Education & Pedagogy

The Learning Passport is a collaboration between UNICEF, the University of Cambridge and Microsoft which aims to tackle an intractable problem: the quality of education in contexts where learners have been displaced. The Learning Passport is a response to the international crisis in education quality and learning outcomes. The project's specific aim is to improve the quality of education for children who, for whatever reason, are unable to access national education systems satisfactorily, either temporarily or permanently. The goal is to make possible stable and effective learning pathways for these children despite the instabilities they experience; this includes helping them to enter or return smoothly into national systems. The project's hypothesis is that quality can be improved by making available, as a global public good, an "education model" for basic education for children whose education has been disrupted. This education model is the Learning Passport. The purpose of this Report, with reference to the proposed education model, is first to anchor the project in the available evidence for quality education, as well as the evidence for quality in Education in Emergencies (EiE). Second, it is to make recommendations for how the Learning Passport should be taken forward or rethought, based on the evidence where possible. [This work was produced with the Cambridge University Press and the University of Cambridge. Contributors to this work include the Cambridge University Press (Education Reform Division), the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge in collaboration with Umeå University (Medical School), Sweden; the Innlandet Hospital Trust, Norway; and Uppsala University, Sweden, consultants (University of Cambridge Departments and Faculties), consultants (external), The Learning Passport External Reference Group, and UNICEF. For "The Learning Passport Research and Recommendations Report: Summary of Findings," see ED605431.]

"Neoliberalism and Market Forces in Education" provides a wide perspective on the dramatic transformation of education policy in Sweden that has taken place during the last 30 years, with a specific focus on marketization. The marketization of education in Sweden is set in the wider international context of changes in education systems. With contributions from researchers across a wide range of scientific disciplines, the book provides examples of the consequences of market orientation in education in terms of increase in inequality as well as in terms of what the market orientation means for principals, teachers, and students. It considers how Sweden has developed one of the most marketized education systems in the world and the possible consequences of such processes, as identified by research. "Neoliberalism and Market Forces in Education" will be of great interest to educational practitioners, politicians, scholars in the field, and postgraduate and research students in education. This book contains the following chapters: (1) Market forces in Swedish education (Magnus Dahlstedt and Andreas Fejes); (2) Public schools' market strategies (Håkan Forsberg and Mikael Palme); (3) Equity and choice for newly arrived migrants (Dennis Beach and Marianne Dovemark); (4) Consequences of free school choice and local responses (Viktor Vesterberg and Magnus Dahlstedt); (5) Market reforms in Sweden and the OECD (Anders Trumberg); (6) Representations of a school in constant crisis (Eva Reimers); (7) 'Market relevance' and the academic-vocational divide (Mattias Nylund); (8) Fostering entrepreneurial citizens (Magnus Dahlstedt and Andreas Fejes); (9) Neoliberalising adult education (Marie Carlson and Bengt Jacobsson); (10) A stimulating competition in the upper secondary school market? (Ann-Sofie Holm and Lisbeth Lundahl); (11) Procurement as a market in adult education (Andreas Fejes and Diana Holmqvist); (12) School fairs as the market place of education (Martin Harling); (13) Swedish school companies going global (Linda Rönnberg); (14) School inspection and the market (Sara Carlbaum); (15) Trust-based evaluation in a market-oriented school system (Jonas Vlachos); and (16) Lessons from Sweden (Andreas Fejes and Magnus Dahlstedt).

