A national strategy to provide literacy education for all older Canadians who need it is described in this document. Developed in response to a 1989 survey finding that 64 percent of Canadians aged 55-69 experience some degree of trouble with everyday reading material, the strategy includes a rationale, objectives, and a 3-year start-up plan to…

This handbook addresses the complex and expanding vocabulary of performance assessment and measurement by providing a glossary of related terms and lists of resources for the student, practitioner, and policymaker. Performance assessment includes all forms of such assessment from multiple choice and paper-and-pencil tests to alternative…

The history of Title VI of the Higher Education Act, having to do with language education and area studies, is chronicled by an educator closely involved in development of the legislation. The review focuses on four themes that have received the most attention: debates, largely outside the field, on whether to continue federal funding for Title…

These five working papers present the recommendations of the Australian Early Childhood Association (AECA) regarding accreditation for early childhood education programs in Australia. The papers, written in response to the Interim National Accreditation Council's (INAC) proposed accreditation model, are entitled: "A Suggested Framework for…

This paper provides a framework for an institutional self study integrating total quality management (TQM) and institutional effectiveness (IE) models within the context of standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It highlights the common dimensions in general management principles between TQM and IE and the strategies for…

This practicum sought to develop a consensus definition of what an after-school enrichment program should be, utilizing the Delphi Research Technique, which is designed to collect and synthesize group opinion in an anonymous, interactive, self-repeating, and self-adjusting manner. Three rounds of questionnaires were sent to 31 teachers, school…

Eastern Washington University (EWU) designed a plan to resist faculty salary compression. Salary compression occurs when cost of living increases fail to keep pace with salaries in the external market thus, when new faculty are hired at or near market rates, they will often have salaries higher than senior faculty with equivalent academic…

Policy and program options for economic revitalization in the Southeast region of the United States through educational reform, with a focus on improving the learning experiences of middle-range high school students (30th to 70th percentile on standardized tests), are discussed. The study examined the ways in which state and local school districts…

The importance of considering social contexts--workplace, family, and community networks--in devising adult literacy programs has emerged over the past decade as the clear consensus of adult literacy research. Equally important have been the attempts by field researchers and federal policymakers to use these findings in setting up demonstration…

This serial issue summarizes findings from a survey of 20 state mental retardation and developmental disabilities agencies and 93 community based providers on developing and financing community services. The survey queried respondents concerning: (1) which models or strategies for financing community services have been most effective; (2) what…

This newsletter focuses on the theme of early intervention which infants and young children with special needs in nine brief articles: "Early Intervention: A Matter of Context" (Samuel J. Meisels); "Early Intervention Research: Asking and Answering Meaningful Questions" (Jack P. Shonkoff); "From Case Management to Service…

This paper, part of a larger study on the emergence of the Joint Big Decisions Committee (JBDC) in higher education management practices, focuses on how the JBDC has functioned in light of existing organizational governance models. The paper begins with a literature review which presents and discusses various management model types. These model…

A speech by Chancellor Donna E. Shalala of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, is presented; it calls for a broadening university commitment to societal issues and for the university to engage in basic research on social policy issues in a fashion similar to the fundamental science and technology research currently undertaken. The lecture…

An account of the first year of Chicago's school reform effort as experienced in a predominantly Hispanic school is presented. The ethnicity of actors in each level of the restructuring effort is examined to develop an organizing framework to explain how interaction between these "layers" influences policy making and program…

Changes in textbook adoption policies in three states--North Carolina, Texas, and California--are examined in this paper, which analyzes major legislative or regulatory changes in the context of each state's educational improvement efforts. Findings indicate a growing conflict between advocates for statewide versus local responsibility for…