How institutional research can improve the quality of institutional performance of colleges and universities in the face of funding constraints is discussed. An example of the use of instructional research to assist in documenting institutional quality in Australia is noted. Institutional research uses data collection, analysis, and interpretation…

This paper reports on research developed from a more comprehensive study of five teacher training programs at a large urban Southern university. During the initial study characteristics were observed in special education and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) cohorts which differed from those of students in the three traditional programs. The…

Papers by teachers and teacher trainers address issues in bilingualism and related teaching techniques in the elementary school classroom in England. They are derived from an inservice teacher training project. Essays include: "Investigating Children's Discourse in the Primary Classroom: The Linguistic Demands of Classroom Tasks"…

The School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS) presented in this booklet is a comprehensive rating scale for school-age child care programs that is based on criteria for developmental appropriateness for this age group. The SACERS is intended to be used in center-based care rather than in family child care homes. The booklet begins with an…

This document provides an overview of the 17 universities in the Province of Ontario, describing undergraduate and graduate program offerings, sources of operating income and research funding, and linkages between the universities and the private sector. The first section includes a discussion of the appraisal process used to assess both graduate…

Four newsletter issues address aspects of adult immigrant education for employment. The first focuses on the manufacturing industry, with articles describing a Pima County Adult Education (Arizona) program concerning quality standards, an El Paso Community College (Texas) program for employees of companies in transition, and survey results on…

This exploratory study establishes analytical tools (based on both technical criteria and user feedback) by which federal Web site administrators may assess the quality of their websites. The study combined qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques to achieve the following objectives: (1) identify and define key issues regarding…

This paper discusses the use of Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores and other elements affecting institutional accountability in the University of Maryland system. It asserts that SAT scores in and of themselves are not accurate predictors of retention and success. The publication of SAT scores of first-time, full-time freshmen clearly is as…

The Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP) is a state-funded prekindergarten program in Saginaw for at-risk 4-year-old children. The overall goal of the program is to provide these 4-year-olds with an environment that will enable them to develop school readiness skills in seven program component areas: cognitive, psychomotor, affective, parent…

The Michigan School Readiness Program (MSRP) is a state-funded prekindergarten program in Saginaw for 4-year-old children from the inner city. Its goal is to provide an environment that develops school readiness skills in seven areas: cognitive, psychomotor, affective, parent participation/education, curriculum, staff development, and community…

As the number of World Wide Web sites continues to grow at an explosive rate, the need for design guidelines also increases. Although there are a number of resources that provide guidance on structure and content, few address the motivational aspects of Web sites. The Website Motivational Analysis Checklist (WebMAC) was developed to help diagnose…

The Washington State Core Competencies Project is designed to implement competency-based adult education in the state's 38 adult basic education programs. A model curriculum was developed and field-tested over several years. The resulting curriculum outline of core competencies for English as a Second Language, level 2, is presented here. The…

The Washington State Core Competencies Project is designed to implement competency-based adult education in the state's 38 adult basic education programs. A model curriculum was developed and field-tested over several years. The resulting curriculum outline of core competencies for English as a Second Language, level 3, is presented here. The…

The career magnet high school programs of the New York City (NYC) public school system were evaluated in an experimental study. The experimental design compared the ninth-grade performance of students randomly selected for magnet schools with those who "lost the lottery." It included 91 pools of students: 3,272 with average reading…

This first systemwide report on New Jersey higher education examines how well the state is meeting its goals for higher education affordability and accessibility, institutional excellence, and effectiveness in addressing societal and economic needs of the state. The six sections of the report include: (1) an introduction, which stresses the…