Federal policymakers have interest in three specific areas of postsecondary career and technical education (CTE): associate degrees and certificates awarded in CTE, skills and training obtained through noncredit courses, and industry-recognized certifications. Research and data are readily available on students earning degrees and certificates in…

Until recently, states focused on ensuring the presence of a "highly qualified teacher" in every classroom. Under the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), this title described a teacher holding at least a bachelor's degree and the appropriate state license and…

This article summarizes the results of a needs assessment involving American Indians and outreach professionals on reservations in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The survey featured 36 questions about agricultural and natural resource issues that may pose challenges on reservation lands. A comparison between reservation residents and…

This study describes how a community-based interprofessional education approach designed to engage preservice teachers with community members and human services professionals contributes to preservice teachers' inquiry skills and their understanding of interprofessional collaboration. Preservice teachers were enrolled in a research methods course…

The rapid pace of change in technology can be dizzying. Keeping up with these changes can be daunting for institutions of higher education, where the technological needs of constituents are as diverse as the number of available technologies. In this climate of constant change, understanding how the university community becomes aware of and employs…

In this article we focus on two questions: How well do teachers understand their current pension plans, and what do they think about alternative plan structures? The data come from administrative records and a 2006 survey of teachers in Washington State. The results suggest that Washington's teachers are fairly knowledgeable about their pensions,…

This report provides the results of analysis of more than 40,000 students who received baccalaureate degrees from the public baccalaureate institutions in Washington during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 academic years. The purpose of this study was to follow students after graduation to determine the extent to which degree recipients were able to secure…

With online education courses within public institutions realizing lower than average retention and success rates for students, current retention practices and models are falling woefully short of providing workable, viable answers to keeping students and helping them be successful without lowering academic standards. While a relationship between…

This annual report updates the tuition and fee prices published by all of the public higher education institutions in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) member states. It is the product of an annual survey administered to the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) offices in each state, with a couple of…

This article describes outcomes of a self-report study on first-year steps that selected elementary schools in Washington State took in implementing early reading Response to Intervention (RTI) pilot models. Surveys sent to pilot schools requested information on RTI implementation pertaining to curricula, assessments, funding, resource allocation,…

This article discusses eight in-depth institutes on Latino cultural competency conducted in Washington State responding to an Extension educator's survey. It also addresses implications for Cooperative Extension, since Extension educators and other service providers need to work with ever diverse audiences. Cultural competency training has…

This study contributes knowledge about how a digital badge system integrated into an online, subject-matter-specific, and competency-based professional development (PD) program affected teachers' experiences with and perceptions of the program activities. The report presents findings from a one-year exploratory study of an online PD program, and…

Adults with childhood-onset neuromotor disabilities face problems accessing health care services. There are often challenges finding primary care providers or specialized providers, such as physical therapists, who are knowledgeable about neuromotor disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of physical therapists…

The community college system is based on an open-door mission and serves to provide access to students of diverse backgrounds. Online learning is one of the fastest growing segments of community college offerings. If the community college system embraces its open-door mission, it must also embrace new ways of providing multicultural experiences…

Results from the Volcanic Concept Survey (VCS) indicated that many undergraduates do not fully understand volcanic systems and plate tectonics. During the 2006 academic year, a ten-item conceptual survey was distributed to undergraduate students enrolled in Earth science courses at five U.S. colleges and universities. A trained team of graders…