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With Massachusetts' school closure extending until the end of the 2019-20 academic year, Pioneer Institute urges that Massachusetts schools offer meaningful online and virtual learning programs, doing everything possible to eliminate problematic inconsistencies across Bay State school districts. Pioneer further urges Massachusetts to develop and distribute for timely public comment two plans, one that will remedy this semester's educational gaps during the 2020-21 school year, and another to address future extended school closures, if and when they might occur. Relatedly, after this crisis passes, Massachusetts should take steps toward generally improving its knowledge and capabilities with respect to online learning, which Pioneer, Bay State lawmakers, and nationally-recognized experts on digital learning have long identified as a significant area of weakness in Massachusetts' K-12 education system.

Public investment in pre-K programs across the US has expanded over the past two decades, primarily to increase access to pre-K programs, especially among low-income children and children of color. However, program quality varies across states. One key question policymakers and practitioners have posed is how to create high-quality early childhood educational environments that promote successful outcomes for all preschool-aged children. This study considers the role of professional development supports in helping teachers create high-quality learning experiences for children. It examines three professional development supports that early childhood programs often provide (teacher training, coaching, and common planning time), whether these supports predict various aspects of observed teacher practice, and whether the associations between professional development supports and teacher practice vary based on teachers' experience. Findings suggest that ongoing coaching is a key form of professional development for supporting classroom quality, that common planning time may be a promising professional development support for teachers, and that programs may need to consider teachers' experience when planning professional development. These findings inform the field's efforts to build a competent workforce that meets the needs of diverse groups of young children. [The current study is a secondary data analysis of "Making Pre-K Count: Improving Math Instruction in New York City" (ED569994).]

The purpose of this paper is to describe the current landscape in early childhood care and education and spark discussion and debate around potential areas for KIX investment. The paper is part of a series of discussion papers, drafted to support the engagement and consultation of developing country partners and technical experts in the initial design of the GPE Knowledge and Innovation Exchange. The ideas presented in the initial version of the paper served as a starting point for discussion and were modified significantly based on the consultation process, resulting in this updated version.

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan, named the Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in July 2018, have begun rebuilding after years of Talibanization and military operations. This policy paper focuses on how the government-led education activities can be best aligned to make education possible for the districts' girls, who have long been excluded from education due to conflict and war. Based on stakeholder perceptions, the paper identifies some barriers missed by the FATA's Education Sector Plan (ESP) and points out the opportunities within communities to accelerate the efforts to improve the girls' participation in schools. The results of the study propose to use a gender lens for planning and implementing the activities that can improve access to quality education, to prepare the girls for a better and more productive life.

The University of Southern California (USC) transformed its undergraduate education program by making it a top priority in its strategic plans for the last two decades. The undergraduate experience was thoroughly studied and findings were used to determine what needed to be changed to improve the educational experience for students in and outside of the classroom. The institution has spent over $1.5B to hire new faculty to teach undergraduates, construct new residential colleges and renovate older ones (all led by tenured faculty), and build a new health center, campus center, and spaces in the USC College and professional schools dedicated to undergraduate academic programs, support services, and co-curricular programs. The key to the transformation was leadership provided by its late President Steven B. Sample and the university leaders he recruited to take on this big challenge. The team was focused and empowered to make administrative and academic changes, in concert with deans and faculty leaders, and given resources to turn thoughts, dreams and hopes into reality. The results are clear and demonstrate that institutions can improve undergraduate education by making it a high priority, allocating resources to recruit and hire outstanding faculty, and expand and improve programs, activities and facilities that directly serve undergraduates.

