This report presents comparative data governing the financing of public higher education in each state and the District of Columbia. The model used in data analysis involves the following nine data elements: population, number of high school graduates, public full-time equivalent enrollment, taxable resources, tax revenue collected, state and…

This paper presents a framework and model for design of open-ended learning environments (OELEs). First, an overview is presented that addresses key characteristics of OELEs, including: use of meaningful, complex contexts; provision of tools and resources; learner reflection and self-monitoring; and social, material, or technological scaffolding.…

This report reviews the literature on learning theories and frameworks applicable to instruction of undergraduate college students. An introductory section provides an overview and discusses the importance of learning frameworks. The first half of the volume addresses various theoretical frameworks in detail. These include: motivation theories,…

This document examines employer involvement in school-to-work (STW) through the lens of seven business organizations: American Society for Training and Development; Business Coalition for Education Reform; The Business Roundtable; Committee for Economic Development; National Alliance of Business; National Association of Manufacturers; and U.S.…

This paper discusses a model of integrated instruction and assessment called SMART (Special Multimedia Arenas for Refining Thinking). SMART involves interactive use of the Internet and multimedia software. The Internet serves three important functions: it acts as a formative assessment tool by providing individualized feedback to students, creates…

This paper discusses the use of World Wide Web-based conferencing in the Collaborative Teacher Education Program (CTEP) at Indiana University. The CTEP, a program offering distance education coursework to in-service teachers in rural communities throughout southern Indiana, is described, and some of the obstacles and limitations involved in…

This study documents the struggles and successes of three Mexican American teachers over a 40-year period in the Alice Independent School District, Texas. In order to focus on the construction of the subjects' identity as Mexican American teachers, the interviews were transcribed and categorized into themes: parental influence, school experiences,…

Using a model of rational student choice as its foundation, this study examined whether state policies toward higher education encourage junior colleges and universities to admit too many students. The optimal-size decisions of budget-maximizing junior colleges and universities were derived and compared to the optimal-size decisions of a social…

In an effort to better market the college's programs and services, Prince George's Community College (PGCC), Maryland, has employed its own tracking system which utilizes a socioeconomic segmentation of their serviceable target population. This approach utilizes U.S. Census data grouping neighborhoods into natural socioeconomic, cultural, and…

The 27 papers included in this proceedings report focus on various aspects of institutional effectiveness and student outcomes. The papers are: (1) "Assessment Update: Ends, Means and Results" (Banta); (2) "The Top Ten Issues Facing America's Community Colleges" (Lorenzo and Banach); (3) "Assessing Institutional Effectiveness in Continuing…

In 1986, Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), in New Mexico, developed the Student Outcomes Model (SOM), an approach to student outcomes assessment which focuses on institutional mission, the college's diverse clientele, and the varied enrollment goals of its students. Through a series of ongoing outcomes studies, the SOM seeks to: identify what the…

This book offers a knowledge base for the integration of basic skills into vocational teacher education. Introductory materials include a project overview, mission and goals of the curriculum, belief statements, curriculum format, information on preparation and time issues, new basic skills definition, and a guide to lesson categories. The book…

This bulletin issue addresses the theme of drug-exposed infants and the services required by these infants and their families. "Cocaine-Exposed Infants: Myths and Misunderstandings" (Barbara J. Myers and others) comments on the negative accounts of drug-exposed babies presented by mass media and reviews the mix of positive and negative…

A project developed secondary agriculture programs as model sites to be used to prepare student teachers from the University of Illinois and Illinois State University. During the project, 18 sites were identified and selected through site visits conducted by project staff. Criteria for selection of model sites included the following: (1) the…

This monograph presents a review of the literature on college residence life organized around an ecosystemic model and student development theory. This model distinguishes between events and processes at four levels: suprasystem (relationship between residence and university systems); macrosystem (residence hall); mesosystem (the hall floor); and…