The release of the latest results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) garnered all the usual headlines about America's lackluster performance and the rise of competitor nations. To be sure, the findings--that America's fifteen-year-olds perform in the middle of the pack in both reading and math--are disconcerting for a…

Examines census data from five major U.S. metropolitan areas relative to age-adjusted, per capita receipt of funds that show spending in central cities increasing at a faster rate than in their suburbs. It notes concerns of direct payments to individuals that are not need-based and with direct loans and insurance programs that strongly favor the…

Global economic transformations have never been as dramatic as in the twentieth century. Most countries have experienced radical changes in the standards of income per capita, technology, fertility, mortality, income inequality and the extent of democracy in the course of the past century. It is the goal of many disciplines--economics, history,…

The purpose of this research project was to compile and analyze data concerning the composition and geographic distribution of South Africa's population for the purpose of future educational planning to meet the needs of four population groups. This document contains statistics and conclusions on: (1) the role of population shifts and…

In this fact sheet, data is reported from the IEA Civic Education Study -- a two-phased study of 14- and 17-year olds' civic knowledge, attitudes and activities conducted in 29 countries in 1999 and 2000 with nationally representative samples of students. The information from this study is used to address three main points concerning the media and…

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the full-scale data collection effort of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study First Follow-Up 1996-98 (BPS:96/98). These students, who started their postsecondary education during the 1995-96 academic year, were first interviewed during 1996 as part of the National…

While there are severe limitations on the availability, comparability, and reliability of education statistics for the United States and other major foreign nations, a comparison of data reveals that the relative ranking of the United States among other nations with respect to educational participation in general is high, but that it is low in…

The Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CCSEQ) is an instrument designed to determine how community college students spend their time and what quality of effort they put into learning. Specifically, the content of the questionnaire focuses on four elements: who students are and why they are at the college; how extensively and…

This report examines issues related to the performance indicators used for international comparisons of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system. Chapter 2 examines main sources of international comparisons of VET and main features of indicator frameworks used for comparisons. Chapter 3 presents an outline of these two main…

The data presented in this National Education Association report provide facts about public educational resources committed by local, state, and national governments for state and local affiliates, researchers, policymakers, and the public as a tool to examine public education services. Regardless of state-by-state variations, improvements in…

This Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report documents the growing demand for learning around the world. A quantitative description of the functioning of education systems allows for international comparisons and the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to providing quality education. Chapter 1,…