Team-taught courses have the potential to enrich experiences for both students and instructors. While the exact motivations for team teaching vary, these courses often share important goals for the students who enroll in them. For example, many team-taught courses seek to promote students' development of higher-order thinking skills by enabling them to interact with instructors who have different sets of expertise and perspectives (Bacharach, Heck, & Dahlberg, 2008; Bierwert, 2011; Helms, Alvis, & Willis, 2005). This is particularly true for educational programs intending to help students grapple with the scope and complexity of real-world challenges (Helms et al., 2005; Weinberg & Harding, 2004, Bierwert, 2011). Other courses teach successful collaboration in part by using the instructors themselves as a model of productive teamwork, whether in general (Carpenter, Crawford & Walden, 2007; Helms et al., 2005; Yanamandram & Noble, 2006;) or across salient social identities (Anderson & Speck, 1998; Ouellett & Fraser, 2011). In addition to higher-order thinking and collaborative skills, team-taught courses can provide other benefits for students. For example, a team of instructors can provide students with more access to advice and help with course material (Yanamandram & Noble, 2006). Multiple sources of instructional expertise, experiences, or identities can also help ignite interests and motivations across a broader array of students (Yanamandram & Noble, 2006). This Occasional Paper is designed to identify practices and resources to support the successful development and implementation of team-taught courses. The authors first identify a range of team teaching models and highlight some of their key features. They then turn to common challenges and key strategies for mitigating these challenges.

This paper summarizes several policy issues that were discussed during the years 2003-2005 periods while Dr. Upali Sedere was serving as Senior Policy Adviser and COP of USAID financed Equip-2 program with Education Development Center, Newton, Massachusetts. All data were from the Malawi School Census carried out by the Ministry of Education with Equip-2 support. (Contains 1 table.)

Community colleges and broad-access four-year institutions have a crucial role to play in increasing educational equity in the United States. In order to fulfill this role, however, institutions must engage in organizational change to address their low completion rates. Drawing on qualitative case studies of six colleges, this study explores the influence of different types of leadership approaches on the implementation of a technology-mediated advising reform, and assesses which types of leadership are associated with transformative organizational change. Expanding on Heifetz's theory of adaptive change and Karp and Fletcher's Readiness for Technology Adoption framework, we find that transformative change requires multitiered leadership with a unified commitment to a shared vision for the reform and its goals.

The issues facing the following areas of adult education in Ireland in the era of lifelong learning were examined in a white paper: (1) second chance and further education; (2) community education; (3) workplace education; and (4) higher education. The Irish National Association of Adult Education (AONTAS) analyzed the recommendations presented in the white paper. Although AONTAS generally welcomed the changes in Ireland's adult education system that are outlined in the white paper, it did express specific concerns about several proposals. The following were among AONTAS' specific policy recommendations: (1) limiting the proposal regarding lowering the pupil-teacher ratio to literacy programs could lead to a proliferation of provision at the foundation level with a lack of supported programs after completion of the foundation program; (2) program fees should be abolished not just for the most disadvantaged adults but for all adult learners; (3) because low-skill workers will still be a marginalized group under the proposals outlined in the white paper, measures must be put in place to ensure that they can avail themselves of the opportunities necessary for success in a high-skilled, knowledge-based economy; (4) only the complete abolition of student fees can remove the confusion regarding entitlement to free fees and protect the interests of all adult learners. (MN)

This paper examines the personal and societal choices that will shape the kind of country Canada will become. It is argued that Canadian policymakers' current approach to work, family, and urban life is based on patterns and associations that were developed in an earlier time and no longer reflect Canadians' experiences in the 2000s. Recent trends in Canadian home and family life, workplaces, and cities are analyzed, and policy challenges resulting from significant social changes in each of these areas are identified. It is argued that policymakers must address the following sets of choices when formulating the policies that will shape education in Canada in years to come: (1) striving for work-life balance or crafting policies based on the belief that life is only at work; (2) sharing responsibilities for intergenerational well-being needs with families or adopting policies based on the belief that families are solely responsible for meeting those needs; (3) accepting the notion that life "without work" matters or basing policies on the principle that everybody must work; and (4) acting as if "space matters" (spending on physical and cultural infrastructures, investing in public services, deciding land use and housing policies, redesigning local, province and federal governance, enabling democracy). The consequences of selected policy decisions based on each of these choices are explored. The bibliography lists 46 references. Five reference tables are appended.(MN)

