If You Want Change, Change the Rhetoric
by Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute In my 30-plus years in education, I’ve seen a lot of changes. Unfortunately, they aren’t changes that have really improved much. Sure, since I graduated with my education degree back in the 1980s (that long ago?), I’ve seen the advent of the PC, the World Wide Web (as it was once known), smart boards and … Continue reading If You Want Change, Change the Rhetoric
The Song Remains the Same
by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute I’m guilty. I did it. I Googled myself. I’m not sure why, but I did. Ego, I guess. It sounds worse that it is, but in the end, I Googled myself. And what I found astonished me. I found a 15-year old video of me speaking at an event in Washington, DC. The date … Continue reading The Song Remains the Same
Kicking the Common Core in the Teeth? Get a Life.
by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute It seems I can’t turn any way these days without seeing someone who has a grudge against the Common Core Standards. And while I can certainly point to political leanings on these issues, the truth is that the right and the left don’t like the Standards. I don’t get it. Without digressing too much, … Continue reading Kicking the Common Core in the Teeth? Get a Life.
Seven Guiding Questions for Student Retention
by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute Eight years ago I wrote a piece for EPI’s Student Success Magazine titled “Seven Guiding Questions for Student Retention.” That seems ions ago, but people still come up to me and comment on that particular writing sample of mine. I came across it the other day and found that, for better or worse, the … Continue reading Seven Guiding Questions for Student Retention
The Return of “Huge” Data
By Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist, Educational Policy Institute There seems to be renewed interest in the collection of student unit record in higher education. Back in 2008 during the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), a provision was added to the law that restricted the federal government from collecting student-based unit record data. This followed a multi-year dialogue about how … Continue reading The Return of “Huge” Data
The Swail Letter on Higher Education 