Testing to Death
By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute This summer, Education Week’s Scott Cech wrote about test scores in 12 states, based on a study authored by Bruce Fuller of UC-Berkeley and the Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) at Stanford. The report finds that while academic progress appears to be increasing in mathematics, the growth rates are below those posted before and … Continue reading Testing to Death
Hillary Taking Charge in Postsecondary Education
By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute She’s already starting to look presidential. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner and the candidate that many observers now feel has a lock on the presidency (not necessary a good indicator this far out from the election), is putting real issues on the table while the other Democrat and Republican candidates are still getting their collective … Continue reading Hillary Taking Charge in Postsecondary Education
Stop the Insanity! Please!
By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute Remember Susan Powter? That punk-looking fitness/nutritional guru back in the 1990s? Yes, she’s the one who lost 130 lbs and then ran around America shouting “Stop the Insanity!” Well, that’s what came to mind this week after reading several articles on student loans, Marion Jones, US torture, et al. I read an AP article yesterday … Continue reading Stop the Insanity! Please!
Regional Development and the Role of the University
By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute “In order to be competitive in the globalizing knowledge economy, the OECD countries need to invest in their innovation systems at the national and regional levels…As key sources of knowledge and innovation, higher education institutions (HEIs) can be central to this process.” (OECD, 2007, p. 11). VALENCIA, SPAIN — And so it began. A three-day … Continue reading Regional Development and the Role of the University
When Europe Comes Alive
By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute Last week I had the fortune of presenting at the European Association for Institutional Research Conference (EAIR) in beautiful Innsbruck, Austria. For those who don’t often get the opportunity to travel to Europe, let alone international conferences, much of the current dialogue revolves around something called the “Bologna Process” (or Accord). For the uninitiated, the … Continue reading When Europe Comes Alive
The Swail Letter on Higher Education 