This statewide study investigated the quality of day care in Pennsylvania. Data were collected through observations and evaluations of 149 randomly selected day care centers and family day care homes. Measures included day care and family day care versions of the Child Development Program Evaluation Licensing Scale (CDPE), the Early Childhood…

Voluntary accreditation is considered to be the strength of the American educational system. Presently, the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA) is the umbrella organization in the field of accreditation representing approximately 7,000 colleges, universities, and professional programs. The major mandate of COPA is to build and strengthen…

A study was undertaken to determine differences among personal, situational, and outcome characteristics of students in Pennsylvania community colleges and two-year proprietary institutions and the nature of and differences in gender in both types of institutions. Phase 2 of three involved surveying a sample of students currently enrolled in…

A study surveyed 4,400 students enrolled in 24 of the 26 private career schools who were members of the Minnesota Association of Private Postsecondary Schools in January 1990. A questionnaire gathered demographic data on students, information on how they came to choose the school and program, and students' assessment of the quality of the training…

For several years the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been actively involved in educational and training affairs. Small businesses must overcome some inertia to become again interested in educational reform and training. The conflict that will occur between them and community-based groups that have been filling the void will only help the educational…

State oversight of private colleges and proprietary schools and the criteria used in evaluating institutions are considered. The primary approaches used by states in licensing and authorizing schools to operate and grant degrees are identified: minimum standards, honest practice, and realization of objectives. Tables show the current regulatory…

This paper reviews the history of the founding of colleges in Ohio during the nineteenth century, focusing on a critical reexamination of the thesis of Donald Tewksbury (1932), which emphasizes the role of religious denominations in the founding and persistence of private institutions of higher education. It argues that colleges and universities,…

Since the late 19th century, the proprietary school sector in the United States has undergone four major cycles of scandal and reform: the emergence of the commercial college sector in the 1870s, the progressive era of the early 20th century, the fallout of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill), and the period following the 1972…

Issues concerning state planning and policy toward proprietary schools are considered, with a focus on efforts of Illinois to relate to the proprietary sector in such areas as coordination and planning, student financial aid, and the approval of schools and programs. States that try to integrate the proprietary sector into their planning…

The history of vocational education in the United States from 1860-1930 is seen from a different perspective than that in existing accounts of the rise of mass vocational education. In this perspective, vocational education is defined broadly as encompassing professional training, including training for professions that emerged in that era (such…

The role of colleges in adult education is considered in light of the increased demand for adult education, the growing competition among providers of adult education, and the likelihood that the level of competition will be reduced in the future. In addressing the expanded magnitude of demand for adult education, four main determinants are…

The organizational structure of the various state licensing and/or approving agencies was investigated. Three broad organizational types that had licensing/approval authority for degree-granting and nondegree-granting private institutions were identified: the state board (or department) of education type, the state board (or department) of higher…

Hagerstown Community College (HCC) in Maryland has developed a number of new programs to serve clientele in the surrounding area who in most cases cannot or would not attend classes on the main campus. One such client group is the inmate population at two State prisons in the area. Programs for the inmates are selected on the basis of available…

The role of state licensing and approval agencies in providing information to educational consumers prior to their enrollment at an institution was addressed based on a survey of state licensing and approval personnel. Thirty-two states were examined, including officials who were involved in a licensing/approval of degree-granting and proprietary…

How can policy makers and the public judge whether proprietary schools are heroes or villains? A review of six studies on proprietaries and two studies conducted in Minnesota attempted to answer the question. Five of the six studies examined reported that proprietary schools students are more likely to complete a program than public school…