By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute Cliff Adelman passed away last week. To the uninitiated, Cliff was arguably the best data analyst on student issues that this world has ever seen. This is not an overstatement nor hyperbole. I’ve met most of them around the world at some point and he was leaps above any of them. If you don’t … Continue reading Cliff Notes
By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute The San Antonio Express-News wrote an opinion yesterday on the expansion of higher education in Texas. Senate Bill 828, which failed earlier this year, would give authority to expand higher education campuses to meet the growth and needs of the state. As noted by the state’s higher education commission, Raymund Paredes, building new facilities … Continue reading The Texas College Dilemma: How Big? How Much?
by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist, Educational Policy Institute I’ve long made the connection between the relatively lack of connection between a college degree and the workforce in terms of skill sets. Sure, many of the skills developed in college are hugely beneficial in the private and public sectors. No argument. But for them to have impact, one must have an … Continue reading Matching Skills, Credentials, and Jobs
The question for many of those that do change occupations is whether their changes are due to their lack of a “higher education,” or because they do not possess the requisite skills to earn a stable living in a volatile world? The common perception, and a perception voiced in Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, is that high school students do not possess the attributes for this and future workforce because many of the future jobs will require postsecondary education. Continue reading Debating How Much Education Society Really Needs
By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Scholar, Educational Policy Institute This is an opinion piece I wrote for the Chronicle Review and published on January 23, 2004. I stumbled upon it the other day and thought it was worth a repost on The Swail Letter. Let me know if you agree, disagree, and whether the same holds true 13 years later. As Congress tackles the reauthorization … Continue reading Legislation to Improve Graduation Rates Could Have the Opposite Effect
The Swail Letter on Higher Education 