Having made "continuous improvement" the theme of its accreditation process a decade ago, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is poised to make "assurance of learning" the current focus of the faculty/student exchange. In this article, the authors discuss how to use standardized assessment tests…

In response to changing management and budgetary strategies that have been driving decision making to the lowest administrative levels, institutional researchers have been attempting to identify indicators which can be used to evaluate institutional performance and progress. This paper reviews efforts to introduce departmental operational…

The operation of computerized management information systems (MISs) for adult basic education in 27 states and 21 local programs was the focus of a research study. During 1991 and 1992, state adult education directors and MIS specialists were interviewed by telephone regarding MIS organization and content; local personnel were interviewed…

In response to legislative mandate, the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges initiated the development of a community college accountability system by convening a task force in January 1991. In addition, grants were awarded to four community college districts (i.e., Mt. San Antonio College, San Joaquin Delta College, San…

The following two types of student mobility stand out as causing educational problems: (1) inner-city mobility, which is prompted largely by fluctuations in the job market; and (2) intra-city mobility, which is caused by upward mobility or by poverty and homelessness. Most research indicates that high mobility negatively affects student…

This unit on recordkeeping in a small business, the 15th in a series of 18 modules, is on the second level of the revised PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) comprehensive curriculum. Geared to advanced secondary and beginning postsecondary or adult students, the modules provide an opportunity to learn about and try out…

The Michigan Student Information System (MiSIS) is the student flow component of the Michigan Community College Occupational Education Evaluation System (MCCOEES), a comprehensive state-wide system for evaluating occupational education. This manual provides comprehensive guidelines for collecting local management information for program and…

Theory and research on a variety of topics in higher education are addressed in 13 articles. Titles and authors are as follows: "College Environmental Influences on Learning and Cognitive Development: A Critical Review and Synthesis" (Ernest T. Pascarella); "Learning Theory and Research" (Cameron Fincher); "Methods and…

This handbook provides survey questionnaires and procedures to guide users in the conduct of follow-up studies to assess the transition success of special education and non-special education students. It focuses on collecting three types of data (employment activities, quality of life, and goal achievement) for special education students and…

Statewide planning for higher education and the approaches that states take to budgeting and accountability are reviewed in this monograph. Statewide planning involves identifying problems and collecting relevant data, analyzing interrelationships among variables, and choosing the most desirable alternatives to reach objectives. State-level higher…

Proceedings of a 1981 joint conference sponsored by the Southern Association for Institutional Research (SAIR) and the North Carolina Association for Institutional Research are presented. The conference theme was the practice of institutional research. Contents include preconference workshop reports, speeches, abstracts of papers, and reports of…

The final report and recommendations of the Commission on Student Life at San Diego State University are presented. The commission undertook a comprehensive review and evaluation of campus programs and services that contribute to student life. Specific tasks were as follows: (1) to examine all dynamic aspects of student life at San Diego State…

A nationwide longitudinal study was undertaken by the Higher Education Research Institute in Los Angeles to study the impact of Exxon Education Foundation's Resource Allocation Management Program on the 49 institutions receiving grants under the program. The focus was the behavioral consequences of management changes for administrators, staff, and…

This revised outline of a 1962 address contains general guidelines considered still useful for practicing school business administrators. Introductory "general observations" and a preamble give advice about good personal qualities, policy and planning practices, and relations with school boards, community, staff, and fellow professional…

This final report of a project conducted to design, develop, and test a comprehensive management plan for vocational education in Missouri is divided into three sections. Section I describes the rationale and components of a model based on the general systems approach to planning. An analysis of the planning process introduces several planning…