Public health experts project a strong possibility that an avian flu pandemic will occur in the next 4 years, and the federal government has already warned that states and localities must make their own plans for this event since such a broad scale public health crises would far outstrip federal capacity to respond. Colleges and universities are…

The United States Department of Education's (the Department's) "Agency Financial Report" (AFR) for fiscal year (FY) 2012 provides an overview of the Department's financial performance and results and detailed information about the Department's stewardship over the financial resources entrusted to it. Additionally, as required by the…

The Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education and the subsequent review of federal regulations dealing with accreditation by the U.S. Department of Education have energized a national dialogue on fundamental issues concerning student learning, quality assurance, educational effectiveness, and transfer of credit. We…

GAO investigations revealed the relative ease with which a diploma mill can be created and bogus degrees obtained. Records obtained obtained from schools and agencies likely understate the extent to which the federal government has paid for degrees from diploma mills and other unaccredited schools. Many agencies have difficulty in providing…

Another topic involving privacy has attracted considerable attention in recent months--the "student unit record" issue. The U.S. Department of Education concluded in March that it would be feasible to help address lawmakers' concerns about accountability in higher education by constructing a database capable of tracking students from institution…

Where is the manual on American higher education in the 21st century? In this article, the author argues that there is none and that it is up to the federal government and higher education leaders to provide this strategic vision. She further states that the federal government and higher education leaders must have the vision to see where higher…

Online education is established, growing, and here to stay. It is creating new opportunities for students and also for faculty, regulators of education, and the educational institutions themselves. Much of what is being learned by the practitioners will flow into the large numbers of blended courses that will be developed and delivered on most…

This paper situates paradigm talk with its insistence on multiplicities and proliferations in tension with a resurgent positivism and governmental imposition of experimental design as the gold standard in research methods. Using the concept of "coloring epistemologies" as an index of such tensions, the essay argues for proliferation as an…

This paper examines paradigm proliferation in the context of ongoing efforts by the federal government in the US to regulate academic research. It argues that these efforts amount to an attempt to reposition and de-center universities as sites of knowledge production, not just about education but across domains. The paper examines this politics as…

The returns to college are substantial, including increased earnings and public benefits, such as better health and increased involvement in public service and giving. As a result, since the introduction of the Guaranteed Student Loan program in 1965 and the Pell Grant in 1972, the federal government has experimented with using financial aid to…

Researchers who track the American labor market told Congress last week that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the United States has more than enough scientists and engineers and that federal agencies and universities should reform the way they train young scientists to better match the supply of scientists with the demand for researchers. At a…

"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) Congress Delays Action on Budget Resolution: Will Take It Up in June, but Expects to Postpone Final Spending…

The data presented in this combined report--"Rankings & Estimates"--provide facts about the extent to which local, state, and national governments commit resources to public education. As one might expect in a nation as diverse as the United States--with respect to economics, geography, and politics--the level of commitment to…

The federal government provides student loans for college and graduate school in two ways: by: (1) guaranteeing bank loans; and (2) by lending directly to students. Approximately three-quarters of federal student loans are guaranteed and one-quarter are direct. In the guaranteed loan program, a 40-year-old system, banks lend students money and…

With the advent of "Get tough on crime" and "Three strikes" in the 1980s and 1990s, correctional facilities have become overloaded with prisoners who are often repeat offenders. 51% of those imprisoned have a GED or high school diploma. Out of the remaining 49%, 36% of inmates had not completed the ninth grade and approximately…