Education & Pedagogy

The constitution and statutes of Nebraska assign the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education the responsibility for comprehensive planning for postsecondary education in Nebraska. The purpose of the "Comprehensive Plan for Postsecondary Education" is to provide direction for the future of postsecondary education in Nebraska. It identifies goals that will lead to an educationally and economically sound, vigorous, progressive, and coordinated higher education network throughout the state. It is used by the Coordinating Commission to facilitate most of its statutory decision-making processes. For the state and its students to receive maximum benefits, the Comprehensive Plan must be accepted and supported by the educational community, the governor, the Legislature, businesses, and citizens within the state. The Comprehensive Plan is built upon the foundation of existing postsecondary educational institutions within the state, the current and projected demographics of the state, the economic and political realities of the state, and the state's constitution and statutes. By statute, the Plan must include the role and mission assignments for each public postsecondary education institution, as well as the Commission's recommended guidelines on issues such as tuition and fee levels, admission standards, dual credit, and articulation. It is the shared vision and statewide goals, however, that most influence the design of the Comprehensive Plan. As the environment for postsecondary education changes, the Comprehensive Plan must continually evolve and adjust. It is the responsibility of those who are interested in education and care about Nebraska's future to review regularly this vital document to assure it meets the state's changing needs. A review of Nebraska's evolving environment and the Comprehensive Plan's vision, goals, and guidelines was undertaken in 2015 and in 2016. Additional review and revisions will follow. The following are appended: (1) Nebraska Postsecondary Education Institutions; (2) Guidelines for Distance Learning; and (3) Commission-Established Peer Lists.

This document records testimony from a hearing held to examine ways to help students succeed by strengthening the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. Member statements were presented by: (1) Honorable John Kline, Chairman, Committee on Education and the Workforce; and (2) Honorable Robert C. Scott, Ranking Member, Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives. Witness statements were presented by: (1) Honorable Tim Kaine, a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia; (2) Paul Tse, Project Manager, Shapiro and Duncan, Inc.; (3) Jason Bates, Manager, Toyota-Bodine Aluminum, Inc.; and (4) Monty Sullivan, President, Louisiana Community and Technical College System. Additional submissions were presented by: (1) Honorable Marcia L. Fudge, a Representative in Congress from the State of Ohio: Letter dated May 3, 2016, from Partnership for 21st Century Learning P21; and Letter dated May 16, 2016, from the National Education Association (NEA); (2) Honorable Glenn Thompson, a Representative in Congress from the State of Pennsylvania: Letter dated May 16, 2016, from Opportunity America; and Recommendations Perkins Career and Technical Education Act; (3) Chairman Kline on behalf of Congressman Will Hurd, questions submitted for the record to: Mr. Bates and Dr. Sullivan; (4) Honorable Michael D. Bishop, a Representative in Congress from the state of Michigan, questions submitted to Dr. Sullivan; (5) Honorable Elise Stefanik, a Representative in Congress from the state of New York, questions submitted to: Mr. Bates and Mr. Tse; and (6) Response to questions submitted: Mr. Bates, Dr. Sullivan, and Mr. Tse.

The California Department of Education (CDE) provides adult literacy services to one-fifth of adults enrolled in the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) program in the United States. The adult education program addresses literacy needs of individuals by providing adults with the skills and knowledge necessary to (a) gain employment or better their current employment; (b) obtain a high school diploma (HSD) or high school equivalency (HSE) certificate; (c) attain skills necessary to enter postsecondary education and training; (d) exit public welfare and become self-sufficient; (e) learn to speak, read, and write the English language; (f) master basic academic skills to help their children succeed in school; and (g) become U.S. citizens, exercise their civic responsibilities, and participate in a democratic society. This report is a compilation of California's responses to the four questions that the United States Department of Education (ED), Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL) poses annually to all states and territories receiving federal supplementary funding from the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The questions asked each state to describe: (1) successful state leadership projects and activities supported with State Leadership Funds; (2) significant findings from its evaluation of the effectiveness of the adult education and literacy activities based on the core indicators of performance; (3) ways in which it has supported collaborative activities with local Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stops; and (4) successful activities and services supported with EL Civics funds. [For the 2015-2016 report, see ED596630.]

