This annual report provides an overview of Arapahoe Community College's (Colorado) efforts to improve undergraduate education and the success of those efforts as of 1993-94. After outlining changes made in the transfer, vocational education, and developmental studies programs, the report provides information on specific recommendations implemented…

Understanding the education agendas being promoted by state and federal politicians is critical in comprehending the factors affecting rural education. Equally important is developing an effective rural school improvement strategy that is viewed favorably by policymakers. Five areas represent the focal points of state and federal education…

This report describes some of the benefits to the state of the University of Colorado's (CU) teaching and research activities; profiles CU students; discusses aspects of the academic experience; analyzes student costs; and summarizes the University's fiscal accountability. The report presents highlights of CU's activities; including: (1) CU is the…

This paper analyzes the current proposals by the government of Alberta, Canada, to implement an accountability framework for the province's postsecondary institutions using performance indicators. The paper develops a conceptual framework for performance indicators based on a discrepancy model of evaluation using three metaphors: mechanical,…

Designed to aid in the development of goals and objectives for the City College of San Francisco (CCSF), in California, this atlas provides data on student outcomes, institutional finances, and other accountability information for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 academic years, with longitudinal data included where available. Following a brief…

In response to calls for increased accountability in educational institutions, the American Association of Community Colleges developed the following 13 core indicators of institutional effectiveness: student goal attainment, fall to fall persistence rates; degree completion rates; placement rates in the work force; employer assessments of…

This document, which is intended for individuals responsible for planning and management at further education (FE) colleges, summarizes the factors that contributed to or obstructed implementation of strategic plans in 10 FE colleges in England and Wales in 1994-95. It presents key questions and illustrations that FE colleges can use for…

In an effort to meet all federal, state, and accreditation requirements, as well as accountability demands from business and industry, Iowa's Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) developed a 3-year faculty-driven process to develop a plan for assessing student outcomes. The first step in the process was the formation of a 22-member faculty…

The Quality Assurance Program (QAP) workbook is intended to assist institutions of higher education conduct qualitative and quantitative evaluations of their financial aid operations in relation to requirements of Title IV of the Higher Education Act. The workbook provides a structured approach for incorporating a cyclical Title IV QA system into…

This issue of the Canadian quarterly "Transitions," in French and English language versions, examines the prevention of youth crime, with a specific focus on activities, trends, and research dealing with Canadian families. Major articles in this issue are: (1) "A Snowball's Chance? Communities and Families Working to Prevent Youth…

The 1995 Mississippi "Report Card" provides an index of information about elementary and secondary education in Mississippi. Information in this report was collected from the state's 149 school districts and 4 agricultural high schools to increase the understanding of the opportunities available to districts and to increase local support…

Art education in The Netherlands, which had been dominated by an expressive approach that emphasized creative self-expression, has recently changed its emphasis to reflect a discipline-based approach and the wish for more accountability in art instruction. Final examinations have been produced for secondary art classes, with the testing of art…

The last two decades have seen an increase in the demand for information about school effectiveness. For this paper, school effectiveness is defined as the value-added effectiveness. Value-added indices measure achievement over and above what would have been expected from attendance at a comparable school. They assess school effectiveness after…

Designed to aid in the development of goals and objectives for California's City College of San Francisco (CCSF), this atlas provides data on student outcomes, institutional finances, and other accountability information for 1993-94 through 1995-96, with longitudinal data included where available. Following a brief introduction and the CCSF…

The perspectives in these essays present an examination of the Kentucky educational reform effort, with an examination of its rationale, various facets, and the reactions to its implementation. The ambitious assessment system includes multiple-choice and open-ended items, performance tasks, and portfolio assessments. The following are included:…