This report provides information about the performance of 2009 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2009 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the context of…

This report provides information about the performance of 2009 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2009 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the context of…

Since 1959, ACT has collected and reported data on students' academic readiness for college. Because becoming ready for college is a process that occurs throughout elementary and secondary education, measuring academic performance over time in the context of college readiness provides meaningful and compelling information about the college…

This paper presents the findings of the 2008 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). This year, CCSSE zeroes in on high expectations and high support as it presents the results of its 2008 survey. Both are critical to student success: Students do best when expectations are high "and" they receive support that helps them achieve at…

This paper provides a synthesis of the literature on the role of benchmarking, with a focus on its use in the public sector. Benchmarking is discussed in the context of quality systems, of which it is an important component. The paper describes the basic types of benchmarking, pertinent research about its application in the public sector, the…

Thirteen school districts, a regional training network, and a university in Florida formed a partnership to develop support for the implementation of the statewide plan, "Blueprint 2000." Funded by the Florida Department of Education, the partnership used a quality and systems framework for helping the schools and districts in their restructuring…

This digest discusses the role of continuous quality improvement (CQI) in college classroom effectiveness efforts, particularly specific institutions where sustained CQI programs have affected college classroom practice, these projects' common features, and lingering doubts about CQI. It discusses the general principles and philosophy of CQI and…

This compilation of statistics on Colorado's school media centers (LMCs) consists of three major components: (1) a 220-page tabulation of data arranged by school level and student enrollment level; (2) tables reporting statewide totals for school library statistics; and (3) tables with benchmark ratios for school library media center resources and…

A project was conducted in Georgia to improve the quality of youth apprenticeship programs by identifying and validating a benchmarking system leading toward the establishment of a set of common, valued quality components and indicators for use by local educational agencies. Project activities were undertaken to accomplish the following: (1)…

Nine Canadian health libraries participated in a pilot test of the Benchmarking Tool Kit between January and April, 1998. Although the Tool Kit was designed specifically for health libraries, the content and approach are useful to other types of libraries as well. Used to its full potential, benchmarking can provide a common measuring stick to…

At Michigan State University (MSU) we have developed and are testing a faculty survey instrument to gather institution-wide information on outreach activity. We have sought to define consistent quantitative measures that can be used both to describe the whole institution's investment of resources in engagement activities and to establish…

This report, comprised of five separate reports, presents a set of statistical benchmarks for gauging the growth and development of corporate training and education over the last decade. "Summary Findings" (Robert Zemsky) presents in capsule form the technical analyses of the findings of the other four reports. It considers these…

This paper has been prepared to assist the United States Department of Labor to explore new approaches to evaluating and measuring the performance of employment and training activities for youth. As one of several tools for evaluating success of local youth training programs, "benchmarking" provides a system for measuring the development…

U.S. universities and colleges offering distance education courses have increased immensely since 1998, and by 2004 it was expected that distance learners will constitute about 14% of all those enrolled in degree programs. In its preliminary review of distance learning, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (1998) emphasized the need for…

For years, the classic supervision model has frustrated both principals and teachers by fostering superior-subordinate relationships, focusing on teacher conformity rather than growth, or producing checklist data that is irrelevant to the curriculum. This book offers a practical, time-saving alternative that impacts student achievement by…