Distance education studies, which are increasing in number of applications every day, have increased its importance especially with the COVID-19 outbreak. Although there are many sub-branches of distance education, it is divided into general lines as synchronous and asynchronous. Online/distance education studies, which are used in music education and instrument education, are used to improve students' musical knowledge and skills. Thanks to the technology developed with online/distance instrument education as in other fields, it is desired to reach the targeted goal, skill, and acquisition in a shorter time, more permanently, easier and more economically. This research was carried out in order to determine the educator's views on the use of online, video calling or other distance methods in violin education. The topic planned and started to be investigated before the COVID-19 outbreak. After the outbreak, this topic gained importance with the Covid-19 outbreak and even caused changes in the views of the educators. Interview technique, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. The interview form formed in the semi-structured interview questions as a data collection tool was transferred to the online environment through "Google Forms" in order to reach the violin educators more easily. The study group of the research consists of thirteen educators who teach lessons to violin students aged seven and over working in different institutions. In addition to taking the opinions of the educators about online/distance violin education, it was also tried to determine the use of auxiliary apparatus and materials during violin education. As a result of the interviews, it is found that educators benefit from both innovative materials, internet websites and applications. Also determined that educators have positive and negative opinions about online/distance education but also think that the negativities can be eliminated with face to face education support.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face education practices at all levels of formal education institutions in Turkey were suspended for precautionary purposes, and distance education was started urgently. Many studies have been conducted on this form of education, which has been implemented for a long time and will be replaced by face-to-face education in the 2021-2022 academic year. Among these, there are also those who examined the effectiveness of courses through emergency distance education in listening education during the pandemic period, very few studies could be identified that focused on examining the views or attitudes of teacher candidates in the field of language education towards the development and education of listening skill. Based on the idea that the process should also be addressed from the perspectives of the teacher candidates, this research examines the views of them on the "listening education" course in the Turkish Teaching Undergraduate Curriculum and conducted with EDE. For this purpose, a focus group interview was conducted through a semi-structured form with 17 teacher candidates who were studying at Mersin University Faculty of Education Turkish Teaching Undergraduate Curriculum in the 2020-2021 academic year and selected by criterion sampling method. When the interview data were analyzed, it was determined that the sessions were watched by most of the teacher candidates because they were seen as important, participation in the sessions was mainly hindered by problems with the Internet connection, although not as much as face-to-face sessions, they were seen beneficial in some degree, recordings to be seen beneficial were watched infrequently and to make up for missed synchronous sessions, teacher candidates were of the opinion that more emphasis should be placed on practices. Some suggestions were presented to curriculum developers, distance education platform designers and course instructors at the end of the study.

