The current level of apportionment for Career Development and College Preparation (CDCP) enhanced noncredit classes and program--at only 71% of the credit rate--does not provide adequate funding for noncredit programs that endeavor to support job readiness, provide a gateway to enrollment in credit classes, and attract and retain quality faculty…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) 21st Century Retro: For All the Emphasis on…

The most recent data available from the National Center for Educational Statistics (2004) estimate that 60% of community college freshmen and 25% of freshmen at 4-year public institutions nationwide complete at least one remedial course. Nationally, fewer than 40% of students who are referred to developmental education actually enroll in…

Although K-12 schools and community colleges share responsibility for the futures of a vast number of young Californians, and both are under pressure to improve student academic achievement, the groups operate under separate governance systems, pursue distinct missions, gauge success based on different measures, and are seldom looked at together.…

The Hart Act, recently adopted by the state of California, mandates that school districts establish mechanisms of assessing minimal competencies in secondary education before students may receive a diploma. In this report, assemblyman Gary Hart, the bill's author, and Don McKinley, chief deputy to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, discuss…

Demographic and educational data were gathered from July 1986 through April 1989 for approximately 121,504 participants in Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) from all 58 counties in California that have implemented GAIN. Instrumentation was the GAIN Appraisal Program, three tests developed to provide an initial appraisal of participants'…

California providers of instructional services under Section 321 of the Adult Education Act collected learner data in Fall 1991. From the total population of 130,000 adult basic education (ABE) learners, a sample of local agencies and all state agencies collected demographic and pre/posttest data for 87,934 adult learners in programs of ABE and…

The purpose of this proficiency legislation is to create a public dialogue regarding high school graduation standards, restore meaning to the high school diploma, and ensure that students who have difficulty with basic skills receive appropriate instruction. (Author/IRT)

The purpose of AB 3408 is 1) to create public dialogue and systematic accountability at the local level regarding the skills high school graduates should possess, and 2) to encourage schools to focus attention on students who have difficulty mastering reading, writing, or mathematics skills. The legislation requires all school districts…

The recently enacted California legislation commonly referred to as the Hart Bill (AB3408) requires that local district governing boards establish high school graduation requirements and standards of proficiency in basic skills. The educational system which places emphasis on the specification, learning, and demonstration of these proficiencies is…

This module, which may be used as the basis for a workshop or as a special topic unit in adult basic education or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses, addresses keeping up with changes in laws affecting immigrants. Its objective is to teach students to track the legal framework that affects immigrants' lives and to build problem-solving…

This module, which may be used as the basis for a workshop or as a special topic unit in adult basic education or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses, discusses rights and responsibilities as tenants, the rights and duties of landlords, and how to maintain a good working relationship with a landlord. Topics covered include the following:…

This Opportunity 08 position paper advises that the next President of the United States should focus on lifting the achievement levels of our nation's schoolchildren. It recommends that the new President should mount a determined effort, together with states and local school districts, to boost the academic performance of low achievers by: (1)…

This guide gives educational service providers materials and resources to increase motivation and address other barriers that hinder the progress toward self-sufficiency of participants in Job Opportunities and Basic Skills/Greater Avenues for Independence (JOBS/GAIN) programs. Section 1 contains an explanation and sample of the Comprehensive…

California's Pupil Proficiency Law requires each local school district to adopt standards of proficiency in the basic skills of reading comprehension, writing, and computation. Students are to be assessed in grades 4-11. Students not making sufficient progress towards meeting the district's standards are to be provided with remedial programs, and…