In March 1983, a group of professional personnel, under the direction and leadership of the Utah State Office of Education conducted an evaluation of the teacher education program at Southern Utah State College. The report of the on-site evaluation team is presented in this document. The report includes program descriptions, commendations, and…

The value-added approach to the assessment of student outcomes examines actual or inferred changes in students' performance over time. It also attempts to separate the net effects of instruction from previous ability or simple maturation. Others may have different definitions of this concept, and this vagueness causes problems. Suggested ways to…

The higher education community needs measures of the value added to student development by the college experience. The American College Testing Program (ACT) provides a quick, easy method for estimating the extent of student growth in general education. An institution can test seniors with the ACT College Outcome Measures Project (COMP) exam, then…

Data were consolidated from 11 studies conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) between 1974 and 1981. The studies surveyed a total of 1,939 students, who left WRHC after attending at least one semester, to determine their educational objectives, current activities, employment characteristics, educational activities, and evaluation of…

The major purpose of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is to provide information useful for improving the quality of American elementary and secondary schools. NAEP has focused more on the measurement of academic achievement than on the need for information on learning contexts. Additional information is needed about why…

A year-long study to examine the relationships of higher education institutional characteristics, fund raising methods, and fund raising expenditures to voluntary support outcomes in institutions of higher education was undertaken. The initial results of the survey on college fund raising methods are presented, and a discussion of the implications…

Statewide planning for higher education, with specific reference to Massachusetts, is discussed in a 1982 Alden Seminar position paper, comments regarding the position paper, and an overview of the overall seminar. In "One Half Revolution, One Half Status Quo: Remarks on A Long Range Plan for Public Higher Education in Massachusetts,"…

In spring 1983, a study was conducted at Cerritos College to gain a better understanding of students who dropped all of their classes. The study involved exit surveys administered as part of the official drop process, exit surveys used during the graduation check process, and an analysis of institutional data on the personal and academic…

Findings are presented which provide information about the extent to which fundamental schools (learning in a highly structured setting with instructional emphasis placed on "basic" subjects) at the elementary and junior high school levels in a large school system in Virginia have achieved their objectives. In this report, four schools…

There is an increasing interest by government in accountability for higher education. Efforts such as performance budgeting, performance auditing, and state review of academic programs are becoming more common. Opponents of government involvement assert that regional accreditation reviews are sufficient to maintain quality standards. However,…

Five articles on historical developments in higher education are presented. In "Oxford Dons and Professional Men in Victorian England," Arthur Engel discusses how 19th century Oxford dons sought to make university teaching into a profession, as well as the trend toward specialization in other developing professions. In "'Western' Colleges,…

Indicators of the financial condition of colleges and universities were compiled to assist the Department of Education in policy decisions, based on 1975-1978 institutional data, and site visits to colleges were undertaken. Findings include the following: (1) it is possible to monitor institutional financial conditions; (2) financial difficulty is…

The findings of the California Statewide Longitudinal Study (SLS) of community college students are discussed in terms of their implications for accreditation, evaluation, and educational accountability. First, a background to the study is provided which examines four areas of concern for educational accountability: (1) demographic trends and…

During the spring 1981 semester, Quinebaug Valley Community College (QVCC) conducted a survey of high school students and influential members of the community to obtain assessments of the need for various academic programs at QVCC. Questionnaires were distributed to nine high schools, where juniors and seniors were asked to indicate their possible…

The historical foundations of postsecondary institutional accreditation are traced, and the relationships between the federal and state governments and accrediting associations are analyzed within the context of environmental change. The following emerging characteristics of institutional accreditation are considered: strong traditions of…