Programs that prepare elementary teachers have a daunting responsibility -- they are readying the people who will teach children reading and numeracy, build a foundation in STEM and social studies subjects, all while providing many children's first introduction to formal schooling. By rising to this challenge, programs may also help a more diverse…

"The Talent Blind Spot," which is divided into two reports, demonstrates that, each year, more than 50,000 high-achieving, low- and moderate-income community college students do not transfer to a four-year institution. Approximately 15,000 of these students have a 3.7 GPA or higher, which suggests they could succeed at even the most…

Higher education often operates under old rules -- rules that continue despite an increasingly diverse student population and improved understanding of human behavior and choice. Under these old rules, fewer than half of students graduate on time, if at all, and troubling equity gaps exist based on income, race, and ethnicity. It is time for new…

Online courses present a number of challenges particular to their format. Besides basic technological proficiency, online courses require students to possess an array of well-developed non-academic skills; students must be able to manage time, stay organized, and recognize when and how to ask for help. Online courses also require instructors to be…

Black and Latino young men may face a number of barriers on their pathway to college, including a belief that college is not for them, difficulty navigating the college search and application process, financial obstacles, and insufficient academic preparation. Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) schools are working to prepare students for college…

This publication was created to help eighth-grade students make a successful transition to high school and begin looking at college and career options. Topics covered in the booklet include: (1) Making the transition to high school; (2) Meeting state academic standards; (3) Taking the courses needed to complete high school and to meet college…

This document is intended to serve as a practical guide for implementing a teacher-student data link (TSDL) that supports a range of uses at the local, regional, and state levels. The guide addresses the considerations for linking teacher and student data from multiple perspectives, including governance, policies, data components, business rules,…

Given lingering racism in this country, you won't be surprised to learn this: Hispanic students are much less likely than white students to have the most qualified teachers--the ones with the most experience and greatest expertise in the subject matter. And many Hispanic students go to schools that do not even offer some of the high-level courses…

American high schools have a major gap to close--a gap that threatens not only the future of the students they serve but of the nation as well. At a time when postsecondary education or training has increasingly become a must for young people, most students continue to leave high schools unprepared to pursue those options. Until recently, there…

This handbook is designed to help teacher education students as they learn about the teaching profession and their responsibilities as a student taking teacher preparation course work. It is hoped that the handbook helps them to avoid delays and roadblocks in the pursuit of their goal to become a certified teacher. Since there are several degree…

Each year, 700,000 students from around the world come to the United States and Canada to study. For many, the experience is as challenging as it is exciting. Far from home, they must adapt to a new culture, new university system, and in many cases, a new language. The process can be overwhelming, but as Charles Lipson's "Succeeding as an…

This technical report documents the procedures used to collect and summarize data from the 2005 High School Transcript Study (HSTS 2005). The transcript studies serve as a barometer for changes in high school graduates' course-taking patterns; these patterns provide information about the rigor of high school curricula followed across the nation.…

Small Learning Communities (SLCs) and Career Academies, one variety of SLC, have grown rapidly in recent years. They are among the few high school reform approaches that seem promising and popular, bringing students together into cohorts where they support each other, teachers into teams where they do the same, and students and teachers into…

This document presents a guide to help students, who are entering the ninth grade, and their parents prepare for the transition from middle school to high school. The booklet is organized around a series of questions that students might ask themselves as they begin to plan for their high school careers. Each question is considered and discussed to…

In the role of career counselor, the academic advisor helps advisees define the process necessary to obtain employment and life fulfillment. Helping advisees select the courses necessary to realize their career goals is only part of that guidance. A model for career advising based on a developmental theory of career counseling is proposed.…