After providing background on Title 5 regulations that upgraded standards of rigor for degree-applicable credit courses offered by California community colleges, this report presents revisions to course standards regulations for nondegree credit, noncredit, and grade point averaging. An analysis of the revisions is included, indicating that: (1)…

This investigation traces the history of change in public higher education as it relates to its third mission, from the traditional service to the contemporary engagement. The article begins with the emergence of U.S. higher education institutions in the 1600s and documents the changes era by era to the present. In each era, higher education's…

This guide is intended to assist community-based organizations (CBOs) in developing Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs that will provide needed services to their constituents. First, the history and implications of JTPA are summarized from a CBO viewpoint. Discussed in a chapter on JTPA funding categories are such topics as allocation…

The Florida Statewide Assessment Program, defined by the 1976 Educational Accountability Act, collects and disseminates information on the effectiveness of its school systems to help its students achieve minimum performance standards (MPS) in mathematics, reading, and writing tasks. The 1980-81 regular assessment involved approximately 460,000…

This occasional paper consists of three essays devoted to evaluation, inquiry, and local planning in federal vocational legislation. In their paper entitled "Evaluation and Accountability in Federal Vocational Legislation," Jerome Moss, Jr. and George H. Copa propose a rationale and a set of recommendations for federal legislation dealing with…

This guide reviews the testing and accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). It discusses: subjects on which students will be tested and when (all states must test math and reading achievement annually in grades 3-8 and at least once during grades 10-12 by 2005-06); whether children with disabilities or limited…

This paper makes recommendations for developing the next generation of state accountability systems for postsecondary vocational education (PVE). It focuses on the need to improve the core indicators for PVE; reduce the burden and improve the value of Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Amendments of 1998 (Perkins III)…

This question-and-answer-style document describes the policy and process of implementing and enforcing prerequisite and corequisite courses in California community colleges. Prerequisites are defined as a condition of enrollment that students are required to meet prior to enrollment in particular courses and programs. A prerequisite signifies that…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 requires that public elementary and secondary school systems be held accountable for achieving high levels of educational proficiency for all students. While achievement testing is the central component of state accountability systems under NCLB, these systems must include graduation rates as an academic…

This report presents and analyzes data on charter schools in Colorado from the 2001-02 school year. During the 2001-02 school year, 86 charter schools operated in Colorado and served 24,658 students. This descriptive evaluation rests on a review of student and school data regularly maintained by the Colorado Department of Education and individual…

This paper discusses shortfalls in teacher preparation and the programs that launch prospective teachers toward careers in education. It examines the state's role in connecting that preparation to a career that fulfills the purposes of public education. In too many cases, institutions of higher education have given responsibility for preparing…

The 1990 Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act established an accountability system for vocational education based on "outcomes" such as academic skill gains, job placement, and program completion. Current congressional proposals for workforce training differ in the emphasis they place on individuals,…

This paper first explains outcome-based education and then considers specific questions related to serving gifted students in an outcome-based education school community, with special application to Pennsylvania. Outcome-based education is defined in terms of its emphasis on establishing learning outcomes, developing appropriate measures, and…

This report presents the results of a U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) review of lender and Department of Education controls over the accuracy of lender-submitted quarterly billings under the Federal Family Education Loan Program, also known as the guaranteed student loan program. It reports that both lenders and the Department of Education…

A national study examined the system of performance measures and standards that had been approved in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands in response to the 1990 Perkins Act. Descriptive survey and content analysis research methods were used to develop summary sheets categorizing the types of…