The early childhood workforce encompasses a range of professionals across health care, early childhood education, mental health, child welfare, and early intervention. Despite the differences in daily responsibilities, these professionals experience similar systems-level challenges which impede their ability to professionally flourish and risk…

Rural areas can provide a rich context for learning science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), but these communities and the students in them are often overlooked in ongoing efforts to expand access to high-quality K-12 STEM education and workforce development. Addressing barriers, often related to funding, and promoting unrecognized…

While the majority of U.S students are children of color, only 20% of teachers are people of color. What's more, 40% of the nation's public schools do not have a single teacher of color on record. Research shows that all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, benefit socially, emotionally, and academically from a diverse teacher workforce.…

Students with disabilities continue to experience barriers to accessing tertiary (i.e., postsecondary) education in Australia. Using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) may help educators proactively address barriers through the design of more accessible and inclusive educational experiences. However, at present, references to…

One of the goals of pre-K programs funded by states is to support the learning and development of young children. Research finds that only high-quality programs can achieve positive, long-term outcomes in areas such as student achievement, educational attainment, personal and social behavior (e.g., reductions in crime), and adult health and…

This report prepared at the request of the Seychelles Ministry of Education presents a new model of schooling in Seychelles and makes a case for strengthening the Seychelles Institute of Distance and Open Learning. The new model proposes to leverage the best features of open schooling, e-learning, hybrid learning, and community tutoring to improve…

Vocational education and training (VET) in Germany is based on close cooperation between the State, companies and social partners. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is responsible for general VET policy issues and has a coordinating role for all training occupations. The BMBF works closely with the Federal Institute for…

In the years immediately preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers, researchers, and philanthropists recognized the pressing need to build and strengthen the early care and education (ECE) workforce. Evidence documenting the relationship between early childhood educator professional preparation and children's outcomes spurred a growing…

When it comes to the early childhood workforce, American educators and advocates may know what their state's policies are. With their expertise and knowledge, and with support from research and leading organizations, they may be able to define what they want their state's policies to be, particularly for teachers of children from birth through age…

Created as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) program is a competitive, federal grant designed to strengthen states' early childhood systems and improve transitions between programs and services -- such as home visits, early intervention settings, child care and pre-K education --…

The King Abdullah Public Education Development Project or the "Tatweer" education reforms were created to improve the quality of teaching and learning in Saudi Arabia. It was a response to develop generations of Saudis who would contribute to the economic well-being of the nation. The Saudi Tatweer education reforms have been important…

This policy profile on education in Italy is part of the "Education Policy Outlook" series, which presents comparative analysis of education policies and reforms across The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Building on the OECD's substantial comparative and sectorial policy knowledge base, the…

Just over a decade ago, an OECD "Starting Strong" team reviewed the system of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Germany. Regarding the staffing of early childhood provision and referring in particular to resistance at the political level to raise the formal qualification level of educators in alignment with European trends,…

Resulting from a fragmented landscape of policies for and uneven investments in the early childhood education (ECE) field in the United States, the qualifications of the ECE teaching workforce are typically quite low. This article first reviews the history and status of the ECE teaching workforce in the United States, focusing on the evolution of…

This book contains the full text of papers and posters presented at the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2020), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.), that this year had to be transformed into a fully Virtual Conference as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic.…