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.

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 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."

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 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.

The call to consider reducing the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 could spur some valuable discussion, but alone won't solve the college student alcohol problem, according to Gerardo Gonzalez, University Dean of the IU School of Education. Gonzalez is an internationally recognized expert on alcohol and drug education.

Clayton Slaughter, a doctoral student in the Indiana University School of Education who also holds a degree from the IU School of Law, has been named to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, starting a two-year term that will expire on June 30, 2010. A student nominating committee recommended Slaughter for the appointment.

Continuing the "Pathways Initiative" that began collaborative projects last year, the Indiana University School of Education is funding four projects this year to bring faculty expertise and IU staff assistance together with teachers in Indiana's schools. Two projects based at Gary, Ind. elementary schools will build upon already established Pathways projects; two others will start new projects at Indianapolis high schools.

A new study from researchers at the Indiana University School of Education finds no linkage between the type or quality of educational institutions and the rate at which borrowers default on their student loans. Don Hossler, professor of educational leadership and policy studies and director of the Project on Academic Success, led the study.

The April 2007 edition of Learning Matters includes news tips about students living in rural poverty; thoughts on the pending U.S. Supreme Court case Morse v. Frederick, also known as the "Bong Hits for Jesus" case; the contradicting evidence in some existing literature about the effectiveness of school uniforms; and the conflicting views on the impact of virtual charter schools on tax support.

This tipsheet features IU School of Education faculty comments regarding the "Pathways to Success" Initiative. Part of the state budget bill includes a provision for the "Pathways to Success" Initiative, a request from Indiana University that would begin a program to better prepare students for college and the life sciences workforce. The IU School of Education would work with public high schools and middle schools in Marion, Lake and St. Joseph counties. The goal of the program is to raise high school graduation rates, prepare students better for college and enhance their chances for success in postsecondary education, and produce teachers better prepared for those school corporations.

In their report before the Indiana State Board of Education today (Jan. 3), Indiana University Center for Evaluation and Education Policy researchers said more Indiana residents are willing to pay higher taxes in exchange for full-day kindergarten. The survey also found that, as a whole, Hoosiers continue to hold positive attitudes about public K-12 schools, but non-whites were more likely than whites to give unfavorable ratings.

Teacher quality is one of the most important predictors of a child's academic achievement, but schools in Indiana and across the nation are struggling to employ teachers who are 100 percent qualified to instruct the subjects they are teaching, Indiana University education experts say. In addition, researchers say the recruitment and retention of experienced teachers should be emphasized as much as seeking higher numbers of new teachers to enter the profession. "Teacher turnover and retirement trends, when coupled with the 'highly qualified' teacher licensure requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, are growing issues of significance that education leaders and policymakers in our state must address," said Terry Spradlin, associate director for education policy at the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at IU Bloomington.

The September 2006 issue of Learning Matters looks at research examining Latina/Latino parent involvement, sex education for students with developmental disabilities, the Teach with Tech podcast series and research that indicates the climate at rural schools may be beneficial to special education students.

These education news tips examine the school dress code battle, the 65 Percent Solution legislation and what parents should do to prepare their children for kindergarten or school for the first time.

The Indiana State Board of Education will review and possibly adopt during its meeting today (Monday, June 19) a list that places all public schools in School Performance and Improvement Categories. The rankings, called for in P.L.-221 education reform legislation passed in 1999, are the last primary component of Indiana's school reform efforts to be implemented. Jonathan Plucker, director of Indiana University's Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, can address the rankings and discuss whether Indiana's school reform efforts and the federal No Child Left Behind initiative can co-exist.

The Indiana Department of Education today (May 19) released its annual report on the success that schools and school districts in the state have had in meeting the Adequate Yearly Progress requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Jonathan Plucker, director of Indiana University's Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, is a school reform and education policy expert who can discuss the significance of Indiana's latest AYP status report as well as how the state and federal accountability systems affect each other and the state's K-12 public education system.

Education funding expert Robert Toutkoushian and education law expert Martha McCarthy, both professors in the Indiana University School of Education, can discuss aspects of lawsuits that challenge how states fund education. Such a lawsuit was recently filed in Indiana.