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This document addresses the recommendation regarding community adult education information services in California's 1989 Strategic Plan for Adult Education. It presents an analysis of the state of the art, the nature of the California model, and four policy proposals to help guide its development. Chapter 1 offers a history and summary of the recommendation and lists its objectives. Chapter 2 is a review of relevant literature. Chapter 3 covers options for implementing the recommendation, including: policy issues and options, an overview of options, criteria for evaluation of options, and a comparison of pros and cons of the alternative approaches. Chapter 4 contains the four policy proposals. (CML)

This document addresses the recommendation contained in the 1989 California Strategic Plan for Adult Education for an integrated adult education data system. The recommendation proposes collecting and organizing community adult education information into groups of data on: program services, program delivery, learner characteristics, and learning outcomes. Chapter 1 offers a history and summary of the recommendation and lists its objectives. Chapter 2 is a review of relevant literature. Chapter 3 covers issues surrounding the recommendation and options for its implementation. Within a section on pros and cons of alternative approaches the following are covered: (1) location of the database; (2) data elements; (3) database hardware; (4) database software; (5) reporting requirements; (6) privacy and security; and (7) EduCard issuance and ownership. (EduCard, the Adult Education Access Card, is an educational recordkeeping and information system.) In chapter 4, five policy proposals are proposed to set the parameters for the management information design. Chapter 5 states that the next steps in the process are steering committee and agency review, followed by revision. (CML)

One recommendation of the 1989 California Strategic Plan for Adult Education is the use of EduCard. EduCard, the Adult Education Access Card, is a means of giving learners access to information about educational opportunities and providing administrators with machine-readable information on learners' prior education and traiing. Three models are: (1) magnetic strip cards; (2) integrated circuit chips or "smart cards"; and (3) optical memory cards. An existing example, the Michigan Opportunity Card, is used by participants for skills assessment, job placement assistance, storage and retrieval of resumes, and information on training and educational services. Use of EduCard could develop into an integrated adult education data system that provides interagency information on demographics and learning outcomes and performance. Issues and recommendations regarding EduCard use are: (1) establishment of EduCard as a multiagency statewide program; (2) protection of learner privacy; (3) selection of one type of technology (integrated circuit cards are preferred for their low cost and security); (4) voluntary rather than mandatory use by participants; (5) involvement of all stakeholders in determining liability and financial policies and procedures; and (6) adoption of a uniform, comparable career assessment model for evaluating learner data in the system. (SK)

Asserting that few teachers can provide examples of how they actually used educational research to shape an instructional decision, this position paper argues that as presently structured, the educational research institution does not appear to be effective in communicating products of its work to practitioners. The paper examines obvious barriers to communication between researchers and practitioners including the tendency of researchers to focus on abstractions (hypotheses, theoretical implications, statistical analyses, etc.) versus practitioners' needs for clear descriptions of instructional methods and curriculum materials, including how well they worked and with what types of student. The formation of a Professional Resources Information Network Computerized for Educators (PRINCE) is proposed to provide teachers with practical information and materials directly tailored to meet specific instructional needs. PRINCE would parallel ERIC (the Educational Resources Information Center), the existing information network available to researchers. Following a general discussion of the problem, this document includes the following sections: (1) The Research/Practice Dilemma in ERIC; (2) The Current ERIC System; (3) Barriers to Practitioner Use; (4) Attempts to Make the System More Accessible to Practitioners; (5) Can an Information System Help Improve Schools? and (6) PRINCE: Professional Resources Information Network Computerized for Educators. Eighteen references are listed. (THC)

Corpus-based instruction, also referred to as corpus-based linguistics, is essentially the study of genre texts for the production of materials that fit a specific group of second language learners. For example, if a group of students is learning the language in order to read medical articles, a specific teaching program can be set up based on the text analysis of the genre and corpus linguistic tools. The strength of this procedure is that word associations represent meanings, or functions. Because language teaching is essentially relating language forms to language functions, corpus-based instruction provides a rich learning environment. The opportunities provided by improved technologies make it possible for a few large collections of texts, or corpus texts, to be computer processed. Computer tools for text analysis reveal significant patterns that can be used instantly by learners. Such significant patterns are generally hidden when the texts are analyzed manually. Furthermore, because the texts forming the corpus represent a specific genre of writing, language forms and language functions relate grammar to discourse. This additionally draws attention to the presence of specific grammar for specific types of discourse. (Contains 20 references.) (Author/KFT)

