This study examined the long-term impact of a special education residency program in high-need urban schools on the recruitment, program completion, and hiring and retention of graduates. Findings from this study, expanding research to special education teacher preparation, are consistent with a growing body of research that suggests that a…

Given changes in the 21st century workplace and expectations of employers, the notion that a bachelor's degree is the sole pathway to sustainable employment and a middle-class life in the United States has become obsolete. Many (e.g., Fleming, 2016) have argued that employers are now seeking employees with technical skills, digital literacy, and…

Micro-credentials (MCs) are a rapidly expanding element of modern teacher professional learning. In this brief, we provide a concise review of what is currently known about MCs: how they work, their strengths, their shortcomings, and what we still need to learn. For districts and states that are considering introducing MCs, this brief is designed…

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has attracted wide attention with its potential to alleviate poverty and improve youth employment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, no agreement has been reached on its impact on participants' wellbeing and livelihoods. Most previous reviews were restricted to economic and…

Digital badges (i.e., digital credentials for achievements) have been suggested as a useful and scalable implementation of gamification. Digital badges (hereafter "badges") provide two potential supports for learning: (1) badges provide support for motivation by rewarding achievement and (2) badges provide implicit learning goals. The…

A product of the 2016 Session of the General Assembly, the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant (WCG) Program represents the nation's first pay-for-performance model for funding noncredit workforce training that leads to a credential in a high-demand field. Using a two-pronged approach, the WCG works to increase program completion and credential…

This paper points to teaching policy issues that need to be addressed if micro-credentials are going to spur the transformation of professional learning that researchers call for and teachers seek. The paper also documents what a growing number of states and districts, as well as the nation's largest teachers' union, are doing with…

The 2019-20 year continued the important work of refining and improving the new accreditation system. Significant progress was made by the Commission, the Committee on Accreditation (COA), and the Commission staff with respect to implementation of the revised accreditation system. The accreditation system is the primary means by which the…

Digital Promise and Global Education Exchange Opportunities (GEEO) established a partnership in May 2020 to support and expand educator professional learning and use of technology in Puerto Rico through coaching and micro-credentials. Together, the organizations identified an opportunity to address the gaps in coaching structures and pilot a…

A country's productivity and economic competitiveness relies upon education, specifically postsecondary training which is fundamental to students' upward mobility in a thriving and progressive economic culture (Hanushek & Kimko, 2000; Haunshek & Woessmann, 2012; Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013; Bailey, Jaggars, & Jenkins, 2015). At…

This report shows the impact that a two-year, coaching based, job-embedded administrator credentialing program is having on the leadership development of new administrators. The Clear Administrative Services Credential (CASC) program is centered on a conceptual framework founded on six professional learning standards combined with real life…

During the 2016 session, the General Assembly and Governor established the New Economy Workforce Grant Program (WCG). This grant program, the first of its kind in the nation, provides a pay-for-performance model for funding noncredit workforce training that leads to a credential in a high-demand field. The program also includes requirements for…

Digital credentials (or badges) allow evidence of achievement to be more detailed than is possible through grades, and can be shared more broadly than is possible through the academic transcript. Here, we illustrate the potential use of digital credentials in higher education through sharing an approach that utilised digital credentials to…

This report is prepared pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-7-178(g), which instructs the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) to: "…submit an annual report on the outcomes of the [Completion Grants] pilot program to the education committee of the senate and to the education committee of the house of representatives..." In pursuit of its…

Microcredentials create opportunities for continuing growth of all teachers based on specific needs. They provide ways for teachers to lead their own learning while allowing administrators to identify and address teachers' needs as well as the expertise teachers have to share with their colleagues. Microcredentials are different from traditional…