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This report presents the findings of the 2023 EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group "Development and strategic benefits of learning and teaching centres", beginning with a presentation of the centres represented in the group and proceeding by presenting a virtuous cycle model for the continuous advancement of centres. Recommendations accompany each of the model's elements and, where possible, are illustrated through real-world practices.

This publication was prepared as part of the Cedefop project The shift to learning outcomes: rhetoric or reality. The purpose of this research is to analyse the conceptual, structural and political factors influencing the transformation of intended learning outcomes into achieved learning outcomes. It is considered as a first step in a long-term research strategy aiming to understand better the conditions for high quality vocational education, training and learning. The research focuses on initial vocational education and training, in schools and apprenticeships, in the 27 Member States of the EU as well as Iceland and Norway. The research is divided into five separate but interlinked themes: (1) Addressing the influence of learning outcomes on pedagogical theory and tools; (2) Focusing on the influence of learning outcomes-based curricula on teaching practices (in school-based programmes); (3) Examining the influence of learning outcomes-based curricula in company training (part of apprenticeship programmes that takes place in companies); (4) Mapping and analysing the influence of learning outcomes on assessment; and (5) Developing suggestions for the way forward supporting stakeholders and policy-makers in addressing future challenges and opportunities in this area. This report examines how the learning outcomes approach is embedded in and promoted by theories of teaching and learning (epistemology, didactics, pedagogy). It aims to analyse selected theories and the way these are presented to teacher training institutions in selected regions/countries. This allows for a better understanding of the explicit and implicit assumptions made regarding the role and relevance of learning outcomes. Results of the research illustrate differences across countries in whether and how the learning outcomes approach is embedded in theories underpinning VET teacher training programmes.

This synthesis report is based on a survey carried out during 2022 with Cedefop's reporting network ReferNet. It makes an important contribution to understanding the magnitude of early leaving from VET (ELVET) in those European countries where relevant data are available, and the mechanisms and support measures countries employ to measure and monitor the phenomenon at national and regional levels. The report puts special focus on the main factors leading to early leaving from initial VET as reported by EU Member States, Norway and Iceland. It details the support measures teachers, trainers, school principals and companies providing work-based learning received to overcome the challenges society faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. This research is part of Cedefop's pioneering work within the VET for youth team to support policy-makers and VET practitioners tackling early leaving from VET in Europe. For more than a decade, Cedefop has led research, promoted peer learning through its policy learning fora, and developed and managed online toolkits to benefit learners at risk of dropping out, early leavers from VET and young NEETs. The VET toolkit for tackling early leaving and the VET toolkit for empowering NEETs offer a platform of intervention approaches, good practices and interactive tools designed for both policy-makers and VET teachers and trainers. The community of ambassadors tackling early leaving from VET, created and coordinated by Cedefop since 2017, plays a vital role in enriching and disseminating the toolkit resources. The findings of this survey feed into Cedefop's project on Tackling early leaving from VET. It aims to support EU Member States and the European Commission in the implementation of the Council recommendation on pathways to school success (Council of the European Union, 2022) and the achievement of Education and training 2030 strategic target to lower the rates of early leaving from education and training (Council of the European Union, 2021).

This synthesis report, based on a survey carried out during 2022 with Cedefop's reporting network ReferNet, aims to provide a better understanding of the phenomenon of early leaving from vocational education and training (ELVET). Such understanding is a necessary precondition for designing effective responses to help individuals to equip themselves with the appropriate skills to cope with future transformations and to thrive in life. The report has special focus on the mechanisms and support measures countries employ to measure and monitor the phenomenon at national and regional levels; the main factors leading to ELVET as reported by EU Member States, Norway and Iceland; and the support measures teachers, trainers, school principals and companies providing work-based learning received to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war of aggression against Ukraine. These challenges included carrying out distance learning during school and company closures and supporting Ukrainian refugees to integrate into the national VET systems of the host countries. It is anticipated that findings will inspire policy-makers to take actions to allow every single young student to celebrate successful learning and life pathways.

This research paper is one in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18). The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of how CVET is conceptualised in various international level policy documents and how it is referred to across countries. It discusses national conceptions of CVET, the providers, participation by IVET graduates in non-formal education and training (NFE), and participation of adults in VET education institutions in European Union Member States, Iceland and Norway. The paper describes how the provision of CVET by different types of provider has changed over the past two decades, discussing the main drivers of this change and speculating about possible future trends. One of the main findings is that there are many dominant conceptions of CVET across Europe and the use of this term is not consistent, sometimes not even within countries. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH, led by Dr Jorg Markowitch; the consortium includes the Danish Technological Institute, the Institute of Employment Research (University of Warwick), the Institute of International and Social Studies (Tallinn University) and Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Germany is supporting the project as a subcontractor.]

