Accountability mandates from accrediting agencies and state government require community colleges to report student graduation and transfer rates. State reporting systems maintained by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) provide one means of computing these measures. MHEC used fall enrollment and degree data to determine graduation and…

Educational testing is at a decisive moment, as the issue of standardized testing has become one of the most hotly debated education issues of the decade. The accuracy and relevance of standardized tests have been questioned by many researchers, evidenced in the 20-year report of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. There is general…

This core curriculum is designed for use in helping employees participating in a workplace-specific basic skills program develop basic team-building skills while simultaneously developing basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills. Although many of the instructional materials and sample forms included are applicable to employees in most…

This document is intended to assist South Dakota schools in the development and implementation of Gifted Education Plans, and includes state laws and rules pertaining to gifted education, guidelines for reporting, and explanations of the necessary components of a district's written plan. A brief statement of philosophy addresses characteristics of…

English and Spanish versions of a guide to testing reform are presented. The guide explains alternatives to standardized testing for educational assessment and shows how these new methods of evaluation will improve education. Standardized tests are used for an increasing number of purposes in the school system, but there is no proof that their use…

Research was conducted to determine whether Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) services were being targeted to those most in need, to identify which participants got which services, and to identify associations between characteristics, services, and outcomes. Data were obtained on 5,300 youth from a random sample of 63 service delivery areas. The…

A report and recommendations of the Arizona Board of Regents' Ad Hoc Committee on University Access and Retention focuses on the enhancement of ethnic minority integration and achievement in Arizona's universities. Eight sections cover: introduction (the challenge for Arizona's universities); House Bill 2108; early outreach (linkages and…

Case studies were conducted at the state and local level in Texas to evaluate the impact of the Carl Perkins Vocational Education Act. Changes in vocational education at the state level that could be attributed to the Carl Perkins Act (CPA) included: (1) a smaller state advisory council with a majority representing business and industry; (2) a…

Written from the perspective of a state director of special education, the paper identifies and discusses accomplishments in special education during the 10 years since the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) was enacted, current problems and issues, and future challenges within the following key areas of change: (1) access to…

The achievement of educational opportunity goals for the disabled in California is addressed in this report, which includes three brief working papers prepared for regional hearings and written testimony provided by 30 individuals. Included is the text of Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 3, which directed the California Postsecondary Education…

This report describes how successful statewide programs of educational standards and assessment are established and briefly discusses causes of program failure. Four key stages characterize effective program establishment: (1) planning, (2) development, (3) implementation, and (4) monitoring. Planning involves interaction among all parties, for…

The status of higher education in Maryland in 1975 and 1985 is compared, with attention to enrollments, student qualifications, programs, faculty, funding, quality, accountability, and the role of higher education in society. Data on opening fall 1984 enrollments and changes from 1983 are provided for Maryland community colleges, state colleges…

Presented are a summary and proceedings of a workshop on community college issues of legislative concern. The summary report begins with Patrick Callan's paper, "The Question of Mission," which assesses the changing role of community colleges in the western states. The remainder of the report highlights the key points of the formal presentations…

Increased international competition, rapid technological innovation, and profound demographic changes have all created an urgent need for a skilled and capable work force. The work force development system that has been assembled over the years in the United States is extensive; however, the goals and services provided by a wide range of public…

Over the past decade the relationship between the federal government and universities with regard to federally funded scientific research has become increasingly strained. Mounting concern over the deterioration of this relationship and its impact on research led to the formation of the Ad Hoc Committee on Government-University Relationships in…