<p>This study assessed the actual and perceived efficacy of TAFE as implemented across public schools in Texas with Latino populations. The graduation rates of students were analyzed to assess whether there were significant differences in graduation rates between schools implementing the program and those not implementing the program across gender and ethnicity. Surveys were administered to past and present personnel associated with TAFE to ascertain their perceptions on the program. A significant main effect for Latinos was found at TAFE schools during the five year period of the study. Survey responses were isolated to differentiate between Latino responses and those of the general population. Responses varied in consistency between Latino respondents and the overall population of respondents. In general, respondents credited the program for the higher graduation rates of Latinos and their motivation to attend college which are future indicators of success. However, the respondents were undecided as to TAFE's influence to foster teaching vocations but believe it impacts teacher retention. Respondents were also undecided, and a considerable percentage of them had a negative opinion that TAFE motivated them to become or want to become educational administrators. Finally, respondents endorsed the idea of recommending TAFE to high school students and to schools/districts for implementation.

The California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 97 in June 2013 and Governor Brown signed it into law on July 1, 2013. The legislation created the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The LCFF changed the way that school districts in California receive education funding from the state, shifting from a complex categorical program towards a per-pupil based formula. Furthermore, school districts receive “supplemental” and “concentration” funds based on the number of English learners, low-income students and foster youth in the district. The LCAP is a key component of this new funding system and requires that school districts create an accountability document showing how they intend to allocate funds and how they propose to track student outcomes. The 2014-15 academic year was the first full-year of policy implementation, and this thesis investigates how districts around the state created their LCAP. Drawing from research reports, press coverage, and a case study of Claremont Unified School District, this investigation finds that the LCAP has the potential to make the California public education system more equitable and adequate.

Census data indicates people with higher levels of education are leaving Appalachian Kentucky as they do in other rural areas. Aside from anecdotal information and primarily qualitative community studies, there is little quantitative evidence of the factors which may influence these migration decisions. State policies and regional efforts to increase educational attainment of people in the region have focused on producing more college degrees however may be contributing to the out-migration of those with higher levels of education. The study incorporates community level data with demographic, academic, and employment data from a cohort of 2005-06 college graduates from Appalachian Kentucky. The study includes an analysis of migration rates for a variety of different types of graduates and a set of three complimentary logistic regression models developed to understand the impact of individual demographic and academic factors, factors about the communities where these graduates came from, and the factors related to the communities where they went after completing their degrees and credentials to predict likelihood of migrating. This study builds upon previous efforts by providing extensive, externally validated data about a large population of individuals. It leverages sociological, demographic, and neoclassical microeconomic research methods and leverages data from Kentucky's statewide longitudinal data system to serve as an illustration for how these systems can be used for complex statistical analyses.

The purpose of this report is to focus on the school-to-prison pipeline and the need to intervene with school discipline that pushes students out of the classroom and into the criminal justice system. It showcases services and programs in Austin, Texas, including Southwest Keys, Webb Youth Court, and Council on At-Risk Youth as examples for solutions. The report also incorporates research and expert advice on the safety and wellbeing of students while advocating a need to change the policies and culture surrounding schools. / text