Intersectionality highlights that different aspects of individuals' identities are not independent of each other. Instead, they interact to create unique identities and experiences, which cannot be understood by analysing each identity dimension separately or in isolation from their social and historical contexts. Intersectional approaches in this way question the common classification of individuals into groups (male vs. female, immigrant vs. native etc.), which raises important implications for the policy-making process. In education, analyses with an intersectional lens have the potential to lead to better tailored and more effective policies and interventions related to participation, learning outcomes, students' attitudes towards the future, identification of needs, and socio-emotional well-being. Consequently, as elaborated in this paper, some countries have adjusted their policies in the areas of governance, resourcing, developing capacity, promoting school-level interventions and monitoring, to account for intersectionality. Gaps and challenges related to intersectional approaches are also highlighted.

Module A of the OECD Higher Education Policy Survey (HEPS) 2022 elicited information on policies to promote digitalisation of higher education in OECD member and accession countries. In total, 30 jurisdictions responded, providing comparative information on various areas of digitalisation policy, from regulation and governance to financial and human resources. The survey results provide insight into the role of public authorities in guiding, coordinating and resourcing the digital transformation of higher education institutions. The analysis and comparative tables in this working paper provide insights that can support the development of strategic digitalisation policies.

Calls for increased monitoring and evaluation of education policies and practices have not, so far, included widespread and consistent assessments of the inclusiveness of education settings. Measuring inclusion in education has proven to be a challenging exercise, due not only to the complexity and different uses of the concept, but also to its holistic nature. Indeed, measuring inclusion implies analysing a variety of policy areas within education systems, while also considering the different roles of the system, the school and the classroom. This paper discusses the application of the input-process-outcome model to the measurement of inclusion in education, and key indicators that can be adopted by education systems and schools to this end. It makes considerations relevant to policy makers when designing indicators to measure inclusion, such as the extent of their application, the constraints related to data disaggregation and the relevance of intersectional approaches to inclusion.

Principals (policy makers) have debated the progress in U.S. student performance for a half century or more. Informing these conversations, survey agents have administered seven million psychometrically linked tests in math and reading in 160 waves to national probability samples of selected cohorts born between 1954 and 2007. This study is the first to assess consistency of results by agency. We find results vary by agent, but consistent with Flynn effects, gains are larger in math than reading, except for the most recent period. Non-whites progress at a faster pace. Socio-economically disadvantaged white, black, and Hispanic students make greater progress when tested in elementary school, but that advantage attenuates and reverses itself as students age. We discuss potential moderators.

Key competences are important for personal development, employment, integration into society and lifelong learning. They are transversal and form the basis for all other competences. Acquiring key competences is possible through various learning pathways, including vocational education and training (VET). However, little is known at the European level of how VET supports the key competence development. This research paper investigates three key competences: digital, multilingual and literacy. It analyses the extent to which they are included in initial upper secondary VET in the EU-27, Iceland, Norway and the UK, as well as national policies supporting their development since 2011. It focuses on four areas of intervention: standards, programme delivery, assessment and teacher/trainer competences.

Validation and guidance help individuals, organisations and Member States adapt to career challenges and create successful lifelong learning systems. However, little is known about how they are linked in practice and how this connection can be made more efficient. Building on Cedefop's expertise in the two areas, this study -- based on analysis of 13 practices from 12 countries -- explores how coordination between career guidance and validation of non-formal and informal learning can be improved. Results point to three factors: (a) comprehensiveness: provision of adequate information and guidance before a decision to undergo validation is taken, throughout the entire validation process, as well as after it; (b) coherence: use of common qualifications or competence standards, occupational standards or other reference frameworks in all the stages of the practice to identify, document and assess skills; and (c) quality of staff, resources, competences, and tools used. The study concludes with policy recommendations on how to improve the link between guidance and validation.

This publication is the sixth in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18). Based on analysis of developments over the past two decades (1995-2015), the report provides important insights into developments and change processes related to vocationally oriented education and training at higher levels (levels 5 to 8 of the European qualifications framework). Building on detailed national case studies, the report demonstrates the expansion and diversification of vocationally oriented education and training offered at higher levels in European countries and the variations in how countries use the higher levels: there is evidence for strengthening vocational principles at higher levels in various ways as well as for strengthening academic principles. It also covers current debates and potential future challenges, including juggling labour market demands and wider societal values, finding the right balance between academic and vocational principles, and achieving parity of esteem between academically oriented and vocationally oriented qualifications at higher levels, by improving awareness and visibility of the latter. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH, and includes the Danish Technological Institute, the Institute of Employment Research (University of Warwick), the Institute of International and Social Studies (Tallinn University) and Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Germany is supporting the project as a subcontractor.]

