With the majority of "good jobs" that pay a family-sustaining wage requiring at least some college education -- such as a technical certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree or another credential of value -- ensuring the existence of high-quality postsecondary CTE [Career Technical Education] programs and programs of study is more…

We present findings from an analysis of the Calculus Concept Inventory. Analysis of data from over 1500 students across four institutions indicates that there are deficiencies in the instrument. The analysis showed the data is consistent with a unidimensional model and does not have strong enough reliability for its intended use. This finding…

The number of postsecondary education (PSE) programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has been steadily growing over the last few decades. There has been little public information regarding these programs and schools. Consequently, students, families, and researchers alike lack details about the various…

Social skills function as a vehicle by which we negotiate important relationships and navigate the transition from childhood into the educational and professional experiences of early adulthood. Yet, for individuals who are deaf, access to these opportunities may vary depending on their preferred language modality, family language use, and…

A Chinese translation of the Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS), a quantitative instrument employed mainly in Western higher education contexts for collecting students' feedback on their learning patterns (in the form of students' processing strategies, regulation strategies, learning orientations and conceptions of learning), was adapted and…

The purpose of this investigation is to tell the story of how six states are developing Programs of Study (POS) as mandated by the Perkins IV federal legislation. The authors' effort focuses on how states' technical assistance systems evolved and what successes and challenges existed for states developing POS. There was no intent to compare one…

This brief presents the results of a national study designed to inventory state agency approval policies and procedures for postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs (Merkley & Johnston, forthcoming). The study was limited to the states' approval of CTE programs implemented by public, two-year degree-granting institutions and did…

Modern cooperative learning began in the mid- 1960s (D. W. Johnson & R. Johnson, 1999a). Its use, however, was resisted by advocates of social Darwinism (who believed that students must be taught to survive in a "dog-eat-dog" world) and individualism (who believed in the myth of the "rugged individualist"). Despite the resistance, cooperative…

This article examines the types of regulation faced by schools offering off-campus programs outside their "home" state of operation. Specifically, the process of approval that an off-campus program on a military base must go through is illustrated. (CT)

This guide provides a brief overview of the issues involved in the validation process. It was developed for evaluators of adult education projects, such as 310 projects. The guide is organized in three sections. The first section discusses the rationale for validation. The second section describes the characteristics of validation models. The…

Smith describes the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education's provider approval program, a mechanism for assessing the quality of available continuing education programs. She maintains that the issue is not one of mandatory continuing education, but of ensuring the existence of programing which uses accepted principles of adult education. (SK)

Teachers can take on the additional responsibility of inservice leadership and can be trained in the processes of curriculum development. Through implementation of those procedures, teachers can initiate an ongoing system of needs-based inservice education. Steps in initiating this process include: (1) Teachers take the major responsibility for…

A vacuum exists in the systematic collection of data on Continuing Education for Women (CEW). CEW programs must become accountable by maintaining records to demonstrate user patterns and program effectiveness. The author outlines specific suggestions for assessment, evaluation, and research; three areas which are integral to the mission of CEW…

This study examined the final program approval for new postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and program review policies and procedures for existing programs based on publicly available Web sites and on follow-up interviews with representatives in the final state approving agency. The purpose of the study was to inventory the…

Intended for policymakers, administrators, and others involved in determining how the efficiency and effectiveness of technical and further education (TAFE) should be measured, this monograph contains the following sections: (1) "Introduction," including a explanation of the origins of the push for performance indicators and the response…