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There are long-standing educator shortages in particular subject areas and localities. Recent teacher polls and reports from states and localities indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has broadened and deepened these shortages. At the same time, enrollment in teacher preparation programs has fallen. These trends have led state policymakers, pre-K to 12 schools, and an array of other organizations to look to nontraditional models for preparing teachers, including alternative certification programs. Alternative certification programs typically provide individuals who already have a bachelor's degree with a pathway to certification that does not require them to obtain another degree. In these programs, candidates can become a "teacher of record"--taking responsibility for leading a class and often teaching without direct supervision--before completing all their certification requirements. These programs can be run by institutions of higher education (IHEs) or by other organizations. Therefore, in 2020, the Center for American Progress conducted an analysis to identify the types of organizations sponsoring these programs, the role of for-profit organizations in the sector, the states in which these programs operate, and how enrollment varies by race and/or ethnicity and gender. This report provides an updated analysis and adds historical context by examining sector trends since 2010. [For the 2020 report, "An Overview of the Alternative Teacher Certification Sector Outside of Higher Education," see ED615834.]

Recent years have seen the pace of change in education accelerate at all levels as educators and policy makers instigate reforms aimed at raising academic achievement in the United States to a world-class level. Perhaps nowhere has the pace and scale of change been more dramatic than in the realm of K-12 academic standards. In 2009, 48 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia signed a memorandum of agreement with the National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), committing to a state-led process--the Common Core State Standards Initiative--to produce a set of K-12 standards in the foundational subjects of English language arts and mathematics designed to prepare high school graduates to succeed in college and careers. On June 2, 2010, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were released. As of December 2010, 41 states and the District of Columbia have formally adopted the CCSS. Most states will begin implementing the standards in schools in 2011-2012. This issue brief describes key areas that will require active participation from higher education leaders and faculty from a broad array of disciplines, in the following areas: (1) Defining college readiness and aligning key policies for the school-to-college transition; (2) Developing K-12 assessments and aligning college placement policies with these assessments; (3) Aligning K-12 and higher education curricula; and (4) Teacher preparation and in-service professional development. The issue brief also suggests structures at the state and local levels that can help facilitate collaboration between K-12 and higher education. It concludes with links to detailed information about the standards and related assessments. [This paper was written with the assistance of Paul Lingenfelter, Sharmila Basu Conger, Charlie Lenth, Julie Carnahan, Margaret Horn, Sandy Boyd, Allison Jones, and Mikyung Ryu.]

In November 2001, with funding support from Lumina Foundation for Education, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), in partnership with the American Council on Education (ACE), the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), initiated the "Changing Direction: Integrating Higher Education Financial Aid and Financing Policies" project to explore state-level strategies to better align financing and financial aid policies and support more informed decision making on issues surrounding financial aid and financing in higher education. These case studies of Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Missouri, and Oregon were designed to help equip policymakers and higher education leaders from all sectors more effectively address key public policy issues concerning the structuring of financing and financial aid to achieve goals of access to quality higher education. The overarching question the project hoped to address through the case studies and other project activities was: How can policymakers at all levels (most particularly those at the state level) more effectively integrate tuition, financial aid, and appropriations policies in ways that promote student participation and completion? The results of the states' work are linked back to the overall goals and objectives of the project in an effort to illustrate how the integration of public policies around financing and financial aid might be approached. The overview chapter highlights a number of milestones and accomplishments: (1) States engaged key leadership; (2) New policies developed by the states; (3) States sustained a discussion and laid the ground for further work; and (4) Special studies commissioned by the states. One of the central questions asked by case study authors in the final analysis is: within the context of the state, how important were the achievements of the technical assistance states? The "Changing Direction" project has provided a platform in these five states for a new conversation that helps policymakers and higher education leaders think creatively and constructively about the relationships among appropriations, tuition, and financial aid. They are looking at these issues in a more holistic, coordinated manner than they have in the past. Individual state case study reports provide greater detail and narrative on developments in the states. [For report of the second and third cohorts, see ED500787.]

