A state-mandated outcomes assessment test for certification of teachers has been administered in Texas since 1986. At Southwest Texas State University, which produces the most certified teachers in the state, the assessment showed that its students were not also among the best. In response to this situation, a presidential committee conducted…

Perspectives on the context and results of the investigation conducted by the National Commission on Excellence in Education are presented. It is noted that the Commission's analysis sought to determine the extent to which colleges fail to set and maintain high standards, and the extent to which they fail to make their measures and benchmarks of…

Information for colleges engaged in curricular reform about how other schools are managing the task is presented with the central device for organizing details being an imagined core of studies, 50 semester hours, that would encourage coherent and substantive learning in essential areas of knowledge. Rather than acting as a single prototype this…

A study based on student and faculty opinions is presented. It examines how well two types of preclinical curricula are preparing students to become competent physicians. Research questions include: how effective do students perceive their educational activities in two different preclinical curricula to be in helping them to pass their exams and…

This report discusses a comprehensive plan designed in 1984 to internationalize the Illinois State University curriculum. This plan focused on four major areas: study abroad, foreign student and scholar services, curriculum development, and faculty development. Fundamental to the internationalizing process was the recognition that no serious…

The Northern Kentucky University Bachelor of Science in Applied Sociology and Anthropology (ASAN), which is described in this report, involves a strong liberal arts background combined with a thorough preparation in social science research skills. ASAN students take introductory and basic methods courses in sociology and anthropology, applied…

In 1988, a quantitative and qualitative analysis was conducted to determine the effectiveness, quality, and image of Patrick Henry Community College's (PHCC's) nursing program. The study was initiated in response to faculty and administrator concern about the low passing rates of nursing graduates on the state licensing board examination. The…

This collection of articles examines the influences of the state and federal government, the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC), universities, accrediting agencies, and other external forces on the community college curriculum. Articles which deal with the role of the government in curriculum development include: "An…

Drawing from case studies of the educational systems in 11 of the member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), this report examines the curricular organization and content of post-compulsory education in Canada, France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom,…

A comprehensive composition course for the college level should include the strengthening of cognitive skills, language skills, social organization, and language patterns. The subjects which students are asked to read and write about should be multi-cultural in nature so that students learn more about other cultures while they analyze their own…

The literature on the development of college students is discussed, and recommendations are offered for developing a course on student development theory and research. The following observations about the literature are considered: (1) the literature on the college student is actually two separate literatures, one focused on outcomes and the other…

The fine and performing arts have long been a part of the two-year college curriculum, though the organizational structures of the colleges have afforded these courses limited visibility and widely varying roles within the curriculum. In 1987, a study was conducted by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges to determine the goals and…

The system of higher education of the German Democratic Republic is described. Information on the different kinds of colleges--universities, university colleges, and engineering and technical colleges--is provided, including admission procedures, course objectives, course content and structure, further education, paths leading to the award of…

Higher education in Bulgaria is discussed. The following topics are considered: the history of Bulgarian higher education; structure, content, and functioning of higher education; higher education organization and administration; nonuniversity higher education; other forms of higher education; fields of study; curriculum; educational process and…

The usefulness of futures research data to reform the general education curriculum was assessed in 1984, using the Delphi method. Expert opinion was identified concerning changes in the general education curriculum that should be made in light of conclusions provided in "The Global 2000 Report" and "Megatrends." In addition to…