The "Annual Joint Report on Pre-Kindergarten through Higher Education in Tennessee" complies with the requirements established in T.C.A. Section 49-1-302(a)(10). The act directs the State Board of Education and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to provide a report to the Governor and General Assembly, all public schools, and institutions of higher learning and their respective boards. This report is to include, but is not limited to, a discussion of the following four areas: (1) Minimizing Duplication: The extent of duplication in elementary, secondary and postsecondary education; (2) Compatibility: The extent of compatibility between high school graduation requirements and admission requirements of postsecondary institutions; (3) Master Plan Fulfillment: The extent to which respective master plans of the board and the higher education commission are being fulfilled; and (4) State Needs in Public Education: The extent to which state needs in public education are being met as determined by such board and commission. This year's joint report highlights the progress made in education since the special session of the 106th General Assembly (2010) which included passage of the First to the Top and the Complete College Tennessee Acts. Both Acts focus on raising the level of statewide accountability and support in K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. Legislation from the 106th General Assembly provides the framework for collaboration between all state systems of education, addressing the overarching need to produce a higher proportion of college- and career-ready graduates. Tennessee will use this framework to make significant progress toward increasing postsecondary attainment to the national average by 2025. Tabular appendices include: (1) Tennessee High School Graduation Requirements; (2) Minimum High School Course Requirements for Regular Undergraduate Admissions to Tennessee Public Higher Education Institutions; and (3) Tennessee College and Career Ready Goals and Indicators. [For the 2013 report, see ED540085.]

"Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators" is the authoritative source for accurate and relevant information on the state of education around the world. It provides data on the structure, finances, and performance of education systems in more than 40 countries, including OECD members and G20 partners. Featuring more than 100 charts, 200 tables, and over 100,000 figures, "Education at a Glance" provides key information on the output of educational institutions; the impact of learning across countries; the financial and human resources invested in education; access, participation and progression in education; and the learning environment and organisation of schools. In the 2013 edition, new material includes: (1) More recent data on the economic crisis, showing that education remains the best protection against unemployment; (2) More detailed data on programme orientation (general versus vocational) in secondary and tertiary education; (3) An analysis of how work status (full-time, part-time, involuntary part-time) is related to individuals' level of education; (4) A review of the relationship between fields of education and tuition fees, unemployment rates and earnings premiums; (5) An indicator showing how many of the students who enter a tertiary programme ultimately graduate from it; (6) An indicator on the relationship between educational attainment and two health-related concerns, obesity and smoking; and (7) Trend data covering the years 1995 to 2010-11 for all the key indicators. The Excel™ spreadsheets used to create the tables and charts in Education at a Glance are available via the StatLinks provided throughout the publication. Appended are: (1) Characteristics of Educational Systems; (2) Reference Statistics; and (3) Sources, Methods and Technical Notes. Individual sections contain references. [For "Education at a Glance 2012: OECD Indicators," see ED535122.]

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals generate a stream of scientific discoveries and technological innovations that fuel job creation and national economic growth. Ensuring a robust supply of these professionals is critical for sustaining growth and creating jobs growth at a time of intense global competition. Undergraduate STEM education prepares the STEM professionals of today and those of tomorrow, while also helping all students develop knowledge and skills they can draw on in a variety of occupations and as individual citizens. However, many capable students intending to major in STEM later switch to another field or drop out of higher education altogether, partly because of documented weaknesses in STEM teaching, learning and student supports. Improving undergraduate STEM education to address these weaknesses is a national imperative. Many initiatives are now underway to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM teaching and learning. Some focus on the national level, others involve multi-institution collaborations, and others take place on individual campuses. At present, however, policymakers and the public do not know whether these various initiatives are accomplishing their goals and leading to nationwide improvement in undergraduate STEM education. "Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education" outlines a framework and a set of indicators that document the status and quality of undergraduate STEM education at the national level over multiple years. It also indicates areas where additional research is needed in order to develop appropriate measures. This publication will be valuable to government agencies that make investments in higher education, institutions of higher education, private funders of higher education programs, and industry stakeholders. It will also be of interest to researchers who study higher education. [Contributors include the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, the Board on Science Education, and the Committee on Developing Indicators for Undergraduate STEM Education. References are listed after each chapter.]

"Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators" is the authoritative source for accurate and relevant information on the state of education around the world. It provides data on the structure, finances, and performance of education systems in the OECD's 34 member countries, as well as a number of partner countries. In the 2014 edition, new material includes: (1) data from the Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), on attainment, employment, intergenerational education mobility, earnings, and social outcomes related to skills proficiency; (2) new indicators on private institutions, on what it takes to become a teacher, and on the availability of, and participation in, professional development activities for teachers; (3) data from the 2013 OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) in several indicators; (4) analysis of the impact of the recent economic crisis on the interplay among educational attainment, employment, earnings and public finance; (5) more in-depth information related to upper secondary completion rates; (6) a detailed examination of the types and use of student loans; and (7) for the first time, data from Colombia and Latvia. The Excel™ spreadsheets used to create the tables and charts in "Education at a Glance" are available via the "StatLinks" provided throughout. The tables and charts, as well as the complete OECD Online Education Database, are freely available via the OECD Education website at www.oecd.org/edu/eag.htm. A data update released in January 2015 is available at http://data.oecd.org/chart/4eJL. Sections contain references. Annexes are included. [For "Education at a Glance 2013: OECD Indicators," see ED565648.]

During the past quarter of a century there have been rather continuous and persistent efforts for Federal aid to education. Twenty-one years ago the Congress of the United States enacted the Smith-Lever Agricultural Extension Act, and 3 years later it passed the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act. Under the Smith-Lever Act and subsequent related legislation, agricultural extension work has been developed in this country on a large scale, involving an annual expenditure of more than twenty million dollars. Likewise, the Smith-Hughes Act and subsequent related legislation have resulted in the establishment of systems of vocational education which enroll annually more than 1 million persons and cost the States and the Federal Government more than 30 million dollars a year. Much information collected from widely scattered sources is here made available on (a) the social, economic, and educational background out of which came the movement for these reforms of Federal participation in education, (b) the enactment of the legislation, and (c) the organization and operation of the systems of agricultural extension work, vocational education, and vocational rehabilitation. Thus, the study reported in this bulletin contributes not only to educational history but to an understanding of present-day questions. The bulletin should prove useful to students of education, sociology, economics, and government, and to other persons interested in the development of national policies in education. Appended are: (1) The Smith-Lever Act; (2) The Clarke-McNary Act; (3) The Capper-Ketcham Act; (4) The Smith-Hughes Act; (5) The George Ellzey Act; (6) The Vocational Rehabilitation Act; (7) The Vocational Rehabilitation Act Amended; (8) Federal Appropriations for Agricultural and Home-Economics Extension Work; (9) Federal Appropriations for Vocational Education; and (10) Federal Appropriations for Vocational Rehabilitation. A bibliography is included. Individual sections contain footnotes. [Best copy available has been provided.]

The legislation summarized in this compilation was enacted in the two-year period comprising the calendar years 1922 and 1923, and represents the educational enactments of regular legislative sessions of all the States and of several special or extraordinary sessions. Material is organized in 21 major classification categories, plus additional sub-categories. This is the fourth supplement to the Bureau of Education, Bulletin, 1915, No. 47, Digest of State Laws Relating to Public Education. By reference to the body of the material presented, it will be seen that the plan of classification heretofore used has been retained, although some whole sections are omitted, except for the subject heading. The plan of classification for this bulletin is as follows: (1) General administrative control and supervision of education; (2) State finance and support; (3) Local (county, district, municipal) finance and support; (4) Buildings and sites; (5) Teachers in elementary and secondary schools, certification; (6) Teachers: Employment; contract; appointment; dismissal; (7) Teachers: Professional training and education; (8) School population and attendance; (9) School discipline; (10) Health regulation; (11) Textbooks and supplies; (12) Subject matter of instruction; (13) Special types of school; (14) Secondary education: High schools and academies; (15) Technical, industrial, and vocational schools: Elementary and secondary; (16) Higher educational institutions; (17) Professional and higher technical education; (18) Private and endowed institutions: State control; (19) Libraries and museums; (20) Education of special classes; and (21) Welfare of dependents and delinquents. An index is also included. (Contains 1 footnote and an Index.) [Best copy available has been provided.]