Bendrasis lavinimas – tai viena svarbiausių dalių Lietuvos švietime. Būtent šioje pakopoje vaikas praleidžia daugiausiai laiko. Čia formuojasi jo pasaulėžiūra, charakteris, įgaunamos pirmosios kompetencijos, įgyjami socialiniai įgūdžiai. Todėl bendrojo lavinimo politikai turėtų būti skiriamas ypatingas valstybės dėmesys. Švietimą ir formuojamą bei įgyvendinamą švietimo politiką įtakoja nuolatiniai besikeičiantys veiksniai, globalizacijos tendencijos. Tad politikos įgyvendintojai turi atsižvelgti į nuolatinius pokyčius, bendras pasaulines bei Europos tendencijas. Lietuvoje bendrojo lavinimo sistemoje galima pastebėti nemažai problemų - iki šiol nesuformuotas optimalus bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų bei kitų švietimo įstaigų tinklas ir infrastruktūra, joms skiriama nepakankamai lėšų, stinga pastangų mokymo kokybei gerinti. Nors nacionalinės išlaidos švietimui kasmet didėjo, tačiau jų santykis su bendruoju vidaus produktu per pastarąjį dešimtmetį sumažėjo. Daugelyje savivaldybių vėluojama pertvarkyti mokyklų tinklą, tad daugiau lėšų reikia jų remontui, mokymo priemonėms ir kitoms reikmėms. Dėl mokinio krepšelio lėšų perskirstymo tarp savivaldybės teritorijoje esančių mokyklų, neužtikrinamas mokinio krepšelio finansavimo principas – „pinigai paskui mokinį“. Pagrindiniai dokumentai, kuriais remiantis įgyvendinama bendrojo lavinimo politika svarbų dėmesį skiria subsidiarumo principo taikymui, atsakomybių perdavimui į žemiausius lygmenis, mokyklų valdymo tobulinimui, ugdymo kokybei... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / General education - is one of the most important parts of Lithuanian education. In this stage the child spends the most time. It forms his worldview, character. Child acquires his first competences and social skills. Therefore, state should give particular attention to general education policy Education and the formation and implementation of educational policy are affected by the permanent changing factors, the trend of globalization. So the policy implementers must take into account the ongoing changes in the overall global and European trends. There can be observed a number of problems in Lithuania general education system - until now there are no optimal infrastructure in general education schools and other educational institutions, the insufficient funding, lack of efforts to improve the quality. Restructuring of the municipal school network is delayed in the majority of municipalities, so as a consequence more funds needed for their maintenance, training facilities and other items. Key documents which determine the implementation of general education policy focuses on the application of the subsidiarity principle, the transfer of responsibilities to lower levels of school management, quality of education. As well documents define aspects of the most important educational management, organization and implementation, define responsibilities of each institutions. However, it can be noted that principles which were established in these documents are not fully implemented... [to full text]

This thesis explores the degree of independent action possible by national governments in deciding their education policies – in other words, what may be termed their sphere of authority (SoA) – in the context of globalisation; whereby Pakistan, perhaps more than many nation states, is subject to a variety of geopolitical and economic pressures. This issue is explored through a study of the recent education policy review process in Pakistan that resulted in a White Paper: ‘Education in Pakistan’ in 2007. In exploring the SoA of the government of Pakistan in deciding its education policy priorities, key areas of enquiry include the tensions between national and global interests and their attempted discursive management by the government of Pakistan. The research uses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as its main methodological resource and looks at two kinds of textual data: interviews with key policy actors and selected policy texts. The methodology of CDA draws attention to the fact that texts are embedded within linguistic, discursive and structural contexts, and that these contexts provide resources that are mobilized by different actors. The textual data resources were analysed to see how language shapes the construction of the White Paper; what discourses are being drawn upon and contested in the articulation of the White Paper and thus what broad power structures shape the White Paper and illustrate the SoA of the government of Pakistan. The findings suggest that the policy review process as illustrated by the White Paper reveals various tensions caused by differences between global and national education policy interests. These tensions are visible in the style and genre of policy; the pursuit of global policy prescriptions; trends to privatization of provision; and disputes over the issue of language and about the ideological principles that should inform educational provision. The research suggests that inclusive and ‘soft’ governance discourse along with a process of consultation were used by the government in an attempt to manage these tensions. The expertise with which the government designed the consultation process and deployed discursive resources sought to establish and maintain its SoA.

This thesis explores the fundamental ethics and purpose of elite higher education. Beginning with an inquiry into the history of American higher education, this work reveals that the U.S. News & World Report “Best College” and “Best University” ranking lists hold an increasingly important role in distinguishing institutions, particularly those within the elite tier. Following an examination of the U.S. News’ methodology, this analysis confronts concerns with individual access to elite institutions. Although there are potential changes to the U.S. News’ methodology that could improve institutional assessment, this thesis does not propose alternative rankings. Rather, it focuses on many institutions’ problematic choice to use the rankings as a guide for admissions and institutional practice. This work evaluates the potentially stratifying components of elite institutions and questions what American higher education inculcates in students. This endeavor concludes by providing suggestions for how to democratize elite institutions in order to realize their respective missions and improve access to educational opportunities. Chapter I: Introduction & Motivation Chapter II: History Chapter III: The U.S. News & World Report Rankings Chapter IV: The Current System of Higher Education Chapter V: For Society’s Benefit

