A perspective on quality in higher education suggests that standards and assumptions about quality that have been traditionally accepted for upper level colleges are not applicable to community colleges. It is proposed that quality standards be established for community colleges to reflect their unique mission and goals. The most distinctive…

A 1978 conference report on major issues of the 1980s in statewide coordination and governance in postsecondary education is presented as part of an inservice education program. The introduction to the report contains the conference summary by Jerome M. Pollack. The keynote address by Richard Millard is presented in three separate sections,…

This report describes the results of Connecticut's second statewide assessment of mathematical knowledge, skills and attitudes. The Connecticut Assessment of Educational Progress annually tests a sample of Connecticut students in grades 4, 8, and 11 in one or more subject areas. Students at each grade level were randomly selected to participate in…

The purpose of this handbook is to provide local administrators with some basic guidelines which will enable them to conduct a needs assessment in their areas. The handbook contains a description of the model, sample forms, procedures, and techniques that a local administrator will need in order to conduct a needs assessment. It is divided into…

A recent task force of the Speech Communication Association identified three situations in which native English speaking adults require communicative competence--occupation, citizenship, and maintenance. These situations give rise to five main contexts in which adult learners of English as a second language (ESL) need communicative proficiency:…

This report describes the results of the Massachusetts study of foreign languages, part of the second phase of the Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program. The assessment was conducted using a random sample of students from all over the state during one year of testing. The report is presented in five sections: (1) background of the study;…

This paper reports on the effectiveness of Australian schools in preparing young people for the workplace with particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy. Section 1 summarizes the contents. Section 2 notes current interest in assessing school effectiveness. The issue of standards of literacy and numeracy is then considered. Reference is made to…

A project was undertaken for the promotion of unit/credit systems for language learning by adults. Project aims were to: (1) show that anaylsis or identification of language needs ought to be an intergral part of the unit/credit language learning processes; (2) show that all parts of the system are interdependent, including analysis of resources…

These case studies describe the design and implementation of eight selected Head Start Supplementary Training/Child Development Associate (HSST/CDA) programs. (HSST/CDA training programs are intended to prepare Head Start classroom staff to meet the competency requirements of the CDA credential.) Each case study, selected for its training methods,…

The primary foci of this evaluation are the achievement gains of Title I students in reading and mathematics, the differences in the educational experiences of Title I and non-Title I students, the ways in which these differences may influence improvement in reading and mathematics, and the interaction between student characteristics and the…

This Resource Notebook is designed to help New Jersey school districts implement the state's Public School Education Act of 1975 which mandates a thorough and efficient (T & E) system of free public schools. The notebook is divided into three parts. Part I, the user's guide, discusses the purpose of data-based decision making, specifically…

The Program for Learning in Accordance with Needs (PLAN) was incorporated into the Washington-Carver Community School in Muncie, Indiana in 1973 as a computer management system for individualized learning. The school is located in a low socioeconomic neighborhood with a population of 600 students identified as low achievers. Language arts,…

Inservice training for teachers must provide opportunities for sharing among participants, involve teachers in planning and implementation, provide practical experiences, involve parents, be offered at a convenient time to allow full involvement, and offer experiences which teachers can use. One project for staff development began when a group of…

The University of Mid-America's (UMA) goals and plans are reviewed in this evaluation planning paper. Several issues effecting the overall shape of external evaluation activities over a five-year period are described. Focus in this report is on UMA's philosophical orientation and future plans, the rationale for the open learning approach, UMA open…

This paper outlines various aspects of the Learning Improvement Group (LIG). The LIG is described as a model for organizing existing resources to meet basic skills needs of students. Reference is also made to the identification of both student and teacher reading/learning needs in self-renewing schools. Suggestions are made regarding the…