Teacher collaboration has long been considered to be a vehicle for educational improvement. Meanwhile, some teachers find themselves disconnected and isolated from their colleagues, in part due to the roles they serve in schools. There is little research information on the social networks of special education teachers. This study is intended to learn more about the social connections from special education teachers' perspective. These findings will help provide a better understanding of special education teachers network and their role collaborating, which can benefit special education students' academic achievement. Using a parallel mixed method approach involving interviews and an ego network analysis, this study examines how special education teachers connect with general education teachers and other special education teachers. This study is grounded in research and theory on social networks and community of practice and in research on the work of special education teachers. Analysis of the data revealed that mild/moderate special educators viewed themselves in support roles rather than as a true co-teacher. Moderate severe special educators perceived their instruction as different and separate from general education. Although special education teachers share more connections formally with general education teachers, there are informal connections through co-teaching, social gatherings on campus, and by proximity of class location. The study also found with new policy initiatives that special educator did not perceive this as impacting their instruction, but more of a general educators' role. This has implications for how leadership structures new policy reform and issues for the lack of planning and support with specialized programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This set of primers for charter school authorizers; charter school operators and state-level administrators has been developed to provide background information and resources for the "builders" of charter schools and policymakers to facilitate the successful inclusion of students with disabilities in charter schools. The primers open with a general background on legal issues and responsibility for special education in charter schools. The main sections of the first two primers then follow the "stages or phases of life" of a charter school, including pre-authorization; authorization; accountability and renewal; and non-renewal, revocation and relinquishment. The main sections of the primer for state officials are designed differently to meet the unique needs of state education agencies (SEAs). The sections of that primer include: charter school basics, charter schools and special education basics, key policies and procedural issues for state agency units, key special education policies for consideration by state special education personnel, and SEA assistance during charter school developmental stages. Although there are many complex aspects of developing and managing charter schools, the primers address only those areas most critical to implementing special education successfully in charter schools. They are not intended to be a complete treatment of special education law or practices. In fact, due to the legal foundation upon which special education is built, charter schools and states are strongly urged to consult an attorney and experienced special education professionals for specific legal questions about special education. Those new to the field, those needing an orientation to these areas and those who have some level of responsibility related to students with disabilities in charter schools are the intended beneficiaries of this primer series. Appended are: (1) Glossary; (2) Matrix: Selected Special Education Characteristics in Charter Schools; and (3) Charter Schools and the Education of Children with Disabilities, 2nd Ed.. (Contains 11 footnotes.)

During the month of December, 1914, representatives of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce conferred with the Commissioner of Education in Washington concerning the possibility of a survey of the San Francisco public school system under the direction of the Bureau of Education. At that time the Commissioner of Education drafted a statement of the conditions under which the Bureau of Education would undertake a survey. On January 13 the list of names of the persons proposed for the survey commission was sent to the San Francisco Board of Education and to the chamber of commerce. Eight members of the commission spent practically the entire month of February in San Francisco, while the remaining members visited the schools in August after the opening of the new school year. Twelve members of the commission spent a total of 347 days in San Francisco, an average of approximately 23 to 30 days each. Every elementary school, every high school, and 16 evening schools were visited by one or more members of the commission. The number of visits to schools aggregated 443; visits to classrooms, 1,818; conferences with groups of teachers and principals, 139. Contents include: (1) The City of San Francisco; (2) A statistical study of the school system; (3) Organization and administration; (4) The finances of the schools; (5) School buildings and grounds; (6) The elementary schools; (7) Tests of the achievements of pupils; (8) The high schools; (9) Civic education; (10) Music in the public schools; (11) Instruction in art; (12) Homo economics education; (13) Manual training; (14) Vocational education; (15) Education of the immigrant; (16) Educational and economic value of school-directed gardening; and (17) Digest of summaries of recommendations and conclusions. An index is included. (Contains 76 figures and 221 tables.) [A report to the San Francisco Board of Education of a survey made under the direction of the United States Commissioner of Education. Best copy available has been provided.]

This report is the third in a series published by the IDEAL (Impact of Distance Education on Adult Learning) project. The IDEAL project ran from October 2013 to September 2015 with financial support from the EU Lifelong Learning Programme. The project aims to: (1) offer insights on the needs of adult learners to both policymakers and distance education providers; (2) strengthen the social dimension of higher education by better meeting the needs of adult learners; and (3) increase the participation of adult learners in higher education through distance education. This third report examines the profile of potential students within the target group of adult learners. The aim is to find out their profiles, their reasons for entering distance education, and the barriers they face in doing so. The report includes the following: (1) research methodology and data sets; (2) empirical results of the following: an online questionnaire, study choice analytics, and country case studies; and (3) synthesis and conclusion of the various findings of the questions in the study. This extended version of the report contains an annex (appendix) section that includes the following: (1) Study choice analytics overview of country groupings; (2) Online Questionnaire; (3) A list of country reports; (4) IDEAL Case Study--Finland (Nina Haltia); (5) IDEAL Case Study--Germany (Joachim Stöter and Carl von Ossietzky); (6) IDEAL Case Study--Greece (Spiros Borotis); (7) IDEAL Case Study--Hungary (Anikó Kálmán, Éva Cseszka, Maria Kocsis Baán, and Fodorné Tóth Krisztina); and (8) IDEAL Case Study--United Kingdom (John Rose-Adams and John Butcher). A glossary and bibliography are included. Individual reports and case studies contain references. [For the first report, "Distance Education in European Higher Education--The Offer," see ED560484. For the second report, "Distance Education in European Higher Education--The Students," see ED560485.]

