For the past 45 years, New Jersey community colleges have helped thousands of students pursue higher education to gain skills, earn college credentials, and better their lives. Today, New Jersey's 19 community colleges enroll over 400,000 students across 70 campuses, fulfilling community colleges' traditional core mission: granting access to…

A mixed methods framework utilized quantitative and qualitative data to determine whether statistically significant differences existed between high school and GED[R] student perceptions of credential value. An exploratory factor analysis (n=326) extracted four factors and then a MANOVA procedure was performed with a stratified quota sample…

On September 30, 2010, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) voted unanimously to approve a set of eight recommendations for authorization to teach English language learners. These recommendations approved by the CTC had been in development for almost two years and they focused on several issues, including: (1) a specific focus…

A college credential is essential for individuals seeking to earn family-supporting wages. However, over 90 million Americans face considerable barriers in obtaining the basic academic skills necessary to enroll in college-level courses. Research, combined with the challenges experienced daily by those in the workforce development field, has led…

This paper outlines how the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) meets the definition of "credential" as defined by the US Department of Labor Employment (US DOL) and Training Administration's Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 15-10. The NCRC fits the US DOL definition of a credential both (a) in the context of…

British Columbia has a differentiated post-secondary system in which different kinds of institutions provide students with a wide range of educational program options and numerous opportunities for credential completion. As a result of the many education choices and pathways available to students in BC, they tend to navigate their way through the…

When transitioning to employment, students with disabilities who do not complete high school face multiple challenges; even beyond the challenges of students who complete a GED® credential later, especially in times of economic downturn and job instability. They cope with sometimes overwhelming struggles from disabling conditions. Thus GED passers…

The study reported here examined professional preparation systems (PPS) for parenting educators via an online survey of 324 Extension Specialists and members of the National Parenting Education Network (NPEN) and Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) listservs. Eighty-one PPS of six general types were identified. Curriculum-specific training and…

This article presents the opinions/ideas of professionals who were asked these questions: "Should school districts have a specific individual designated as the Director or Coordinator for Physical Education? What credentials should one possess to be effective in such a role?" The professionals contend that every school district needs to have a…

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and President Barack Obama's plan for teacher education reform and improvement was described in the document "Our Future, Our Teachers" (2011). The rationale for reform is that "many of our teacher preparation programs fall short" (p. 5). The measures of this are stated as "only 23% of…

With funding from the Joyce and Lumina foundations, Jobs for the Future (JFF) launched Credentials that Work to help postsecondary institutions, regions, and states align their occupational training programs to changing market demands. This initiative incorporates innovations in real-time labor market information in guiding institutions to better…

American businesses and industries have long identified shortages in key career and technical areas--some of these areas require two- or four-year college degrees, whereas others simply require industry certifications. Career and technical education (CTE) has the potential to play a central role in filling these gaps. The current Carl D. Perkins…

In recent years, Teach for America (TFA) has placed thousands of high-achieving college graduates in hard-to-staff schools, and its popularity continues to grow. TFA thus represents an anomaly: it attracts higher education's top students to primary and secondary education's least desired jobs. This article reviews the current explanations for…

This study examined the differential effectiveness of three pathways to an elementary teaching credential across a large public university system. The study compared traditional campus-based, intern, and online credential programs across a 22-campus system using ratings of program preparation by 12,590 graduates after their first year of teaching…

While there are many factors critical to improving America's primary and secondary schools, strengthening teacher education is an essential part of any strategy likely to make a difference. When the Obama administration created the Race to the Top or RTT Fund--"to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education…