The perceived value of postsecondary education to economic competitiveness and individual success is driving innovation in higher education. Competency-based education (CBE) is the latest disruption that seeks to respond to the growing sense of national urgency to boost education attainment. The target audience generally includes those adult…

The espoused foundation of U.S. society, "E pluribus unum" (out of many, one), is based on the belief that this nation should simultaneously support pluralism and promote unity. The road to making this ideal a reality, however, has not always been smooth. The ever-widening achievement gap highlights how this discordance plays out in our…

To address the needs and interests of primary stakeholders in a writing program, this article presents a model of "grassroots" assessment that involves instructors from all ranks as well as students in the development, facilitation, and interpretation of assessment results. The authors describe two assessment plans that measured student…

This action research dissertation study was undertaken to establish the foundation of a comprehensive evaluation component for the Turn-It-Around (TIA) workshop intervention program at Arizona State University (ASU), and was delivered in the form of a program development consultation. The study's intent was to enhance the ASU Counseling Service's…

The manual on work experience programs for special education students focuses on issues of program development and enhancement of existing services. Developed by an Arizona state task force, the manual begins with a rationale to students, employers, and the community. A model conceptualizes the career development process as it relates to…

This report is an evaluation, using randomized experimental/control design, of a program involving negotiated contractual agreements (MAP) between prisoners and parole boards for specific parole dates contingent on performance in work, training and treatment activities. Contracts were generally for less than six months. Both feasibility and…

This report was written in an effort to establish a new strategy for reducing the odds of failure for thousands of Arizona's vulnerable children and their families. It echoes the sentiments of a growing number of policymakers, concerned citizens, and parents who hold that the cost of child and family problems is so dramatic, and the amount of…

In responding to internal and external pressures for accountability in higher education, especially in the areas of improved learning outcomes and student success, IT leaders may soon become critical partners with academic and student affairs. IT can help answer this call for accountability through "academic analytics," which is emerging…

This report describes an outreach program that provides service coordination and home-based early intervention for disabled infants and toddlers on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in Arizona. Developed by the Institute for Human Development (IHD), the outreach program uses paraprofessional instructional aides that are based in six northern…

The Arizona Adult Literacy and Technology Resource Center and the University of Tennessee's Center for Literacy Studies undertook a collaborative project to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of regional sharing of resources and expertise in field of adult education and literacy education. The project's goals were as follows: involve a…

This career exploration model gives a framework for use by schools in planning, developing, and implementing a career exploration program for grades 7 and 8 within a complete career education program. The recommended plan for use of the two-phase model is to use phase 1 at the seventh-grade level and phase 2 at the eighth-grade level. The major…

This report presents information concerning Arizona policies and programs for chronically ill or disabled children who need educational services in the home. It contains a report of a school district survey, summaries of applicable laws related to handicapped students receiving homebound services, recommendations for policy development, a model…

This paper presents research findings concerning the Career Ladder pilot test program in Arizona. The program is designed to reward and motivate teachers based on performance. One of the program's key features is the flexibility and innovation allowed to participating districts in their individual development of program designs and structures. An…

The Career Information Center (CIC) handbook is designed to serve as a reference work or blueprint containing a rationale and specific how-to suggestions to support and guide the user's development of a CIC that fits local needs. The format of the handbook is intended to indicate the major steps in the planning, development, and operation of a…

This report to the Arizona State Legislature describes a model transfer system developed by the Transfer Articulation Task Force, a cooperative effort among the state's universities and community colleges to improve articulation and transfer. Following an introduction to the Task Force, elements of the proposed transfer model are reviewed,…