As policymakers have begun reorienting the U.S. work force development system's priorities, a common theme has been the importance of work and training tied to real employment prospects. Workforce Innovation Networks (WINs) was created to test and advance the idea that local employer organizations can play important, productive roles in helping low-wage and less-skilled workers advance in the labor market. Competition and changes in work organization have reduced the on-the-job training that traditionally enabled low-skill workers to advance in larger companies. To better respond to labor market pressures, employers have begun turning to their industry-based and broad-based local employer organizations for support and assistance. The WINs initiative's experience with employer organizations has identified the following basic types of work force development activity that can serve member needs and help advance low-income workers in the labor market: convening and supporting employers; brokering and providing services to employers and workers; improving the delivery of education, training, and support services; conducting research and development of work force development strategies and products; and helping govern and improve the work force development system. Four key challenges facing employer organizations were identified along with policy approaches that can stimulate greater business/employer engagement in work force development. (MN)

A strong VET system is increasingly seen as essential to overcoming the current economic crisis in Europe. VET is seen as a powerful tool to assist in balancing labour market inefficiencies, increasing youth employment possibilities, and reducing skills mismatch. Its inherent flexibility and closeness to the labour market place VET in a good position to contribute to a faster economic recovery and long-term sustainable development. However, crucial for this role is continuous and systematic VET renewal that assures its relevance for the labour market. This publication explores 15 European national approaches to feedback mechanisms between VET and the labour market. It illustrates the diversity of solutions currently applied across Europe and how they are embedded in national traditions and education philosophy. The study asks three fundamental questions: how inclusive are national mechanisms for feedback between the VET system and the labour market; how responsive are existing mechanisms; and how transparent? Three annexes provide: (1) Case Studies; (2) List of interviewees; and (3) List of experts responsible for the country overviews. Bibliography and references are included. [This paper is the result of a team effort reflecting the work of a research consortium led by Jörg Markowitsch from 3s Research Laboratory who together with Tanja Bacher, Carol Costley, David Etherington, Gerhard Geiger, Günter Hefler, Jelena Helemäe, Triin Roosalu, Ellu Saar, Auni Tamm, and Odd Bjørn Ure conducted the research and fieldwork and drafted the report. This work was carried out under Cedefop's service contract No 2011-0161/AO/ECVL/JB-IPS/Cooperation Labour market--VET/007/11.]

The history of higher education has revealed all the forms of structural change associated with growth. The following focuses on a special form that involves growth, specialization, and proliferation, and applies mainly but not exclusively to universities. In search for a descriptive term, I have settled on the concept of "structural accretion," a composite form of growth. Its simple definition is incorporation of new functions over time without, however, shedding existing ones or splitting into separate organizations. It is a complex process reflecting, in the main, the following driving forces: expanding as a result of new opportunities for activities, usually but not always relevant to the main missions of the university: the fact that most growth has been a matter of mutual opportunism; and the power of academic competition and emulation in a highly stratified prestige hierarchy of institutions. This paper reflects the first of three Clark Kerr Lectures on the Role of Higher Education in Society given on January 24, 2012 by Neil J. Smelser on the Berkeley campus and on the subject of "Higher Education: The Play of Continuity and Crisis."

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) is undertaking a consultation process to determine the next set of National Research Priorities which will guide research activities in the post-compulsory education and training arena, particularly in relation to vocational education and training. This discussion paper, and the deliberations it aims to prompt, identifies a number of key themes related to priorities for future research. A section that discusses NCVER's current research and statistics is appended. (Contains 3 boxes and 5 tables.) [Funding for this paper was provided through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.]

