Continuing education students are usually mature students who have a wealth of experience from which their peers and the lecturer could profit. An effective teaching method with such students is the use of cooperative work assignments, but a problem that prevents lecturers from using this method is the difficulty of assigning grades to individual…

Nationwide experience over the last 20 years strongly suggests that state and local education agencies must work together to establish a common vision, standards, and common expectations--a framework--for their comprehensive guidance and counseling programs. This document presents a framework that brings together the basic elements to develop,…

This study was designed to analyze the implementation of state and district mandated academic standards, assessment processes, accountability, and intervention strategies at the middle-school level. Its goal is to identify and describe intervention strategies that are effective in increasing the ability of middle school students in at-risk…

The document outlines and describes the Institutional Effectiveness measures and standards to be used by Texas' community and technical colleges in achieving their local and statutory missions. Performance expectations are outlined in the Texas Education Code, Criteria for Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Guidelines for…

This brief examines educational progress in the United States from 1992-2000 in such key areas as standards and accountability, student performance, closing the achievement gap, technology, and increased access to higher education. This progress was measured in the context of key initiatives that helped the nation's schools and students to make…

The document relates the results of the reports of Illinois' community colleges, which provide continuing evidence that the colleges and the Illinois Community College Board are pursuing the statewide goals for Illinois higher education. The Results Report provides information for each of the six statewide goals identified in the Illinois…

This report presents cycle four of the strategic planning process at the State University and Community College System of Tennessee. The cycle extends for five fiscal years from 2000 to 2005, and is meant to: (1) provide a blueprint of the systems vision; (2) provide guidelines to facilitate setting system policy and priorities; (3) provide…

This report presents current information on: the goals that Southern Regional Education Board states have set for raising teacher salaries; lessons that states have learned about linking salary decisions to teacher performance and accountability; what states know about how competitive teacher salaries are; the implications of supply and demand…

This report provides comparative data for the major independent institutions of higher education in Florida, including key data on enrollments and completions by degree level. This information allows comparison of levels of productivity and racial and ethnic diversity among members of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF).…

This report provides the results of a survey of state board members, presidents, and the local trustees of the twenty-eight institutions within the Florida Community College System (FCCS). The survey was an effort to determine what was working well in the current system, where problems existed, and where these individuals felt the various…

This 2001 report presents the findings of an institutional evaluation survey conducted by South Texas Community College (STCC). The survey asked 434 community opinion leaders to respond to 13 items by providing the item's level of importance and a letter grade for the college's performance on it. There were also several open-ended questions,…

This paper presents the findings of the University of Alaska Anchorage's (UAA) 1996 survey of student needs. The objectives of the survey were to gain insight into the students' goals and motivations, and to measure students' needs and satisfaction as part of institutional accountability. The survey is intended to be used as a guide to…

Standards-based reform relies on the premise that every student can reach higher levels of achievement if certain criteria are met. This brief, for policymakers, provides a short history of educational standards, an explanation of how standards-based reform works, and ways to align standards with other key policies to create meaningful reform.…

To outsiders, the role of school superintendent has always been a little mystifying. This digest examines how superintendents are responding to their changing environment, what leadership strategies they are using, and whether the superintendency is in a state of crisis. Although fears exist of a dwindling pool of applicants, studies have shown…

This document describes the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP), which includes the Smart Start initiative for grades K through 4 and the Smart Step initiative for grades 5 through 8, as well as assessments for high schools. As it encourages educational improvement, the ACTAAP fulfills the requirements of…