U.S. Department of Education: Promoting Educational Excellence for all Americans

A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

International Education and Foreign Language Studies Program - 2002

CFDA Numbers: 84.015 - National Resource Centers and Fellowships Program for Language and Area or Language and International Studies
84.016 - Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs
84.017 - International Research and Studies
84.018 - International: Overseas Seminars Abroad_Bilateral Projects
84.019 - International: Overseas_Faculty Research Abroad
84.021 - International: Overseas_Group Projects Abroad
84.022 - International: Overseas_Doctoral Dissertation
84.153 - Business and International Education Projects
84.220 - Centers for International Business Education
84.229 - Language Resource Centers
84.269 - Institute for International Public Policy
84.274 - American Overseas Research Centers
84.337 - Technological Innovation and Cooperation for Foreign Information Access


Goal 8: To meet the nation's security and economic needs through the development of a national capacity in foreign languages, and area and international studies.
Objective 8.1 of 2: Maintain a US Higher Education system able to produce experts in less commonly taught languages and area studies who are capable of contributing to the needs of US Government, academic and business institutions.
Indicator 8.1.1 of 2: Language Enrollments: NRC supported institutions provide the majority of the instruction in foreign languages, especially the less commonly taught languages.
Targets and Performance Data Assessment of Progress Sources and Data Quality
Percentage of total national undergraduate language enrollments that are at NRC/FLAS funded institutions.
Year Actual Performance Performance Targets
 
%
%
1995
21
 
2000
21
20
2001
 
20
2002
 
20

Percentage of total national ''graduate'' language enrollments that are at NRC/FLAS funded institutions.
Year Actual Performance Performance Targets
 
%
%
1995
55
 
1999
56
55
2000
56
55
2001
 
55
2002
 
55
Status: Unable to judge

Progress: No change from previous Planning and Performance Management report.

Explanation: While Title VI-supported institutions account for less than 3 percent of all higher education institutions, they enroll 56 percent of the graduate enrolled students and 21 percent of the undergraduate enrollment in less commonly taught languages. If you count only the ?least? commonly taught languages, they account for 64 percent of the graduate enrolled students and 40 percent of the undergraduate enrollments.  
Source: Non-NCES Survey/Research
Survey/Research Report Title: MLA Study of Foreign Language Enrollments.
References: Modern Language Association (MLA) and Associations of Departments of Foreign Languages "Study of Foreign Language Enrollments." This study has been funded since 1958 through the Title VI: International Research and Studies program.
Web Site: http://www.mla.org/adfl/projects/index.htm.

Additional Source Information: Modern Language Association (MLA) conducts language enrollment survey once every three to five years. This study has been funded since 1958 through the International Research and Studies program under Title VI.

Frequency: Other.
Collection Period: 2002 - 2003
Data Available: October 2003
Validated By: On-Site Monitoring By ED.
NRC and FLAS performance reports through the EELIAS system will be checked against the data from the MLA study. The MLA data has been collected long before the Department's standards for evaluating program performance data were developed. Now that data can be validated by university enrollment figures reported in annual NRC performance reports this will provide tangible secondary validation.

Limitations: MLA studies are conducted once every 3 to 4 years, and therefore data for the out years must be extrapolated from annual performance reports.

Improvements: The MLA summary datasets will be integrated into the EELIAS system to provide a performance baseline for years when MLA study is not conducted.

 
Indicator 8.1.2 of 2: Percentage of graduates of Title VI supported programs who report that they found employment that utilizes their language and/or area skills.
Targets and Performance Data Assessment of Progress Sources and Data Quality
Percentage of Ph.D. graduates of NRC institutions with positions where they use their expertise.
Year Actual Performance Performance Targets
 
%
%
1996
76
 
2000
80
76
2001
71
76
2002
 
76

Percent of M.A. graduates of NRC institutions with positions where they use their expertise.
Year Actual Performance Performance Targets
 
%
%
1996
44
 
2000
54
44
2001
52
44
2002
 
44

Percentage of M.A. graduates continuing their graduate studies and pursuing Ph.D.s.
Year Actual Performance Performance Targets
 
%
%
1996
24
 
2000
26
24
2001
34
24
2002
 
24
Status: Unable to judge

Progress: The data from the EELIAS performance reporting system showed that of the 1,782 Ph.D. graduates for 2001 no employment data was available for 343 of these graduates. IEGPS will work with grantees to develop strategies for better tracking program graduates. M.A. placement data is consistent with projected targets. M.A. continuing education data is consistent with projected targets.

Explanation: NRC Ph.D. graduates become the experts that ensure national capacity in language and area studies is maintained. Data shows that the Ph.D. graduates primarily select fields where their expertise linguistic and area is best utilized. Ph.D. graduates who enter into K-12 education, foreign government, state/local government or who are unemployed or whose status is unknown are not counted toward using their expertise. M.A. graduates entering the professions help to fulfill the needs of companies, organizations and government with their area and international expertise. Many M.A. recipients continue their graduate study thus becoming the future experts.  
Source: Non-NCES Survey/Research
Survey/Research Report Title: EELIAS.
References: National Resource Center Annual and Final Reports from the EELIAS performance reporting system.
Web Site: http://www.eeliasonline.net.

Frequency: Annually.
Collection Period: 2001 - 2002
Data Available: March 2003
Validated By: No Formal Verification.

Limitations: NRCs have difficulty tracking program graduates. Currently, most graduate tracking is the responsibility of a university's alumni association. NRCs will work toward collaborating better with these associations to get better data on graduate placements.

Improvements: Collection of the data via the EELIAS reporting system has improved the ability of Program staff to conduct analyses of performance data. Once three years of data are available in the EELIAS system, long term projections and performance targets will be easier to measure.

 

Objective 8.2 of 2: To establish an Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP) to conduct a program to significantly increase the numbers of underrepresented minorities in the international service.
Indicator 8.2.1 of 1: Graduate Placement: The number of IIPP program graduates who are employed in the international service.
Targets and Performance Data Assessment of Progress Sources and Data Quality
Number of IIPP program graduates employed in international service
Year Actual Performance Performance Targets
2000
10
5
2001
13
7
2002
 
9
Status: Unable to judge

Progress: As the IIPP program graduates students more consistently, a greater pool of students with international competency becomes available for government and international organizations to draw upon. The goal of the program is to develop a positive reputation for IIPP graduates, such that they become a sought after commodity for internationally focused organizations.

Explanation: The IIPP comprehensive program of study is a 5-year program with six components. It currently consists of the following: (1) sophomore summer policy institute; (2) junior year abroad; (3) junior year summer policy institute; (4) post-senior-year intensive language instruction; (5) post-baccalaureate internships at international affairs agencies and organizations; and (6) Master's degree in international relations. Fellows from the first cohort completed the comprehensive program in June 2000. The number of fellows graduated should become more consistent as the program matures.  
Additional Source Information: Previously, graduate data was collected through paper-based annual performance reports. Beginning in 2002, data will be collected through the EELIAS performance reporting system. This data will provide more information on the status of IIPP program graduates and alumni.

Frequency: Annually.
Collection Period: 2001 - 2002
Data Available: April 2003
Validated By: No Formal Verification.

Limitations: The data on program graduates is being provided by the grantee, with little opportunity for the Department to double-check the data. As the number of fellows employed in international service increases, tracking all of these individuals will become more difficult.

Improvements: ELLIAS system will provide greater tools for the electronic analysis of report data. This will prove useful for conducting longitudinal studies on the IIPP program graduates.

 

Return to table of contents