A growing number of postsecondary institutions in the United States have removed standardized testing as a requirement for admission. Researchers, however, have suggested that these "test-optional" policies may not benefit underrepresented populations as intended, but instead serve as an additional revenue source for the institution. In…

In this descriptive and comparative study, we present results highlighting the complexity and scope of the challenges facing rural districts as they navigate the changing demographics of the students and families they serve. Rapid increases in the number and concentration of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in rural areas…

"Looking Closer" is the eighth biennial report to SREB states on their progress in meeting SREB's Challenge to Lead goals for education. Each customized state report documents progress on both measurable outcomes and state policies. Through effective policy implementation, the goals can help states drive improvements in student…

This descriptive report is part of a broader project collecting, organizing, and analyzing multiple sources of data from the four-state REL Appalachia region, comprised of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The purposes of that broader project are: (1) to increase awareness of and understanding about critical education issues in the…

Regional and state demographic profiles highlight social, economic, and educational characteristics of the Appalachian states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Data from 1979-82 are summarized and presented in charts, tables, and graphs. Regional and state social and economic profiles include population, urban/rural population,…

The purpose of a state report card is to provide the general public and policymakers with information to assess and improve post secondary education in each state. "Measuring Up 2008" is the fifth in a series of biennial report cards that evaluates states in six overall performance categories: (1) Preparation for post-secondary education…

The Council of Higher Education, in this state-mandated biennial plan, sets four goals for Virginia's state-supported system of higher education to achieve: access, excellence, accountability, and placement among the best systems of higher education in the United States. The plan concentrates on the 84 degree-granting institutions that have been…

Community colleges have always been strongly tied to their local communities, and arose out of an egalitarian approach to higher education. The Morrill Act of 1862 created the American land grant universities, with an emphasis on practical education in agriculture and technical fields. In addition, a number of private two-year "junior…

The Commonwealth of Virginia overcame an environment of each institution for itself to craft an accountability process oriented around state needs.

A longitudinal study examined adult basic education (ABE) in Virginia between 1970 and 1985. (The first study was conducted in 1970, the second in 1978, and the third in 1985.) Data for the 1985 study were collected from survey instruments mailed to all state department ABE personnel, local ABE supervisors, learning center coordinators, and ABE…

A statwide evaluation study of Adult Basic Education (ABE) in Virginia was conducted during the 1977-78 school year and its findings compared to those of a 1970-71 study. The program factors addressed include the following: actions taken on the 1970-71 recommendations; student personnel services; instructional program; curriculum design; the…