Author: Educational Policy Institute

The Educational Policy Institute (EPI) is a Virginia-based, not-for-profit think tank on education and the social sciences. EPI conducts evaluation and policy studies on various educational issues from Pre-K to workforce outcomes in the United States, Canada, and beyond. Visit us at www.educationalpolicy.org.
2010, K12, Student Success

The Fierce Urgency of Now

Early today, President Obama spoke at the National Urban League Annual Conference in Washington, DC. He used the platform to talk mostly about education and his Race to the Top (RTTT) agenda. Race to the Top is a $4 billion initiative of the Obama Administration to improve education in US schools by awarding states who undertake “ambitious yet achievable” plans for reform. In March 2010, Delaware and Tennessee were awarded the first RTTT funds, with Delaware receiving $100 million and Tennessee $500 million. On July 27th, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced an additional 18 states (plus the District of Columbia) to be in the running for an additional $3 billion in funds. Continue reading The Fierce Urgency of Now

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2010, Research/Policy, ROI/College Outcomes

PRESSURE: Two Perspectives on Pressure in Higher Education

The Boston Globe published a piece on Monday (thanks to Academica.ca for their reference) on the practice of adding a ‘gap’ year between high school and college. In Europe, many students take a gap year, sometimes through military service, sometimes through travel and other pursuits. But in Canada and the US, there is a push to continue education and get into the workforce. Continue reading PRESSURE: Two Perspectives on Pressure in Higher Education

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2010, College Affordability

Myths on College Costs and Prices? I Don’t Think So…

Earlier today, Elyse Ashburn of The Chronicle of Higher Education wrote about the cost of higher education in her piece, News Analysis: Higher-Education Misperceptions, Myths, and the Media. In the article, Ms. Ashburn discusses recent findings from Jane Wellman’s group, the Delta Project. Continue reading Myths on College Costs and Prices? I Don’t Think So…

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2010, Financial Aid, Research/Policy

Beware of Those Pointing Fingers

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International

The higher education rags and blogosphere is filled with talk of the career college sector right now, instigated in part by a set of new rules emanating from the US Department of Education recently. This is reminiscent of the 1992 reauthorization, where Congress and ED went after the for-profit “fly-by-night” colleges. In 1992 and the years preceding the reauthorization, Congress called them “fly-by-night.” This year the term is “bad apples.” Semantics. Continue reading Beware of Those Pointing Fingers

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2010, College Access, Retention

The Winning Attitude

By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO, Educational Policy Institute I write today’s commentary from Chicago, Illinois, where we are in the final day of our International Conference on Student Success, or RETENTION 2010. Thus, no more emails for another six months about this event. You must be relieved (Retention 101 coming up, though!). More significant, perhaps, is that our host city is in the midst … Continue reading The Winning Attitude

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