This article provides an overview of community colleges as an access point to higher education, specifically for individuals without a high school diploma. The article highlights how one community college system is addressing both postsecondary access and workforce demands through policy and practice change. The Louisiana Community and Technical…

This article focuses on adult working learners who attend postsecondary institutions in Canada and the United States. We identify how these institutions deliver curriculum and instruction in the form of career-technical education (CTE) and vocational education offering occupational credentials. In British Columbia and the U.S., most vocational…

Undergraduate credit for prior learning (CPL) is an important aspect of today's higher-education landscape. This report presents an in-depth look at the current state of undergraduate CPL in the United States and Canada. The primary objective of the report is to foment dialogue and action toward a more inclusive, effective higher-education system…

This study investigated how the concept of cultural competence was represented in three 2010 policy documents on service delivery, ethics, and credentialing by the National Association of School Psychologists. Qualitative analysis identified substantial sections of discourse focusing on cultural competence and, to a lesser extent, social justice,…

In late 2017, MDRC was invited by Bloomberg Philanthropies to write a paper detailing the level and rigor of the available evidence supporting career and technical education (CTE). Interest in the field of CTE has experienced a resurgence over the last decade, as the global economy has grown increasingly competitive while students have continued…

This article underlines the challenges refugees experience in accessing higher education in both first-asylum and resettlement countries. It focuses specifically on Turkey's higher education system, and the policies and practices in place to respond to the educational requirements of Syrian refugees. Our analysis reveals that accommodating the…

This publication explores how state accountability systems currently address college readiness and academic and technical career readiness and offers recommendations and examples of policies and practices that incentivize and reward districts and schools for preparing more students to earn credentials and degrees in high-demand career fields.

On June 1 and 2, 2021, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a virtual workshop, Teaching and the Teaching Workforce Amid the Struggles of COVID-19 and for Racial Justice. The workshop was designed to revisit findings from the 2020 National Academies' report Changing Expectations for the K-12 Teacher Workforce:…

Within the framework of the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) project, "SDG 4: Planning for flexible learning pathways in higher education," this research aims to provide a review of policies and development initiatives in Chilean higher education to support flexible learning pathways. This study uses a mixed…

Social demand for higher education has more than doubled in the past 20 years. However, only one-third of all countries' higher education systems are enrolling more than 50% of the traditional age cohort. Despite major advancements in achieving higher levels of access and participation, inequalities and inequities in higher education persist and…

In late 2014, higher education leaders and experts in pedagogy were convened by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) to develop a scalable and comprehensive program on the essentials of college teaching. The result is ACUE's Course in Effective Teaching Practices in which faculty learn about and implement evidence-based…

This article builds on Darling-Hammond, Wilhoit, and Pittenger's (2014) new paradigm on "Accountability for College and Career Readiness" by focusing on one of its three pillars--professional accountability. The article begins by offering a conceptual framework for professional accountability for improvement. Next, it highlights slices…

As requested by the Maine Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) has conducted a study with the purpose of examining current research and evidence-based policies related to teacher credentialing systems. The goal is to inform revisions to Maine's current…

The future of Australia's tertiary education sector is the subject of a new collection of essays by some of the country's leading education researchers. Produced by the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne, "Visions for Australian Tertiary Education" presents a progressive and provocative…

The January 2015 American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) "60 Second Survey" asked respondents to indicate their institutions' international student recruiting practices. As with other 60 Second Surveys, the survey was distributed through the FluidSurveys platform to all AACRAO members. After…