Arthur E. Wise, a longtime advocate for K-12 school improvement, reviews 50 years of efforts to promote equal educational opportunities for all children, describing the pros and cons of three main reform strategies: lawsuits focused on funding equity, which have had some success; the standards and accountability movement, which has not; and…

The increase in child poverty in Spain highlights the importance of equality and inclusion of students at risk of social exclusion in the Spanish educational system. Recent research emphasises the importance of educational leadership, particularly from school principals, as a tool to improve the learning of these students. The main aim of this…

Employers across a wide variety of industries say the so-called "soft" skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication and collaboration have grown in importance as rapid advancements in technology have transformed their operations. According to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, problem…

In this interview with Caroline Coward, Library Group supervisor for JPL's Enterprise and Information Systems Engineering Section, Coward discusses her own career journey, the importance of high-impact practices, and what employers--specifically NASA and JPL--look at when hiring interns and recent graduates. Other topics discussed include how a…

Literature on global employability signifies "enabling" learning environments where students encounter ill-formed and open-ended problems and are required to adapt and be creative. Varying forms of "projects," co-located and distributed, have populated computing curricula for decades and are generally deemed an answer to this…

In July 2018, the Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (PL 115-224), a measure to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (the Perkins Act). The reauthorized statute, known as "Perkins V," gives states added…

A new landscape is emerging at community colleges across the country -- a new approach that puts preparing students for the workforce at the center of the college's mission and culture. Occupational education has always been part of the mission at community colleges. What's changing today: New technology is putting a new premium on occupational…

In 1989, Liberia entered into a Civil War that was devastating to the population, which has not recovered since. The country's infrastructure was significantly destroyed. Eighty percent of schools were non-functional. The illiteracy rate was at 80% in 2017. The teacher population at the primary and secondary levels was 26,000, but, 65% of them had…

Skills such as information literacy, global awareness, critical thinking, and problem solving have always been part of human development. Today's local and global economies necessitate having these skills for success. The purpose of this study was to gain an overall understanding of teacher perceptions of how their districts' one-to-one (1:1)…

This report discusses policies and practices that shape quality and equity in early childhood education and care. It examines how the work environment, including the educational background of staff, and the policies that shape teaching approaches affect the quality of the education provided to our youngest learners. The book concludes with an…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn what practicing educational leaders state are the competencies needed for school administrators to access school-based mental health services for students. Research questions included what competencies of elementary principals facilitate the provision of mental health services for students in…

A significant number of teachers move from one state to another each year. State policies can make it difficult for public school teachers to qualify to teach in another state. From a teacher's perspective, meeting another state's licensure requirements can feel bureaucratic and time-consuming. State requirements for out-of-state teachers enable…

Many organisations are experimenting with micro-credentials, while others are emerging to collect, publish and offer credentials. The decision to engage with these new forms of credentials will be influenced by many factors, as described in this guide. Each organisation will need to assess their own level of maturity as new and innovative forms of…

A pilot program in New Hampshire models innovative ways creating and applying state assessments and educator accountability. A study of New Hampshire's new system, which has already received approval by the U.S. Department of Education under a waiver from NCLB, finds some positive results and also suggests challenges states might face in putting…

The new emphasis on vocational skills provides adult education a new raison d'être and presents new developmental dilemmas to the field of adult education. This chapter examines these tensions in light of significant social change that places underqualified adults at great risk to a vicious cycle of marginalization and how adult education will be…