This book contains a collection of papers on the politics of teacher education reform. The book begins with "Introduction to the Politics of Teacher Preparation Reform" (Karen Symms Gallagher and Jerry D. Bailey). Part 1, "Issues From the National Arena," includes "The Politics of Teacher Education Reform: Strategic Philanthropy and Public Policy Making" (Karen Symms Gallagher and Jerry D. Bailey); "Finding the Culprit: Federal Policy and Teacher Education" (Penelope M. Earley); and "The Role of Accreditation Reform in Teacher Education" (Frank B. Murray). Part 2, "Stories From the State Arena," includes "Autonomous Boards and Standards-Based Teacher Development" (Marilyn M. Scannell and Philip L. Metcalf); and "The Georgia Story of P-16 Partnerships" (Jan S. Kettlewell, Janine A. Kaste, and Sheila A. Jones). Part 3, "A Story From the Urban Arena," includes "The Language of Standards and Teacher Education Reform" (Robert J. Yinger and Martha S. Hendricks-Lee) and "Balancing the Politics of Two Cultures: Cincinnati Initiative for Teacher Education and the Cincinnati Professional Practice Schools Partnership" (Arlene Harris Mitchell, Louis A. Castenell, Jr., Martha S. Hendricks-Lee, and Tom Mooney). Part 4, "The Micropolitical Arena," includes "Do Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences Need Schools of Education?" (Sally Frost Mason); "Developing Knowledge for Preparing Teachers: Redefining the Role of Schools of Education" (Dennis Thiessen); and "Adequacy and Allocation Within Higher Education: Funding the Work of Education Schools" (Richard D. Howard, Andy Hitz, and Larry J. Baker). Part 5, "The Final Arena: Building Capacity for Change," includes "Teaching for America's Future: National Commissions and Vested Interests in an Almost Profession" (Linda Darling-Hammond). (Papers contain references.) (SM)

The Education Law Center (ELC) sought an independent review of special education funding in New Jersey as part of a larger group of studies intended to critique the cost study conducted by Augenblick and Palaich and Associates (APA) and the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and inform the ongoing public debate. In doing so, ELC recognized that there was a need for a single comprehensive review and assessment of the APA Cost Study's recommendations for a new special education funding formula, as well as the overall special education policy environment in New Jersey as it relates to special education funding adequacy. The purpose of this study, however, was not to develop or propose a new state funding formula for special education. Rather, the study's primary objective was to identify factors that should be considered by policymakers in their efforts to establish a new special education funding formula. To accomplish this goal, this study includes: (1) A critical evaluation of the APA Cost Study, including the technical and policy questions related to the adjustments to the proposed base weights for special education and related services; and (2) An assessment of the overall special education policy environment in New Jersey. This report summarizes the findings related to these two activities and identifies key considerations for NJDOE and the State Legislature as they develop options for a new special education funding formula in New Jersey. This Study finds that New Jersey faces many challenges in its efforts to ensure an equitable, adequate, and cost-effective special education system. For instance, the State ranks high on several indicators that are known to not only place the State in jeopardy of non-compliance with federal laws, but also drive up special education costs. Based on the review, five considerations are offered for NJDOE and the State Legislature. Appended are: (1) Interview Participants; and (2) Interview Guide and Consent Language. (Contains 5 figures, 4 tables, and 60 footnotes.)

Amidst the euphoria about the new frontiers of technology sometimes perceived as a panacea for expansion of higher education in developing countries, there is a need to analyze persistent and new grounds of unequal opportunity for access, learning, and the production of knowledge. This volume addresses fundamental questions about the educational process such as: (1) The use of technology in higher education for a holistic educational system for social development; (2) The actual technological capacity in Africa and possibilities for virtual higher education; (3) Cultural relevance of the curriculum and pedagogy; (4) Pedagogy and gender in cyberspace education; (5) Perils of externally-driven distance education programs in Africa and the quest for ownership towards development; (6) Challenges and opportunities in the making of knowledge society in an Asian context; and (7) Strategies to promote constructive virtual higher education in Africa and Asia. Following a preface; and introduction (N'Dri T. Assie-Lumumba), contents include: (1) ICT[subscript 4]D: A Frontier for Higher Education in Developing Nations (Royal D. Colle and Raul Roman); (2) Partnership in Higher Education in Africa: Communications Implications beyond the 2000s (Jacques Habib Sy); (3) Implementing the Online Learning Communities in Africa: A Unisa Case Study (J. F. Heydenrych, P. Higgs, and L. J. van Niekerk); (4) Pedagogical Issues and Gender in Cyberspace Education: Distance Education in South Africa (Chika Trevor Sehoole and Teboho Moja); (5) Distance Learning and Virtual Education for Higher Education in Africa: Evaluation of Options and Strategies (Stanley Moyo); (6) The Chances for Success of the Francophone Centers for Distance Education of the GDLN Network: The Case of the Centre d'Education a Distance de Cote d'Ivoire (Kouassi Yao); (7) Higher Education Reform: Challenges towards a Knowledge Society in Malaysia (Akiko Kamogawa); (8) Strategies for Promoting Virtual Higher Education: General Considerations on Africa and Asia (Kazuo Kuroda and Hossain Md. Shanawez). An index is included.

