This article introduces the issue of articles on research assessments and rankings. It focuses on the British Research Assessment Exercises (RAEs) and New Zealand's Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF). It contrasts these with systems that are not tied to funding formulas and emphasise quality enhancement rather than quality assurance. It…

This scholarly paper describes and analyzes the role of career and technical education (CTE) in Iowa community colleges. Iowa's community colleges are doing a good job of responding to the changing workforce needs of the state and providing smooth career pathways. However, changes in the population and economy of the state will call for further…

Electronic portfolios are a recent technology wave hitting the coast of higher education. Since 2000, more than 300 articles have appeared on the topic. Electronic portfolios are described as the panacea for potentially problematic issues ranging from student learning to standards, advising, job hunting, and assessment. The surge of attention…

In an effort to bring greater conceptual richness and analytical rigor to bear on the question of postsecondary policy innovation, this study builds on the work of Hearn and Griswold (1994) by analyzing the determinants of state policy innovation in the postsecondary arena over nearly a 20-year period. Specifically, the authors employ longitudinal…

Philosophical, political, quality, learning, and instructional challenges are being encountered as higher education institutions respond to pressures and enticements of the World Wide Web and the Internet. The author's involvement with electronic instruction, almost from the infancy of that process, provides a basis for his views on these…

American postsecondary education is a diverse collection of public and private institutions, ranging from community and technical colleges to comprehensive and research universities. These institutions are an invaluable resource to states and to the nation -- they educate many of the talented people who work in our industries, businesses, and…

The Council on Postsecondary Education is directed by statute to provide the Governor and the members of the General Assembly an annual accountability report on Kentucky's postsecondary education system. The report documents system-wide and institutional progress in advancing the Public Agenda and the mandates of the Kentucky Postsecondary…

This volume is a critical and objective study of the contemporary college student athlete. Framed around the process of recruitment, transition, and support of student athletes in higher education, the volume is a response to societal pressures to reform college athletics. Driven by publicity and the potential for revenue gains, colleges and…

The traditional funding model of the Cooperative Extension System has been stretched to its limits by increasing demand for information and programs without concurrent increases in funding by the public sector. As the social, economic, and political environments have evolved and become more complex, extension is often asked to apply the expertise…

The University of California's census survey of undergraduates, UCUES [University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey], presents an opportunity to measure both disciplinary and institutional differences in students' academic experience. Results from nearly 60,000 responses (38% response rate) from the 2006 administration found greater…

This report describes the postsecondary enrollment trends for students in the Austin Independent School District graduating Classes of 2002 through 2006.

In this era of global competitiveness, it is not sufficient for colleges and universities to train students for mere technical competence. What is required for graduates' professional and personal success is additional attention to the development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will support them throughout their lives. General education…

The No Child Left Behind Act's requirements for scientifically based research and new accountability standards will affect how professional development leaders do their work. Meeting the new requirements means leaders must more carefully evaluate new programs of professional learning and assess the results. Evaluation must become a given, not an…

State law requires the California Postsecondary Education Commission to review and comment on the need for new degree and certificate programs proposed by the public higher education systems. This report contains three policy recommendations intended to increase the likelihood that current and proposed doctoral programs in educational leadership…

This timely report focuses on accountability -- the current lingua franca of higher education -- and the question of the public trust as a reflection of the respect and confidence of the people that are served by the nation's colleges and universities. Designed to assist policymakers and educational leaders, the report identifies the components of…