Education & Pedagogy

Transnational education seeks equivalence in standards and/or relevance of outcomes through the transfer of Western theories, concepts and methods. Utilising a critique-interpretative approach, Jing Qi argues that equivalence/relevance-oriented approaches to transnational education assume the legitimacy of the global knowledge hierarchy. Euro-American educational theories are imposed as defaults in non-Western educational communities of imagined consensus. Grounded in a study of a five-year transnational teacher education and community capacity-building program in Northern Chile, the book investigates the relationships between theoretical knowledge, knowledge hierarchies and critique. Transnational education communities are recognised as sites of critiques where conflictual and conceptual "dissensus" disrupts global and local knowledge hierarchies. Critique is deployed by educational actors in their everyday engagement in transnational education to stage dissensus, which constantly redraws the lines of possibility for knowledge coconstruction. A matrix mapping system is designed to chart and theorise the Chilean educational actors' critiques along the trail of concept translation, learning, application and innovation of knowledge hierarchies, which operate at and across global, transnational, local and the newly-created local-global levels. This book examines how these critiques modulate the ascendancy of knowledge hierarchies to enfranchise non-western educational actors for theoretical knowledge production that addresses local needs. "Knowledge Hierarchies in Transnational Education" will be of key value to researchers, academics and postgraduate students in the fields of international education, teacher education and globalisation.

West Virginia Code §18B-1D-8 statutorily mandates the West Virginia Higher Education Report Card (Report Card). This annual accountability report provides year-end higher education statistics for both of the state's higher education systems, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) and West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education (Council). Many of the enrollment, retention, graduation, and financial aid statistics found throughout this publication are reflective of the individual master plans approved by the Commission ("Leading the Way: Access. Success. Impact. 2013-2018") and the Council ("Fulfilling the Vision 2015-2020"). The systems' master plans establish aspirational institutional and statewide goals for the state's public higher education systems at a time when public postsecondary education is a critical component to the economic and civil success of the state. Each Commission institution has developed strategies and comprehensive plans with activities aimed specifically at achieving institutional and system-wide goals in key areas such as enrollment, retention, developmental education, and financial aid, as set forth in the Commission's "Leading the Way" master plan. [For the 2015 Report Card, see ED592830.]

In the past, universities did not offer equal opportunities for students with disabilities. Therefore, the principle of transitioning to higher education for students with disabilities was inscribed in legislation. This paper analyzes some legal provisions governing students with disabilities. The present study is essential for recognizing the rights of post-secondary students living with disabilities. Studying the legal provisions concerning the treatment of these learners is critical for ensuring that these provisions receive emphasis and support. Thus, this paper contributes substantially to ensuring that students with disabilities can access post-secondary education and prosper in life. The paper focuses on the possible legislation and special barriers that impede access to quality higher education for people with disabilities. Each topic is treated under the banner of policymakers. The paper examines federal laws aimed at addressing the issue of equality, especially for marginalized students with disabilities, and the options and requirements for ensuring the implementation of better systems that respect students with disabilities. The paper also concentrates on potential amendments to laws that will create more opportunities for students with disabilities. Moreover, it discusses the present accommodations, if any, to facilitate these students' smooth transition to higher education and employment. With this, it highlights special barriers that students face while undergoing their transitions and to existing program articles to make it easy for students with disabilities to access and success in higher education. The paper also touches on student financial aid, provisions for housing, and the use of assistive technology in higher education.

