"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Preparing, Recruiting, and Retaining Education Professionals: Senator Reed Proposes New $500 Million Bill to Improve…

This report is intended to give the reader an overview of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) data for the school year 2003-04 through tables of estimates for public, private, and BIA-funded schools and their staff. The tables contain estimates from schools, teachers, principals, districts, and school library media centers for public, private,…

Updated for 2006, this comprehensive volume offers a snapshot profile of every public school district in the United States serving 1,500 or more students and provides pertinent evaluative and demographic statistics necessary to evaluate educational programs nationwide. "The Comparative Guide to American Elementary & Secondary…

The Common Core of Data (CCD) is a universe collection of public elementary and secondary education data that is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The CCD is a system of five surveys, three nonfiscal and two fiscal. The nonfiscal surveys are the: (1) Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey; (2) Local…

Background: The transition from high school can be difficult for any youth, but it can be particularly difficult for youth with disabilities, who may encounter additional challenges to negotiating the transition to young adulthood. Purpose: To describe the experiences of youth with disabilities in the postsecondary education, employment,…

This action research study examines student reactions to a sixty-hour community service graduate requirement at an all-girl, Catholic high school; identifies reasons for the apathy and disdain with which students view the requirement; and suggests creating a service learning environment that will increase students' investment and interest in…

In 1970, 55 percent of the US population over age 25 had completed high school or some college and 11 percent had completed 4 or more years of college; by 1999, those figures had reached 83 percent and 25 percent, respectively. A comparison between 1982 and 1992 high school seniors found more completing some postsecondary credits (from 53 percent…

This report presents findings from the 2000 Youth in Transition Survey 18-20-year-old cohort, which documents Canadian youth education and labor market experiences. By age 20, most youth had graduated from high school, and 70 percent were participating in postsecondary education. Dropout rates were higher for males than females. High school…

A vocational-technical center in Delaware, launched a massive restructuring effort in 1988. Educators used frameworks provided by the National Center for Research in Vocational Education and Southern Regional Educational Board and visited High Schools That Work sites. In 1991, Sussex Technical High School opened its doors as a newly designed…

This document contains an introduction to the Ohio Integrated Technical and Academic Competency (ITAC) and Specialization ITAC; an overview of the field of practical nursing; a list acknowledging professionals who helped develop the competency list; and the comprehensive list of the professional or occupational competencies deemed essential for…

This is the 8th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District RUSD). Each study has confirmed that the Racine Unified School District (RUSD) faces greater challenges than its peers. Although these challenges have led Racine to spend slightly above the average amount per pupil, district performance tends to be below…

What students do in college matters as much as anything else in terms of their educational success. Educationally effective colleges and universities - those that add value to the student experience - intentionally craft policies and practices that channel students' energy to the activities that matter to student learning. Students who…

This policy brief outlines how the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) relates to high schools: (1) States must set adequate yearly progress (AYP) objectives (steadily increasing test scores and graduation rates) to ensure 100 percent of high school students achieve at proficient levels by spring 2014; (2) States must include high school graduation…

This report examines progress on key education indicators of black children and adults, utilizing statistics published by the National Center for Education Statistics in various reports and from other federal agencies. It shows that more black students have completed high school and gone on to college, levels of parental education have increased,…

This report compares Oregon's reading and mathematics performance on the most recent administrations of the state assessment with performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). To indicate how Oregon is doing in narrowing the academic achievement gap between African American and Latino students and their white, middle class…