This document details regulations and procedures for transfer in public two-year and four-year institutions in South Carolina as mandated by Act 137 of 1995. This Act stipulates that the Council of College and University Presidents and the State Board shall develop better articulation of associate and baccalaureate degree programs. In compliance,…

This document contains the full results of a public-opinion survey of Virginia residents on education issues. The survey was conducted by telephone, using a randomly selected sample of adults. The sample for this poll was 804 respondents, which represents a cooperation rate of 49 percent. Respondents answered questions on the following topics: (1)…

This document is a report on Washington State's Running Start program, which allows eleventh- and twelfth-grade high school students to take college courses for free at any of the 34 state community and technical colleges or at Washington State, Eastern Washington, or Western Washington universities. The program, which was started in 1990, is…

This report documents a study of charter schools in Alberta, Canada. The purpose of the study was to examine the academic achievement of the 10 charter schools in the province. Data were collected from test scores in language arts, math, science, and social studies of third-, sixth-, and ninth-graders; reviews of various documents; and interviews…

Each year, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy combined spend tens of millions of dollars to operate preparatory schools that provide an alternative avenue for about 700 students annually to gain admission to the service academies. The Department of Defense (DOD) requested that the General Accounting…

This article provides an overview of ways to initiate a comprehensive and effective assessment program within student services and academic support services. It also provides three key questions that an institution should answer in order to create an effective assessment: (1) What does the faculty expect the students to learn? (2) Can it be…

The College Readiness Policy Connections initiative is part of the effort by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to spotlight student preparation for college and careers. The initiative examines the educational spectrum from early schooling to entry into college and focuses on the policies that are necessary to sustain students' academic…

A challenge in online collaborative learning teams is assuring that all members of the virtual learning team are actively engaged and contributing to the work of the team. One strategy to hold individual members of a learning team accountable for their contributions is through the use of peer and self evaluations. This paper provides a summary of…

Educational planners and policymakers are rarely able to base their decision-making on sound information and research, according to this book. Because the situation is even more difficult in developing countries, educational policy often is based on research conducted in others parts of the world. This book provides a practical framework that can…

This report provides a brief overview of efforts to establish standards, assess those standards, hold schools and students accountable for meeting the standards, and provide interventions to students who do not meet the standards. It argues that holding students accountable for passing standards' assessments is premature, that teachers should be…

This guide discusses the participation of students with disabilities in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), the state's student testing program that is being implemented in response to the Education Reform Law of 1993. The statewide assessment program is designed to strengthen public education in Massachusetts and ensure that…

Changes in assessment policy have resulted in a proliferation of testing in Canadian schools. Advocates claim that more testing will result in greater accountability, but this book states that there is little evidence to support standardized testing from a pedagogical perspective. It examines the effects of standardized testing on educational…

This report provides analysis and discussion of the 1996 Rhode Island State Assessment Program performance for grade 4 in mathematics, writing, and health education. It addresses the effects of accommodations and the inclusion of all students in these state assessments, examining some of the characteristics of tests administered to students with…

This document presents the Florida Associate of Arts (AA) Graduates' Follow-Up Outcomes. The total number of AA graduates has increased by 6.6% between 1990-91 and 1993-94. This increase was not consistent among the three major ethnic groups: Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics. The largest percentage increase was for blacks. Female graduates increased…

Community colleges are complex institutions with a broad range of education, social, and economic functions. Community college advocates suggest that the comprehensive nature of these institutions and their ever-expanding missions reflect a commitment to the changing needs of the community. Critics suggest that the colleges have abandoned…