Virginia faces a future in which higher education will play an increasingly important role. Virginians will need deeper and broader knowledge and skills to be engaged, productive participants in our evolving Commonwealth and its economy. At the same time, the demographics of the emerging generation are changing, as an increasing share of Virginia's youth will come from populations that historically are underrepresented in both higher education and the highly educated sectors of Virginia's workforce. These changes transpire at a time when the cost of attending college has increased beyond the capacity of many Virginians. In 2014, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) developed The Virginia Plan for Higher Education with the objective to place the Commonwealth as the best-educated state by 2030. It is designed to identify trends that the Commonwealth must address if it is to prosper and succeed. It serves as a vision for Virginia's future through a common framework. This framework is built on the premise that all partners in higher education must work together to help Virginia, its citizens and its regions. The General Assembly endorsed the plan by passing joint resolutions in 2015 and requested an annual report. The following report includes findings, recommendations and updates on initiatives, measures and related indicators from 2018. [For the report from the previous year, "The Virginia Plan for Higher Education: Annual Report for 2017 to the General Assembly of Virginia," see ED590236.]

While the link between schooling and health has been well established, the direct and indirect effects of early childhood education programs on health have recently become a more substantial focus of research. This brief summarizes the research evidence, organized by three theoretical models that explain how early childhood education and development (ECED) programs can affect health, in both the long and short term (See Figure 1).2 These models are sufficiently general that they apply to children and families in both developed and developing nations. The authors then apply these models and the empirical evidence to derive broad recommendations for early childhood policy. They include: (1) Increase access to high quality early care and education programs for all children, prioritizing the most economically and educationally disadvantaged children; (2) Beginning parenting education early in pregnancy with the degree of support based on risk of poor health and developmental outcomes; (3) Providing screenings and referrals for health, dental, mental health, developmental, vision, and hearing in early care and education programs or facilitate access to these services through other means; (4) Inclusion of health, physical activity, and development of healthy eating habits in early education curriculum, as such habits are formed at an early age; (5) Including supports for children's social-emotional development, including self-regulation, preschool curriculum in order to reduce future risky behavior;and (6) Support of more health-related early education research.

This regional dossier aims to provide a concise description of the European minority language, Võro in Estonia, in education. Aspects that are addressed include features of the education system, recent educational policies, main actors, legal arrangements and support structures, as well as quantitative aspects such as the number of schools, teachers, pupils, and financial investments. This information serves several purposes and are relevant for policymakers, researchers, teachers, students and journalists who wish to explore developments in minority language schooling in Europe. They can also serve as a first orientation towards further research, or function as a source of ideas for improving educational provisions in their own region. Every Regional dossier begins with an introduction about the region concerned, followed by six sections that each deals with a specific level of the education system (e.g. primary education). Sections eight and nine cover the main lines of research into education of the concerned minority language, the prospects for the minority language in general and for education in particular. The tenth section gives a summary of statistics. Lists of regulations, publications and useful addresses concerning the minority language, are given at the end of the dossier. [This Regional dossier was originally compiled by Kadri Koreinik. Kara D. Brown, Sulev Iva, and Kadri Koreinik updated the dossier in 2018. Unless otherwise stated educational/academic data refer to the 2017/2018 school year.]

In Ohio, the pandemic has forced students to pause their pursuit of a college degree or abandon their aspirations for higher education all together. The health crisis has accelerated a downward trend in enrollment in public higher education, at least for now, and thrown into sharp relief the barriers that prevent Black and brown students, and those from families with lower incomes, from getting an excellent education. Even now, in the middle of a pandemic and a recession, Ohio policymakers must find ways to better fund postsecondary education and restructure need-based financial aid, with a clear focus on supporting public education for students from groups that face more obstacles to affording higher education, including students of color, and those who are older or come from families of modest means. The impact of cuts during past recessions provides a consistent lesson on the need to direct public resources toward education during tough economic times. At the federal level, Congress can play a vital role in supporting higher education in Ohio and across the country by providing emergency relief and stimulus funding. Without federal support, states will likely be left without all the resources they need to spend money where it can make the most difference. Even without federal relief, Ohio policymakers can and must take steps to ensure higher education can fulfill its crucial role in this crisis. [This report was produced in partnership with the Ohio Student Association.]