Literacy policy has often developed independently of other social and employment programs. As a consequence, literacy tends to become an end unto itself, and assessment is directed more toward academic, archival ends than toward policy evaluation. Many justifications given for large-scale literacy programs are not based upon empirical data. Foremost among these justifications are the projected skills mismatch between the job market and new entrants to the work force. Additionally, the target audience for literacy training is often greatly inflated. The basis of most recent assessments of adult literacy is functional literacy, but there are concerns that it fails to provide a basis for predicting abilities in new literacy contexts and it lacks a basis for selecting specific assessment tasks. Rather than abandoning functional literacy, an attempt should be made to support it both theoretically and empirically. Questions have also been raised about the effectiveness of different literacy programs and limited experience in measuring literacy program performance. The need for an extensive database to support literacy policy becomes imperative. Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from national literacy surveys is that they have limitations for policy formation and evaluation. What is needed in most developed countries is more focused information on the groups who need assistance and the effectiveness of programs instituted to assist them. (Contains 41 references.) (YLB)

The increasing presence of electronic materials, databases, and networks in society's institutions raises a number of new questions related to copyrighted and intellectual property in cyberspace environments (e.g., How will the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law and practice be extended to electronic situations?). Such questions have attracted the attention of the Congress and federal government since at least 1976. The ease of transferring massive amounts of data electronically permits easy misuse. One group working to address some of these issues is the Working Group on Intellectual Property of the Information Policy Committee of the National Information Infrastructure Task Force, which considers the issues of copying for preservation as well as those of the creation of new digital products. It is possible, however, that electronic media and networks may offer solutions to problems associated with copyright in a print-based context, such as those involved in the distribution of scholarly publications. Societal practices may mitigate some of these problems as well. The public perception of fair use, as seen in videotaping and photocopying practices, is already at odds with copyright law, and current fair use provisions are virtually unenforceable except in blatant violations. Perhaps the law will change to conform to society's usage. (Contains 21 references.) (SLD)

This discussion of the availability of information sources and resources to students in higher education and continuing education argues that extension education and distance education will become increasingly prevalent because people change jobs more frequently and require additional skills and knowledge for those jobs. Many institutions assume that programs delivered off campus are comparable to those delivered on campus, and that information resources needed to support such programs are also comparable. It is often necessary, however, to make special arrangements, either with the institution's library or with local public libraries, to offer supplemental resources to students. Such resources may include microcomputers connected to computer networks and databases, as well as other library services and instruction on how to access research information. Six recommendations are offered for the provision of library services at off-campus and external degree programs: (1) the institution providing the program should provide the appropriate information resources; (2) students should undertake research projects appropriate to the level of the degree program; (3) students should be able to learn to use libraries and electronic resources; (4) traditional views of library usage must change to acknowledge distance education students; (5) scrutiny must be applied to off campus programs as it is to on campus programs; and (6) students must use available library services whether they are public libraries or the delivering institution library. It is concluded that it may become possible to deliver information resources to students without providing access to the home campus library. (DB)

Libraries are becoming information access points, not just book repositories. With greater distribution of printed materials, increased use of optical disks and other compact storage techniques, the emergence of publication on demand, and the proliferation of electronic databases, libraries without large collections will be able to provide prompt access to materials. The library of the future will not be judged by the size of its collection, but by its success in providing information quickly and accurately. Technology and a national library network will free libraries from many routine chores of processing and locating information. By using telecommunications it will be possible for researchers to do a comprehensive search for information on a topic without ever leaving home. Books will always be the backbone of the library, however, and the use of computer technology does not mean a loss of human contact for the patron. Library users will always want and need to talk to a librarian. (MES)