In seeking a better match-up between the mission and the resources of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), its senior leadership has not only been examining their own responsibility areas, but also the entire Department and how its highly varied components fit together. The starting point for this discussion paper was the State Board of Education's (SBE) Strategic Plan, which is the most global and coherent expression of the SBE/CDE mission. The other key reference point was the annual CDE budget, which comprehensively describes the resource allocation and is the foundation of annual dialogs with both the Executive and Legislative branches over both money and mission. The overview section of this paper examines perspectives on higher education, noting that those in K-12 must also have an understanding of post-secondary education realities. The succeeding sections--"Six Themes"--provides reflections on topics that recur in CBE's meetings and discussions about its work. The six themes are: (1) Prioritizing School Finance: Change in a Constant Cost Environment; (2) Early Childhood: The Unknown Imperative; (3) Literacy: Without Which Little Else Matters; (4) Choice: The Unfolding Revolution; (5) Data and Accountability: A Continuum; and (6) Focus, Intensity, and the Achievement Gap. The final section, "CDE: As We Are and As We Might Better Be," is a status report on the ongoing efforts to bring the mission and resources of CDE into the most realistic and productive relationship possible. An overarching purpose of this paper is to strongly resist the tendency to discuss mission and resources separately. In so doing, this discussion paper intends to bring clarity, strength, and renewed energy to CBE's role in charting a brighter course for the children of Colorado.

Preparing future citizens for postsecondary education and careers that span a continuum of sophistication is not a new topic in education. However, the rapid changes in technology and increased competition from industrialized nations have changed the landscape and meaning of college and career readiness. As part of a strategy to better prepare students, since 2005, 31 states have implemented college- and career-readiness standards (CCRS), with 20 states also requiring that students complete high school graduation requirements that will make them college and career ready (Howard & Madison-Harris, 2011). This briefing paper provides details on the meaning of college- and career-readiness standards, effective implementation of these standards, next steps in the implementation process, and progress being made by state departments of education (SDEs) in the southeast region toward this crucial objective.

This paper describes the success one institution achieved by placing a faculty committee at the heart of its effort to create an electronic institutional portfolio for accreditation, accountability, and assessment. Working in partnership with the institutional research office, the committee provided faculty opportunities to think about and discuss the larger questions of institutional priorities, faculty roles, and assessment of student learning in a cross-disciplinary environment. This collaborative approach to developing the portfolio drew institutional research to the center of campus planning and decision making and marked a change in the perception of institutional research on the campus. (Author/SLD)

In 1960, California developed a "master plan" for its already famed public higher education system. It was and continues to be arguably the single most influential effort to plan the future of a system of higher education in the annals of American higher education. Despite popular belief, however, the California Master Plan for Higher Education is more important for what it preserved than what it created. There is much confusion regarding exactly how the Master Plan came about, what it said and did not say, and what portions of it are still relevant today. This essay provides a brief historical tour on how California developed its pioneering higher education system, what the 1960 Master Plan accomplished, and a discussion on the current problems facing this system in the midst of the Great Recession. The immense success of California's network of public colleges and universities has been its historic accomplishment of what I have called in a previous book, "The California Idea": the goal of broad access combined with the development of high quality, mission differentiated, and affordable higher education institutions first articulated by California Progressives. Historically, this system has been a great success, with an ability to grow with the state's population and effectively meet rising demand for access to higher education. However, the fiscal health and productivity of California's higher education system has eroded over the past three or so decades. The Great Recession has greatly accelerated this trajectory. Over the past two years, public funding for higher education has been reduced by some $1 billion. Tuition and fees have climbed, but have not produced sufficient revenue to mitigate large budget cuts. The University of California and the California State University have limited enrollment for the first time, and in the midst of growing enrollment demand. This has pushed more students toward the California's community colleges, but they too are unable to meet demand as they cut academic staff and reduce course offerings. There is the prospect of a new round of large budget cuts in the 2010-11 fiscal year as federal stimulus funds for state governments are exhausted. California is projected to grow from its current 37 million people to some 60 million in 2050. In addition, President Obama has set a national goal for the US to once again have among the highest educational attainment rates in the world. This would require the nation to produce over 8 million additional degrees; California's "fair share" would be approximately 1 million additional degrees--a number made larger, because of the state's current rank among the bottom ten states in degree production relative to the size of its population. This raises a number of big questions: Can California sustain the system as outlined by the 1960 Master Plan? Even if it can, is it, as the British say, "fit for purpose?" Or is it outdated for producing robust levels of socioeconomic mobility and the trained labor needed for tomorrow's economy? How can California retain the "California Idea" of broad access and quality academic programs? While adequate funding is a major variable, this essay identifies a number of serious problems with the structure of California's higher education system that make meeting Obama's goal extremely difficult, if not impossible to achieve. These include macro effects of too many part-time students, an imbalance in 2-year and 4-year college enrollment, inadequate financial aid, and the need for a new public college and university funding model. A failure to pursue "smart growth" in the public higher education system will lead to a "Brazilian Effect," in which for-profits expand dramatically to help partially fill growing demand for higher education probably at possibly even greater cost to students and government, and with often low-quality academic degree programs. (Contains 25 footnotes and 9 figures.)