The purpose of this countable was to discuss the requirements of No Child Left Behind that about 200,000 teachers--special education teachers who teach children in special education classes or who are severely disabled and who teach multiple subjects in middle school and in high school--be "highly qualified," and what exactly that means. In his opening statement, Honorable Lamar Alexander stated that one witness, himself a teacher, posed three questions that seemed to best represent the point of the hearing: (1) What exactly do I have to do by the end of the next school year to demonstrate that I am highly qualified using the House option? (2) Will I have sufficient time to meet the requirements? and (3) What will the consequences be to me if I do not prove myself to be highly qualified? This roundtable set out to determine whether Congress has created barriers for special education teachers and to learn what Congress can do to achieve the objectives set out in the No Child Left Behind and the IDEA legislation. Testimony was presented by: Lamar Alexander (R-TN); Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA); Jeff Sessions (R-AL); John H. Hagar, Assistant Secretary, Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education; Accompanied by Carolyn Snowbarger, Director, Teacher-To-Teacher Initiative, and Special Assistant for Teacher Quality, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education; Rene Islas, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education; Jeffrey Langham, Superintendent of Education, Elmore County School System, Wetumpka, Alabama; James McLeskey, Professor and Chair, Department of Special Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Carol Ann Baglin, Assistant State Superintendent, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services, Maryland State Department of Education, Baltimore, Maryland; William Connolly, Teacher, Quirk Middle School, Hartford, Connecticut; Lana C. Seivers, Commissioner of Education, Tennessee; and Mary Senne, Parent and Disability Community Advocate, Orlando, Florida.

The purpose of this study is to compare attitudes toward inclusion among general education (GE) and special education (SE) teachers. Between 1997 and 2007, many changes took place within the Individuals with Disabilities Act and in 2002 the introduction of No Child Left Behind. This meta-synthesis examines the teacher's attitude towards inclusion. Controversy continues over the effectiveness of an inclusion program among general education teachers (GE) and special education teachers (SE). Inclusion, as a setting, places many students with disabilities in the general education classroom. This study focused on general education and special education teachers (preservice and in-service) imposing inclusion. The proposed general research questions include: How do attitudes of the general education and special education teachers towards inclusion impact students with special needs? What problems do general education and special education teacher face? Have there been any changes in teachers' attitudes between 1997 and 2007? Comparing the results of 26 peer-reviewed journal articles on inclusion, this meta-synthesis tracked teacher's attitudes in five major themes: administration, general education attitudes, training, general and special education teachers on special education, and collaboration/co-teaching. GE teachers were initially concerned with the lack of training and behavior to handle students with disabilities. All comments were tracked with Xsight[R]. The overall findings suggest that administration has to be fully committed to inclusion and provide support for teachers. Teachers need to attend staff development to learn strategies and method to teach students with disabilities. Special education teachers need to provide support in the classroom. Co-teaching seems to be the preferred method of conducting inclusion as it provides students with two teachers who can assist with content and help with behavior. [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.]