Education is a human right. The Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognize the essential role education plays in human and social development. As stated in article 26 of the Declaration, "Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages." Education is also one of the most wide-reaching and beneficial development investments. It delivers the opportunity to acquire essential work and life skills, lifts people out of poverty, and contributes to empowerment and health. Yet, education is facing a crisis. Between 2000 and 2007, the number of primary-school- age children who were out of school was reduced from about 100 million to about 60 million. Since then, however, progress in providing education for all has stalled. In 2012, nearly 58 million primary-school- age children and about 63 million adolescents of lower secondary school age were still out of school, and 130 million children were not learning despite reaching Grade 4. Children who are excluded are essentially from the most vulnerable and marginalized segments of society. They would most benefit from the empowerment education provides, but instead they face acute challenges to accessing education, which leads to a vicious cycle of persistent poverty and inequity. Many times, the cycle results from limited, inequitably distributed and inefficiently used funding. "The Investment Case for Education and Equity" is a call for action: For progress to resume, there is a need to invest more, to invest more equitably, and to ensure that funds are more efficiently utilized. This publication identifies the obstacles to universal education and provides recommendations on how to address them. [For the full report, see ED560003.]

Background and Aim: Physical activity is an important means to promote the comprehensive and healthy development of children's bodies and minds. The national health strategy and population policy adjustment, the development of kindergartens, and the deterioration of children's physical health have all worked together to bring unprecedented opportunities for the development of children's sports in China. The purpose of this paper is to study the background information of the contents of the curriculum of preschool physical education ability of year 4 students and develop the curriculum to improve the preschool physical education ability of year 4 students. Materials and Methods: The researcher has studied the literature on the development of physical education teachers' physical education ability curriculum to cultivate year 4 students' physical education ability from the aspects of the curriculum development process, components, implementation, and evaluation, and has studied the quality of students' teachers from textbooks, academic documents, and related research. The researcher also used a simple random sampling method to have 4 teachers as a sample. The population is 8 expert teachers in physical education. The research instruments of this study are an interview questionnaire on preschool's physical education ability and lesson plans. Results: Research findings: 1) The 6 components of the course include principles, objectives, content, instructional strategies using situational teaching methods, materials, and evaluation. 2) Preschool physical education ability which includes: 2.1) General ability, 2.2) Special ability, and 2.3) Application ability. After that, the researcher designed and completed the training course components of preschool physical education, and then evaluated the quality by five experts. The IOC value was between 3.80-4.00, and the interrater reliability value was between 0.77-0.79> 0.5. The course components were modified according to the experts' suggestions. Conclusion: The components of the course which include 6 components could improve the preschool physical education ability of year 4 students effectively.

Physical education is a cycle of replication when it continues to be taught the way it was experienced. Students enter a physical education teacher education (PETE) program with their perceptions of physical education based on how they experienced it. This action research study aimed to examine how perceptions and the way the students experienced physical education prior to entering a PETE program affected their understanding of physical education and if a PETE program can help improve perceptions by the completion of the program. The study examined the perceptions and experiences of PETE students. Data collection in Cycle 1 consisted of surveying new students in the PETE program, interviewing alums from the PETE program and PETE faculty from different institutions, and a document analysis of the PETE curriculum. An action step was developed, implemented, and evaluated in Cycle 2 based on the Cycle 1 findings. The Cycle 2 action step consisted of collecting secondary data about the impact of showing videos of different stakeholders sharing their stories about specific topics relating to physical education with 18 student participants. The video topics included perceptions and marginalization of physical education, occupational socialization, and quality physical education. The findings from Cycle 2 came from the student participants watching the videos and the impact the videos had on their learning. The overall findings from the study were that videos are an excellent supplemental tool for learning, different perspectives deepened pre-service teachers' understanding of physical education, influential physical educators and coaches play a role in occupational socialization, and advocacy in physical education is essential. The study concluded that a PETE curriculum should incorporate topics that address physical educators' challenges and adversities and provide opportunities for students to hear various stakeholders' perspectives and stories as a supplemental learning tool. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

