In 1980, the U.S. Congress charged the National Science Foundation (NSF) with a mission to lead development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for all of its citizens. Joseph Bordogna, deputy director of NSF, reaffirmed the agency's commitment to the mission when he stated that NSF needs to broaden participation in the…

The crisis of education is one of the most pressing problems in the world today. Russia's crisis in this sphere has taken on the character of an emergency owing to the unprecedented wholesale cutbacks in budget funding. In this article, the authors discuss the commercialization of Russia's higher education, leading to its degradation and threat to…

As the search to increase the quality of individuals entering and remaining in the teaching profession, people are simultaneously faced with a teacher shortage, often leading to fast track certification and lateral entry programs circumventing teacher preparation. This article points out that the major predictor of teacher retention is job…

In 2006, the Canadian Council on Learning produced the first national overview of post-secondary education in Canada. The report, "Canadian Post-secondary Education: A Positive Record--An Uncertain Future," identified eight goals and objectives derived from the strategic plans for post-secondary education (PSE) that had been developed by…

This report presents findings about teacher quality from two longitudinal studies, the National Longitudinal Study of "No Child Left Behind" (NLS-"NCLB"), and the Study of State Implementation of Accountability and Teacher Quality Under "No Child Left Behind" (SSI-"NCLB"). The research teams for these two…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) House Passes FY 2007 Funding Measure: Education Programs Slated to Receive Additional Funding; (2) President Bush…

Most studies that have fueled alarm over the attrition and mobility rates of high-quality teachers have relied on proxy indicators of teacher quality, which recent research finds to be only weakly correlated with value-added measures of teachers' performance. We examine attrition and mobility of teachers using teacher value-added measures for…

The purpose of this research study was to determine the role of regional centers in the Advanced Technical Education (ATE) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Conducted by the Community College Research Center (CCRC), the researchers began by asking whether the concept of a regional center was unique and useful to NSF's goals of…

Two facts have become clear since passage of the Workforce Investment Act in 1998. First, when low-skilled individuals increase their basic skills, these higher skills pay off in the labor market in the form of higher employment and earnings. Second, these earnings increases are typically modest and fall short of what people need to become…

The Civil Society Network for Education Reforms (E-Net Philippines), a network of organizations pushing for Education for All, believes that years of underinvestment and neglect of the public education system have caused the country's dismal education performance. This critique provided a framework for engaging with DepEd and the Legislature,…

In many schools and districts, leaders are lacking the necessary skills and preparation for the roles to which they are assigned. Improving the preparation of school and district leaders prior to hiring or promotion can help schools and districts accomplish the following goals: (1) Meet the growing need for highly qualified leaders; (2) Raise…

The Houston Community College (HCC) 2011-2012 Fact Book provides statistical information about the college district. It is important for the reader to be aware that data presented in this publication may differ slightly from statistics found in other district reports. Such variances may result from differences methodology including the source of…

This year's report provides an update on California's teacher workforce and state policies that affect the teacher development system. It examines overall trends in the workforce and discusses the demand for teachers, the distribution of underprepared teachers, and the implementation of a statewide data system to improve the quality and accuracy…

This workbook, which is designed primarily for secondary school administrators involved in planning youth apprenticeship programs, explains approaches to youth apprenticeship that have evolved from operation of the Pickens County Youth Apprenticeship Initiative (PCYAI) in Easley, South Carolina. Discussed first are guiding principles regarding the…

This book contains 28 papers about the current status of occupational education in Finland, with special emphasis on context factors, structural and pedagogical reform, and quality management. The following papers are included: "Introduction of Educational Structure in Finland" (Johanna Lasonen, Marja-Leena Stenstrom); "Vocational…