When does a community create and sustain a truly innovative "next generation" high school that not only remains innovative, but also relevant? According to the Carnegie Corporation, this means seizing the opportunity to redesign schools to promote personalized learning. So far, much work has gone into retooling many of these (reform) elements individually. Many states, districts, and schools have made essential progress in changing teacher preparation and professional development to help talented educators enter and stay in the classroom. There have also been pushes for interventions like additional learning time, new curricula, and new technology, much of which has been shown to have a significant impact on student achievement. However, applied individually, each of these fails to get schools and school systems where they need to be to serve every student. This white paper will explore the issues through the perspectives of several members of the Atlantic Rim Collaboratory, who are attempting to share ideas and concepts on system redesign, by examples of schools that are making deep learning a priority through technology and by examples of initiatives and schools that have made personalized learning and mastery the focus of what they do. All these approaches are important for they become part of a comprehensive whole that can drive meaningful change. [For "Innovation and Deeper Learning: Model High Schools," see ED604591.]

The aim of the paper is to identify and analyse patterns and trends in enrolment in upper secondary initial vocational education and training (IVET) in Europe over the period 1995 to 2015. The research produced findings on comparability of the international data as well as trends in enrolment in upper secondary IVET and its share of enrolment in upper secondary education. It found that, in countries where there has been a decline in VET enrolment, most of this is due to a declining youth population. It also found that many fluctuations in enrolment figures are artificial in the sense that they are the result of changing national classification and/or reporting practices. When correcting for these factors, findings show that the development of absolute enrolment in VET, as well as its share of enrolment in upper secondary education, has been quite stable in most countries. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH, and includes the Danish Technological Institute, the Institute of Employment Research (University of Warwick), the Institute of International and Social Studies (Tallinn University) and Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Germany is supporting the project as a subcontractor.]

Based on analysis of developments during the past two decades (1995-2015), the report provides important insights into the responsiveness of national VET systems, notably in relation to changes in demography, technology and the economy. Building on detailed national case studies, this report demonstrates how 'big shocks' (the fall of the Berlin wall, the economic crisis of 2008), national policy reforms and incremental developments over time have changed the character of this crucial part of the European education and training landscape. [This publication is the third in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project, "The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18)." The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH. For Volume 1, see ED586251. For Volume 2, see ED586252.]

This paper discusses national definitions and conceptions of vocational education and training (VET) in European Union Member States, Iceland and Norway and describes how these have changed over the past two decades. In autumn 2016, Cedefop invited national VET experts to respond to a questionnaire regarding the way national VET systems are understood (in the form of official definitions and overall conceptions). While the survey demonstrates significant diversity across Europe, VET is largely perceived as occupations-specific education and training geared towards securing supply of skilled labour and inferior to general or academic education. The survey also identifies two major trends: significant diversification of VET (in terms of providers, levels and target groups), and strengthening of VET (in the form of renewed emphasis on apprenticeships and increased work-based elements). [This research paper is the second in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project, "The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18)." The research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH. For Volume 1, see ED586251. For Volume 3, see ED586256.]

Governments recognise that careers guidance, underpinned by accurate labour market information, can help learners make post-secondary education choices that match their interests, aptitudes and abilities, and lead to rewarding employment. For this reason, they have invested in building linked education/employment information systems and other information resources which are displayed on websites targeted to learners and their families. However, researchers and governments agree that these efforts are often ineffective in informing learners' decisions -- access to information is not sufficient to provide effective support to student choice. Drawing upon the insights of behavioural economics, this paper examines how learners access and use information, and what this implies for the design of public study and career choice websites that aim to effectively support student choice. The report also takes stock of the career guidance websites in use in the majority of OECD countries, and sets out to provide actionable advice for policy makers to guide the design of effective information policy levers that support student choice.

