This article focuses on Italy's Higher Education reforms and hotly debated developments. These developments are experience credits and online universities. The reform replaced the existing degree system, in which most undergraduate programs lasted four years--although the average graduate actually took more than seven years to earn a degree--with…

"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) From No Child Left Behind to Every Child a Graduate: Members of Congress and Staff Vow that High Schools Will Be…

"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) "The Costs and Benefits of an Excellent Education": U.S. Could Net $45 Billion Annually if One Year's Worth…

Kenya has introduced policies to promote universal primary schooling at least three times since independence. Analysis of enrolments over four decades shows how these initiatives have resulted in gains in participation which have not always been sustained. This study illuminates the dynamics of efforts to increase access to education and acts as a…

The evaluation of the New Century High Schools (NCHS) initiative examined operations and student outcomes in 75 schools from 2002-2003 through 2005-2006. This report, the final in a series of annual evaluation reports, presents data collected over those years, with a focus on school year 2005-2006. The NCHS initiative grew out of a program theory…

We conducted an archival study of at-risk students who had "stopped out" of college for many reasons (academic dismissal, financial problems, personal problems, etc.) and who later were accepted to return to school. Approximately 27% of the accepted students chose not to return. Those who returned had higher grade point averages, had completed…

This study used the NELS 88-2000 data base to examine among Hispanic students precollege, college, and environmental predictors of (a) college first enrolled in (two-year versus four-year) and (b) undergraduate degree attainment for students who first enrolled in a two-year or four-year college. Hispanic students who attended a four-year college…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a solution-focused, alternative school in preventing students from dropping out of high school. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest group design was used with 85 students to examine differences in credits earned, attendance, and graduation rates. Follow-up data on students in the experimental group were…

After more than five decades of racial integration and four decades of affirmative action, most of the nation's colleges and universities have not come close to eliminating the performance gap that separates many black, Hispanic, and Native American students from their white and Asian-American counterparts. Although some colleges say they are…

Year after year, the goal of educators, parents, and concerned citizens throughout Alabama is to provide this state's children with the highest level of quality education possible. The future of Alabama's businesses, industries, commerce, labor force, arts, humanities, and countless other areas are determined by the education that is provided to…

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…

Six years after passage of No Child Left Behind and midway to the nation's goal of having students on grade level or better in reading and math by 2014, more data than ever before has been collected about the academic performance of American students and schools. Information in this brochure charts student demographics, achievement-to-date and…

Iowa's educational system is defined by the strong working relationship between the local school districts and area education agencies. Local districts provide the instructional program and area education agencies provide support services. Districts define how services will be organized and provided as they ensure a free appropriate public…

As the college-age Latino population continues to increase throughout the nation, meeting the country's future human capital and workforce needs make it imperative to improve outcomes for Latino students today. As public attention is focused on existing achievement gaps, educators and policymakers are seeking ways to improve educational outcomes…

Significant progress has been made over the past four decades in enrolling more students from historically underrepresented groups in U.S. colleges and universities. While total enrollment increased by about 40% overall, minority student enrollment increased by 146%, with Hispanic undergraduate enrollment greatly outpacing other racial/ethnic…