While Michigan students learn a variety of skills in their time at school, perhaps the most important charge of public schools, beyond providing a safe and healthy environment, is to ensure that students are learning their three fundamental skills: reading, writing and arithmetic. Unfortunately, the achievement levels of Michigan public school…

In fall 2005, Rachel Holt and Adrienne L. Strock's article, "The Entry-Level Gap," ("Library Journal" 5/1/05, p.36-38) became the talk of the town. Holt and Strock argued that the new Master of Library Science (MLS) graduates have trouble finding work because of low salaries and the disappearance of entry-level positions owing to…

Education as the cure-all for any adverse economic condition is everywhere. But this contention exaggerates the role of schools in the economy, and it conflates two issues: First, how can American firms increase productivity to improve their ability to compete? Education can help in the first area, although it is far from a silver bullet. As to…

Tyler and others refute Hecker's 1990 article warning that the economy is generating college graduates faster than it is generating jobs. They argue that the 1980s labor market successfully absorbed new college graduates. Hecker expresses concerns over their analysis. (SK)

Since education is lifelong, linking teachers' salary and benefits to students' learning levels marks a novel approach to quantifying instructor ability. Adult Americans need to be asked how they feel about the education they received, and the teachers under whom they studied. (MLW)

Rebuts Cameron and Heckman's conclusion that the General Educational Development (GED) Test is too easy and irrelevant to employers by arguing that their sample was unrepresentative, credible evidence of ease is lacking, and there is no evidence that traditional high school curricula meet employers' needs. Also presents noneconomic and other…

Racism and sexism have economic impacts in terms of pay differentials and occupational segregation. They affect educational outcomes in terms of achievement and the relationship between education and occupational outcomes. Racism and sexism are perpetuated through individual beliefs and behavior and institutional policies and practices. (SK)

Argues that standards-based education reform has shifted the focus of school finance from equity to adequacy. Requires an explicit connection between the funding provided to schools and the results produced in terms of student learning. (Contains 19 references.) (MLF)

A study of 28 school districts in Rhode Island was done in 1992 to examine the hypothesis that there is a positive correlation between teacher salaries and state aid. The study was originally designed to gather information about teacher salaries and the variables related to them, but was expanded to cover student outcomes and variables related to…

Solving higher education's budget dilemma is not just a matter of revenue acquisition or cost reduction. It requires demonstrating to the American people and their elected representatives that higher education's accomplishments warrant its high price. Accountability and performance measurement are important tools for justifying acquisition and…

The paper suggests priorities for the federal government's elementary and secondary education data collection efforts. Sections on outputs, inputs, and private schools describe what data is needed, what is already available, and what is recommended for data collection. Recommendations include a high priority for federal funding for the National…

The increased demands that will be placed upon those in the work force of the year 2000 have been well covered in numerous studies. The need to help those students who will be entering the work force to acquire and maintain a competitive edge has been discussed repeatedly. A 1987 study comparing the earnings levels, unemployment rates, and…

Discusses educational equality and inequality from an economist's perspective. Considers human capital theory and interpretation of life cycles in learning and earning. Addresses schooling and experience components of changes in the inequality of earned incomes, educational expansion, and inequalities in schooling. Explores the roles of skill…

The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) conducted a trend analysis of students from four designated groups--Aboriginal, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and women in predominantly male occupations. These students were compared to the overall student population on four success measures: access to…

This paper details the responses of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) to the Joint Committee's California Master Plan for Education--Kindergarten through University. The paper registers responses to aspects of the Plan with which they strongly disagree or which they strongly support. The ASCCC finds that the Plan's most…