This paper analyzes the need for providing additional undergraduate enrollment capacity at the University of California (UC) and of alternatives for gaining such capacity at UC and, by extension, other public research universities. In addition to the creation of new campuses, other approaches are capable of giving significant additional capacity as well. Some of these approaches are congruent with academic objectives; others are substantially neutral in that regard; and others probably do lessen the academic experience. A desirable approach is to have new campus sites continually identified, while retaining sufficient capability for alternate means of accommodating enrollment so as to enable continued capacity development in times of budgetary stringency. (Contains 1 figure and 37 footnotes.)

This paper reports on the first phase of an ongoing study of strategic planning in U.S. higher education. In this phase, the chief planner at each of four private higher education institutions was interviewed, focusing on participation in planning, communication, and success. Themes related to these three topics were identified. The preliminary findings suggest that further inquiry into the roles of technology, control, champions of planning, and the reciprocal nature of communication and participation will shed light on the roles of communication and participation and their relative importance in the strategic planning process. Phase 2 will be a comparative case study with 10 60-minute interviews (5 faculty and 5 staff) at each of the institutions. This phase will also include a structural analysis comparing the roles of communication and participation by organizational and governance structures and a deeper examination of the nature of communication, participation, and success. (SLD)

This paper, which focuses on access and enrollment at community colleges, is part of a series published by the Center for Community College Policy, designed to support state and local policymakers, as well as educational leaders who are interested in policy issues related to the two-year postsecondary sector. While some students plan on earning a terminal associate degree and others plan to transfer to a four-year institution, there are other students for whom the community college represents their last best hope for postsecondary education. Community colleges offer these students an opportunity to start over and improve their employability by learning specific skills. Ideally, community colleges serve as a vehicle leading to self-sufficiency for those on welfare or otherwise in need of support. The "open door" policy of community colleges is threatened due to declining investments and concurrent rising enrollment. Some of the policy recommendations explored in this paper address enrollment, student outcomes, funding policies, remedial education, and restricting enrollment in favor of those students who do not already possess a degree. Information about contacting specific community colleges cited as examples in this document are included along with references. (Contains 10 references.) (AF)

This paper compares discussions of instructional resources in academic departments with highly continuous planning with those of departments characterized by less continuous planning. Members of 44 departments in different fields and institutional types were interviewed about their department's planning contexts, roles, processes, and decisions. Interviews were conducted with 44 department chairs and 83 faculty members. Compared to departments that scored low for continuous program planning, high scoring departments discussed instructional resources more frequently and systematically, and had more complex instructional resource concerns. Departments in the low continuous planning group tended to describe instructional resource discussions as "complaining" rather than "planning." Disciplinary and institutional differences and implications for instructional resources and planning are discussed. (Contains 1 table and 14 references.) (Author/SLD)

