This brief is one in a series aimed at providing K-12 education decision-makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students during and following the novel coronavirus pandemic. It begins with an at-a-glance view of an effective voluntary academic summer learning program structure (duration, class…

While it is essential for life science students to be trained in modern techniques and approaches, rapidly developing, interdisciplinary fields such as bioinformatics present distinct challenges to undergraduate educators. In particular, many educators lack training in new fields, and high-quality teaching and learning materials may be sparse. To…

Whirlwind growth in the technology sector has led to heightened demand for workers with specialized skills in coding and computer science. Projections for continued expansion of the sector feed a persistent fear that traditional educational offerings won't generate enough graduates with the skills the economy demands. Bootcamps focused on coding…

After a period of relative neglect in many countries, apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning are experiencing a revival. Their effectiveness in easing school-to-work transitions and serving the economy is increasingly recognised. However, engaging individuals, employers, social partners and education and training systems in such…

This study examines characteristics important to online MBA students and alumni. The study looks at what characteristics are important in an online MBA Program and if the level of importance of these characteristics varies by demographic variables. The study focuses on availability, program quality, program length, cost, and courses in the…

Alternative scheduling provides community colleges with a means to adapt to declining enrollments and fiscal exigencies, and to respond the demand for accountability to students. Strategies such as departing from traditional semester- or quarter-length courses and developing weekend programs have been implemented at certain institutions to…

A comparison of half-day and full-day intervention programs for handicapped preschoolers evaluated students' scores on a developmental inventory and cost data. Results indicated no differences in the educational outcomes associated with length of day and showed that half-day programs served 60 percent more children than full-day programs with the…

Illustrates the importance of adopting a formal strategy for eliminating programs. Outlines a three-step procedure for identifying candidates for elimination, evaluating these programs, and implementing the decision. The procedure provides community service agencies with guidelines for better serving the needs of their clientele. (SK)

The cost of extending teacher education to include a fifth year would be six billion dollars annually, and there is no evidence that extended programs produce more effective teachers. (Author/MSE)

A study of the issues involved in deciding whether to schedule kindergarten classes on a half day-every day or full day-alternate days schedule was requested by the Board of Education of the school district of Lodi, Wisconsin. A committee of teachers, administrators and parents undertook the study, which included interviews with early childhood…

Suggestions are given for innovation in planning international exchange and study abroad programs that maximize an institution's flexibility and reduce cost. These include flexible program length and intensity, flexible planning and contracting options with the corresponding schools, direct negotiations, reciprocity arrangements, and using…

This model for a cost effective management and evaluation system is intended to help the administrator of an adult basic education (ABE) program (1) to gather data on a monthly basis, (2) to maintain a monthly data review, (3) to modify program costs and/or student enrollment and class size, and (4) to prepare the following year's budget.…

The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the administration of military skill training programs. It found that the Department of Defense (DOD) spends about $3.4 billion a year to provide skill training to 1.2 million military personnel. The DOD could save millions of dollars by requiring (1) the services to provide a minimum of forty…

Predictions are made, based on emerging policy and evidence of trends, about likely changes in the German higher education system including changes in funding sources, scope, and timing; faculty incentives to increase workload; changes in program length and graduates' salary levels; promotion of teaching as an occupation; increased labor market…

To examine the economic efficiency of initial military specialty training, procedures were tested for estimating the effects of that training on posttraining job performance. The approach chosen was an application of human capital theory in which the costs of on-the-job training and the returns to training are measured by comparing the trainee's…