Betsy DeVos, the new U.S. Secretary of Education, has a reform agenda to advance school choice. Her track record includes enabling charter school growth in Michigan at taxpayers' expense with little oversight or accountability. Although an effective advocate, DeVos represents a broader policy movement to privatize American education, much of it…

Tragic events in recent years underscore the need for school to be a safe and positive learning environment for every student. In the absence of a safe and positive learning environment, a student may feel disconnected, disregard consequences, and engage in bullying or other destructive behaviors. These conditions can foreshadow acts of violence…

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…

Over the past decade, as their work has grown increasingly complex, teachers have come under increasing scrutiny. Most are coping with more students, smaller raises, and fewer resources. Educators are expected to meet higher standards and demonstrate their impact on student learning, often with an increasingly diverse and challenging student…

The ultimate outcome of this work is to support students, families, and educators (includes all school members who collectively support students) during the transitions back to school during and following the global pandemic in a manner that prioritizes their health and safety, social and emotional needs, and behavioral and academic growth. This…

This revised Early Learning Framework is the culmination of a collaborative process that included early childhood educators, primary teachers, academics, Indigenous organizations, Elders, government, and other professionals. The first Early Learning Framework published in 2008 changed the landscape of early years practice in British Columbia. It…

In light of recent data showing that educational attainment rates in the United States have stagnated, the Obama administration and others have called for renewed efforts to bolster higher education outcomes. Strengthening the role of community colleges is undoubtedly an important component of any plan to dramatically increase the number of…

"Research Universities and the Future of America" presents critically important strategies for ensuring that our nation's research universities contribute strongly to America's prosperity, security, and national goals. Widely considered the best in the world, our nation's research universities today confront significant financial…

Presents and evaluates the National Education Association's for-pay software review program. Also reviews the 98th Congress's legislation relating to school software. (MD)

Intended for use by educators and administrators working in textbook-connected projects, this report reviews the problems encountered in textbook production and distribution in developing nations and indicates some solutions that have been found for many of those problems. The first major section of the report focuses on the role of governments in…

Reviews the constitutions of several western states that provide an absolute barrier between religion and public education. Asserts that these laws were passed after the Civil War when concern about minority religious influence in some states was high. Maintains that these state laws may be the next battleground in the ongoing controversy about…

The capacity of the Australian university system is being steadily undermined by government policies, which erode infrastructure, destroy faculty career opportunities, and threaten commitment to teaching and research. Acceptance of current policies amounts to collaboration in the erosion of the universities. Those committed to educational quality…

Despite Hong Kong and Macau's cultural, economic, and political similarities, their higher education systems differ. Hong Kong has a well-established system and tradition of government control. Macau's system is smaller, younger, and began as a private enterprise. Trends in government financing, policies, and student loans are bringing the systems…

A discussion of the role of government in supporting the relationship between business and higher education focuses on academic research and the economic and industrial value placed on it. The actual support provided by the private sector, roles of the three players, and major issues in the debate are examined. (MSE)

The purpose of this guide, one of the nine-booklet Teacher Quality Series, is to help educational policymakers develop better policies by explaining how to use a compensation plan to improve education and how to make one work. It also encourages consideration of alternative policies to improve education. Each section introduces common positions on…