In the spring of 2015, large numbers of districts across the country will begin releasing scores on new, Common Core-aligned assessments. These scores will provide us with an initial look at how well our students are prepared for college and career based on the higher bar set by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
Despite widespread adoption by most of the nation in 2010, according to the 2013 PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, 62 percent of respondents say they have never heard of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
To help prepare education practitioners and advocates for the changes ahead, we examined how recent changes in state assessments were communicated to stakeholders, and the results of those efforts. We interviewed parents, district and school administrators, state education officials, education advocates, union representatives and school board members in states that made changes to their assessments or cut scores in order to raise the bar of student expectations similar to Common Core-aligned assessments efforts now.
The findings offer a lens into what works for system leaders eager to develop strong support for new CCSS assessments and their overall efforts to ensure that all students graduate from high school ready for college and career.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
In the spring of 2015, large numbers of districts across the country will begin releasing scores on new, Common Core-aligned assessments. These scores will provide us with an initial look at how well our students are prepared for college and career based on the higher bar set by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
Despite widespread adoption by most of the nation in 2010, according to the 2013 PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, 62 percent of respondents say they have never heard of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
To help prepare education practitioners and advocates for the changes ahead, we examined how recent changes in state assessments were communicated to stakeholders, and the results of those efforts. We interviewed parents, district and school administrators, state education officials, education advocates, union representatives and school board members in states that made changes to their assessments or cut scores in order to raise the bar of student expectations similar to Common Core-aligned assessments efforts now.
The findings offer a lens into what works for system leaders eager to develop strong support for new CCSS assessments and their overall efforts to ensure that all students graduate from high school ready for college and career.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
This paper articulates the case for a renewed role for business in global education through the lens of shared value. It is intended to help business leaders and their partners seize opportunities to create economic value while addressing unmet needs in education at scale. The concepts we describe apply across industries and to developed and emerging economies alike, although their implementation will naturally differ based on context
August 1970
Geographic Focus:
Education and Literacy;Race and Ethnicity
This paper reviews the status of historicallyblack colleges and universities (HBCUs) and assesses their mission in light of the changing nature of higher education and the new challenges that HBCUs and other higher education institutions must address. It is based on extensivediscussions with HBCU presidents and chancellors, campus visits, and reviews of documents and data.
HBCUs continue to play a critical role in "advancingm the race" and achieving President Obama's national goals for higher education and economic competitiveness, including a dramatic increase in college completion rates by 2020. To have the world's best-prepared workforce requires the United States to produce 10 million new college graduates and to make
sure every young person completes at least one year of postsecondary education.
Two generations ago, before desegregation, more than three-quarters of black college graduates attended HBCUs. Today, less than one-sixth of college-going black students attend these institutions, but this still representsa significant portion of a much bigger collegegoing population facing an increasingly large and complex array of educational opportunities.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
Education and Literacy;Women
This report explores an underappreciated part of our higher education system. The report looks at the role of community colleges in women's education, including challenges women face in completing a certificate or degree, or in transferring to a four-year institution. The particular concerns and needs of student mothers and barriers women face in pursuing STEM and nontraditional fields are examined in detail. The report includes recommendations that will strengthen community colleges for all students.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
Education and Literacy;Employment and Labor
Overall, people with a college education do better in the labor market than people with no education beyond high school. Higher levels of education correspond, on average, to higher levels of employment and higher wages. Yet, as college prices rise and as examples of graduates struggling to find remunerative employment despite their credentials become more visible, both potential students and the general public are questioning the value of a college education.
The data, however, remain clear: even at current prices, postsecondary education pays off for most people. Promising occupational and personal opportunities are disproportionately available to college graduates. It is increasingly difficult to maintain a middle class lifestyle without a postsecondary credential, and the economic, social, and civic benefits of a more educated population are well documented.
Outcomes do vary considerably, however, both among people with similar levels of education and across types of credentials. Growing income inequality does not just involve a growing gap between the earnings of the most educated and the least educated people; there is also increasing variation within educational categories. Greater understanding of these patterns and of the changes over time in the earnings premium for different levels of education can add perspective to discussions of the importance of increased educational attainment for both individuals and society as a whole.
This brief highlights some of the complexities underlying discussions of the return to the investment in postsecondary education and describes some of the variation in outcomes that leads to the prevalent uncertainty about the value of the investment, clarifying that disappointing outcomes for some are not inconsistent with a high average payoff and significant benefits for most students
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
This report details our visits in 19 vibrant communities and 47 impressive classrooms across Minnesota. We hope the proof points that educators and community leaders shared will inspire fellow teachers, administrators, community leaders -- and policymakers -- in classrooms and at the capitol. It's critical to learn from and collaborate with Minnesotans working to make great public schools available to all kids.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Midwestern)-Minnesota
Education and Literacy;Employment and Labor
Finding ways to help more Americans develop and connect their knowledge, skills, and talent with a good job may be the most important economic and human development challenge in this country. To contribute to the dialogue surrounding the importance of post-secondary education in preparing and connecting people with a good job, for the past three years, Lumina and Gallup have been gauging the American public's opinion on the most pressing issues facing higher education today, including cost, access, quality, and workforce readiness. This year, in addition to the annual public opinion poll conducted of the U.S. general population, a second survey was conducted of business leaders in the U.S. to understand their perceptions of post-secondary education and how higher educational institutions are doing in preparing employees for the world of work. Together these studies can help inform what thought leaders and ALL Americans need to know about the value and opportunity that quality higher education affords.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
