To provide access to and retain both students of color and low-income students, community colleges must change to create environments in which all students can succeed. Change strategies must focus on the core mission of the institution and rely on data regarding the experiences of students at the institution. When student data are used to inform…

In this article, the authors review the way in which the Victorian government has responded to the inclusion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools, and consider what further efforts could be made to improve inclusive educational practices. Key measures introduced by the state education authority in relation to the…

The Urban Academy (UA), an ungraded New York city alternative public high school, is a school where structures for caring have been constructed to ensure that the young people who attend are surrounded by strong relationships that support their living and their learning. Over 90 percent of the school's students graduate, and over 95 percent of…

This document contains two essays--the first on public education, and the second on private education. The first essay, entitled, "Our Schools and Our Future," points out a paradox--public-opinion polls show widespread public receptivity to fundamental changes in the education system; however, this attitude is accompanied by widespread complacency…

As required by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 (VATEA), a project was undertaken to develop an accountability system for New York State equity programs funded under sections 221 and 222 of the VATEA. This document profiles the resulting accountability system and serves as a guide for program staff…

A survey was conducted of the literature pertaining to higher education program review. Many institutions of higher education have come under intense scrutiny and criticism, and have been required to respond to public pressure for accountability. Program review is one component of the assessment of institutional effectiveness. The following seven…

This report discusses the growing intercollegiate athletic reform movement by first highlighting the 1992-93 National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) approved reform actions and then discussing the challenges and actions needed for the future. The report indicates that initial progress has been made towards reforming intercollegiate…

As the general public demands to know what and how students are learning, schools face some unprecedented issues of accountability regarding student performance. In order to acquire data which is accurate and useful, teachers are turning to more formative assessment methods. These methods convey the ideas that assessment should engage students in…

This article examines one of the challenges to the integration of classroom and large-scale portfolio assessment, a challenge posed by the use of a student's classroom portfolio for large-scale assessment of his or her individual competencies. When work is composed with the support of peers, teachers, and parents, whose work is being judged? The…

The 1996 session of the North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation, The School-Based Management and Accountability Program (the ABCs plan), an educational reform initiative designed to improve student performance. The accountability model for the public schools in kindergarten through eighth grade is designed to provide focus on the basic…

These digests provide information for educators about the nature of cooperation and how cooperative principles can be used to restructure classrooms, administrative hierarchies, and work relationships of all types. Digest 1 describes the competitive, individual, and cooperative interaction patterns and examines the impact of cooperative learning…

New American Schools (NAS) is a coalition of several partners dedicated to supporting innovative, successful schools throughout the country. The partners include the Education Commission of the States, the New American Schools Development Corporation, the seven NAS design teams, the RAND corporation, and various school districts and states. This…

This discussion of the special legal status of the University of Minnesota, known as constitutional autonomy, defines this status, states the rationale for the principle, and describes the relevant territorial act and constitutional provision. The main part of the legal analysis examines Minnesota court cases which addressed the issue of the…

In response to core indicators of effectiveness developed by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Colorado Community College and Occupational Education System (CCCOES) initiated a system-wide project to develop core indicators specific to the state's colleges. The project was intended to reflect the immediate needs for the…

This document is intended to assist individuals responsible for completing the annual development plan required of all community-based adult literacy programs seeking funding from Manitoba's (Canada) Literacy and Continuing Education Branch. A sample development plan is presented to illustrate the initiative, reflection, and planning needed to…