A nationwide survey of high school students finds that nearly 90 percent expect to earn their diploma and go to college, but many report a lack of interest and effort in the classroom that may dampen those hopes. "Engaging the Voices of Students: A Report on the 2007 & 2008 High School Survey of Student Engagement" presents the latest numbers from the annual survey conducted by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University.

A national survey released today shows that a variety of colleges and universities have shown steady improvement in the quality of undergraduate education, as measured by students' exposure to and involvement in effective educational practices. The 2009 report from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Assessment for Improvement: Tracking Student Engagement Over Time, details results from a 2009 survey of 360,000 students attending 617 U.S. colleges and universities.

Contrary to what many observers think, findings from a national study released today (Oct. 26) show that gathering information about what undergraduates learn during their studies is commonplace in most U.S. colleges and universities. However, the results are not always used and reported in ways that could improve student accomplishment and inform the public about institutional performance.

The Indiana University School of Education at IUPUI has received from the U.S. Department of Education a five-year, $2.7 million Teacher Quality Partnership grant for a new teacher residency program. The grant expands the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship program and will lead to a master's degree in education with graduates licensed to teach both general and special education. The grant is one of only 28 the federal government is awarding to improve instruction in struggling schools.

In a new book that Publishers Weekly says "puts a human face on Christian homeschooling," a professor at the Indiana University School of Education chronicles the stories of six conservative Christian families from across the country and analyzes the growing homeschooling movement. Write these Laws on Your Children: Inside the World of Conservative Christian Homeschooling (Beacon Press) is written by Robert Kunzman, associate professor for curriculum and instruction.

A new survey of Indiana superintendents, principals and school counselors finds that a majority see virtual learning as a way to enhance academic offerings in public education. Sixty percent of respondents to the "2009 Survey of Virtual Learning in Indiana," conducted by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at the Indiana University School of Education, said they are offering or may offer online courses in six different areas, including alternative education, gifted and talented education, and instruction for homebound students. But just half the respondents indicated their school would pay for virtual instruction and cited instructional cost as a barrier to offering more online courses.

A new book by an Indiana University School of Education professor takes a comprehensive look at how Web technology is changing worldwide education. The World is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education, was written by Curt Bonk, professor of instructional systems technology. It documents the many ways in which he says innovations have made it possible so that "anyone can learn anything from anyone else at any time."

The White House will likely succeed in simplifying the application for financial aid and in other measures aimed at increasing access to higher education, according to an Indiana University expert on issues of college choice, student financial aid policy, enrollment management and higher education finance.

The third annual Chinese Pedagogy Institute concludes this week on the Indiana University campus after two and a half weeks of intensive work to prepare more teachers of the Chinese language. The institute is a project of the Center for Chinese Language Pedagogy (CCLP) within the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has named Indiana University School of Education Executive Associate Dean Don Hossler the Sidney Suslow Award recipient for his distinguished scholarly contributions to institutional research. The award committee selects honorees "for their cumulative and on-going scholarly efforts to keep institutional research on the cutting edge of research, practice, policies and procedures in higher education."

As the Indiana General Assembly resumes work on a state budget in a special session starting tomorrow (June 11), Indiana's schools are unlikely to see a proposal that fully meets their needs, according to an Indiana University School of Education researcher of K-12 education finance. Rob Toutkoushian, associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, said teacher contracts and the cost-of-living increase will make it unlikely the budget will cover all school demands.

Noted writer, speaker, and educator John Seely Brown will discuss learning in the digital age at guest lectures on IU's Bloomington, Indianapolis, and South Bend campuses April 2-3, 2009. Brown is currently a visiting scholar at the University of Southern California and serves as an independent co-chairman for the Deloitte Center for Edge Innovation. Formerly, Brown served as the chief scientist at Xerox Corporation and the director of its Palo Alto Research Center.

A new interactive Web tool will virtually guide teachers and others who work with youth through the real-work task of finding information about post-secondary education and guiding youth seeking their guidance. The Center for P-16 Research and Collaboration in the Indiana University School of Education has activated the "College Knowledge and Access Module."

Hoosiers ranked education as the top policy issue, according to results from the sixth annual Public Opinion Survey on K-12 Education in Indiana, ranking it higher than the economy, health care and other important issues. The survey was conducted by Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at the Indiana University School of Education.

Terry Spradlin, associate director for education policy at Indiana University's Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, will present findings from the 2008 Public Opinion Survey on K-12 Education in Indiana to the State Board of Education on Jan. 7 in Indianapolis.

Terry Spradlin, the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy's (CEEP) associate director for education policy, is available to comment on Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' recommendation for school reorganization presented this morning as part of a local government reform package.

The Indiana University School of Education is now offering a new doctoral program in Inquiry Methodology, a program just approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. The program focuses on the study of research strategies used with both quantitative and qualitative data, allowing students to pursue a wide range of interests and contribute to better informing public debate on education and educational policy.

A comprehensive evaluation of data has found results that support both sides of the debate regarding charter schools in Indiana, but most of all finds that stakeholders have many misunderstandings about the schools. The Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at the Indiana University School of Education conducted the "Study of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Charter Schools in Indiana" following a request from the Indiana General Assembly.

The Indiana University School of Education will host education activist and writer Jonathan Kozol for a presentation this afternoon (Nov. 20) at the Indiana Memorial Union.

The Lilly Library announced today (Nov. 17) that Deborah Meier, considered the founder of the small schools movement in the U.S., will donate her personal papers to the library's collection. The announcement came during today's commemoration ceremony for the Indiana University School of Education's 100th anniversary. Meier gave the keynote address during a dinner celebration Sunday night.

Despite strong assertions from opponents and proponents, the effects of collective bargaining for teacher contracts isn't clear according to the existing research, says the latest Education Policy Brief from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at the Indiana University School of Education. More study and more consideration for opposing points of view would be helpful, according to the study's author.

Findings released today by a national survey based at an Indiana University research center show that the quality of undergraduate education varies far more within colleges and universities than between them. As a result, rankings can be highly misleading predictors of educational quality.

A delegation led by IU School of Education Dean Gerardo M. Gonzalez is in China this week to explore new possibilities for collaboration with Chinese universities as well as provide some professional development to Chinese higher education leaders. The delegation of five faculty members and a higher education policy studies student from China is visiting six Chinese universities.

Dean of the Indiana University School of Education, Gerardo Gonzalez, will be the keynote speaker Thursday morning (Oct. 23) for the "Educational Equity for Indiana's Latino Students" Conference at the Sheraton North Hotel in Indianapolis. Gonzalez will share some of his personal story as a Cuban immigrant and address some of the pressing issues in Latino education in Indiana. His address is at 9 a.m., beginning a day of sessions focusing on Latino education.