The primary purpose of "National CrossTalk" is to stimulate informed discussion and debate of higher education issues. This issue contains the following articles: (1) Keeping Them in College: East Carolina University's Efforts to Improve Retention and Graduation Rates (Don Campbell); (2) The "Seamless System": Florida's Flurry…

The?future of?this country's colleges and universities is threatened by global competitive pressures, powerful technological developments, restraints?on public finance and serious structural limitations that cry out for reform. This report from The Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, has recommended strategic…

This report uses case illustrations to present ten policy issues concerning inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood education programs. Policy issues were identified from interviews with over 150 families, teachers, and district and state education agency administrators, as well as through many classroom observations. An…

This is a collection of case studies on the implementation of institutional assessment and evaluation of student outcomes in higher education. The cases are drawn from eleven institutions. Research universities and four-year colleges included were: Clemson University (South Carolina), State University of New York (Albany), University of Kentucky…

Despite the many limitations of standardized tests, schools use them to determine if children are ready for school, to group students for instruction, to diagnose learning disabilities and other handicaps, and to guide and control the curriculum and teaching methods. No test is good enough to serve as the sole or primary basis for important…

In September 1991, the State Board of Community Colleges of North Carolina revised this report on the critical success factors for the state's community college system. The six factors examined in the report are quality, access, education continuum, workforce development, community services, and program management and accountability. The report…

The data presented in this report are indicators of the level of success of the North Carolina Community College System as measured by student outcomes and the extent to which the system addresses the needs of the state. Where possible, 5-year data are presented. Seven critical factors are examined: (1) student success, evidenced by the number of…

This report, based on a conference of international lecturers and academics and organized by Education International, notes that the number of college students has significantly increased over the last 2 decades while spending on almost every aspect of higher education has declined over the same time period. It warns that standards could plummet…

VISION 21 uses community and staff input and the most current thought on reform in education to create the schools Cleveland wants. The full implementation of its plans will result in a quality education for all the city's children. This document provides the framework within which VISION 21 was developed, the planning process used in its…

An overview of an international conference held on the campus of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to take stock of the development and use of educational quality indicator systems at the local, state, national, and international levels is provided. Major implications and findings of the education summit held at the University of…

The reports summarized in this paper deal with different aspects of public education. Charles S. Benson discusses the lack of sufficient financial support for all levels of public education by Federal, State and local governments. Francis S. Chase argues that signs indicating the renewal and reinvigoration of urban education are increasing. Lloyd…

Since 1952, the South has experienced a remarkable growth in private schools. These new schools, because of their relationship to the desegregation of public schools, have often been dubbed "Segregation Academies". This phenomenon is quite extensive, and the evidence seems to indicate that it may well be continuing. There are 6 basic…

Sixty-six articles and two poems, selected from "Educational Leadership", comprise this book. Major emphasis is on curricular concerns and instruction in the schools of today and the future. Authors provide insightful, comprehensive understanding about educational issues and concerns rather than attempt final answers to complex problems.…

Accountability has become an integral part of the accreditation process in higher education. The function has traditionally been performed by private agencies with the purpose of establishing common standards among colleges and universities. The function has recently expanded to include a concern for the welfare of society, and this has increased…

Suggests improving primary education through more scientific approaches to understanding various philosophies, especially child development and Piagetian theories and their theoretical links to educational practices. Recommends defining educational objectives based on precise scientific knowledge of children's construction of knowledge in an…