Providing researchers, especially those in the social sciences, with access to publicly collected microdata furthers research while advancing public policy goals in a democratic society. However, while technological improvements have eased remote access to these databases and enabled computer using researchers to perform sophisticated statistical analyses, they have also increased the likelihood that individual records can be re-identified. Government agencies that sponsor the collection of microdata files containing personal and sensitive data are under increased pressure to form policies that allow continued improvements in data access while protecting subject confidentiality. Based on recent developments, this paper reflects on what the near future holds for the resolution of this issue in five arenas: statistical, computer, legal, administrative, and ethical. In the statistical arena, agencies will develop methods of masking data through disclosure limiting and linear affine masking approaches. Electronic gatekeepers and monitors for remote access will be applied in the computer arena. Legal involvement will include legislation that ensures research access and provides sanctions for improper data use. In the administrative arena, agencies will place more responsibility on researchers as data stewards. Finally, ethical concerns will be addressed by developing a researcher's code of conduct. (32 references) (NRP)

Ways in which computer technology can be used to support the development of a library network are proposed by the Computer Application Task Force, following the recommendations of the New Jersey Statewide Planning Group and its several task forces. A summary of three primary recommendations is followed by a general discussion of opportunities presented to libraries by computerization, national trends in automation, library automation trends in other states, and library computer applications in New Jersey. The specific recommendations presented include (1) the establishment of an office of library systems technology in the State Library; (2) the creation of a statewide bibliographic database and standards for machine-readable records; (3) the creation of a statewide union catalog; (4) the expansion of the New Jersey Union List of Serials; (5) the creation of service centers; (6) the introduction of computerization to service centers; (7) the formation of a service center network; and (8) the installation of additional computerized systems in the service centers. A brief description of the library of the future closes the report. The two appendices present a table displaying the areas of agreement on library automation concepts in the Musto Report, State Plan, LDC Subcommittee on Automation Report, and the State-Wide Plan for Higher Education, and a partial listing of automation projects in New Jersey libraries. (LMM)

A strategy to establish a research agenda and critical policy questions in postsecondary education finance are considered. Three steps in preparing agendas are the development of a statistical or factual overview of recent developments, the review of appropriate approaches and their relevance to the issues to be researched, and consideration of the availability and limitations of current databases. The following developments and concerns are addressed: the market for college graduates, the impact of future job prospects on enrollment, the effect of tuition levels on enrollment, and rates of return on education. It is suggested that some idea of future conditions in the job market is essential to formulating a realistic hypothesis about the propensity of students to enroll, and that anticipated earnings are not the sole determinant of reasons why students enroll. The opportunity to compete for better jobs, not necessarily better paid, may also be a powerful incentive. Attention is directed to rates of return calculations, state appropriations for postsecondary education, the allocation of state support between institutions, managing declining enrollments, and institutional finances. It is suggested that studies of financial concerns be integrated with broader-based studies of the functions of institutions. Attention should be directed to a shift in majors chosen by undergraduates, declining graduate enrollments in the leading research universities, and lack of growth in real terms of outlays for research and development. In view of limited funds, approaches that the National Institute of Education might take are noted. (SW)

Consumers and producers of educational software must make decisions about what kind of software to buy and create. Both groups must base these decisions on criteria that consider what it is important to learn in our technological era, what is workable, and what is currently practical and cost-effective. Five criteria that are central to these decisions are met by "tool" software, or software that helps users access, organize, and reorganize information of a particular type, as do word processors, database management systems, music editing systems, and graphic editors. Tools do not specify what users must do but define the activities in which they can engage. Tool software meet these important criteria because they (1) help students acquire and use strategies for managing information; (2) help students learn about important aspects of technology; (3) can be assimilated into existing classroom curricula while providing the possibilities of new classroom activities and learning; (3) are cost-effective for both developers and purchasers; and (5) can be developed for the personal computers currently in use in schools. Creating software that benefits students and teachers will require collaborative efforts among technology specialists, educational practitioners, and researchers. Ten references are listed. (LMM)

