From 1980 to 1991, the University of Alberta undertook systematic reviews of all its academic and support units mostly for program improvement purposes, but also to acquire information for planning and budget decisions. This report responds to a 1988 request to examine the University's 1980-1988 experience with program reviews and to recommend…

This guide provides information on basic skills needs and programs in the workplace and issues affecting basic skills provision from a British perspective. Section 1 aims to provide a context for workplace basic skills provision. Sections 2-7 provide practical suggestions and advice on the following topics: (1) marketing; (2) contacting employers;…

The research evidence supporting current beliefs in testing is summarized, and critical qualities that good assessment should exemplify and the current state of the research knowledge on how to produce good assessment are reviewed. Research has demonstrated the difficulties of achieving meaningful improvement in schools and the shortcomings of…

This paper explores issues that designers of learning environments should consider, omitting issues about knowledge learned and the social settings in which learning occurs that are addressed elsewhere. The perspective taken on design is to think of each decision in terms of its costs and benefits, an approach that may allow designers to minimize…

Compensatory education describes the special programs and services provided to students who are not succeeding in school and who do not qualify for special education. Educators define these students as "at risk"--at risk of school failure and a difficult transition to productive adult life. A recent study of compensatory education by the…

This report proposes reform recommendations in the Federal Student Loan Program that are intended to reduce government (and taxpayer) costs, allow for the incorporation of the National Service Initiative, and provide more flexible repayment terms for borrowers. The proposal provides for an evaluation period for direct government lending, the…

Since 1981, Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act has provided school districts with supplementary services funds for more than five million low-achieving students. Historically, schools have used "pull-out" programs to serve this population, but the provisions of the current legislation, the Hawkins-Stafford…

With the advent of numerous Kansas two-way interactive television (ITV) clusters and compressed video sites, the state has set the standard in revolutionary communications methods in elementary and secondary education. Nine projects using ITV in Kansas are described. Most allow delivery of lessons to students in other communities or schools. The…

Testimony given by Associate Director of Education and Employment Issues in the Health, Education, and Human Services Division of the General Accounting Office discusses challenges the Department of Education faces in carrying out its mission to improve the quality of education and ensure equal access. The Government Performance and Results Act of…

This paper examines the causes for deteriorating school enrollment rates in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in primary education and especially for girls. The prevalent view that deterioration in school availability and quality are responsible for declining school enrollments in many African countries seems incomplete. Several studies suggest…

Foremost among many recent trends in education has been a surge of interest in small group instruction. Questions remain concerning the relative educational value of small group computer assisted instruction (CAI) or CBT (broadly defined as instructional use of computers). This paper presents the results of an investigation of 55 works on this…

A study sought to determine how and why small businesses invest or do not invest in basic skills instruction for their workers. Data were gathered through a national mail and telephone survey of a random sampling of 11,000 small (50 or fewer employees) and medium-sized (51-400 employees) firms, a targeted mail survey of 4,317 manufacturers, a…

A study described coordination between Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and county vocational schools in New Jersey. The coordination resulted from the State Council on Vocational Education's responsibility to achieve the mandate of the Carl D. Perkins Act. The project directed investigators to: (1) select typical county and regional Private…

Reducing school energy costs can increase the discretionary dollars available in the school budget. The first part of this guide introduces the key elements of an effective energy management program. Through an evaluation of nearly 150 California school district programs and a detailed review of 22 exemplary programs, the 12 following elements…

The document, in both English and French, describes a 2-year project in Guyana based on the principle of community-based rehabilitation (CBR), which stresses training local community residents as supervisors to provide training of rehabilitation workers and direct services to children with disabilities living in rural areas. The program provided…