For decades, college tuition costs have been skyrocketing, yet state financial aid has failed to meet the increasing economic needs of college students -- leaving many young people with the choice of bridging the financial gap by taking out student loans or not attending college at all. This pressing issue of rising college tuition is not just a…

In the classic game of "Chutes and Ladders," the player can see square 100--the finish line--but it is not easy to get there. The player may climb one ladder only to land on the wrong spot and be sent spiraling down a chute. In the game, players are aiming for the blue ribbon on square 100, but for students enrolling in college, the…

This paper contends that the state of California is not currently fulfilling its obligation to facilitate the preparation of sufficient numbers of able school administrators. The first section addresses administrator supply and demand. The number of individuals holding administrative services credentials (ASC) far outnumbers available…

California is experiencing a critical shortage of nurses -- a shortage that is likely to increase in the coming years (Coffman & Spetz, 1999). Although much of the nation is also experiencing similar shortages, California's shortage is more severe than that of any other state in the nation (Bureau of Health Professions, 2002). Most analyses of…

In response to legislative mandate, this report assesses progress in the implementation of 12 recommendations made in February 1985 by an intersegmental task force established to evaluate existing programs and financial services for community college Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) students who transfer to public colleges and…

This publication sets forward the California State Postsecondary Education Commission's historical and present perspective on educational equity in California higher education and was prompted by Governor Wilson's June 1, 1995 Executive Order to End Preferential Treatment and to Promote Individual Opportunity Based on Merit (Executive Order…

The estimated proportions of California's 1982-1983 high school graduates who were eligible for admission to the University of California (the University) and the California State University (the State University) are reported. After a discussion of the scope and conduct of the California State Postsecondary Education Commission's 1983 High School…

This report examines the ways that credit-based transition programs (CBTPs) may help middle- and low-achieving students enter and succeed in college. It highlights promising practices used by CBTPs to help students who might have been considered noncollege-bound prepare for college credit course work. The report also discusses the challenges that…

California law requires sponsors of standardized tests used for admission or placement purposes in higher education to report certain data annually. Data on each of the 10 batteries of standardized tests affected by the law in 1987-88 are reported, and mean test scores are displayed for students nationally and in California if those averages are…

California's Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), which provides services and financial aid to community college students who transfer to public four-year colleges, was evaluated by an intersegmental task force, which offered 12 recommendations to improve EOPS and the transfer process. After outlining EOPS goals, services, and…

The three case studies in this report describe state-level efforts to address diversity and equity in postsecondary institutions in California, Maryland, and Washington. A preface provides some background on affirmative action programs, litigation history, and the roles of state coordinating agencies and institutional governing boards. The…