Education systems in under-resourced environments face several challenges, some of them exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A possible way to address some of the challenges is to apply information and communication technologies. However, effectively integrating technology into education systems is a complex task. In this paper, factors contributing to successful integration of technology in education are explored, with a focus on under-resourced contexts. Case studies of successful technology implementation in education systems are discussed and analyzed to identify the factors that drive success. The analysis is framed using the reform strategy offered by The World Development Report 2018 ("Learning to Realize Education's Promise"). This is expected to provide policymakers and practitioners a way to align their education technology initiatives and strategies with the larger education reform agenda. Key lessons identified from the analysis are as follows. First, it is necessary to articulate "what" precisely does the technology intervention change/enable. Second, it is important to better understand the context to develop technologies and implementation strategies that fit the operating context. Third, it is essential to regularly monitor and evaluate programs and to feed that information into continuously improving design and implementation. Fourth, through the entire cycle of technology implementation, stakeholders must be consulted, understood, and empowered. However small the intervention, realizing the potential of technology tools in education requires keeping in mind the big picture offered by these lessons. [For "Learning to Realize Education's Promise. World Development Report, 2018," see ED604389.]

Teacher preparation in the field of early childhood education (ECE) has historically included a variety of higher education degree programs in various child-related disciplines, all of which have generally been considered equally acceptable. In Florida, despite progress over the last decade to improve ECE services and to ensure that teacher education degree and certification programs can better prepare their graduates to meet the complex needs of young children, there remains great variability among associate and bachelor's degree programs regarding what constitutes an appropriate course of study for teachers and administrators serving young children. To address this issue, the "Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory II" (Center for the Study of Child Care Employment [CSCCE], 2016) was designed to gain a clearer picture of the early childhood-related offerings in a given state's higher education system. The "Inventory" describes early childhood degree programs offered in the state, focusing on variations in program content, age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics. The totality of the data collected through the "Inventory" allows stakeholders to identify gaps and opportunities in the available offerings and to assess the capacity of the state's higher education system over time. The "Inventory" was implemented in Florida during the 2016-2017 academic year. This Technical Report presents detailed findings collected by implementing the "Inventory's" mapping, program, and faculty modules. [For the narrative report, see ED614329. For the highlights, see ED614330.]

Tennessee is home to more than 463,000 children under the age of six. Sixty-three percent of these young children have all available parents in the workforce and, thus, potentially need child care. Stakeholders and advocates in Tennessee remain committed to advancing strategies that improve early care and education (ECE) services, including workforce preparation and development in order to ensure that early educators have what they need to meet the complex needs of young children. Critical to these efforts is the establishment of a well-coordinated, comprehensive professional preparation and development system that can prepare and support an incoming generation of educators, while also strengthening the skills of the existing early education workforce. Institutions of higher education are crucial to meeting the evolving and increasing demands identified as improving developmental and learning outcomes for the state's young child population. This document highlights findings from the "Tennessee Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory" and the extent to which ECE higher education programs offer course content and learning experiences that are associated with effective teacher preparation. The full narrative report, "Teaching the Teachers of Our Youngest Children: The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in Tennessee," and the accompanying technical report present the full findings. [For the narrative report, see ED614309. For the technical report, see ED614310.]

The state of Washington is home to more than 566,000 children under the age of six (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). About 306,000 of these children have all available parents in the workforce and, thus, potentially need child care (Child Care Aware of America, 2017). Like many states in recent years, Washington has committed public and private resources toward multiple efforts to improve early care and education services, including early education degree and certification programs, in order to improve the preparation of their graduates to meet the complex needs of young children (Hyson, Horm, & Winton, 2012; Ray, Bowman, & Robbins, 2006; Swartz & Johnson, 2010). Critical to these efforts is the establishment of a well-coordinated, comprehensive professional preparation and development system that can prepare and support an incoming generation of educators, while also strengthening the skills of the existing early education workforce. Institutions of higher education are crucial to meeting the evolving and increasing demands identified as improving developmental and learning outcomes for the state's young child population. This Technical Report presents detailed findings from the "Washington Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory" and the extent to which early care and education (ECE) higher education programs offer course content and learning experiences that are associated with effective teacher preparation. [For the narrative report, see ED614291. For the highlights, see ED614307.]

