This publication is a report from a task force charged with developing a vision and making recommendations for a comprehensive system of dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery within the state of Maryland. The challenge was given urgency due to three factors: (1) rigorous standards for students that were part of school improvement programs…

This paper proposes a five-part formula for conducting an environmental scan for community colleges and writing up the results. To fulfill its mission effectively, administrators should be informed about various aspects of the community they serve. The formula is designed to make the project as easy as possible, focused, and usable the next time…

Bellevue Community College (BCC) (Washington) developed a set of 14 institutional performance indicators, specifically: (1) program/degree completion; (2) transfer student success; (3) student retention; (4) student goal attainment; (5) progression from developmental to college level programs; (6) employment; (7) efficiency of college operations;…

The document presents the proceedings of a meeting convened to design a strategic plan for international education to be adopted by Pima Community College (PCC) (Arizona). The meeting's main objective was to position the college strategically in the international education marketplace and to define the term "international education" as…

This document is the strategic plan for the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, which consists of two community colleges: Foothill College and De Anza College. The report begins with a summary of the district's past successes and a statement of the desire to evolve according to social demands. Major issues are identified as follows: the…

This report presents the results of an interim assessment of the Higher Education Restructuring Act of 1994. The report is based primarily on two surveys. In the first, various state agencies were asked to indicate whether tasks assigned to them as a result of the Restructuring Act have been addressed. Results from that survey indicate that of the…

This practical book introduces strategic management for leaders and senior managers in schools and shows how it can contribute to school development. Following the introductory chapter, chapter 2 discusses the concept of strategy and the conceptual stages of developing strategy--analysis, choice, and implementation. Chapter 3 examines the…

This document addresses an environmental scan done in the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). The goals of an environmental scan include collecting external information, predicting future trends, and analyzing how these trends might affect an organization. The environmental scan completed for the CCCS focused on emerging trends that may…

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 paper aims to present a methodology for assessing within-state regional needs for community college services, and describe the policy tools and strategies available to policymakers who intend to address these needs. The paper builds on work that the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) prepared for the National…

The California Postsecondary Commission must approve sites for new institutions or branches of public postsecondary educational institutions in the state of California. After a brief summary, this document presents revisions to the Commission's 1990 Guidelines for Review of Proposed Campuses and Off-Campus Centers. The 1990 guidelines called for a…

The ideas presented in the sourcebook, and in a summarized companion volume, "Leading for Learning: Reflective Tools for School and District Leaders," support leaders' efforts to improve student learning in schools and districts. The ideas constitute a framework for enabling powerful, equitable learning for all students, outlining five areas of…

Two-year colleges are complex institutions offering a multitude of courses, programs, and degrees. Existence of such diverse programs and various missions is the focus of extensive debate. Some argue that multiple offerings improve educational opportunities for students, while others suggest that multiple missions and activities lead to a lack of…

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…

This document reports on the status of recommendations of the Citizen's Commission on the Future of Oklahoma Higher Education in two sections - one on implementation of recommendations and one on institutional impact. In Section 1, each recommendation is followed by a listing of specific state level implementation achievements. The 44…