The worldwide school closures in early 2020 led to losses in learning that will not easily be made up for even if schools quickly return to their prior performance levels. These losses will have lasting economic impacts both on the affected students and on each nation unless they are effectively remediated. While the precise learning losses are not yet known, existing research suggests that the students in grades 1-12 affected by the closures might expect some 3 percent lower income over their entire lifetimes. For nations, the lower long-term growth related to such losses might yield an average of 1.5 percent lower annual GDP for the remainder of the century. These economic losses would grow if schools are unable to re-start quickly. The economic losses will be more deeply felt by disadvantaged students. All indications are that students whose families are less able to support out-of-school learning will face larger learning losses than their more advantaged peers, which in turn will translate into deeper losses of lifetime earnings. The present value of the economic losses to nations reach huge proportions. Just returning schools to where they were in 2019 will not avoid such losses. Only making them better can. While a variety of approaches might be attempted, existing research indicates that close attention to the modified re-opening of schools offers strategies that could ameliorate the losses. Specifically, with the expected increase in video-based instruction, matching the skills of the teaching force to the new range of tasks and activities could quickly move schools to heightened performance. Additionally, because the prior disruptions are likely to increase the variations in learning levels within individual classrooms, pivoting to more individualised instruction could leave all students better off as schools resume. As schools move to re-establish their programmes even as the pandemic continues, it is natural to focus considerable attention on the mechanics and logistics of safe re-opening. But the long-term economic impacts also require serious attention, because the losses already suffered demand more than the best of currently considered re-opening approaches.

Are teachers and principals aligned in their perceptions of the core components of the theory of Leadership for Learning across countries, or are there subgroups of schools in which there is misalignment? The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which a congruency-typology model of leadership for learning is distributed across countries/economies using the TALIS 2018 dataset through examining the interaction of significantly different subgroups of teacher and principal responders through using multilevel latent class analysis (LCA) with a cross-level interaction. I analyse data from lower secondary schools of n=152 635 teachers in 9 079 schools and their principals across 47 countries/economies. Currently in the research literature on school leadership, leadership for learning has emerged as a framework to bring together managerial, transformational, distributed, and instructional leadership. Yet little is known about leadership for learning across national contexts. This study 1) maps the TALIS 2018 survey items to the current literature and surveys for leadership for learning, 2) then details the methods and analysis framework to examine if there are multiple significantly different types of teachers, principals, and schools from a leadership for learning theory framework. The final model 3) identifies a three-group teacher typology and a three-group principal typology, linking these types to school context, covariates, as well as teacher and principal training and experience. Results relate directly to the intersection of research, policy, and practice for training and capacity of school leaders across 47 countries/economies globally.

This systematic review investigates the relevance of general pedagogical knowledge for successful teaching. It synthesises the empirical evidence of 10 769 teaching professionals and 853 452 students from primary to tertiary education in 21 countries. The meta-analysis of 20 quantitative studies revealed significant effects for teaching quality and student outcomes (Cohen's d = 0.64 and 0.26), indicating that more knowledgeable teachers achieve a three-month additional progress for students. The three themes emerging from 31 qualitative studies underline that general pedagogical knowledge is a crucial resource for teaching. Results also show that teaching requires knowledge about a range of topics, specific skills and other competences to transform knowledge into practice. Teachers need training and practical experience to acquire knowledge, which they apply according to the pedagogical situation at hand. The results allow for important conclusions for policy, practice and research.

The recent refugee crisis has put many Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries under considerable pressure to accommodate and integrate large numbers of refugees. Refugee students are a particularly vulnerable group due to their forced displacement, but their needs are not always met by education systems, which can hinder the integration potential of these students. This poses considerable challenges as the integration of refugee students in education systems is important for their academic outcomes as well as their social and emotional well-being. The success (or lack of) integration in schools can also affect the future labour market and social integration potential of these children and youth. While there is a growing body of research on the integration of immigrants, policy-relevant research on refugee children and youth from an educational perspective is rather limited, fragmented and case specific. Detailed surveys and research projects focusing on the current wave of refugees that allow for cross-country comparisons are not yet available. Drawing on research from previous refugee waves, the paper examines key needs of refugee students and factors that promote their integration. It proposes a holistic model of integration in education that responds to the learning, social and emotional needs of refugee students. Furthermore, the paper examines what type of policies and practices are in place in OECD countries that support the integration of refugee students. Nonetheless, evaluations of practices and policies are often missing, which makes it difficult to assess whether they are successful. The paper finishes with some policy pointers on how to promote the integration of refugee students.

Resilience refers to the capacity of individuals to prosper despite encountering adverse circumstances. This paper defines academic resilience as the ability of 15-year-old students from disadvantaged backgrounds to perform at a certain level in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in reading, mathematics and science that enables them to play an active role in their communities and prepares them to make the most of lifelong-learning opportunities. Using data from the most recent PISA cycles, this paper explores changes in the share of resilient students over time (2006-2015); highlights the importance of school environments and resources in mitigating the risk of low achievement for disadvantaged students; and identifies school-level factors that are associated with the likelihood of academic resilience among socio-economically disadvantaged students. Analyses reveal that several countries were able to increase the share of resilient students over time, reflecting improvements in the average performance of students, or a weaker relationship between socio-economic status and performance. In the vast majority of education systems examined, the likelihood of academic resilience among disadvantaged students is lower in schools where students report a negative classroom climate. The paper concludes by exploring school policies and practices that are associated with a positive classroom climate. [This work was supported by a contribution to the PISA programme of work from Vodafone Germany Foundation.]