This report describes the early childhood degree programs offered in Arkansas, focusing on variations in program content, age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics, as well as the extent to which Arkansas ECE [early care and education] higher education programs are incorporating early math, family engagement, and working with dual language learners. This report is part of our Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory. The "Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory," administered by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California at Berkeley, assists policymakers and other stakeholders to develop a more coordinated and comprehensive professional preparation and development system for the early care and education workforce. The Inventory is a mechanism to describe the landscape of a state's early childhood degree program offerings, at the associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. The Inventory captures variations in program goals, content, child age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics and professional development needs. This information allows policy makers, institutions of higher education and other stakeholders to identify the gaps and opportunities in the available offerings, make informed policy decisions, and assess the capacity of the higher education system over time. [For the Highlights, see ED614286.]

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, focusing on accountability and risk to taxpayers. The following opening statements were presented: (1) Honorable Lamar Alexander, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and (2) Honorable Patty Murray, Ranking Member, a U.S. Senator from the State of Washington. The following witnesses presented statements: (1) Anthony P. Carnevale, Ph.D., Research Professor and Director, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Washington, DC: Prepared Statement and Summary Statement; (2) Mamie Voight, Vice President of Policy Research, Institute for Higher Education Policy, Washington, DC: Prepared Statement and Summary Statement; (3) Jose Luis Cruz, Ph.D., President, Herbert H. Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, New York: Prepared Statement and Summary Statement; (4) Jason D. Delisle, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC: Prepared Statement and Summary Statement; and (5) Ben Miller, Senior Director, Postsecondary Education, Center for American Progress, Washington, DC: Prepared Statement and Summary Statement. The following additional material of statements, articles, publications, letters, etc. are presented: (1) Honorably Patty Murray: Senator Dick Durbin Statement for the Record; and (2) Honorable Tim Kaine, National organizations representing the Nation's military servicemembers, veterans, survivors, and military families, prepared statement.

Around the world, 250 million children cannot read, write, or perform basic mathematics. They represent almost 40% of all primary school-aged children. This situation has come to be called the "global learning crisis" and it is one of the most critical challenges facing the world today. Work to address this situation depends on how it is understood. Typically, the global learning crisis and efforts to improve primary education are defined in relation to two terms: access and quality. This book is focused on the connection between them. Through a mixed-methods case study, it provides detailed, contextualized analysis of Ugandan primary education. As one of the first countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to enact dramatic and far-reaching primary education policy, Uganda serves as a compelling case study. With both quantitative and qualitative data from over 400 Ugandan schools and communities, the book analyzes grade repetition, private primary schools, and school fees, viewing each issue as an illustration of the connection between access to education and education quality. This analysis finds evidence of a positive association, challenging a key assumption that there is a trade-off or disconnect between efforts to improve access to education and efforts to improve education quality. Embracing the complexity of education systems, and focusing on dynamics where improvements in access and quality can be mutually reinforcing, can be a new approach for improving basic education in different contexts around the world.

This report, which has been developed through a partnership between the African Union Commission (AUC) and UNICEF, aims to: (1) track the progress that African nations have made in education, especially in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) goals; (2) identify the challenges that African leaders and decision makers face in providing inclusive quality education, especially those related to the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) make recommendations that could help accelerate progress in education, and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from eroding the gains that have been made to date. The report relies primarily on data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and household surveys such as the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic Health Surveys (DHS). It is based on robust statistical analysis to illustrate the progress and challenges of education in Africa. The goal is to offer African leaders and decision makers a valuable, evidence-based snapshot of the state of education across the continent of Africa, and practical ideas that they can implement in their particular countries. [This report was jointly prepared with the African Union Commission.]