Publications -- Education

Sep 01, 2009

BA #675 – Alternative Certification Programs: Meeting the Demand for Effective Teachers

Growing public school enrollment, an increase in the number of teachers retiring or leaving the profession and legislated limits on class size have made finding competent educators a growing challenge. In recent years, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have established alternative certification programs to help meet this challenge. But have these programs been successful?

Oct 23, 2008

BA #636 – Beyond No Child Left Behind: Value-Added Assessment of Student Progress

The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires each state to evaluate every public school annually, and to make “adequate yearly progress” toward helping all students meet or exceed state standards in reading and math by 2014. However, each state defines its progress and creates its own tests. Most states measure academic achievement based on pass-fail tests that require students to attain a minimum score.

Aug 23, 2008

BA #622 – Green Schools Don’t Make the Grade

Congress is considering funding a range of projects designed to reduce carbon emissions, including the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, which would provide $20 billion to build public schools that meet “green” environmental standards.  House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) says the legislation will not only save energy, but also make the facilities safer and cleaner and dramatically reduce costs.  Advocates claim that such schools will use 35 percent less energy.

Nov 12, 2007

BA #602 – School Choice and Hispanic Dropouts

In 2005, more than one-fifth (22.4 percent) of Hispanics 16 through 24 years of age were dropouts, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).  This means they were not enrolled in school, and had not graduated from high school or passed General Educational Development (GED) tests. 

Nov 05, 2007

BA #601 – Texas Charters, Choice and Performance

Texas is at the forefront of a blossoming nationwide charter school movement. Although charter schools are publicly funded, they are free of some of the regulations that burden public schools and are managed independently.  Charter schools are subject to the state's accountability system, including the annual Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).

Feb 09, 2007

The High Cost of Failing to Reform Public Education in Texas

This study documents the public costs of high school dropouts in Texas and examines how school choice could provide large public benefi ts by increasing graduation rates in Texas public schools. It calculates the annual cost of high school dropouts in Texas caused by reduced tax revenue, increased Medicaid costs and increased incarceration costs. It then examines how competition from private schools already raises public school graduation rates and calculates the dollar value of the public benefi ts that would follow from increasing Texas's public school graduation rates by enacting even a modest school choice program.

Oct 24, 2005

BA #535 – Teachers' Cost of Living Matters More

Public officials and teacher unions often compare teacher salaries in a particular city or region against the national average or against other U.S. cities. They assume teachers in areas with higher than average pay are doing well, whereas teachers in areas below the national average must fare poorly. Legislators in states where teacher pay is below the national average are under considerable pressure to raise salaries.

Oct 13, 2005

BA #534 – Educating the Children of Katrina

Hurricane Katrina wrought devastation and chaos, leaving hundreds of thousands unemployed and homeless. Among the victims are at least 372,000 displaced students.

Oct 06, 2005

BA #531 – Charter Schools and Urban Development

Charter schools are independent public schools exempt from many of the rules and regulations that impede innovation and flexibility in conventional public schools. Traditionally, charter schools are sponsored by churches, community centers or nonprofit organizations, and cater to lower-income or needy families. However, they are increasingly becoming a tool for nonprofit and commercial builders to lure young families into urban and suburban housing developments.

Aug 19, 2004

BA #482 – Is College Too Expensive, Or More Affordable Than Ever?

To the 10.5 million students in college each year and their families, college affordability is a major concern. With annual regularity, news headlines warn about rising college costs. Tuition at four-year public universities, for example, jumped an average of 14.1 percent last year. But is college truly less affordable today? Thanks to an explosion in federal grants, state aid and tax credits, the average student pays less than ever for a public university education.