Describes the Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program in rural North Carolina. Discusses the original concept, funding (and funding difficulties), types of courses offered, methods of earning credit hours, qualifications of faculty, aspects of the clinical component, student placement, library facilities, student characteristics, and…

The astonishing success rate for students taking the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests has resulted in large numbers of college sophomores who have never been freshmen. Implications of this fact are discussed along with an assessment of the CLEP examinations themselves. (LBH)

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) periodically conducts a survey of community colleges to identify hot programs. Hot programs are defined as those for which there is a large market demand for graduating students. Highlights from the 2004 Hot Programs and Homeland Security Survey include the following: Allied health programs…

This document represents the first in a series of design briefs on models for early college high schools. The briefs focus on the academic and organizational design of the college component and tie those key features to a sustainable financing model. By engaging students in up to two years of demanding college-level work while still in high…

This paper, the second annual report by the Arizona Education Policy Initiative (AEPI), is a collection of policy briefs on key issues in Arizona education. The authors of these briefs are on the faculty of Arizona's three public universities: Arizona State University (ASU), Northern Arizona University (NAU), and the University of Arizona (UA).…

The Louisiana Community and Technical College System submitted a new core grades 1-5 curriculum for an Associate of Science in Teaching degree program for individuals interested in pursuing a career in teaching. Candidates pursuing this degree must demonstrate mastery of core content knowledge in English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and…

In 1999, Illinois enacted a tuition tax credit program. Tax credit supporters suggest tax credits help low-income students. However, opponents argue that they disproportionately benefit higher-income families whose children are already attending private schools and may decrease already limited resources available to public schools. New data from…

This paper is a primer for school boards and management. It provides a basic overview of the key issues, considerations and options associated with the use of debt by private schools to address facility financing needs. In addition, for a school which has decided to pursue debt financing, it provides basic guidelines for the choice of debt…

The objective of this work is to provide transfer students with a pathway that will prepare them in the same manner as direct entry students for a specific major at any public baccalaureate institution in the state, and for any of the independent institutions that wish to join the agreement. Wherever possible, the work groups were encouraged to…

This paper recommends replacing the existing U.S. school choice system, which relies on the housing market to ration educational opportunity, with one that creates a level playing field upon which schools compete for students, and students and their parents exercise choice. Section 1 describes the current school choice system, which works well for…

Based on extensive research and interviews with students, counselors, admissions officers, and faculty, this guide walks students through the college transfer process, including: (1) deciding when, where, and whether to transfer; (2) understanding admission standards and transfer programs; (3) completing application procedures; (4) cracking course…

This paper examines the shrinking divide between upper and lower division courses and the phenomenon of two-year colleges now being authorized to offer the community college baccalaureate. The author describes the following three educational trends: (1) the upside-down baccalaureate degree, where the order in which students take general education…

At some point every August, Statistics Canada releases its annual tuition fee report. Statistics Canada's numbers are accurate, so far as they go. The weighted provincial and national fee totals accurately reflect the amount of tuition charged by institution. And yet, the tuition report is at the same time a completely inadequate tool for…

This annual publication presents articles that describe a sample of exemplary transfer practices at Virginia's colleges and universities. The articles are designed to increase understanding of how institutions communicate information and facilitate transfer between two-year and four-year institutions. An overview, "Transfer in Virginia- An…

This three-part primer is designed to educate and inform people about all aspects of school choice and to equip them to participate in the debate as fully informed members of the community. The text: provides a brief historical review of the origins and growth of tax-funded schools nationwide and how they came to be synonymous with public…