An increasing number of public research universities have turned to incentive-based budgeting systems (IBBS) as a means of managing change. It is appropriate to view IBBS as a new attempt to introduce rational systems into university administrative structures that are largely political in nature. This study examined the influence an IBBS has on planning processes in a university 10 years after its implementation. Based on a review of the evaluation of IBBS for public universities and its linkages to planning process, the authors introduce the use of organizational frames as a basis for studying the impact of IBBS systems. Interviews were conducted with 13 senior faculty administrators who had substantial experience in university governance. The findings show that IBBS constrained bureaucratic and political tendencies and improved planning, but created new ambiguities that should be addressed if IBBS is to continue to evolve. The IBBS was characterized in terms that indicated it was viewed as a new rational model that was not laden with the bureaucratic nuances more traditionally associated with structural descriptions of university governance. (Contains 30 references.) (Author/SLD)

This paper explores the potential the North American community college model holds for Latin America as a means of responding to the expansion of secondary education in this region. The authors propose learning from, not imitating, experiences found in North America and Europe and discuss how these lessons may be of used to inform Latin American educational policy. The paper begins with a brief introduction to the origins of the community college in the United States and highlights a few of the defining characteristics of the community college model: accessibility, accountability, social mobility, and economic benefits for students. The second section of this paper provides a brief introduction to postsecondary education in Latin America and then discusses how insights gleaned from an analysis of the North American community college model might be useful in shaping Latin American educational policy and institutions. The authors conclude that the North American model of community colleges holds very real potential to inspire Latin America to create a similar system tailored to meet the unique demands and needs of the region. Appended is a summary of key descriptive statistics for American community colleges. (Contains 22 references.) (RC)

This paper explores the application of a mathematical optimization model to the problem of optimal enrollments. The general model, which can be applied to any institution, seeks to enroll the "best" class of students (as defined by the institution) subject to constraints imposed on the institution (e.g., capacity, quality). Topics explored include how the model was applied to actual data and the results of that application. The presentation touches on how well the model mimics "real life," insights that can be gained from the output, the model's limitations, and the modifications that might be warranted to improve performance. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/SLD)

This paper continues previous research (N. Moreland and R. Carnwell, 2000) in which the development and background of the Learning Support Needs Questionnaire (LSNQ) were explained. The LSNQ identifies and elicits practical, emotional, and academic learning support needs, and is followed by an action planning process designed to assist the students to address learning needs considered important to student academic success but not met sufficiently. The LSNQ questionnaire was administered to two groups of distributed learning students, one enrolled in an institution in the United States (n=211) and one from the United Kingdom (n=126). While the distance education students in the United States had overall higher expectations of the different types of support than their peers in the United Kingdom, both groups had significant but slightly different learning support needs. The failure to address the significant unmet learning needs by both the learners themselves and the providing institutions is likely to lead to unsatisfactory learning experiences, reduced achievements, and perhaps, student attrition. (Contains 3 tables and 29 references.) (SLD)

This report was conceptualized as a document to offer perspective on mathematics and science reform in the Southeast. The intent was to provide a panoramic view of K-12 mathematics and science education reform in each SERVE state (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina) and, ultimately, a synthesis of mathematics and science reform in the Southeast region. It begins with an overview of mathematics and science education reform at the national level, including a section on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which will most certainly have an enormous impact on mathematics and science education across the country. The story of the Southeast's mathematics and science reform journey from the 1990s to the present. The paper highlights trends across the region in terms of standards and accountability, student achievement, teacher development, and programs supporting reform. Appendix A provides greater detail about reform initiatives for each of the individual SERVE states. Appendix B includes charts and detailed data from the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) for the six states. Appendix C lists the Southeast Eisenhower Regional Consortium @ SERVE's Regional Coordinating Board members. (Contains 10 tables and 11 figures.) [This report was produced by the Southeast Eisenhower Regional Consortium for Mathematics and Science Education at SERVE.]

