A form of group learning, cohorts, has become increasingly attractive to administrators, instructors, and participants in adult education. Basic academic skills cohort learning supports three types of knowing: instrumental, socializing, and self-authoring; whereas, in higher and adult education cohort learning, the development of critical…

The importance of following prescribed principles in the implementation of an effective law-related education (LRE) program is emphasized. Based on research findings that law-related education is a delinquency-prevention technique, the fact sheet lists six prescriptions for providing effective law-related education programs: (1) the use of…

Collaborative learning refers to small-group instruction that incorporates five elements: clear, positive interdependence among students; group self-evaluation; interpersonal behaviors that promote each member's learning; individual accountability; and frequent use of small-group social skills. These elements have been implemented in colleges…

This digest analyzes information from two recently completed national surveys to determine the extent to which various vocational education programs improve employment opportunities in the United States. The impact of a General Educational Development (GED) certificate on workers' wages is also analyzed. Data are from the 1992 National Adult…

Nearly forty monographs, papers and journal articles are abstracted in this review of recent literature on instructionally effective schooling. The works, most of them published since the mid-1970s, focus on various aspects of urban, minority, and compensatory education, as well as on more general issues in elementary and secondary educational…

This digest describes the essential components of college preparation programs for urban and minority youth. The digest suggests that such programs must attend to the cultural norms of the community and their own political contexts in order to increase students' access to, enrollment in, and graduation from college. College preparation programs…

This digest reviews approaches that have been proven effective in preparing urban minority youth for college. Precollege programs that offer comprehensive approaches and combine a variety of services have the largest impact on college access for minority youth in low-income neighborhoods. The most effective programs are of substantial duration and…

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…

This digest discusses the use of faculty mentoring programs to empower faculty and ultimately benefit the institution and improve the quality of higher education. It refers to the literature on mentoring in terms of conceptual frameworks, mentoring arenas, and roles and functions of mentors and proteges. It briefly addresses the following aspects…

This report discusses the use of faculty mentoring programs to empower faculty and ultimately benefit the institution and improve the quality of higher education. It synthesizes the literature on mentoring in terms of conceptual frameworks, mentoring arenas, and roles and functions of mentors and proteges. The first section provides a general…

The strengths and weaknesses of the traditional external quality controls exerted by government and accrediting bodies to monitor colleges and universities are examined, along with the importance of institutional self-regulation. Government involvement in American higher education is traced historically, showing that until recently the oversight…

Nowadays all schools must be prepared to meet the challenge of an increasingly diverse student population, including many students who are not proficient in English. The effectiveness of various program models for language minority students remains the subject of controversy, and there are several factors to consider when selecting a program…

This digest, based on a larger report of the same title, summarizes principles for improving quality in higher education institutions. Emphasis is on the effect of the principles when they are used holistically to create a culture of academic excellence. The quality principles are based on the conceptual framework of total quality management (TQM)…

Prior to presenting a model for evaluating teacher education progams, it is pointed out that five major issues must be settled before attempting an evaluation: (1) the evaluation's purpose; (2) clients or audience; (3) specific questions to investigate; (4) use of an internal or external evaluator or a combination; and (5) dissemination of the…

Collaborations between high schools and colleges have emerged during the 1980s as a means to increase enrollments and academic success of low-income minorities in higher education although their benefits have yet to be clearly demonstrated. This review surveys the literature on the effectiveness of these collaboratives. The report is comprised of…