing that unhealthy children cannot learn and that an uneducated child will become a drain on society, this report describes the efforts of the National Health and Education Consortium (NHEC) to promote collaboration among the health and education professions to improve the health of children. The report describes the creation and operation…

This study describes the state of postsecondary assessment in Maryland, identifies cognitive or noncognitive areas assessed, investigates perceptions about the role of the institutional researcher in assessment activities, and analyzes information to guide the formation of an assessment consortium. The paper serves as a case study of the types of…

The Tech-Prep Statewide Professional Development Consortium of Texas supplemented and complemented professional development activities done within 25 local tech prep consortia to assist in full implementation of the tech prep initiative. Needs analyses identified major areas of emphasis, assessed the current level of tech prep knowledge and…

The problems and objectives of contemporary consortial endeavors are the subject of this report. After introducing material outlining the 1980-1985 goals for consortial development established by the National Training System (NTS), the report provides examples of consortial activities among institutions of higher education and illustrates ventures…

This report describes a project designed to (1) develop models for use of vocational education data available from the Oregon Management Information System (MIS) to implement decision making at key points in program planning and curriculum development, and (2) design, develop, and test a system to improve the competencies of state and local…

Describes the development of the grant-funded Oregon School Library Information System (OSLIS), a project design to provide cost-effective access to online resources in school libraries across the state. Notes that online database provides offer substantial discounts for group acquisition of their products which has prompted the development of…

Alternative certification programs continue to increase as school districts, institutions of higher education, and commercial companies share common educational expectations. In Kansas, a state-wide collaborative of eleven partner institutions, governed by an advisory board, designed a conceptual framework, a standards-based program, curriculum,…

These two newsletter issues of the National Transition Alliance (NTA) for Youth with Disabilities present articles concerning the transition of youth with disabilities from school-to-work (STW) and related informational items. The first issue contains the following articles: "Bringing a Complicated System into Harmony" (focus on the…

This publication reports an Oregon project to organize workshops to enable interested people to learn about the full range of benefits and requirements of a state career information system and to initiate the local developmental process if they decide to proceed. Chapter 1 addresses the need for Career Information Workshops and workshop…