Community colleges provide postsecondary education to millions of students in the United States each year, but their graduation rates are low. Many community colleges have implemented interventions to help students persist in college and earn degrees. MDRC has studied many such interventions; several of them improved students' academic outcomes,…

Amendments to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (2008), including the creation of the Transition and Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) model demonstration program, have led to increased opportunities for students with intellectual disability to obtain postsecondary education. The present study builds on…

The post-incorporation further education (FE) sector has experienced a number of quasi-markets over the past 23 years designed to incentivise college agents (managers and lecturers) to meet government objectives. To create such quasi-markets principal-agent (P-A) solutions have been introduced in the form of a series of funding incentives and…

Mobile technologies permeate the lives of 21st century citizens. From smart-phones to tablet computers, people use these devices to navigate personal, social, and career responsibilities. Educators recognize the instructional potential of mobiles and are seeking ways to effectively utilize these technologies in support of learning. Research is…

Increases in the frequency of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within the postsecondary education system are now beginning to surface. Through a review of the literature this paper will focus on the persistence, retention and successful completion of autistics in the postsecondary education (PSE) sector. The author found no concrete statistics for…

The literature published during the decade of the 1970s relating to the support of higher and postsecondary education was analyzed to uncover trends, patterns, and discontinuities, and to forecast alternative directions and trends in the future support of college education. Seven broad topics were covered: general trends and the economics of…

This fact sheet discusses student financial aid in California postsecondary education. It indicates California student financial aid is increasing significantly: (1) in 2002-03, California students received over $8 billion in financial aid; (2) financial aid funding increased by over 30%, from $5.9 billion in 1998-99 to $8.1 billion in 2002-03;…

This study examines the changing notions of excellence and utility and their influence on the purposes and culture of higher education. A conceptual framework is developed that harmonizes the conflicting forces that drive the research effort. Eight sections include: introduction (the legacy of expansion, research under pressure, trends in funding…

This data brief reports on statistics related to the federal academic science and engineering obligations. The data is presented in one chart and two tables that provide information on federal science and engineering and science and engineering research and development obligations during the fiscal years 1986-1996, federal academic science and…

In Great Britain the Advanced Further Education Pool supports polytechnics and colleges. Although the "pool" of expenditure has been "capped," allocations for 1980/81 were dependent on the size of claims made by individual authorities. It is suggested that these claims bear no consistent relationship to past expenditure or…

Outlines colonial histories and present constitutional statuses of 16 South Pacific Island countries. Discusses important legacies of colonialism in education systems, curriculum, and educational attitudes; education as an instrument of neocolonialist influence; and the complexities of international relationships (both regionally and with donor…

This paper provides a critical analysis of New Zealand's Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF). The first section sketches the development and implementation of the PBRF. The second section evaluates the scheme, concentrating on three themes: the relationship between privatization, competition and research performance; the standardization of…

American youth service history gives some clues to the barriers the nation faces in creating a comprehensive and effective system for youth at risk. Barriers to effective youth service grow out of this history and in part contribute to it. The engine that has driven youth services--and the misperceptions that drive those services--is the theory of…

This paper provides a historical overview of sheltered workshops and presents information about service innovations and mission expansion. The first workshop in the United States was the Perkins Institute, opened in 1837 for individuals with visual handicaps. This workshop was typical of "categorical" workshops that were established during this…

This factsheet discusses England's 1988 Education Reform Act's position regarding the right of every student under 20 years of age to full-time education, regardless of disability or learning difficulty. Special emphasis is put on the responsibilities local education agencies face as a result. Summaries of other relevant legislation are also…