This article shares one educational leadership program's experiences with the use of student portfolios to assist in assessment of the program's effectiveness in preparing aspiring school principals. The authors begin with a discussion of market pressures for program reforms, which include the use of student portfolios for student assessment.…

Measures of quality are now in widespread use across states as part of quality improvement initiatives. For example, many states are currently using global measures of quality that were first developed for research and practice purposes (such as the Environmental Rating Scales) in their Quality Rating Systems (QRSs). Although global quality…

To examine reasons for a 3-year decline in enrollment in evening courses at North Arkansas Community/Technical College, a project was undertaken to examine evening students' opinions of scheduling and evening program services at the college. A review of the literature on evening programs and methods to assess student opinions was conducted, and a…

A study was conducted at Schoolcraft College, in Michigan, to determine possible reasons for a drop in enrollment between fall 1994 and winter 1995. Of the 3,063 students who were enrolled in fall 1994 but did not return for winter 1995, 100 were surveyed by telephone to determine reasons for not returning, while demographic data were obtained…

This monograph summarizes the current thinking in the national literature on the subject of cost-containment and productivity in higher education and applies findings to higher education in California. It presents a framework for characterizing the major factors driving higher education costs, outlines potentially promising areas in identifying…

A study examined the vocational guidance services available to youth in Denmark. The study focused on the following: use of existing vocational guidance services (including services available through basic general education, the Youth Guidance Scheme, secondary education, vocational training, and higher education and through Denmark's Public…

This report contains four case studies from further education colleges in England that have been addressing student retention and dropout issues during the last several years. The case studies demonstrate successful student retention strategies in diverse college contexts with different student populations. They cover the following colleges:…

Field experiences for preservice teachers are replete with problems including insufficient budgets and concerns about the dominance of the preservice teacher, cooperating teacher, and university supervisor triad. This paper advocates the development of a diadic model that would, through training, expand the supervisory role of the cooperating…

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 guide is the fifth in a series of guidelines designed to be a framework for positive action at the school site and in the classroom through the High Schools That Work (HSTW) program, an effort to raise the achievement of career-bound students. It explains how to develop an educational and career guidance program that will help all students…

By December of the 1992-93 school year, 433 children were being served by the Chapter 1 Prekindergarten Program of the Saginaw, Michigan school district. A process evaluation was conducted to monitor the program and assess whether the program was being implemented as planned. The process evaluation consisted of a half-day classroom observation in…

This report examines the problem of implementing and sustaining vocational education and training (VET) programs in developing countries. It is intended to provide U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officers with operational guidelines for the development of future projects. In conducting the study, over 50 projects conducted by…

Outcomes of a longitudinal study of the Earn and Learn program are summarized. Earn and Learn was a work-experience program initiated in 1972 as a school-based, goal-oriented program for at-risk middle school students designed to increase their self-image and school performance. Two evaluation studies were carried out. One study focused on the…

This report is a first step in defining the direction in which the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) system should move to create programs that facilitate growth toward a socially constructive adulthood. An introduction describes the purpose and scope of a project that convened a panel of experts who generated the information, four background…

This report examines the critical role that child care plays in the way an increasing number of children are growing, learning, and preparing for school and for life. Chapter one of the report examines the current child care situation in the United States and recommends that the nation: (1) set priorities for the child care system; (2) assist low…