This newsletter includes vignettes about schools that are effectively integrating academic and career/technical (CT) studies to help more students find meaning in their learning and to motivate students to make great effort to achieve. This is part of a series of newsletters describing best practices for implementing the "High Schools That Work"…

This paper explores the difficulties of finding an appropriate theoretical framework for a doctoral dissertation examining revenue-generating language programs at post-secondary institutions. It briefly examines the history of language programs in higher education in the developed English-speaking world and the current situation of many…

Through their conversations with IDA practitioners across the country, the authors have identified 14 strategies for successfully partnering with postsecondary institutions. These are: (1) Identify the right savers; (2) Match education to the needs of the region or state; (3) Invite educational partners to join your advisory board; (4) Identify…

Charged by the U.S. Department of Education, The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education (GW-CEEE) developed a Guide for state education agencies (SEAs) to use to improve state assessment policies for accommodating English language learners (ELLs). As a foundation for the Guide, GW-CEEE designed two studies, the…

The rapidly increasing English Language Learner (ELL) population across the United States offers valuable possibilities for next-generation ELL policy for assessment, accountability, and best practices. There is now tremendous opportunity to create policies taking into account the needs of ELL students from the outset rather than as an…

In a line of research employing a survey instrument, the "Critical Thinking Belief Appraisal", teachers supported critical-thinking (CT) activities more for high- than low-advantage learners, likely exacerbating a "rigor gap" implicated in persistent achievement gaps. Such beliefs were less likely to be espoused by expert teachers than randomly…

The vast majority of the 220,000 Canadians who die each year, principally of old age and progressive ill health, do not have access to specialized hospice or palliative care. Hospice and palliative care programs are unevenly distributed across Canada, with existing programs limited in capacity and services varying considerably across programs.…

To support continuous improvement in the quality, scale and breadth of online education, the Sloan Consortium invites practitioners to share effective practices. This report synthesizes effective practices submitted by more than 150 Sloan-C organizations that are listed as of December 2008 in the Sloan-C Effective Practices online collection at…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present how the Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) Graz-Styria as well as RCEs as instruments can contribute to regional development. The RCE Graz-Styria is representing a case study of Central European RCEs. Design/methodology/approach: The paper describes the development process of RCE Graz-Styria.…

This year's E-Learn conference has numerous exciting presentations and keynotes. Many speakers will be discussing how education is changing in the forthcoming years. Among them are Dale Stephens who works with the social movement "Uncollege" that empower students to create their own education, Saul Carliner who talks about Massive Online…

Regions around the country are grappling with current and anticipated skills shortages and, in some cases, labor shortages. Economic prosperity depends heavily on the quality of the workforce, and yet far too few regions have recognized their best underutilized asset: the mature workforce. Because mature workers are nearing traditional retirement…

On March 13, 2009, Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska, an eminent leader in gifted education, was presented with a Festschrift, a volume of articles submitted by colleagues as well as former and current graduate students to celebrate her life's work and influence on the field. This volume is a free supplement from The College of William and Mary's Center…

This booklet focuses on effective mathematics teaching. Drawing on a wide range of research, it describes the kinds of pedagogical approaches that engage learners and lead to desirable outcomes. The aim of the booklet is to deepen the understanding of practitioners, teacher educators, and policy makers and assist them to optimize opportunities for…

Quality Matters[TM] (QM) is a set of standards to measure the quality of instruction and design in online or hybrid courses. Adopted by a growing number of institutions nationwide, QM is based on best practices and instructional design research. To meet or exceed QM standards requires that resources and learning activities in an online course…

Intense competitive pressure and the need for continual improvements have led to a burgeoning interest in and use of pay-for-performance programs. This paper explores the increased use of pay-for-performance, drawing examples from healthcare, education, and the government. Suggestions are made as to how best to implement pay-for-performance…