In November 1996, forty-five higher education technology leaders convened in Washington, D.C., to discuss the virtual university (VU). The Western Governors Association had announced establishment of the Western Governors University (WGU). As a result, VU initiatives were emerging from, or being contemplated by, almost every state-level higher…

People do not want to know the history, minutiae of policy, or operations, or even the political intrigues of a virtual consortium. People want to know if the consortium has value, whether it can help them, and if it is a threat. In this article, the author focuses on the operating principles and policies that have proven successful in the…

The missions and strategic plans of Iowa's Regent universities are structured to provide high-quality education, research, and outreach services throughout the state. Numerous partnerships and cooperative efforts have evolved to benefit the work of the universities and the needs of Iowans. This book provides an overview of some of these…

Supporters of alternative certification (AC) claim these programs can help to recruit minority and male teachers and to attract talented individuals with subject-area expertise in areas such as math, science, and foreign languages. Opponents claim that AC can undermine teacher professionalism and that it does and that it does not provide the…

The purpose of this empirical study was to present a detailed description and interpretation of what happens in schools to beginning teachers who are prepared to enact reform-based practices in mathematics and science. The focus was on a select sample of graduates from the Maryland Collaborative for Teacher Preparation [MCTP], a statewide…

During the last few years, the development of seamless education systems to promote students' postsecondary success has been discussed by policymakers at the local, state and federal levels as well as reform-minded individuals. Florida, Washington, Iowa, Georgia and California either have statewide integrated systems or are moving quickly toward…

For a national program assessing college graduates to succeed, it must be institutionalized at the majority of colleges and universities in the nation. The information generated must play a clear and key role in formulating state and institutional higher education policy, college matriculation standards, and degree-granting decisions. Such an…

AT A CONFERENCE IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, OCTOBER 24-26, 1966, SPONSORED BY EIGHT ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES, SIXTEEN PAPERS AND FOUR SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENTS WERE GIVEN BY EDUCATIONAL AUTHORITIES TO DEFINE PROSPECTIVE CHANGES IN SOCIETY BY 1980 AND TO CONSIDER THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION. FACTORS INFLUENCING EDUCATIONAL CHANGE INCLUDE POPULATION…

This report of Virginia's Commission on the University of the 21st Century first examines the changes occurring within Virginia in its transition from an agricultural/industrial state into one heavily involved in information and technology. Next, the need to increase literacy in mathematics, science, and technology is discussed, as is the need to…

The Access and Equity Program vision is to achieve educational equity for all students and faculty in higher education. Success in college should not be affected by a student's race. Minority enrollment should be at least proportional to the minority population in South Carolina and minority graduation rates should be comparable to the graduation…

An annual report of the conditions of higher education in the United States for 1986-1987 is presented. The 16 sub-sections are as follows: (1) introduction; (2) principal sectors of higher education (four papers, on research universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, and state colleges); (3) issues (15 papers, e.g. academic…

This paper, one of a series from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's (WICHE) project "Higher Education and the Economy of the West," presents a summary of interviews, conducted by the WICHE staff during the fall and winter of 1991-92 with 22 "Frontier Thinkers." Issues discussed included planning for the…

"The Achiever" is a monthly newsletter designed expressly for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. The highlights of this issue include: (1) Report Finds U.S. Higher Education in Need of Change; (2) Meeting a Critical Need: Foreign Languages, Academic Rigor…

The quality of education provided by the public sector in Pakistan has been poor due to low levels of teacher competence, lack of classroom-based support for teachers, poor quality of textbooks and learning materials, lack of systems to assess student learning outcomes, uneven supervision, insufficient resources for critical teaching and learning…

This 23rd annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 (IDEA) discusses the progress of students with disabilities. It includes a number of modules reporting on the results of the National Assessment. Section 1 includes five modules that present statereported data on high school gradation…