Upon the occasion of the University of Heidelberg (the oldest higher education institution in the Federal Republic of Germany) celebration of its 600th anniversary in 1986, this historical overview and current review of higher education in the Federal Republic looks at a wide range of topics. Contents include: "The Historical Growth of Higher Education"; "Restoration of the Classical University after 1945"; "Development of Student Numbers and Academic Staff"; "Higher Education Policy in the Federative System"; "The Various Types of Higher Education Institutions"; "Representation and Financing of Higher Education Institutions"; "Participation in the Self-Administration of Higher Education Institutions"; "Professors and Other Teaching Staff"; "The Studies System at Universities and Technical Universities"; "The Pattern of Studies at Polytechnics"; "Study Success Level and Higher Education Efficiency"; "Increased Further Education Programmes at Universities"; "Admission to Studies"; "Procedure in the Case of Admission Restrictions"; "Student Organizations in Higher Education"; "Students' Social Welfare--Training Promotion"; "Scholarships for Talented Students"; "Handicapped Students"; "Research and Teaching in Higher Education"; "The Situation in Regard to the Rising Academic Generation"; "Women in Higher Education"; "Higher Education and Other Countries--Exchange of Experience"; "Supraregional Organizations for Students...and Professors"; "Graduates in the Employment System"; and "Political Parties and Higher Educational Policy." The document concludes with an Appendix which lists higher education institutions in West Germany including (1) universities, technical universities and colleges with individual university study courses; (2) philosophical-theological colleges; (3) ecclesiastical colleges of theology; (4) colleges of Jewish studies; (5) teachers' training colleges; (6) colleges of art and music; (7) polytechnics (without ecclesiastical and administrative establishments); and (8) ecclesiastic colleges of social work. A short bibliography, addresses of responsible federal and state federal ministries, other important addresses in higher education, and a glossary of higher education system terms conclude the document. (BZ)

This document contains 24 research presentations: "Adult Continuing Education: Whence Came Our Roots" (Judith Gwinn Adrian); "Faculty Receptivity to Participation in Continuing Education as Instructors, Facilitators, or Group Leaders" (Mary G. Bruning); "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body: The Potential to Enhance Learning in Later Life" (Alicia C. Cosky); "Getting the Horse before the Cart: Determining Continuing Education Needs of Vocational Educators" (John M. Dirkx, Michael E. Spurgin, Ruth A. Lavin, Birdie H. Holder); "Learning Theory Applied to Adults" (Trenton R. Ferro); "A Developmental Approach to Older Adult Learning Needs" (James C. Fisher); "Learning Strategies for Adult Basic Education Students" (James C. Fisher, Larry G. Martin); "Strengthening Relationships between the Missouri Valley Adult Education Association and the Seven States Comprising the Association: An Evaluation Study" (Alan S. Hackel, Mary G. Bruning); "A Graduate Adult Education Program Long-Term Impact Evaluation" (John A. Henschke); "Farm Computer Use and Learning Style" (R. Keith Iddings); "Edward Lee Thorndike: A Case Study in the Political Use of Adult Education Research" (A. Lawrence Jones); "The Group and Matriarchal Consciousness: Contributions toward an Understanding of Gender Differences in the Small, Adult, Learning Group" (Mary Ellen Kondrat); "Adult Self-Esteem Development as a Hidden Curriculum Effect of Vocational Microcomputer Training" (DaeBong Kwon); "The Use of Audio Interaction in a Telecourse Offered by Satellite: Foundations of Adult Basic Education" (Carla Lane, John Henschke); "Perceptual Interaction: A Theoretical Framework for Developing Distance Education Programs" (Rosemary Lehman); "Certainty in Adult Education Research and Practice: Farewell, Descartes" (Leon McKenzie); "Graduate Studies in Adult Education: Past Graduates' Input toward Program Renewal and Excellence" (Charles R. Oaklief); How Family Physicians Learn to Teach Residents" (Kay F. Quam); "Applied Futures Research: A Practitioner's Role" (Lorilee R. Sandmann); "Personal Transformation through Participation in Community Action: A Case Study of Six Leaders" (Sue M. Scott); "Life Transitions and Trigger Events Leading to Participation in a Volunteer Literacy Program" (James E. Snoddy, Marsha DeVergilio); "How Judges Become Expert about Contemporary Issues" (Pat Stein); "The Continuing Professional Education of Corporate Technical Professionals: Reasons, Formats, and Implications" (Susan Whitworth Tait); and "Evaluation Study of New Employee Orientation Program" (Thomas A. Watters). (KC)