This paper explores the impact of policies and institutions on employment and unemployment of OECD countries in the past decades. Reduced-form unemployment equations, consistent with standard wage setting/price-setting models, are estimated using cross-country/time-series data from 21 OECD countries over the period 1982-2003. In the "average" OECD country, high and long-lasting unemployment benefits, high tax wedges and stringent anticompetitive product market regulation are found to increase aggregate unemployment. By contrast, highly centralised and/or coordinated wage bargaining systems are estimated to reduce unemployment. These findings are robust across specifications, datasets and econometric methods. As policies and institutions affect employment not only via their impact on aggregate unemployment but also through their effects on labour market participation -- particularly for those groups "at the margin" of the labour market, group-specific employment rate equations are also estimated. In the "average" OECD country, high unemployment benefits and high tax wedges are found to be associated with lower employment prospects for all groups studied, namely prime-age males, females, older workers and youths. There is also evidence that group-specific policy determinants matter, such as targeted fiscal incentives. The paper also finds significant evidence of interactions across policies and institutions, as well as between institutions and macroeconomic conditions. Consistent with theory, structural reforms appear to have mutually reinforcing effects: the impact of a given policy reform is greater the more employment-friendly the overall policy and institutional framework. Certain more specific interactions across policies and institutions are found to be particularly robust, notably between unemployment benefits and public spending on active labour market programmes as well as between statutory minimum wages and the tax wedge. Finally, it is shown that macroeconomic conditions also matter for unemployment patterns, with their impact being shaped by policies. (A bibliography is included. Contains 144 footnotes, 9 figures, 3 boxes and 27 tables.)

The Icelandic language has a long and stable history, and Old Icelandic is still accessible to modern day Icelanders. This is despite being ruled from Denmark, with influence by the Danish language, for about 500 years. Icelandic may now be under a more serious threat from the onslaught of English. This paper evaluates the linguistic situation in Iceland, assessing whether language maintenance or change is the likely outcome. It shows how social factors such as age, gender, and education have influenced spoken Icelandic and how purist language policies have attempted to stamp out any variations. Iceland's strong social network has resisted change over the centuries, while the other Nordic languages have undergone dramatic changes, particularly in morphology. This resistance has been due in part to pride in their strong literary tradition and high literacy levels. At the same time, Icelandic has assimilated foreign words throughout its history, and it is likely that foreign vocabulary (predominantly English) will continue to be assimilated, and many neologisms will be invented. Information technology is the largest threat to the use of Icelandic. The globalization of English, although having an enormous impact in Iceland is also having the effect of strengthening Icelandic's resistance to change. (Contains 25 references.) (SM)

The contribution of higher education institutions to regional development is a theme that has attracted growing attention in recent years. Knowledge institutions are increasingly expected not only to conduct education and research, but also to play an active role in the economic, social and cultural development of their regions. The extent to which higher education institutions are able to play this role depends on a number of circumstances: the characteristics of the institutions, the regions in which they are located and the policy frameworks are all significant. At the same time, there are signs of more fundamental conceptual and strategic confusion. The discussions in this domain are frequently characterised by slogans and popular metaphors. This literature review was prepared to support the OECD project entitled 'Supporting the Contribution of Higher Education Institutions to Regional Development', which was conducted by the OECD Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) in collaboration with the Directorate of Public Governance and Territorial Development. Drawing mainly from a selection of European and North American publications, the report takes an overall view on the development of higher education institutions in the regional context. It focuses on the evolution and discourses of higher education and research, the regional aspects of higher education policies, the various functions and roles that the institutions play, measures taken to link the universities with their regional partners, and the conditions which favour or hamper stronger regional engagement. (A bibliography is included. Contains 9 figures.)

