As school systems work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, states continue to grapple with persistent teacher shortages, a lack of teachers of color in the workforce, and high turnover rates undermining recruitment efforts. Teachers' effectiveness and their likelihood of staying in teaching are strongly influenced by the quality of preparation…

This paper profiles Pennsylvania's test score trends through 2008-09. In 2006, the mean scale score on the state 4th grade reading test was 1390 for non-Title I students and 1220 for Title I students. In 2009, the mean scale score in 4th grade reading was 1420 for non-Title I students and 1270 for Title I students. Between 2006 and 2009, the mean…

This study uses the best available national data to project future supply and demand for occupations associated with the energy industry for each Appalachian state, and the number of people enrolled in and graduating from programs in the Region's institutions of higher education that will be available to meet or exceed the demand. The report…

This study was conducted to evaluate perceptions held by early childhood educators about the assessment process in their schools and to identify current assessment practices in early childhood settings in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. In February 2009, 230 early childhood educators completed surveys on the topic of assessment at an annual early…

In grade 8 (the only grade in which subgroup trends were analyzed by achievement level), Pennsylvania showed across-the-board gains--improvements in reading and math at the basic, proficient, and advanced levels for all racial/ethnic subgroups, low-income students, and boys and girls. Achievement gaps generally narrowed at grades 4 and 8 but…

This report on the current status of state advisory councils on adult education contains data concerning the 1975 and 1980 status of state councils in the 50 states. It consists of an introduction, four sections, and an appendix. Provided in the introduction are some conclusions of a 1975 survey on state advisory councils on adult education as…

An attempt is made to clarify the language of the Adult Education Act of 1966 to yield operational criteria for identifying its goals within a needs assessment/treatment framework. Criteria for general and special target populations are set forth. Singled out are the group of those with four or less years of formal education and those determined…

Six years after passage of No Child Left Behind and midway to the nation's goal of having students on grade level or better in reading and math by 2014, more data than ever before has been collected about the academic performance of American students and schools. Information in this brochure charts student demographics, achievement-to-date and…

Reviews political science literature on changing state politics. A statistical analysis focuses on the relationship between changing legislative structures and higher education for all 50 states. Presents a case study of Pennsylvania that suggests a possible causal relationship between changing political structure and limitation of public…

This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…

The impact of testing and promotion standards on students in urban schools was discussed by urban school superintendents from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Pointing to research that suggests that standards alone are not enough to boost achievement, many educators recommend coupling more rigorous standards with appropriate remedial programs, staff…

For the past 8 years, Research for Better Schools, Inc. (RBS) has prepared an analysis of state-wide trends in student achievement in the mid-Atlantic states (i.e., Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania). For this year, instead of quantitatively examining trends in student achievement scores, RBS decided to…

This report presents demographics and information on Pennsylvania's state system of higher education and on issues that may influence that system in the 1990s. Following a brief introduction, the first section treats changes in state demographics including migration, minority groups, accelerated aging of the general population, and family housing.…

This document examines emerging issues and opportunities for community-based organization (CBO) involvement in welfare reform. The document begins with a brief section of background information on past CBO involvement in helping families move from welfare to work. The next section answers policy questions pertaining to the following issues: (1)…