This document describes what Palomar Community College District (California) is doing to address a pressing need in higher education: the need to produce more and better student learning in exchange for the state's education investment. The need is especially crucial in regard to the greater number of under-prepared students who are entering…

This presentation identifies six areas of common interest between the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) and the Citizens Commission on Higher Education: (1) California needs to plan more effectively for the anticipated enrollment growth, particularly at the community college level; (2) the State ought to create a long-term…

This workbook, one of six professional development manuals prepared by experienced General Educational Development (GED) instructors, is designed to assist the instructor setting up and operating a GED classroom. A pretest and posttest appear first. Each of the units begins with a list of objectives and then provides instructional material. Unit 1…

This report provides important state-by-state information on the characteristics and performance of schools and students in each state, information that is vital to monitoring the progress and evaluating the success of local, state, and national education reforms. The report disaggregates student achievement data so that attention can be focused…

This paper examines how urban school districts that have substantially improved student performance emphasize improvement of education guided by rigorous standards for teachers rather than high-stakes testing for students. States and districts that rely on test-based accountability emphasizing sanctions for students and teachers often produce…

Historically, legal issues have not been well represented in the higher education research literature. Two sources, however, regularly discuss legal issues: the Journal of College and University Law and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Three main themes emerge in the literature on legal issues: (1) rethinking and refining of traditional…

This volume consists of four issues that present best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used. Issue 1(A) on adult multiple intelligences has seven articles: "MI (Multiple Intelligences), the GED (General Educational Development), and Me (Martha Jean); "Understanding Multiple Intelligences:…

This paper describes the extent to which California has met its three commitments for community colleges: restoring access, improving funding per student, and funding facilities needs. With regard to restoring access to higher education and workforce preparation, there was an increase in the participation rate from 58/1000 adults in California to…

This document discusses the principles that guide the development of the contingent funding methods and the implementation criteria for the Partnership for Excellence Program, as well as significant issues and questions for the system to resolve. The first principle states that the level and pace of progress toward the Partnership goals are not…

This document is intended to reflect the commitment of the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges to effectively coordinate its community college system. A brief history of the board, along with a description of its powers and duties, are given. Information about the state's community and junior colleges is provided in the…

To support states in improving the quality of their Perkins accountability data, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), US Department of Education, invited State Directors of Career-Technical Education to submit requests for individualized technical assistance. In response to a request by the New Mexico Public Education Department…

"No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), the title of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, describes a worthy goal for this nation. Tragically, NCLB is aggravating, not solving, the real problems that cause many children to be left behind. NCLB must be overhauled if the federal government is to make a useful contribution to…

Discusses the changing role of institutional research in light of: (1) demands for increased productivity; (2) the need to recruit and retain nontraditional students; (3) the high costs of vocational education; (4) the complex data collection requirements of program evaluation; and (5) the growing importance of collective bargaining. (JP)

The high school diploma is attacked as providing inadequate evidence of student development, socialization, and achievement. Discussed are major potential consequences of the movement towards "competency-based education" affecting college admissions, curricula, graduation requirements, and student learning. (AF)

Policymakers are exploring whether schools should be allocated state funds as rewards for improving student achievement and other performance indicators. Team-based rewards specified in 14 states' statutes represent a limited form of performance-based school finance. This article examines financial rewards in four states and makes policy…