This paper provides an overview of the available information concerning selected policy instruments intended to promote employer-provided training, including the stated rationale and objectives, the target groups and operational design as well as a at a summary of the evaluative evidence regarding their operation. The analysis focuses on policy instruments providing financial assistance or incentives, specifically, subsidies (including tax incentives and grants) and levy schemes that devote a least some share of their resources to continuing training. Training leave regulations are considered only to the extent that they can be treated as a form of subsidy or a levy scheme, depending on the main financing mechanism involved. Instruments that focus solely on improving the quality of training or enhancing transparency in the training market are not addressed. In addition to offering a description of different instruments, the paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses (or risks and opportunities, respectively) of different types of instrument or particular elements of instrument design. It also specifies principles of successful instrument design that have been put forth in the literature and concludes with some remarks regarding the choice of policies. Training funds in combination with levy schemes in OECD and non-OECD countries are appended. Individual sections contain endnotes. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

This paper reviews recent measurement work on User-Created Content (UCC) undertaken in OECD countries. It shows that UCC is emerging as a significant area of economic and social activity worthy of consideration for official measurement and discusses the implications for the OECD Model Survey on ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals. (Study summary and questionnaires are annexed. Contains 10 footnotes, 6 figures and 1 table.)

This literature review on school choice analyses the impact of choice schemes on students and on school systems focusing on equity. Reviewing the evidence can be difficult, as the literature is often fragmented and inconclusive, and the political importance of this research often results in high-profile attention given to individual studies rather than systemically understanding collected from a larger empirical base (Berends, Cannata and Goldring, 2011). Different political groups use evidence that supports their positions in favour or against school choice, and their positions relative to school choice are largely based on their ideologies, rather than on empirical work and evidence of effectiveness (Levin and Belfield, 2004). This report steps away from the ideological debate and provides research-based evidence on the impact of choice on disadvantaged students and schools. As "only with data on the consequences of different plans for school choice will we be able to reach sensible judgements rooted in experience (Fuller and Elmore, 1996, p. 8)". It uses analysis and statements that are supported empirically and attempts to cover the widest possible scope of research, and provide responses to the key question of how to balance choice with equity considerations. (Contains 7 tables, 4 figures, 5 boxes and 13 footnotes.)

School systems aspire to provide equal opportunity for all, irrespective of socio-economic status (SES). Much of the criticism of recent school reforms that introduce accountability, autonomy, and choice emphasizes their potentially negative consequences for equity. This report provides new evidence on how national features of accountability, autonomy, and choice are related to the equality of opportunity across countries. We estimate whether student achievement depends more or less on SES in school systems employing these institutional features. The rigorous micro-econometric analyses are based on the PISA 2003 data for more than 180,000 students from 27 OECD countries. The main empirical result is that rather than harming disadvantaged students, accountability, autonomy, and choice appear to be tides that lift all boats. The additional choice created by public funding for private schools in particular is associated with a strong reduction in the dependence of student achievement on SES. External exit exams have a strong positive effect for all students that is slightly smaller for low-SES students. The positive effect of regularly using subjective teacher ratings to assess students is substantially larger for low-SES students. The effect of many other accountability devices does not differ significantly by student SES. School autonomy in determining course content is associated with higher equality of opportunity, while equality of opportunity is lower in countries where more schools have autonomy in hiring teachers. Autonomy in formulating the budget and in establishing starting salaries is not associated with the equity of student outcomes. Inequality of opportunity is substantially higher in school systems that track students at early ages. (Contains 19 footnotes, 6 figures and 9 tables.)

This study investigates the differences in the degree of low academic achievement of third and fourth graders living with single-parent families from 11 industrialized countries. The United States ranks first among the countries compared in terms of the achievement gap for children in single- and two-parent families. After controlling for individual and family variables, the gap in the United States shrinks somewhat, but American single-parent children are still more disadvantaged than those in the other countries. Following a cross-national multilevel analysis, which includes family policy and demographic variables at the national level, the study finds single parenthood to be less detrimental where there are family policies equalizing resources between single-parent and other families, such as family or child allowances and parental leave. It also finds that single parenthood is most detrimental for academic achievement in those countries where the percentages of single-parent families are the highest. Findings suggest that policies aimed at increasing family income can offset the detrimental achievement consequences of single parenthood. (Contains 63 references.) (Author/SM)

