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May 21, 2012
ECS Research Studies Database
Teacher Preparation
A recently-entered research study examines the effects on teacher retention and effectiveness of learning to teach in difficult-to-staff and underserved schools. The authors found that learning to teach in easier-to-staff schools has positive effects on teacher retention and student achievement gains, even for teachers who end up working in the hardest-to-staff schools.
Postsecondary Indicators
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently released the 2nd annual Texas Public Higher Education Almanac. The almanac indicates how Texas compares nationally on key postsecondary indicators, provides trend analysis on statewide indicators over the past decade, and provides institutional comparisons for Texas two- and four-year postsecondary institutions.
P-20 Councils
Washington State legislation enacted this session abolishes the state’s higher education coordinating council and creates the nine-member Student Achievement Council. The council will in part serve a P-20 coordinating function, connecting the work of various K-12 and postsecondary leaders, and proposing improvements and innovations to continually adapt the state’s educational institutions to evolving educational attainment needs.
Student Data
Rhode Island has released a new online tool, the Rhode Island Growth Model Visualization Tool, to share data about student progress on the annual state assessments in mathematics and reading with parents and the public.
Dyslexia
Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin has signed S.B. 1565, which establishes a dyslexia teacher training pilot to train higher education faculty to teach multisensory structure reading education for students with dyslexia to teacher candidates. Other purposes are to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of having trained teachers who can provide early reading assistance programs for children with risk factors.
Online Learning
This report from the Southern Regional Education Board explores online learning and outlines how many districts offer online options, what types of options they offer and how they manage online learning for students.
Service Learning and STEM
This guide from Kids Consortium provides information for educators on how to integrate service-learning into STEM content areas. The authors provide examples from more than a dozen classrooms to help illustrate how to plan and structure a STEM/service-learning project.
State Grant Programs
This new report from The Brookings institution examines the variety of state grant programs currently in place and makes policy recommendations regarding how to strengthen state grant programs. Also check out the interactive state map.
ECS State Postsecondary Education Structures Reports
Thanks to Florida State University staff, you can now access past editions of the ECS State Postsecondary Education Structures reports. FSU staff scanned and uploaded these classic editions for historical reference. Be sure to check out the last report on the list, from 1974. It covers both postsecondary and K-12 for each state. Interested in funding an update? Contact Kathy Christie.
Upcoming Meetings and Webinars
2012 ECS National Forum – Just Announced: Bill Gates!
Don’t miss Microsoft Chairman and philanthropist Bill Gates as well as former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor at the 2012 ECS National Forum. The forum — Innovation and Opportunity: Moving the Needle on Student Success — will take place in Atlanta, Georgia from July 9-11. Register today! For more information visit the Forum website or download the Forum brochure.
Jack Jennings
The Learning First Alliance is honoring Jack Jennings as its 2012 Education Visionary Award winner. Jennings founded the Center on Education Policy in 1995. From 1967 to 1994, he served as subcommittee staff director and then as a general counselor for the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Education and Labor. In these positions, he was involved in nearly every major education debate held at the national level.
Employment
“In 2010, young adults ages 25–34 with at least a bachelor’s degree had a full-time employment rate that was over 30 percentage points higher than that of their peers who had not completed high school (74 vs. 41 percent).”
Source: S. Aud, W. Hussar, G. Kena, K. Bianco, L. Frohlich, J. Kemp, K. Tahan (2011). The Condition of Education 2011 (NCES 2011-033). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, (accessed February 28, 2012).
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