This document examines the major issues and implications related to the development of quality guidelines for adult literacy programs in Ontario (Canada) and presents a framework for discussing issues related to quality guidelines and their formulation. Discussed in the first section are the following topics: the place of quality issues/guidelines…

This document, which is intended for curriculum managers at British further education colleges, presents guidelines for developing and implementing a college assessment policy based on the principle that the objectives of all assessment procedures and policies are as follows: enhance the assessment provision within colleges; ensure that assessment…

In the context of the increasing transfer of power from the federal government to state governments, this report analyzes existing data and offers critical information about state legislative higher education policy and insights into the values and attitudes legislators hold about higher education. The report's conclusions are based on a study…

The National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching is working with the New York State Education Department to develop an assessment system that addresses both instructional and accountability concerns. The new system is intended to move the state to a system of performance assessments used in the service of ongoing teaching and…

This report summarizes a panel discussion among five college administrators who have initiated or taken part in restructuring efforts in their states: Herman Blake, vice chancellor for undergraduate education at Indiana University-Purdue University; Ronald Carrier, president of James Madison University (Virginia); Gordon Davies, director of the…

This "Profile" offers a snapshot of state assessment systems by describing some of their fundamental characteristics. Its focus is on what individual states are doing in terms of developing their own standards and assessments and how they report these results. Two pages of information are presented for each state (but not for the…

This report to the Mississippi Legislature presents the findings of a review of student financial aid administrative expenditures and enforcement of residence requirements by the State Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). The review found that IHL privatized a loan guarantee program and redirected special funds to a private…

In March 1995, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Personal Responsibility Act (H.R. 4), part of the House Republican Contract with America. The bill would move primary responsibility for child and family programs to states and communities, reduce federal spending, and consolidate programs into block grants for child care, child…

This training guide describes the provisions of the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, identifies the functions of the different partners in the program, and explains the responsibilities of participating schools. Topics covered include an overview of the participants and the program's operation; determining of eligibility and loan amount;…

This book examines the issues surrounding the funding of higher education. The book is divided into 10 chapters: (1) "The Financing of Higher Education" (David S. Honeyman and Megan Bruhn); (2) "The Value of Investments in Higher Education: Capturing the Full Returns" (Terry S. Geske); (3) "State Funding Formulas: Promise…

A description and analysis of the America 2000 educational strategy emphasizes the questions of what children and youths deserve and need in terms of education, and what the process of taking children and youth seriously involves in practice for teachers, administrators, parents, and others. After stressing that America 2000 is a national, rather…

This paper contends that much of the time and money devoted to standardized testing in the United States is misspent. Too many tests are poorly constructed, unreliable, and unevenly administered. Multiple-choice tests cannot measure thinking skills or real problem-solving ability. In addition, many examinations are biased racially, culturally,…

This report presents a framework of action necessary for effective statewide leadership related to equity in the schools. It also details progress made by the Colorado State Board of Education and the Colorado Department of Education regarding actions related to educational equity, and makes recommendations about where the State of Colorado may…

A study examined statewide implementation of the Arizona Department of Education's vocational technological education (ADE/VTE) model and the feasibility of using Arizona's performance standards in evaluating processes/outcomes at model sites. Data were collected from a pilot study of 12 sites and survey of 128 Arizona local education authorities…

This report of the San Francisco (California) Regional Office of the Inspector General concludes that the U.S. Department of Education should improve its present method of allocating special education funds among the states. It finds that the basis of these allocations, reported numbers of students receiving special education in each state, is…