<p>In this dissertation, I explore the impact of several public policies on civic participation. Using a unique combination of school administrative and public–use voter files and methods for causal inference, I evaluate the impact of three new, as of yet unexplored, policies: one informational, one institutional, and one skill–based. Chapter 2 examines the causal effect of No Child Left Behind’s performance-based accountability school failure signals on turnout in school board elections and on individuals’ use of exit. I find that failure signals mobilize citizens both at the ballot box and by encouraging them to vote with their feet. However, these increases in voice and exit come primarily from citizens who already active—thus exacerbating inequalities in both forms of participation. Chapter 3 examines the causal effect of preregistration—an electoral reform that allows young citizens to enroll in the electoral system before turning 18, while also providing them with various in-school supports. Using data from the Current Population Survey and Florida Voter Files and multiple methods for causal inference, I (with my coauthor listed below) show that preregistration mobilizes and does so for a diverse set of citizens. Finally, Chapter 4 examines the impact of psychosocial or so called non-cognitive skills on voter turnout. Using information from the Fast Track intervention, I show that early– childhood investments in psychosocial skills have large, long-run spillovers on civic participation. These gains are widely distributed, being especially large for those least likely to participate. These chapters provide clear insights that reach across disciplinary boundaries and speak to current policy debates. In placing specific attention not only on whether these programs mobilize, but also on who they mobilize, I provide scholars and practitioners with new ways of thinking about how to address stubbornly low and unequal rates of citizen engagement.</p> / Dissertation

In the 21st century, cosmopolitanism has become an ever emerging concept, as scholars turn to this worldview with the hope to address the unavoidable impacts of globalization. Simultaneously, the new educational trends in Europe in combination with the ongoing socio-political changes create new needs that demand a more cosmopolitan interference. With this in mind, the present research attempts to examine whether and how cosmopolitan ideals are promoted through education policies in Europe and to what extent these cosmopolitan ideals succeed to reach national policies and school practice in a country as Greece. To this end, the author conducts a qualitative multilevel study between Europe and Greece and bases her study on two research methods: interviews and document analysis.     The interview and document analysis that follows leads to a comparison not only between the European and the Greek context but also between the policy and practice level that spawns a better and deeper understanding of how education promotes and can promote cosmopolitanism. The findings of the research highlight that the dilemma of whether to employ an ethnocentric or cosmopolitan educational approach can be acute. Parallel to that, the conflicting conceptions of cosmopolitanism between Greece and the European Union tend to render the moral aspects of education quite numb. Finally, the research closes with some recommendations for the future and suggestions for further studies.

This exploratory study examines the modernisation of the education system in Bhutan. It focuses on three key dimensions of the modernisation process. The first dimension concerns the debates and discussions surrounding the question of modernisation. As is to be expected, there are strongly held views that modernisation is a ‘good’ thing for Bhutan; however, conversely, there exist equipotent views that traditional culture may erode in the quest for modernisation. The study seeks to tease out these contestations through the examination of available text, including oral texts such as radio discussions, written policy documents, newspaper articles, and conversations. The second key dimension of this study examines the translation of decisions from the aforementioned debate – it is significant that modernisation policies have already been shaped though the debate is ongoing – into the delivery of education. Thus, the study focuses both on curriculum policy as well as pedagogic strategies. Finally, the third key dimension focuses on the role of the teacher as a mediator. Here, the inquiry focuses on how teachers manage the tensions. The primary purpose of this research is to contribute to our understanding of changes in Bhutan’s education policy and curriculum (1990-2010), which charge the education sector with supporting the continuity of tradition and mediating the tension between tradition and modernisation. There is a growing body of literature that examines Bhutanese discourses on tradition, culture, and modernisation of Bhutan’s education sector (see Phuntsho, 2000; Roder, 2012; Ueda, 2003; Wangyal, 2001; Whitecross, 2002). However, despite the comprehensive education reforms currently underway which position teachers at the centre of a number of initiatives (VanBalkom & Sherman, 2010), a gap exists in available studies that bring the voices of teachers to the fore. Given that teachers occupy a central role in the education system and that the implementation of curriculum innovations succeed ‘only when the teachers concerned are committed to them and especially, when they understand as well as accept, their underlying principles,’ (Kelly, 2009:15) this study is an exploration of interplay between policy and practice and considers teachers as the focal point. This research was conducted in 2010 and 2011 in the Thimphu and Paro dzongkhags. It included semi-structured interviews with 9 prominent policy makers and politicians, 11 education leaders, and 51 middle secondary school teachers, 7 of which were observed. More specifically, this study tells the stories of individuals who were involved in the modernisation of the national system of education from its inception in the 1960s and uncovers the experiences of a younger generation of educators. Overall, the findings of this study reveal that in Bhutan, traditional and modern epistemologies are strong currents that converge and intermingle. However, at particular points of intersection, they flow in two competing directions. Education stakeholders are thus positioned at a critical juncture where different knowledge ‘flows’ (Appadurai, 1996) converge and diverge, generating fracture lines and, at times, hindering the possibility of balance. The participants in this study revealed a range of complex and contradictory voices as many attempted to reconcile the evident tensions.