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.

The 2009 annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, released Wednesday, found support for President Barack Obama's education plans, weariness for the "No Child Left Behind Act," and support as well as confusion regarding charter schools. Indiana University School of Education faculty offer their comments on the findings and share other faculty research pertinent to the survey findings.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The candidates for the Indiana State Superintendent of Public Instruction will face off twice in five days during debates presented by organizations of the Indiana University School of Education. Republican Tony Bennett and Democrat Richard Wood will answer questions from audience members and members of the media in each respective debate.

A new policy brief from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at the Indiana University School of Education examines the emergence of virtual education as a potentially viable public education tool. The report, "Promises and Pitfalls of Virtual Education in the United States and Indiana," recommends the development of clear guidelines and policies to allow virtual education to succeed and avoid possible litigation.

Indiana's relatively new cohort-based high school graduation rate calculation is providing better data, which indicates its value to other states across the country. But the calculation reveals other issues that should be examined. The Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) in the IU School of Education has issued those conclusions in a new policy brief entitled "Calculating High School Graduation Rates."

Local school districts and teacher preparation programs can do more to help, but more research is needed on issues surrounding the low numbers nationwide of men teaching in public schools, according to a new Education Policy Brief from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University.

Celebrate Black History Month, explore the Supreme Court in two Patten Lectures by Martha Nussbaum and meet the daughter of ABC anchor Ted Koppel in this edition of Lecture Notes.

The top lobbyist for "No Child Left Behind" policy for the National Education Association does not see much possibility of the law being renewed by Congress this year. Joel Packer, director of educational policy and practice for the NEA, speaks on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 3 p.m. in the Dogwood Room of the Indiana Memorial Union at Indiana University Bloomington.

The results of the fifth annual Public Opinion Survey on K-12 Education in Indiana by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at the Indiana University School of Education find public attitudes are slightly down regarding the overall quality of schools in the state. The survey gauged the attitudes and perceptions of a representative sample of Hoosiers on key educational issues.

The state of Indiana should develop a support structure that helps schools work better on their own specific issues with discipline, according to a new report by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy and the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, both at Indiana University.

As proponents of school reform consider whether the old school calendar still makes sense, researchers and school administrators should scrutinize alternative calendars and the use of the current school time, according to researchers at the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University. The new policy brief called "Alternatives to the Traditional School-Year Calendar" is authored by Terry Spradlin, associate director for education policy at CEEP, and Shaun P. Johnson, graduate research assistant at CEEP.

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.

Andrew Rotherham will speak on Thursday (April 12) at 3:30 p.m. in the Georgian Room of the Indiana Memorial Union as part of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) Policy Chat Series. The title of his speech is "Collective Bargaining in Education: Negotiating Change in Today's Schools," which also is the title of a recent book he co-edited.

In this edition of Lecture Notes, celebrate the study of Alzheimer's, explore the artwork of Kalidou Sy and find out if you are fit to breed.

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.

Boredom in the classroom is an everyday experience for most students, and today's kids say they are bored because they dislike the material and experience inadequate teacher interaction, according to a special report from Indiana University's High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE). The findings, released today (February 28), show that 2 out of 3 students are bored in class every day; 17 percent say they are bored in every class. More than 81,000 students responded to the annual survey. HSSSE was administered in 110 high schools, ranging in size from 37 students to nearly 4,000, across 26 states.

Indiana's school funding formula is keeping money away from the highest-need school corporations, say researchers at Indiana University. A new study finds the "Complexity Index," or CI, isn't doing what lawmakers envisioned, partly because index factors are not considered properly and other state provisions designed to prevent dramatic changes in individual school budgets are hindering the effort.

Jonathan Plucker, director of the Center on Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at Indiana University Bloomington will be available on Tuesday (Feb. 13), to comment on final recommendations of the Commission on No Child Left Behind for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act.