As conservatives consider ways to crash through the growing choke hold that college degrees have held in employers' hiring processes, one idea that has gained currency is allowing federal student aid to follow students to unaccredited providers of education. Conservatives have also shown interest in funding competency-based programs--in which…

Kevin Carey, vice president for education policy and knowledge management at New America, notes that lawmakers charged with writing a new Higher Education Act (HEA) face a dilemma. Innovation in the higher-ed marketplace is badly needed to improve student learning and break the relentless cycle of increasing cost that puts college out of reach for…

As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, Catholic schools have been faced with numerous challenges, including finances, human resources, and curriculum. Catholic schools are founded on the principle of subsidiarity, a system that provides an uneven capacity for each school. This essay reflects on the impacts of subsidiarity in this time of crisis,…

Academic entrepreneurialism appears to have become global. University systems around the globe are moving in the direction of a more entrepreneurial model of higher education. Scholars have not yet reached a consensus on the definition of entrepreneurship. Research on academic entrepreneurship in East Asia has been lacking. This article…

David Ward, Interim Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 2011 to 2013, and Chancellor from 1993 to 2000, describes the changes coming to higher education. He reports that the second half of the twentieth century was a time of great creativity in the kinds of public policies that were put into place for higher education in the…

In this essay I argue that online education, artificial intelligence, and market pressures are driving higher education to adopt the industrial model and to find a new paradigm for delivering education at low costs. In addition, there is tremendous pressure from the federal government to make universities more accountable while making higher…

Why don't we eliminate the bachelor's degree? The author believes it's only common sense. In this essay, the author questions the outlay in time and dollars of the bachelor's degree. He believes that the need is not for millions of people with expensive four-year degrees. The real need is for millions of citizens with the critical thinking and…

Two major problems confront community colleges today--their failure to give major attention to the improvement of instruction and a financial crisis requiring cutbacks at all operational levels. Colleges must address these problems creatively and innovatively to ensure low-cost, high quality programs. (DMM)

An overview is provided of the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education's report. Four recommendations are discussed: focus on results not on process; embrace a model of prevention not a model of failure; consider children with disabilities as general education children first; and target funds for direct services. (Contains 5…

Provides an overview of several current satellites-based instructional systems and assesses their potential role in rural education. Highlights include the Oklahoma Arts and Sciences Teleconferencing Service (ASTS); the Texas Interactive Instructional Network (TI-IN); Washington's Satellite Telecommunications Educational Programming (STEP);…

The Accelerated School Program is designed to improve the education of disadvantaged students by using "acceleration" techniques used with gifted and talented students. The goal is to speed up the learning of at-risk students so they will be able to perform at grade level by the end of elementary school. Central to the strategy is the…

Examines the underlying forces prompting fundamental change in community colleges to meet the requirements of the Information Age. Recommends that community colleges direct institutional energy toward thinking holistically, streamlining governance, redefining faculty roles, diversifying funding, increasing student options, assuring educational…

Nine educators present their views on the Carnegie report. Some present criticisms and question the validity of the proposed changes, especially the call for collective leadership of schools. Many express support for what they feel are significant proposals for change. (MD)

Many alternative forms of graduate education are arising. Some are being provided as universities recognize the changing pattern of educational and career interest, while others are offered elsewhere to serve corporate or proprietary interests. Maintenance of educational quality must be paramount. (MLW)

This report argues that the academic performance of American students has not declined, but that schools and students are confronting new and higher demands. The fundamental challenge facing American primary and secondary education is how to increase productivity--how to make better use of its resources. In this document, the Consortium on…