The possible uses of excess central processing unit capacity in an integrated academic library automation system discussed in this draft proposal include (1) in-house services such as word processing, electronic mail, management decision support using PERT/CPM techniques, and control of physical plant operation; (2) public services such as the support of reference activities through the development of online indexes and information files and the development of public access online catalogs; (3) network services, in particular participation in local library and information networks; and (4) entrepreneurial services such as the sale of computer time to academic departments. Included with the report are four figures illustrating possible computer system configurations, a 46-item reference list, and a supplemental bibliography. (Author/JL)

This essay reviews current policy issues regarding statewide educational databases. It begins by defining the major characteristics of a database and raising two questions: (1) Is it really necessary to have a statewide educational database? (2) What is the primary rationale for creating one? The limitations of databases in formulating educational policy are then assessed to consider how they may be linked to policy formation and decision-making processes. This linkage appears to operate on two levels: the rational/ideal level, in which management information in statewide databases is used to determine what is rationally true and ideally desired; and the pragmatic level, which takes into account social, political, economic, and emotional constraints. On account of the proliferation of special programs, the growing demand for research data, and the growth of electronic data processing capabilities, state education agencies should adopt the following policy criteria for including information in a database: (1) clearly established needs; (2) clearly established definitions; (3) clearly established limits; (4) coordination of multiple databases; (5) a means for incorporating outside data, (6) a balance between technological and educational interests; and (7) proper regard for confidentiality and ownership, coupled with availability. Carefully planned, appropriately used, and constantly revised and upgraded databases can become the foundation of sound educational policy. (TE)

Ways in which the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) might reorient its activities to assist educational policy makers in making informed decisions are discussed. The first section discusses public school education as an investment. The outcomes of education should be followed as students enter the work force, at the local and federal level. Little is known about the link between education and our national economic status. A high quality database, building on the High School and Beyond study, should also track students through alternative educational programs. The second section addresses the level of aggregation of data, which should be based on its relevance for policy making, rather than convenience of data collection. NCES should provide reliable data on individual achievement and economic performance over time, school productivity, and regional economic returns on educational investments. In following the economic return, both individual income and payment of property tax are relevant. The third section encourages federal and regional databases, and suggests standards for NCES data collection: parsimony, accuracy, comparability, timeliness, and accessibility. A list of references is included. (GDC)

Changes that computer technology has brought about in higher education and skills needed by faculty and students are discussed. Computer/information literacy is important in higher education and in graduates' work after college. Tools introduced by technology include: microcomputers connected to the university's central computer, electronic mail systems for exchange of messages, electronic files for storing and sharing information, an electronic forum by which a group of people interact on topics of mutual interest, obtaining information from databases on educational literature, text sharing, word processing software that is useful in writing, and spreadsheets for doing budgets. To take advantage of information technology, the user needs to find and manipulate the text of others through computer searching and retrieval. Mastering the rules of a particular machine and using the computer to scan a text are important skills. Efficient word processing is addressed briefly, along with a variation on word processing called outline processors or idea organizers. The use of electronic text raises the following issues for college administrators and faculty: costs; teaching skills in information-handling; and research on usage patterns, implementation, impacts on academic products, and psychological and social consequences. (SW)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has the potential to become a national data system and to meet the rapidly expanding needs for educational information. Historically, NAEP has had the objectives of providing relevant information for federal, state, and local policymakers; establishing a research database; and monitoring performance levels. Now, increasing emphasis on the linkages between and among achievement outcomes, settings, and processes is encouraged. Suggestions for the evolution of the future NAEP database include ideas for improving data collection and storage. A number of requirements are summarized. The system should be comprehensive, encompassing background characteristics, the schooling process, and outcomes. Data elements, files, and records should be linked. Data should be representative, accurate, comparable, timely, private, and secure. Plans for processing and analysis and for the flow of information must be in place. System costs should be shared by various users, rather than relying entirely on federal support. (GDC)