This book describes the history, structure and institutions of open and distance education in six countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US. It discusses how open and distance education is evolving in a digital age to reflect the needs and circumstances of national higher education systems in these countries, and explores…

U.S. school districts have taken widely varied approaches to reopening public schools for the 2020-2021 school year. The divergence stems from the highly localized approach to both schooling and addressing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and differences in COVID-19 transmission rates among communities. To develop a national…

Higher-education institutions in Texas are increasingly exploring innovative approaches to structuring and delivering degree programs. Several institutions have developed competency-based degree programs, which aim to offer new pathways for students to obtain postsecondary credentials and to reduce higher-education costs for students by focusing…

In the face of so many daunting near-term challenges, U.S. government and industry are letting the crucial strategic issues of U.S. competitiveness slip below the surface. Five years ago, the National Academies prepared "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," a book that cautioned: "Without a renewed effort to bolster the foundations of…

This 2010 report looked at how Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) used local and federal dollars to craft, implement and improve a system-wide education reform strategy built on a foundation of providing high-quality pre-k education. School officials, state and federal policymakers alike will benefit from learning about the trail that MCPS…

Technological innovation is driving fundamental changes in all aspects of our lives. This is especially true of digital content, as our use of e-books, downloadable music, streaming television and movies, and online social networks has exploded. However, the explosive growth in our use of digital content seems so far to have eluded many of the 50…

President Obama and congressional leaders have vowed to take action this year on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), most recently reauthorized and rebranded as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. While most observers remain skeptical that everyone will actually see a signing ceremony in 2011, it does appear likely that at least…

The next President will make decisions that determine our nation's place in the 21st century. We remain the world's military and economic superpower, yet at home and abroad we face economic and national security challenges to our leadership with serious consequences for future generations of Americans. During the 2008 presidential campaign,…

This paper evaluates the effects of federal initiatives in educational technology in elementary and secondary education over the past half-century. While federal resources have been diluted across many programs, this paper focuses on the few initiatives in which the federal role was substantial and integral. The findings from this paper have…

Describes the basic features of three different models of "innovation policy": (1) a model of explicit and institutionalized policy in Europe; (2) one of apparently limited policy affecting mainly the climate of innovation in the United States; and (3) one of implicit action imbedded in other policies in Japan. (Author/JN)

First pointing out educational innovations in the public schools of Florida and accomplishments of public schools in general, this address briefly indicates six ways to provide support for effective teachers, discusses "new realities" affecting educational practices, and describes the roles of state and national government in education. (RH)

This paper discusses the advent of the technological revolution, the challenges presented to higher education and the Federal Government, and the profound changes in education that the computer will stimulate over the coming decades. Higher education's contribution would include research that assists business and industry to advance the…

This book examines the influences of governmental regulation on the behavior of higher education institutions in several nations with respect to designing and implementing innovations in curricula. Part I contains theoretical and empirical analyses in four chapters while Part II presents case studies of three nations, the Netherlands, West Germany…

Technology may be thought of as an extroverted activity involving a search for workable solutions to problems. The output of technology tends to take the form of a tangible product or service. Science, by contrast, is generally introverted, studying problems that are usually generated internally. As technology has become increasingly…

"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) See You Next Year: Congress Wraps Up for 2006, Delays Education Funding Decisions to 2007; (2) "Healthier and Wealthier":…