The California Community Colleges serve more than 2.1 million students and is the largest system of higher education in the nation. The state's 114 colleges offer certificates and degrees to job seekers in the 21st century, provide basic skills education, and prepare students for transfer to four-year universities. This 2016-17 report highlights…

A model describing the development of curriculum and coursework for dual certification programs in two-year postsecondary vocational education institutions throughout China is described. Dual certification programs allow students to obtain an academic diploma and a national vocational qualification certificate concurrently. Chinese educators and…

This data book profiles noteworthy academic events, trends and outcomes at the state and complex-area level. It includes tables, figures and narrative sections related to demographic, financial and educational performance. A list of resources is provided. [For "Hawaii Department of Education Data Book, 2018. 29th Annual Report," see…

Paramedic program accreditation and individual performance on the national paramedic certification examination were analyzed in this study. In 2008, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians mandated paramedic program accreditation by January 1, 2013. Contemporary literature has not addressed the impact of program accreditation on…

This research focuses on ePortfolio assessment strategies that yield important accountability and reporting information. Under foundational categories of reliability, validity, and fairness, we present methods of gathering evidence from ePortfolio scores and their relationship to demographic information (gender, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic…

In this article institutional and structural factors relating to access to education are assessed. First, the macro frameworks of institutional regulation that exert influence on the educational trajectories of young Europeans are demonstrated. Based on different aspects of these frameworks and drawing from extant research, the article presents a…

Background/Context: Sub-baccalaureate certificates can provide an accelerated pathway to gainful employment for the unemployed or underemployed. Certificates represented only 6% of postsecondary awards in 1980, but today they represent 22% of all credentials awarded and have superseded associate's and master's degrees as the second most common…

Increasing numbers of students are applying to university with the International Certificate of Christian Education (ICCE), an alternative to mainstream qualifications based on a biblically-based, individualised curriculum called Accelerated Christian Education (ACE). No formal validity arguments exist for the ICCE, but it claims to prepare…

Earlier work demonstrates that career and technical education (CTE) can provide long-term financial benefits to participants, yet few have explored potential academic impacts, with none in the era of high-stakes accountability. This paper investigates the causal impact of participating in a specialized high school-based CTE delivery system on high…

As states move to implement the Common Core State Standards, key challenges remain. One is how to make sure a high school diploma acknowledges what students have achieved. Should states adopt a two tiered diploma, in which students who pass internationally aligned Common Core exams at a career- and college-ready level receive an…

Values clarification is a dynamic process in which people come to understand what they individually view as important in their lives by placing a name or label to what one values. This process commonly occurs during the traditional college years and is a critical component of leadership education. This qualitative study examined how junior-level…

Taiwanese vocational schools are actively promoting opportunities for students to obtain specialized certificates during their formal education. However, because segments of the student population do not intend to achieve certification, questions about how to increase the motivation of students to pursue this goal have arisen. Two experiments…

In this paper, the authors examine the relative labor market gains for first-time college students who enrolled in the North Carolina Community College System in 2002-03. The medium-term returns to diplomas, certificates, and degrees are compared with returns for students who accumulated college credits but did not graduate. The authors also…

Subbaccalaureate credentials, including associate's degrees and postsecondary certificates below the bachelor's level, are a large and growing part of the postsecondary education enterprise. For example, in 2015, fully 51 percent of all undergraduate credentials were awarded at the subbaccalaureate level, up from 48 percent in 2003. Horn and Li…

This data book profiles noteworthy academic events, trends and outcomes at the state and complex-area level. It includes tables, figures and narrative sections related to demographic, financial and educational performance. Also, comparisons to other states with characteristics similar to Hawaii are provided to illustrate relative progress or…