In conjunction with a literature review, 100 recognized leaders in environmental education and related fields were surveyed via a mail questionnaire for purposes of determining the knowledge and skill concepts deemed necessary for outdoor/environmental education teachers at both the elementary and secondary levels. The survey elicited a 67%…

This is the fourth biennial study of instructional costs for state institutions of higher education, and is the basis for the higher education commission's development of budget formulas. The basic unit of measurement is the student credit-hour; professional salaries, support salaries, operating expenses, and equipment charges are allocated to the…

Discourse strategies used by native speakers in a case discussion at a graduate business school are compared to those of nonnative speakers in a similar setting. Differences were found in length and allocation of turns, synchrony of turn exchange, bidding and nomination techniques, and cooperative moves. (Author/LMO)

A discussion of the admission examination to the University of Ottawa's graduate program in interpretation describes the three types of instruments used (oral test, written test, and interview), their measurement of six important interpreter characteristics, and work in progress to evaluate the test's reliability. (MSE)

For each U.S. institution, the percentage enrollments for American Indians, Asians, blacks, Hispanics, whites, and foreign students are tabulated. Data are also given on minority group enrollment trends since 1978; on full- and part-time enrollments; and on enrollment by institution type, male and female percentages, and program level. (MSE)

Some underlying causes of interinstitutional rivalries are discussed concerning state support of graduate programs, often considered a measure of institutional quality, in state higher education systems. The roles played by state governing boards, administration, and faculty in these contests are also examined. (MSE)

This study examines the factors that influence participation in vocational education among students who attended high school during the early 1990s--that is, when the focus of federal vocational education policy began to change. The factors examined included three types of characteristics of students, their parents, and their high schools: (1)…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Alliance Releases Teacher Paper: Tapping the Potential: Retaining and Developing High-Quality New Teachers; (2) A…

For almost 50 years, ACT has played a pivotal role in promoting student access into and success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Through academic and career assessments, career development tools, and extensive research, they have helped inform students, parents, teachers, career counselors, employers, and…

Electronic portfolios represent an assessment measure with strong potential for providing feedback about student performance to improve curricula and pedagogy, determining individual students' mastery of learning and providing feedback for improvement, and actively involving students in the assessment process. This study examined the relationship…

This report provides findings and recommendations in response to a Legislative directive for the Iowa College Student Aid Commission to develop policy recommendations for the Iowa Tuition Grant program. The program provides grants to college and university students. The following are appended: (1) 2005 Iowa Acts Chapter 169, Section 3. Language…

This collection of papers includes three parts. Part 1, "TA Development Programs," offers "Undergraduate Teaching Assistants: One Model" (Katherine M. Kulick); "Teaching Assistant Development: A Case Study" (Julia Herschensohn); and "Breaking Out of the Vicious Circle: TA Training, Education, and Supervision for the Less Commonly Taught Languages"…

Interpersonal presence refers to the cues individuals use to form impressions of one another and form/maintain relationships. The physical cues used to convey interpersonal presence in face-to-face learning environments are absent in text-based computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) courses. Learners' perceptions of interpersonal presence in CMC…

Since the passage of California Assembly Bill 540 in 2001, authored by the late Assemblyman, Marco Antonio Firebaugh, more than 5,000 undocumented students in California have had improved financial access to higher education. AB 540 has become a pinnacle in the lives of students, who because of their immigration status, have historically been…

ARL is the bimonthly report on research library issues and actions from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). ARL reports on current issues of interest to academic and research library administrators, staff, and users; higher education…