General education teachers are expected to provide instruction to and promote learning in all students within a general education classroom per state and federal mandates. These mandates ensure students with disabilities like dyslexia are given access to a general education classroom, curriculum, and materials, and provided with support through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan. However, general education teacher training and professional development programs have often been ineffectual in preparing general education teachers for delivering instruction to and promoting learning in individuals with dyslexia. As a result, many general education teachers are unprepared for supporting students with dyslexia in a general education classroom. In this mixed-methods, explanatory sequential design study, 10 general education teachers from a non-rural school district shared their training and professional development experiences. Data collection and analysis examined current teacher preparation programs at the time of this study and general education teachers' understanding and awareness of individuals with dyslexia in the late elementary and middle school grade levels. Participants' surveys and interviews examined the requests or the receipts of general education teacher training and professional development in dyslexia, the implementation of accommodations/modifications for dyslexic students, the use of effective instructional practices or strategies for teaching dyslexic students, and the receipt of support and guidance for teachers of students with dyslexia. Findings led the researcher to identify a central theme; access to intervention supports and materials;providing instruction to and enabling learning in individuals with dyslexia. The purpose of this study was to identify needs of general education teachers in their classrooms in relation to their roles and responsibilities of providing instruction to and enabling learning in individuals with dyslexia. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Limited co-planning between special education and general education co-teaching partners has been documented in professional literature as a significant problem. Special education teachers do not adequately co-plan for the implementation of accommodations for students with disabilities educated in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze the perceptions of special education teachers in one suburban elementary school district in the United States regarding co-planning with regular education teachers. The theory of self-efficacy was utilized as the conceptual framework to understand how teachers' beliefs and experiences influenced planning and goal setting for special education students. Research questions were designed to capture the perceptions of elementary school special education teachers by documenting their roles, beliefs, and self-efficacy for co-planning. In this qualitative case study, 8 elementary school special education teachers currently holding co-teaching assignments in a public school district were interviewed. Interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. School documents were also analyzed as a method of triangulation. Results were reflective of the theoretical framework in that special education teachers' believed that their co-planning experience influenced their general teaching efficacy, but not their personal teaching efficacy. They felt more prepared to teach general education students, but maintained their personal expertise in teaching special education students. The implications for social change include enhanced morale for teaching in inclusive classrooms for special education teachers, enhanced social interaction between co-teachers and students, and enhanced learning for all students including those with disabilities that might result in opportunities for educational and career advancement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Numerous accounts of education in Denmark have been published in the United States but nearly all of them deal with rural and folk high schools and other special phases, to the neglect of the system of general training which is the basic, strong organization that forms the mainstay of Danish culture. This study of higher education in Denmark will to some extent overcome that deficiency in this information by presenting a brief general sketch of the preparation for higher studies and a detailed statement about the institutions of higher education. It is one of a series of studies which now includes similar accounts for Sweden and Norway. The purpose of this bulletin is to present to collegiate registrars, committees of admission, and State departments of public instruction, such data about the institutions of higher education in Denmark as will enable these officials and offices to form fairly accurate judgments of how higher training in Denmark compares with that in the United States. The information is intended mainly for use in connection with evaluating the credentials of students trained in Denmark who wish to continue their studies in the United States, but it should be of value also to anyone interested in higher education. Part A contains an introduction and an explanation of the purpose of this study. Part B covers the topics of preparation for higher studies, including the organization of instruction and a description of the secondary school curricula. Part C presents descriptions of the Danish institutions of university rank. A bibliography and a glossary of terms are included. (Contains 22 tables, 2 graphs, and 5 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.]