In four years of high school education some students do not achieve the appropriate number of credits to receive a diploma. To support over-age, under-credited students, each high school has to intervene. Schools need to find ways to help students receive the credits needed, allow students to go beyond four years to graduate, or drop out of high…

New teachers are entering their classrooms on the first day of school, excited, nervous, and not knowing what to expect from their new position. This in itself can be overwhelming, but compounding the demands of novice teachers is another challenge: their certification clock has started. The state of Pennsylvania requires all new teachers to…

This Special Report outlines state-level policy components that help ensure work-based learning opportunities for high school students are well-coordinated, broadly accessible, aligned to state or regional workforce demands, and of high quality.

Allowing high school students to fulfill a math or science high school graduation requirement via a computer science credit may encourage more student to pursue computer science coursework. This Education Trends report is an update to the original report released in April 2015 and explores state policies that allow or require districts to apply…

Dual enrollment is a federally funded program that offers high school students the opportunity to earn both high school and postsecondary credits for the same course. While the phenomenon of concurrent enrollment in postsecondary and college educational programs is not new, political support and public funding has drawn focus to the policies of…

This report analyzes college completion metrics for the Appalachian Region, compares outcomes of students attending campuses in the Region with those of students attending campuses outside the Region, and offers insight about major stumbling blocks to college progression and completion for students in Appalachia.

Boosting high school graduation rates is a growing concern to educators and policymakers. Researchers stress that, although graduation rates have varied little in recent years, "[w]hat makes current graduation rates alarming is a reality of the new U.S. economy: It is practically impossible for individuals lacking a high school diploma to…

This paper offers a list of questions and corresponding answers about the 4-year cohort graduation rate. Answers to the following questions are presented: (1) Why don't GED (General Educational Development) students count as graduates?; (2) How does a district code students who have moved out of state? How should a district code a student who…

A longitudinal research study was conducted at a public university in Pennsylvania on a sample of 129 at-risk students from a state-funded program (Act 101) designed to provide support services for economically and educationally disadvantaged students. This research employed a non-experimental, ex post facto methodology to assess the impact of…

A study was conducted to examine methods through which Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) participants may be awarded credit for participation in CETA-sponsored programs in Pennsylvania. To accomplish this, CETA prime sponsors, CETA program operators, and a group of randomly selected potential program operators were surveyed. After…

MORE COLLEGES SHOULD OFFER CREDIT TO STUDENTS WHO TAKE COURSES IN THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM. TO ENCOURAGE SUCH LEARNING, COLLEGES SHOULD REEVALUATE THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THESE STUDENTS. HARVARD AND PRINCETON GAVE CREDIT FOR SUCH COURSES, AND THEIR EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS REPORT ONLY FAVORABLE RESULTS. THOSE OPPOSED TO THE PROGRAM INCLUDE…

The educational reform movement has caused parents, students, businesspersons, and legislators to question the relevance of vocational education. Charges that vocational education has become obsolete have compelled vocational educators to work on improving its image in three areas--function, quality, and style. The vocational education programs in…

A survey employing the Delphi technique was used to explore lifelong learning needs in Pennsylvania. Respondents included agents (those involved in the educational system such as administrators, faculty, broadcasters, librarian, and others) and consumers (representatives of groups of people who might pursue lifelong learning). Results revealed…

This report is the most current installment in the series on professional and occupational practice requirements in the state of Pennsylvania. It is part of a study of licensing and continuing education requirements of 75 occupations. All information on the professions and occupations addressed earlier has been revised as necessary to reflect…

Transcript data were analyzed to determine changes in course taking among graduates of high schools including mostly lower achieving students in California, Florida, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, which adopted high graduation requirements in the 1980s. Average credits per student increased in all academic subjects, as did the courses' difficulty…