This paper presents some facts about Pennsylvania's student achievement for 2010. These facts are: (1) Eighty two percent of Pennsylvania schools are meeting all of their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets--up from 78% of schools last year; (2) Pennsylvania students exceed state academic goals and achieve double digit gains since 2002; (3)…

The changing economy requires that states focus on postsecondary education and training as the goal for all students. Recognizing this, states have led the charge to increase expectations for all students. Unfortunately, the newfound support for college and career readiness has not yet led to significant improvements in student outcomes. To…

Educators including school psychologists must negotiate the differing demands of legal mandates and recent educational initiatives that impact their practice and school climate in order to maintain positive effects for students and other school personnel. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,…

On March 4th, 2010, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released its annual statewide Dropout Report covering the 2008-09 school year. The charts in this report show the dropout rate for Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) compared to the state as a whole, to other large school districts in North Carolina, and by federal No…

Many higher education studies use self-reported gains as indicators of college student learning and development. However, the evidence regarding the validity of these indicators is quite mixed. It is proposed that the temporal nature of the assessment--whether students are asked to report their current attributes or how their attributes have…

In this study, an attempt was made to develop a method of measurement and evaluation aimed at overcoming the difficulties encountered in the determination of the effectiveness of chemistry education based on the goals of chemistry education. An Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), which is a multi-criteria decision technique, is used in the present…

Technology has become more of a necessity for everyday use. It not only plays a crucial role in everyday use, it is also vital in the educational arena. Since the advent of the current technology age, technology has become an important educational tool in U.S. schools. Spending on technology. for K-12 education in the United States has jumped, and…

Student achievement to reward or sanction schools. These unadjusted accountability indicators do not account for differences in student or school characteristics that contribute to variations in assessment results. Since the "Coleman Report" (1966), a guiding principle in accountability design has been that educational outcomes data…

Despite a pending policy change aimed at including more students with disabilities and English-language learners (ELLs) in the "nation's report card," the federal agency that administers the national testing program appears to be softening the penalty for states that fail to improve inclusion rates. The disagreement underscores the…

This paper reviews Ghana's performance in the TIMSS 2011 survey in comparison with other African and some high performing countries which participated in the TIMSS assessment. Students' achievement in the science content areas assessed were summarized and teacher preparation constructs of teachers of the students who took part in the assessment…

Faculty Shortages in the study of low-incidence sensory disabilities (deafness, blindness, deaf-blindness) constitute personnel preparation challenges, as documented by a variety of organizations. To alleviate this deficit in the low-incidence sensory disability professoriat, the National Leadership Consortium for Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD) was…

Since most states adopted college- and career-readiness standards, about one million new teachers have graduated from teacher preparation programs in the United States. With five years lead time on incorporating new standards into policy and practice, this year the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has expanded its policy analysis to…

Beginning in January of 2012, the Alabama State Board of Education embarked on a bold and transformation plan for K-12 public education known as PLAN 2020. Foundational to this plan was a new definition of a successful and prepared high school graduate informed by community colleges, institutions of higher education, and business and industry,…

The State University System 2025 Strategic Plan strengthens the Board of Governors' commitment to achieving excellence in the tripartite mission of its state universities--teaching, research, and public service--for the benefit of Florida's citizens, their communities, and the state economy. The Strategic Plan is a living document that helps align…

Educators nationwide confront a troubling phenomenon: Increasingly, students leave high school unready for college, as evidenced by high rates of placement into remedial courses and low rates of college completion. Many students also lack either the attitudes or skills essential to succeed in a postsecondary setting, or knowledge of how to apply…