Papers from the proceedings of the 14th Annual Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society was submitted in two volumes. Volume 1 contains papers submitted at the conference held in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 14-17, 2016. Volume 2 contains papers submitted at the 4th International Partner Conference of the International Research Centre (IRC) "Scientific Cooperation," Rostov-on-Don, Russia. The overall conference theme was "Education Provision to Every One: Comparing Perspectives from Around the World" and included six thematic sections: (1) Comparative Education & History of Education; (2) Pre-service and In-service Teacher Training & Learning and Teaching Styles; (3) Education Policy, Reforms and School Leadership; (4) Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Social Inclusion; (5) Law and Education: Legislation and Inclusive Education, Child Protection & Human Rights Education; and (6) Research Education: Developing Globally Competent Researchers for International and Interdisciplinary Research. The book contains a Preface: "Bulgarian Comparative Education Society: 25 Years of Being International" (Nikolay Popov); an Introduction: "Education Provision to Everyone: Comparing Perspectives from Around the World" (Lynette Jacobs) and papers divided into the respective thematic sections. Part 1: "Comparative Education & History of Education": (1) Jullien: Founding Father of Comparative and International Education Still Pointing the Way (Charl Wolhuter); (2) Presentation of Marc-Antoine Jullien's Work in Bulgarian Comparative Education Textbooks (Teodora Genova & Nikolay Popov); (3) "Teach Your Children Well": Arguing in Favor of Pedagogically Justifiable Hospitality Education (Ferdinand J. Potgieter); (4) Theory for Explaining and Comparing the Dynamics of Education in Transitional Processes (Johannes L. van der Walt); (5) Nordic Internationalists' Contribution to the Field of Comparative and International Education (Teodora Genova); (6) International Research Partners: The Challenges of Developing an Equitable Partnership between Universities in the Global North and South (Karen L. Biraimah); (7) Providing Books to Rural Schools through Mobile Libraries (Lynette Jacobs, Ernst Stals & Lieve Leroy); (8) South African Curriculum Reform: Education for Active Citizenship (Juliana Smith & Agnetha Arendse); (9) Universities Response to Oil and Gas Industry Demands in South Texas (USA) and Tamaulipas (Mexico) (Marco Aurelio Navarro); (10) Goals That Melt Away. Higher Education Provision in Mexico (Marco Aurelio Navarro & Ruth Roux); (11) How the Issue of Unemployment and the Unemployed Is Treated in Adult Education Literature within Polish and U.S. Contexts (Marzanna Pogorzelska & Susan Yelich Biniecki); (12) Contribuciones de un Modelo Multiniveles para el Análisis Comparado de Impactos de Políticas Educativas en la Educación Superior (Mirian Inés Capelari) [title and paper are provided in Spanish, abstract in English]; and (13) Internationalization, Globalization and Relationship Networks as an Epistemological Framework Based on Comparative Studies in Education (Amelia Molina García & José Luis Horacio Andrade Lara). Part 2: "Pre-service and In-service Teacher Training & Learning and Teaching Styles": (14) The Goals and Conditions of Qualitative Collaboration between Elementary Schools and Community -- A Challenge for the Professional Development (Jana Kalin & Barbara Šteh); (15) South African Heads of Department on Their Role in Teacher Development: Unexpected Patterns in an Unequal System (André du Plessis); (16) Do Teachers, Students and Parents Agree about the Top Five Good Teacher's Characteristics? (Marlena Plavšic & Marina Dikovic); and (17) Personality Traits and Learning Styles of Secondary School Students in Serbia (Gordana Djigic, Snežana Stojiljkovic & Andrijana Markovic). Part 3: "Education Policy, Reforms & School Leadership": (18) Routes into Teaching: Does Variety Aid Recruitment or Merely Cause Confusion? A Study of Three Different Programmes for Teacher Training in England (Gillian Hilton); (19) The Status of Teaching as a Profession in South Africa (Corene de Wet); (20) Initial and Continuing Professional Development of Adult Educators from an Educational - Policy Perspective: Rethinking from Croatia (Renata Cepic & Marijeta Mašic); (21) Educational Reform from the Perspective of the Student (Claudio-Rafael Vasquez-Martinez, Felipe Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Jose-Gerardo Cardona-Toro, MaríaGuadalupe Díaz-Renteria, Maria-Ines Alvarez, Hector Rendon, Isabel Valero, Maria Morfin, Miguel Alvarez); (22) Leadership and Context Connectivity: Merging Two Forces for Sustainable School Improvement (Nylon Ramodikoe Marishane); (23) Approaches to In-servicing Training of Teachers in Primary Schools in South Africa (Vimbi P. Mahlangu); (24) Social Justice and Capacity for Self-development in Educational Systems in