Reports on a nationwide survey of the teaching profession that compares personal profiles and salaries of public school teachers and 4-year college graduates employed year round. Discusses issues of supply and demand, motivation and morale, job satisfaction, and teacher training. Six charts are included. (IW)

Using data from Achieving the Dream: Community College Count, this issue of "Data Notes" compares students in the 2002 Achieving the Dream cohort in terms of achievement and persistence over three academic years based on Pell Grant receipt. The results reveal a complicated relationship between Pell Grant receipt and measures of student success.…

In this report, the authors present the results of their analysis of who adult basic education (ABE) teachers are, how they approach their work, the challenges they face, and the concerns they have about their work. Using the teachers' own words as often as possible, this report describes teachers within their four roles, as: classroom teachers,…

This report describes workplace conditions that support effective instruction and professional growth according to recent research. Key workplace conditions include: fair teaching assignments; opportunities for teachers to collaborate with colleagues; extra induction support, ongoing professional development, and expanded career opportunities;…

In 1987, the State Board of Education cited a shortage of minority teachers in Tennessee. In 1988, The Tennessee Task Force on the Supply of Minority Teachers issued several recommendations--most of which were implemented--to increase the number of minority teachers. In 1989, House Joint Resolution 36 also requested an annual report on the status…

A recurring issue among community colleges is the perceived high rate of attrition of their students. Summers (2000) conducted a study at a Midwest comprehensive community college to examine the relationship between student enrollment behaviors and various outcomes. He found that students who persisted enrolled earlier than those who did not. He…

California's population is expected to grow from 33.9 million in 2000 to 45 million by 2020. In addition, Latinos are expected to outnumber Caucasians by the year 2020. In Los Angeles County, the Latino population is already 45%, compared with 31% Caucasian, 13% Asian, 9% African American, and 1% other. This manuscript offers a new model of course…

This guide helps parents understand the issues of teacher quality, suggesting ways they can strengthen teacher quality in their children's schools. In order to ensure that students meet new, higher standards, teachers must be better prepared to promote high levels of learning for all students. Research has shown that many teachers do not feel…

This report examines the indicators of institutional effectiveness for Mount Hood Community College (MHCC) (Oregon). The document reports on five institutional goals: (1) knowledge-based workforce education and services; (2) access for members of the community and development of an environment in which diversity thrives; (3) economic development,…

This report describes the best practices described by national experts, some of the actions that are currently being taken by Colorado institutions of higher education and recommendations for improving programs to retain and graduate minority and low-income students. Over the course of the taskforce's meetings, it became clear that Colorado's…

This study evaluated whether the low retention rate (53 percent) between their first and second years of students at Atkinson College, the part-time evening school of York University (Ontario, Canada) is primarily due to institutional failure or to the characteristics and choices of mature students. A survey was sent to admitted students in…

Traditional freshmen, or first-time students who enter college immediately after graduating high school, represent the largest identifiable group of students within Frederick Community College's (FCC) student body. They are afforded a considerable amount of resources from college staff, and for them the college follows various measurements of…

This document states that many studies have identified faculty recruitment as a specific job responsibility of college department chairs. Because the recruitment process is time consuming and costly, the chair must also ensure that recruitment leads to retention. This paper closely examines what strategies academic chairs use to recruit and retain…

Increased awareness of the importance of girls' education within Malawi and internationally resulted in the implementation of many changes in girls' education during the 1990s. By 1997, the number of girls enrolled in primary school was twice the level in 1990, and girls' share of enrollment increased from 45 to 48 percent. Malawi improved girls'…

In fulfilling their mission to provide services to diverse groups, community colleges often find that their retention rates suffer as a result. Current research reviews the theoretical basis of retention, focusing on how it pertains to two-year schools in particular. Numerous variables influence persistence, and there is some support for…