In September 2011, the Association of American Universities launched a major initiative to improve undergraduate STEM education. The overall objective was to influence the culture of STEM departments at AAU institutions so that faculty members are encouraged and supported to use teaching practices proven by research to be effective in engaging…

With decreasing numbers of students pursuing a career in science (OECD, 2008), the call for educational reforms building a basis for an interest in science is great. Cooperation between schools and universities are an important aspect of these reforms, as they aim at sparking an interest in science (Robert Bosch Foundation, 2005). The Ministry of…

Recent Australian higher education reforms envisioned creation of a unified national system (with a smaller number of larger institutions) through institutional mergers. This article discusses the merger of two Melbourne institutions, La Trobe University and Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences, focusing on key issues that delayed the merger for…

Can community colleges make better use of data to improve student outcomes? That's the fundamental idea behind "Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count," a bold initiative launched in 2003 by Lumina Foundation for Education to help community college students succeed--particularly, low-income students and students of color, who have…

This paper describes the progress of the Colorado Partnership for Educational Renewal (CoPER), an initiative that increases contact and dialogue between universities and P-12 faculty. The report provides a history of Colorado's foundation for the school-university partnership, which was established in 1986, and discusses a long-range evaluation of…

Research adaptation is an endeavor that implies solid collaboration among school practitioners and university and college researchers. This volume addresses the broad issues of research as an educational endeavor, adaptation as a necessary function associated with applying research findings to school situations, and change as an inevitable…

Describes the overall performances of 44 California institutions (out of a total of 72) evaluated using a system that examined institutional resources and coordination, admission and student services, curriculum, field experiences, and candidate competence and performance. (SM)

This collection of papers presents a variety of approaches used to make museums more educative in their communities. Titles and authors of papers included are: "Museums and Universities: Choices" (Janet Solinger); "The Adult Learner in the Museum" (David Carr); "Formal and Informal Education Programs in Museums" (Arnold Gussin); "Public Education:…

Described are the approach of the North Central Association's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education to the evaluation of institutions with off-campus programs, as well as the experiences of Commission staff members in the development of sequential evaluations for institutions with off-campus programs. Considerations made for…

This fact book evaluates Comprehensive Partnerships for Mathematics and Science Achievement (CPMSA) based on the Tabulated Indicators for Systemic Changes (TISC-2002). The CPMSA is a National Science Foundation (NSF) program designed to improve the mathematics and science education of urban students in medium-sized cities. Twenty-seven cities…

This qualitative case study reports on processes and outcomes of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN). It addresses a critical challenge in studying systemic reform in complex organizations: the lack of methodologies that…

An national evaluation is being conducted to determine the effectiveness of career academies, an important feature of the school-to-work initiative. The evaluation looks at three characteristics of career academies: their school-within-a-school organization, their combined academic and occupational curriculum, and their employer partnerships.…

This study was conducted to examine the present and future scope and direction of adult vocational education. It focused on major forces that influence program planning and development, new and expanding program services, program planning and implementation strategies, and emerging issues within the field. Information was obtained in two ways:…

This manual is designed as a training tool for individuals who are implementing tech prep in Indiana. It is divided into three major divisions. Division I contains general information about tech prep and issues related to its implementation. Its nine chapters summarize relevant legislation, address leadership concerns, explain curriculum…

For the twenty-eighth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the National AECT Convention in Orlando, Florida. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…