This paper, which focuses on community college baccalaureate degrees, is part of a series published by the Center for Community College Policy, designed to support state and local policymakers, as well as educational leaders who are interested in policy issues related to the two-year postsecondary sector. Changing demographics, fiscal concerns, and community expectations, are exerting pressure to add the granting of four-year degrees to the traditional mission of the community college. Arguments for increasing access to baccalaureate degrees include new demands for technological skills, the large sizes of future graduating high school classes, geographical access, the flexibility of community colleges, and the increasing number of occupations now requiring a degree beyond the associate level. The concern of community colleges offering baccalaureate degrees challenges their traditional role and may cause costs to rise, diverting resources from populations that historically only community colleges have served. Some states, such as Florida, are already considering offering baccalaureate degrees while other states have developed collaborative models between two-year and four-year institutions. Policymakers must consider not only student and community needs, but also cost, structure, and institutional mission in order to make an informed decision. (AF)

It has been nearly forty years since Clark Kerr was asked to create and lead the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education under the auspices of the Carnegie Corporation. The Commission was to be a national effort, unprecedented both in scope and in the freedom of its director, Kerr, to guide its research and productivity. Carnegie President Alan Pifer promised substantial funding for five years or more. Working with Pifer, and with Alden Dunham, David Robinson, and others, Kerr initiated a great array of studies and provided recommendations on the most vital issues facing American higher education in the latter part of the twentieth century. This essay reviews the origins of the Commission, its successor organization, the Carnegie Council, and the influence of a number of major reports. The essay also notes the need to revisit the work of the commission and council as a source of ideas relevant today, and suggests that there is a need for a greater national approach to supporting US higher education.

In 2000 and 2001, the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education conducted a series of projects on career and technical education (CTE) practices, trends and outcomes. Selected preliminary findings from a review of the reports on those projects are as follows: (1) integration of CTE and academic instruction in high schools remains slow; (2) in some schools undergoing reform, CTE has retained its outward, historic framework, continuing to emphasize industrial "shops" that focus on labor market needs, whereas in other sites, CTE has adopted new models or strategies for connecting young people to the business community and postsecondary options; (3) sites with a leader who is committed to technology and a strategic approach have more thorough and successful integration of distance learning and educational technology; (4) 59% of all CTE teachers had completed all teacher certification requirements before they began teaching, and 42% of states required a professional development program for alternatively certified teachers; (5) students reported less participation in school-to-work activities in 1999 than in 1997; (6) general and vocational concentrators reported lower grade-point averages at the end of their school career than did academic concentrators, but dual concentrators reported insignificant differences; and (7) among low academic performers, taking CTE courses significantly reduced the likelihood of their dropping out. (Contains 30 references.) (MN)

This paper, which focuses on community college faculty productivity, is part of a series published by the Center for Community College Policy, designed to support state and local policymakers, as well as educational leaders who are interested in policy issues related to the two-year postsecondary sector. The day-to-day interaction of faculty and students inside and outside of the classroom represents one of the most significant resources a community college provides for its students. With a current focus on accountability, the public continues to question how tax dollars translate to educational outcomes that benefit the community. Increasingly, community colleges have come to rely on part-time faculty to control costs and meet demands for courses. In 1993, part-time faculty made up 65% of the total number of community college faculty members nationwide. Some suggest that the only difference between part-time and full-time faculty is the fact that the later generate more credit hours. The question then revolves around the overall productivity of full-time faculty. The paper offers several suggestions for promoting faculty vitality and improving student learning, including: (1) facilitate specialized training for faculty members seeking promotion to the highest ranks; and (2) facilitate a rigorous, nonuniversity-based certification program that will give visible recognition to exceptional community college teachers. (AF)