Discusses decentralization and parental choice as the two central elements of the current wave of reform. Argues that the introduction of competition to schooling affects schools' need to increase their attractiveness and does not necessarily correspond with pedagogical considerations. Discusses some possible consequences of quasi-market…

Discusses community colleges' multiple roles and the impact of declining elementary-secondary performance on higher education. Offers examples of changing relations with secondary education; community college programs for immigrants, minorities, and educationally disadvantaged; a continuum of occupational programs; diversity in transfer education;…

Explores causes of the qualitative and quantitative diminution of community college transfers, including structural causes best addressed through accreditation. Considers the scope of accreditation and policies and practices of specialized and regional agencies. Argues that accreditation can influence general education, faculty qualifications,…

Examines undergraduate reverse transfer students in an urban environment, finding complex patterns of institutional attendance. Results imply that the community college plays multiple roles in the lives of those who transfer from a four-year institution. Investigates why these students leave the university, the role of the community college in…

Attempts to answer questions concerning academic success, as measured by time-to-degree, of community college students who transfer to senior institutions. Discusses barriers students encounter, the impact of personal characteristics on adjustment, the use of student support services to overcome those barriers, and the extent of integration into…

This paper presents findings of a study that analyzed participation patterns and the movement of students and state funds in Ohio during the 1993-94 school year, the first year during which Ohio's interdistrict open-enrollment law was fully implemented. The theoretical framework for the study was drawn from economics and business theories of…

Pioneer Institute recently organized a roundtable in which school officials discussed their experiences with inter-district public school choice. The participants exchanged views on the current state of the choice program in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts inter-district school choice program allows parents to enroll their children at schools in…

This master plan for McLennan Community College (MCC) begins with a mission statement, brief history of the college, and a summary of the planning process. The remainder of the plan lists the 67 strategic goals of the college, the strategies that will be used to attain them, and the planning context within which the goals were developed. In many…

This document examines the implementation and early effects of Minnesota's open-enrollment option, which allows families to apply to enroll their children in a public school in any nonresident school district in the state. During 1989-90, surveys were mailed to 2,663 participating families, 1,966 secondary school students, and all 432 district…

In 1992, a national survey was conducted to determine the percentage of the community college curriculum devoted to the non-liberal arts, to develop a taxonomy of non-liberal arts subject areas, and to ascertain the percentage of these courses which were transferable to research universities and comprehensive colleges and universities in five…

This report examines the development of school choice policies as an element of educational reform, describes open enrollment as one form of school choice, outlines other types of school choice programs, describes Minnesota's various forms of educational choice, explores arguments for and against choice, and discusses issues and concerns for…

A survey was conducted of 82 rural parents of students with disabilities or giftedness on the topic of open enrollment. The survey examined demographic characteristics, sources of information, reasons for transfer, and changes in parental involvement with schools. Most of the rural students with special educational needs who chose to participate…

In April 1994, a Transfer Symposium was held by the California Community Colleges to bring educational analysts and policymakers together to discuss trends and issues affecting the transfer process and other aspects of educational access. This report presents transcripts from the two panel presentations and minutes from the three discussion…

In 1991, the Future Teachers Institute designed a Teacher Assistant Associate in Arts degree program with a bilingual option and a career ladder providing various options for teacher assistants and instructional aides. Together with representatives from the Los Angeles Unified School District and California State University, Northridge, Los…

The renewed emphasis on the community college transfer function has both positive and negative aspects. On one hand, the creation of articulation agreements, transfer centers, consortia, and national centers promises to reduce the barriers between two- and four-year colleges, enhance the mobility of minority students, and improve teaching and…