For several decades, researchers have examined sector effects on student outcomes. Several argue the presence of a Catholic school advantage (CSA), an effect that shows improvement of educational outcomes upon attendance at a Catholic school. The magnitude of this effect, however, is often debated, particularly in the era of educational reform. In…

As Congress recognized in passing the "Every Student Succeeds Act", it is time for school improvement to encompass policy and planning that enables every school to replace the outdated patchwork of programs and services used in addressing barriers to learning and teaching. The way to do this involves transforming student and learning…

How can Latvia improve the quality and equity of its education system and realise long-term efficiency gains? This report covers the whole education system from early childhood education and care to tertiary education and provides an assessment of Latvia's policies and practices against the best approaches in education and skills across the OECD.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the efforts of school districts in developing and sustaining their capacity to improve student achievement in response to increased accountability. The study sought to confirm what the research says regarding the role of the school district in influencing school improvement. While there is a significant…

This governing document for the public education system in Hawai'i provides a common foundation of expectations and supports for public education, centering on closing the achievement gap to ensure equity and excellence for each student. The Strategic Plan is a compact between the Board of Education (BoE), the Department of Education (DoE), and…

The State University System has experienced extraordinary changes and shifts in recent years, as significant economic challenges in Florida have compelled state universities to implement innovative strategies and efficiencies in order to respond to both increased demands and budget constraints. These changes are reflected by the need to revise the…

The purpose of this report is to summarize the key elements of school and district level Performance Index scores (PI scores) for the 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) across the United States. PI scores are partial or overall summative ratings of schools or districts currently used across US state accountability systems to assess…

Higher education has entered an era of globalization where the movement of minds is fashioning out a new university. This study defines and describes globalization and its impact on higher education. It presents the uses and methodologies of rankings and global measurements which are increasing in scope and breadth as the university system aims to…

Due to the affordability, ease of use and availability of mobile devices, many people in Africa and developing countries have acquired at least a mobile device. The penetration of mobile devices places many learning institution in a position to adopt mobile learning, however there are few tools for measuring mobile learning readiness for an…

In the quest to raise student achievement in low-performing urban schools, researchers often point to the central importance of recruitment and retention of a high quality teacher workforce (Lankford, Loeb and Wyckoff 2002; Rivkin, Hanushek and Kain 2005; Jacob 2007). At the same time, advocates have proposed charter schools not only as a means to…

An analysis of the literature supporting the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and a sample of its key products suggests that it failed to acknowledge or challenge neoliberalism as a hegemonic force blocking transitions towards genuine sustainability. The authors argue that the rationale for the Decade was idealistic and that…

The "U.S. News and World Report Survey" of graduate engineering programs is structured around four areas and nine indicators. Area A addresses quality assessment, Area B addresses student selectivity, and Area C addresses faculty resources, lastly Area D addresses research activity. The nine indicators categorized under the areas are:…

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the measures that make up each of the three separate accountability indices of school performance in South Carolina could be used to create an overall, reliable index of school performance. Data from public elementary, middle, and high schools in 2012/13 were used in confirmatory factor…

When people talk about education of remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the language used is often replete with messages of failure and deficit, of disparity and problems. This language is reflected in statistics that on the surface seem unambiguous in their demonstration of poor outcomes for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait…

The author, as a retired high school teacher, has some bad news for college professors. In case, they do not already see what is happening. The author wants to warn them of what to expect from the students who will be arriving in one's classroom even if they teach in a highly selective institution. No Child Left Behind went into effect for the…