European Union (Bo-Ruey Huang); (25) Social Justice and Capacity for Self-Development in Educational System in Japan (Yu-Fei Liu); and (26) Emotions in Education Generated by Migration (Graciela Amira Medecigo Shej). Part 4: "Higher Education, Lifelong Learning & Social Inclusion": (27) Ambivalent Community: International African Students in Residence at a South African University (Everard Weber An); (28) Internationalization of Higher Education Institutions in Latvia and Turkey: Its Management and Development during the Last Decade (Sibel Burçer & Ilze Kangro); (29) Lifelong Learning: Capabilities and Aspirations (Petya Ilieva-Trichkova); (30) Where Have All the Teachers Gone: A Case Study in Transitioning (Amanda S. Potgieter); (31) An Overview of Engineering Courses in Brazil: Actual Challenges (Alberto G. Canen, Iara Tammela & Diogo Cevolani Camatta); (32) Multiculturalism and Peace Studies for Education Provision in Time of Diverse Democracies (Rejane P. Costa & Ana Ivenicki); (33) Social Inclusion of Foreigners in Poland (Ewa Sowa-Behtane); (34) An Autistic Child Would Like to Say "Hello" (Maria Dishkova); (35) Research Approaches for Higher Education Students: A Personal Experience (Momodou M Willan); (36) Social Networks Use, Loneliness and Academic Performance among University Students (Gordana Stankovska, Slagana Angelkovska & Svetlana Pandiloska Grncarovska); and (37) The Personal Characteristics Predictors of Academic Success (Slagana Angelkoska, Gordana Stankovska & Dimitar Dimitrovski). Part 5: "Law and Education: Legislation and Inclusive Education, Child Protection & Human Rights Education": (38) An Exploration of the Wider Costs of the Decision by the Rivers State Government in Nigeria to Revoke International Students' Scholarships (Elizabeth Achinewhu-Nworgu & Queen Chioma Nworgu); (39) Strategies for Improving the Employability Skills and Life Chances of Youths in Nigeria (Elizabeth Achinewhu-Nworgu, Steve Azaiki, Shade Babalola & Chinuru Achinewhu); (40) Examining the Role, Values, and Legal Policy Issues Facing Public Library Resources in Supporting Students to Achieve Academic Success (Elizabeth Achinewhu-Nworgu, Steve Azaiki & Queen Chioma Nworgu); (41) Peer Exclusion at Physical Education (Gorazde Sotosek); (42) Exclusion and Education in South Africa: An Education Law Perspective of Emerging Alternative Understandings of Exclusion (Johan Beckmann); and (43) Educational and Social Inclusion of Handicapped Children. Polish Experiences (Anna Czyz). Part 6: "Research Education: Developing Globally Competent Researchers for International and Interdisciplinary Research": (44) Observations about Research Methodology during 15 Years of Presenting Capacity-Building Seminars (Johannes L. van der Walt); and (45) Using a Play-Based Methodology in Qualitative Research: A Case of Using Social Board to Examine School Climate (Anna Mankowska). Following the presentation of the complete conference papers, the following abstracts are provided: (1) Project-Based Learning in Polish-American Comparative Perspective (Marzanna Pogorzelska); (2) Teaching and Researching Intervention and Facilitation in a Process of Self-reflection: Scrutinity of an Action Research Process (Juliana Smith); (3) Investigating Perceptions of Male Students in Early Childhood Education Program on Learning Experiences (Ayse Duran); (4) Teacher Professional Development and Student Achievement in Turkey: Evidence from TIMSS 2011 (Emine Gumus & Mehmet Sukru Bellibas); (5) The Usage of CBT and Ayeka Approach at the Kedma School (Yehuda Bar Shalom & Amira Bar Shalom); (6) Factors Affecting Turkish Teachers' Use of ICT for Teaching: Evidence from ICILS 2013 (Mehmet Sukru Bellibas & Sedat Gumus); (7) Application of Big Data Predictive Analytics in Higher Education (James Ogunleye); (8) The Pursuit of Excellence in Malaysian Higher Education: Consequences for the Academic Workplace (David Chapman, Sigrid Hutcheson, Chang Da Wan, Molly Lee, Ann Austin, Ahmad Nurulazam); (9) Challenging the Value and Missions of Higher Education: New Forms of Philanthropy and Giving (Pepka Boyadjieva & Petya Ilieva-Trichkova); (10) The Effects of Major-changing between Undergraduates and Postgraduates on the Major Development of Postgraduates (Jinmin Yu & Hong Zhu); (11) Spotlight on Canadian Research Education: Access of Doctoral Students to Research Assistantships (Ewelina Kinga Niemczyk); (12) Regulation or Freedom? Considering the Role of the Law in Study Supervision (J. P. Rossouw & M. C. Rossouw); (13) The Subjectivity-Objectivity Battle in Research (Gertrude Shotte); and (14) Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching Chemistry: Electrochemical Biosensors Case Study (Margarita Stoytcheva & Roumen Zlatev). A Name Index is included. (Individual papers contain references.) [For Volume 2, "Education Provision to Every One: Comparing Perspectives from around the World. BCES Conference Books, Volume 14, Number 2" see ED568089.]