Recent efforts to improve education have led to a new look at assessment. As pedagogy has changed to focus on learner-centered education, the need to make assessment an integral, on-going part of instruction has become obvious. Concurrently, federal initiatives to promote educational reform have required the provision of career development…

The College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) is mandated as part of Florida's system of educational accountability. The CLAST is an achievement test that measures students' attainment of the college-level communication and mathematics skills that have been identified by the faculties of community colleges and state universities. Four subtests…

The College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), mandated as part of Florida's system of educational accountability, is an achievement test that measures students' attainment of the college-level communication and mathematics skills that have been identified by the faculties of community colleges and state universities. The essay subtest examines…

This report provides an overview of current trends and opinions in public higher education. State representatives of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities were surveyed regarding opinions held by key institutions and individuals influencing public higher education at the state level. Top issues identified by policymakers and…

In September 1994, the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education issued standards for the State Postsecondary Reporting Entity (SPRE). To comply with these standards, New Mexico State University-Alamogordo (NMSU-A) decided to use its integrated Assessment and Strategic Planning (IASP) process, developed during a pre-accreditation self-study in…

In September 1994, the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education issued standards for the State Postsecondary Reporting Entity (SPRE). To comply with these standards, New Mexico State University-Alamogordo (NMSU-A) decided to use its Integrated Assessment and Strategic Planning (IASP) process, developed during a pre-accreditation self-study in…

Charter schools incorporate the focus of magnet schools but often go beyond their academic specialization to more social goals. They can operate at both elementary and secondary levels, although they are always quite small. The greatest difference, however, between charter schools and other public schools is their status as a bridge between public…

In the fragmented federal system, over 150 programs provide employment training assistance to adults and out-of-school youth. Individually, these programs have well-intended purposes. Collectively, they raise four concerns: (1) they are difficult for job seekers and employers to access and for administrators to implement; (2) they overlap and…

In each Canadian province, governments appear to be more and more intrusive into the day-to-day operations of their universities. Governments in such provinces as Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Alberta are concerned with making the universities more cost-effective and more "accountable" to the government and to the public at…

As part of a Kentucky effort to improve public education and to increase taxpayer confidence in expanded educational funding, a citizen committee examined and made recommendations on approaches to school accountability and assessment, particularly student testing in the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS). The recommendations…

The Blue Ribbon Commission on Diversity and Equity, appointed by the Superintendent of the Saint Paul (Minnesota) Public Schools, reviewed the policies and practices of the city's public schools, focusing on the low achievement of students of color. The Commission presented its report in May 1994, and this report is the Superintendent's response.…

Resulting from a project undertaken by Iowa's Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) to develop course and program competencies for the assessment of student academic achievement, this plan describes the assessment model developed by the college. Introductory sections describe the process used to develop the plan and provide responses to…

This document presents arguments to counter nine criticisms, or "lies," most frequently leveled at school choice. The criticisms include the following: (1) the undermining America argument: Choice will destroy the American public school tradition; (2) the creaming argument: Choice will leave the poor behind in the worst schools; (3) the…

This study examined critical issues related to including students with disabilities in the Texas assessment and accountability system and recommended a plan of action to address these issues. The statewide stakeholder group examining the issues focused particularly on local implementation barriers. The report begins with a discussion of assessment…

In 1996, the New York State Office of the Comptroller performed an audit of Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) awards at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) for the 1993-94 through 1995-96 academic years. TAP, the largest student grant and scholarship program administered by the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), is designed to…