Much of the policy debate emerging from concerns over student debt has focused on the structure and operation of income-driven repayment (IDR). As the number of available IDR plans and the share of borrowers enrolling in these plans has increased, the system has become more confusing and difficult to navigate. IDR has not prevented default…

In response to financial pressures, the New York State Assembly has created new, less-generous retirement plans for teachers. Teachers and other education employees are enrolled in one of two plans, the Teachers' Retirement System of the City of New York (TRS) and the New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS). How far have the benefits…

This report examines teacher pension plans in Missouri, with a particular focus on the Kansas City and Saint Louis school districts. Missouri is unusual in that public educators are divided among three pension systems: the Kansas City Public School Retirement System (KC), which covers 3 percent of Missouri teachers; the Public School Retirement…

In "Missouri Charter Schools and Teacher Pension Plans: How Well Do Existing Pension Plans Serve Charter and Urban Teachers?" the authors stated that there is no reciprocity between the three Missouri teacher pension plans, based on their understanding that employer contributions could not transfer between plans. That statement is…

Guided pathways reforms can take several years to implement at scale because they require a thoroughgoing redesign of a college's major functions, including: (1) organizing programs into career-focused meta-majors to enhance student recruitment and exploration and program improvement; (2) mapping clear paths to degrees, employment, and further…

Cost studies are program evaluations that judge program worth by relating program costs to program benefits. There are three sets of strategies: cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility analysis, although the last appears infrequently. The authors searched relevant databases to identify 103 cost studies in education and then reduced the…

Administrators of adult basic education programs are asked to provide information concerning program administration, funding, program expenditures, staffing, methods for establishing and improving classes, program eligibility requirements, and the adoption of innovative methods and materials. There are 40 items in the interview guide. For related…

The design and implementation of the Food Stamp Program's Simplified Application Demonstration Project are analyzed. The project was developed to test strategies which could reduce administrative costs and errors in the Food Stamp Program. This evaluation report presents data in the following categories: (1) administrative cost savings; (2)…

The author states that a more systematic evaluation of labor market training is advisable. This includes permanent and refined monitoring of the trainee population for effective planning and proper longitudinal studies of different target groups in relation to the regional and national labor market policy. (CT)

The problem of the evaluation of graduates of teacher education programs has been a concern of institutions of higher education for a number of years. This paper reports the development and implementation of a longitudinal model for the evaluation of graduates of a teacher education program. (Editor/RK)

A study determined the extent to which the states and territories used their handicapped and disadvantaged set-aside funds under the Education Amendments of 1976 to support program improvement projects. The population of 57 research coordinating unit directors was surveyed. (Author)

Questions concerning the use of microcomputers in schools are examined and are categorized by utility (what needs are we trying to fill), human factors (do microcomputers enhance one's growth or fulfillment), resources (what functions do they accomplish), and strategy (how will the impact of computer usage be assessed). (CT)

The effectiveness with which vocational education programs respond to the objectives set for them will ultimately be determined by the adequacy of vocational education funding. Present systems of vocational education financing (both federal and state) do not generally ensure the adequate funding of vocational education. (LRA)

This article identifies potential indicators of productivity in continuing education, applies them in a specific situation, and comments upon their usefulness in continuing education management. The specific situation used is the continuing education department at Okanagan College in British Columbia. (CT)

Hearings were held on the reauthorization of the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the extension of the Child Nutrition and National School Lunch Acts. Testimony on WIC concerns: the importance of and need for the WIC program; state and federal funding of the program; program effectiveness; experiences of…