A survey investigated the attitudes and experiences that distinguish the low-income high school students who decide to attend college from those who do not. Data were gathered in a telephone survey of 900 seniors in the class of 1995 who took the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT); the primary sample was 300 of those students who reported family incomes under $20,000. Data included student characteristics (gender, race, native language), family income, parents' educational level, parents' occupations, SAT scores, post-high school plans, sources of college and financing information, academic self-confidence (in mathematics, science, writing), degree aspiration, influences in college decision-making, preferred college attributes, college preparation, sources of and plans for financing college, and college acceptances. Results are reported in narrative and tabular form. The study found that rigorous high school courses, high expectations of all students, and availability of college counseling and information were important elements in the decision to go to college. Many of the attitudes and educational experiences associated with four-year college attendance were not common to the low-income students. (MSE)

This report was designed to provide complete and comparable statistics on student aid for all California postsecondary institutions from 1990 through 1994. It includes information on all major sources of financial aid, the types of aid available, the amount of funding for each type, and the distribution of student aid dollars among the three public postsecondary education sectors (the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems) and the independent colleges and universities. The data indicate that: (1) financial aid has not kept pace with increases in the costs of higher education; (2) most of the current financial aid available is in the form of loans, leading to a rapid increase in student borrowing; (3) most of the increase in grant aid at public institutions has come from student fee dollars "recycled" for financial aid to other students; and (4) University of California students now receive more state grant aid dollars than students from private institutions. The results of this study reinforce the need for public debate about the role of student aid in the funding of higher education. Graphs and tables present details of the study's findings. (MDM)

This report demonstrates that by working long hours and attending school part time, students not only lengthen their time-to-degree, but also increase their likelihood of dropping out. More than half of all undergraduates attend college part time, and 80% work while enrolled. This report examines the most recent evidence on the effects of students' choices on their prospect of succeeding in college. It attempts to describe students who are entering college, the academic background they bring with them, the resources they use to pay for their education, and the potential impact of their choices on the likelihood that they will graduate. Data are from two national studies conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, with files for more than 35,000 students, and the Beginning Postsecondary Students Study. Data show that low-income students arrive at college with many strikes against them. Data also show that students often make choices that affect their academic performance negatively for several reasons: to contain the cost of college, to support lifestyle choices, and sometimes, to devote time to their dependents. The question that these data pose for institutions is how to steer studentstoward choices that suit their individual needs and maximize their likelihood of academic success. There are no right answers, but every student can be helped by having a clearer understanding of the costs, benefits, and pitfalls associated with different choices. (SLD)

This paper examines and refutes the hypothesis that white, male, middle class college students are falling behind their female peers in higher education. After an introduction, the paper focuses on gender gaps in the educational pipeline, discussing several indicators that could be used to measure educational attainment. These include high school graduation, preparation for college, immediate transition to college, college enrollment, persistence and degree attainment, and degrees conferred. The paper focuses on where males are underperforming, which groups of males are keeping pace with their female peers, and which groups of males are falling behind. It concludes that while women do earn the majority of degrees awarded each year, the gender gap is dwarfed by the educational chasms related to race/ethnicity and social class. Low income and minority men have a particularly difficult time excelling academically, but their female counterparts continue to lag behind whites as well. The message for educators, political leaders, and the media is to concentrate time, resources, and attention on the students who are in greatest danger of being left behind in the educational pipeline and avoid becoming distracted by crises that may have little basis in fact. (Contains 9 figures and 7 references.) (SM)

Discusses the effects on college students of working and borrowing money to cover school costs, specifically looking at academic achievement. Suggests working may be more of a problem, while borrowing may be less than previously thought. Recommends integrating financial and academic counseling to help students plan how to balance their financial, academic, and personal responsibilities. (Author/MKA)

The central purpose of this study was to identify factors that increase the likelihood that high school seniors will plan to attend a four-year college, paying particular attention to variables that are associated with college attendance by low-income students. Logistic regression was applied to data from three sources: telephone interviews with 900 seniors who took the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) I, a survey completed by these students when they registered for the SAT, and their combined SAT scores. The findings of the study reinforced those in much of the literature. As many studies have found, socioeconomic status, family support, educational goals, academic self-concept, financial aid, and academic achievement were all significant predictors of plans to attend college for the full sample and, for the most part, for the 300 low-income students in the sample. This study found two previously untested variables to be particularly important predictors: the number of years students took college preparatory courses had a significant positive effect on the probability that they planned to attend a four-year college or university; and the beliefs of guidance counselors about students' post-graduation plans had a strong influence on low-income student outcomes. The interview protocol and survey instrument are appended. (Contains 44 references.) (MAB)

The annual survey by the College Board of student financial aid traces development of a system that has grown dramatically, is now dominated by federal student loan programs, and has undergone a long-term shift in purpose from creating access for the disadvantaged to broadening choice and convenience for the middle class. These developments have especially serious consequences for low-income students. (MSE)