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The 2023-2024 AASA Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study marks the twelfth consecutive edition of this report. The 2023-2024 version employed a slightly revised and updated survey instrument. The survey tracked the demographics, salary, benefits, and other elements of the employment agreements of school superintendents throughout the country. This year's study results are based on 2,706 complete responses -- the highest response rate since inception of the study in 1999. The survey was distributed online and relied on superintendents responding to 66 items with the understanding that the report of findings would contain no personally identifiable information. Therefore, readers must consider the data descriptive and not necessarily representative of all superintendents. The study is intended to provide superintendents with actionable information needed to negotiate and manage their compensation and benefits.

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to provide background information to develop deeper awareness about contract cheating in Canada and generate conversations about possible legislative approaches to address this growing problem. Methods: A qualitative legal analysis of legislation from the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and US (17 states) was conducted. In addition, a synthesis of current research relating to legal aspects of contract cheating is provided. Results: There is inconsistency in how various jurisdictions have approached legislation intended to address contract cheating. Although some legislation was enacted in several US states in the 1970s, there has been increased activity in recent years to pass legislation in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and most recently, the UK. A failed attempt in Ontario, Canada to enact legislation in 1972 is also discussed. Implications: Legislation against contract cheating may have limitations, but is nevertheless a useful way to combat commercial academic cheating enterprises that compromise the integrity of credentials awarded by institutions. Recommendations for institutions, scholars, and policy makers are offered.

Nearly 43 million college student borrowers across the United States owe more than $1.56 trillion in outstanding federal student loans. The number of student borrowers in the country has increased by 1.3 million, or 3.1 percent, over the past five years, while the amount of outstanding student debt in the country has increased by a whopping $ 353.9 billion or 29.2 percent, more than nine times the rate of the increase in borrowers. With more than 300 public and private colleges and universities in New York State that enroll nearly 1.3 million students, measuring, monitoring, and addressing the burdens associated with financing a college education in New York have become critical policy issues. With the third highest college enrollment of any state in the nation (6.4 percent of the US total), New York is also an important bellwether of national policy. This report compiles, updates, and significantly builds upon much of the work done by the Rockefeller Institute of Government on student loan debt. These analyses and commentaries are a supplement to additional work done by the Institute on the related issue of college access and affordability, notably "For Many, Is College Out of Reach?" and "Reducing the Cost of College" (August 2018), an analysis prepared by the Institute for the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation. [For the report, "For Many, Is College out of Reach? Exploring Scalable Innovative State Programs to Close the College Access (and Success) Gap," see ED605687.]

The COVID-19 crisis has profoundly disrupted U.S. higher education, affecting both institutions and people, including students, faculty, and staff. To understand the potential impact of the coronavirus on U.S. international higher education, WES Research surveyed prospective international and immigrant students interested in studying in the U.S.; and U.S. higher education professionals who work in various areas, such as admissions and student services, to support international and immigrant students. This report is based on the survey responses of 615 prospective international and immigrant students and 199 higher education professionals. The report provides insight into how the pandemic is affecting the plans of prospective students, as well as the adjustments U.S. institutions are making in light of the crisis. It explores: (1) Factors impacting prospective student interest in studying in the U.S. Institutional views regarding fall enrollment; and (2) Support services to assist international and immigrant students.

This study examines how the "college earnings premium" (CEP)--the difference in average earnings between workers with and without college education--varies across the United States. Specifically, it compares across cities, states, and rural areas the mean earnings of workers with bachelor's degrees to those with associate degrees, with some college, and/or with high school diplomas. John Winters uses individual-level data for the years 2015 through 2017 from the American Community Survey (ACS), which includes annual income, employment, and demographic information for a representative sample of the United States population. He examines three key questions: (1) How do college earnings premiums vary across states and metropolitan areas? (2) How do earnings and college earnings premiums vary by size of metropolitan area and degree of urbanization? and (3) How do college earnings premiums vary by race and ethnicity? What makes this analysis different from previous studies is its emphasis on geographic location. Although individuals with more education typically have higher average earnings regardless of location, the magnitudes of these differences can vary substantially across geographic areas. [Foreword by Amber M. Northern and Michael J. Petrilli.]

Contributions from and innovation in science and technology over many decades have resulted in dramatic improvements to American lives, including enhanced living standards and life expectancy, better access to information and connectivity across the globe, and increased access to and affordability of consumer goods. The analysis in this report is based on data from "Science and Engineering Indicators 2020" ("Indicators 2020"), which has been redesigned to ensure that the content is maximally useful and accessible to a wide audience. "Indicators 2020" consists of nine thematic reports that provide a high-level overview of the U.S. S&E enterprise, which includes elementary and secondary science and mathematics education, S&E higher education, S&E workforce, S&E publications, R&D investment, academic R&D, R&D-intensive industries, innovation, and public perceptions of S&T. This report highlights the key findings and indicators from the "Indicators 2020" thematic reports. Detailed analysis of these key indicators, as well as numerous important topics, are addressed in the individual thematic reports and are summarized in the executive summary of each report. This report is organized in six topical sections. The report begins with the topic of education, including performance of K-12 students and S&E degrees awarded in the United States, along with relevant international comparisons. The second section describes the demographic composition of the U.S. S&E workforce and employment trends, including trends in the skilled technical workforce. The next two sections focus on R&D, including the U.S. position within a global context and the structure of U.S. R&D performance and funding. The fifth section examines trends in global S&T capabilities, including S&E research publications and R&D-intensive industry output. The sixth section focuses on innovation-related indicators, as well as U.S. public attitudes toward S&T. The report ends with concluding remarks, as well as references and resources, such as a glossary of terms and acronyms, detailed notes for figures, and information on the other reports, including "Indicators 2020" thematic reports that provide the underlying analysis for each section.

As the price of college continues to rise and students find themselves deeper in debt, Americans are clamoring for ways to reduce their out-of-pocket college costs and debt. Some lawmakers have proposed removing the cost of college tuition as a solution. However, this brief argues three points: (1) U.S. policymakers should be wary of countries that provide "free" college to citizens. This has led to overcrowding, reduced access, and fewer resources per student; (2) "Free" college in America would be extremely expensive, with the costs burdening many taxpayers who did not obtain college degrees; and (3) Instead, the U.S. should focus on reducing college costs that are fueled by federal student loans and bolster alternative pathways like apprenticeships.

The November 2022 60-Second Survey invited AACRAO members to share how, if at all, their institution uses degree-audit and/or education-planning technology to support students. There were 653 responses from 11 countries. The majority of responses were from the United States (n = 621) and Canada (n = 23). Sixty-three percent of respondents serve both undergraduate and graduate and/or professional students, 29 percent serve undergraduate students only, and eight percent serve graduate and/or professional students only.

The United States has a growing and young Latino population. While 18 percent of the overall population is Latino, 25 percent of students in K-12 education are Latino. Additionally, the Latino population is projected to increase by 25 percent by 2030. Furthermore, the median age for Latinos is 30, compared to 44 for White non-Hispanics. As more Latino students enter higher education, policymakers at the state, institutional, and national level should keep in mind that they'll have an increasingly young, Latino, first-generation population. Nationally, Latino student enrollment and degree completion continues to increase. However, to reach the Latino degree attainment goal of 6.2 million degrees by 2030 requires a tactical plan for Latino college completion. This factsheet includes: (1) Fast facts; (2) United States Equity Gap in Degree Completion; and (3) Examples of What Works for Latino Students.

America's education system, from kindergarten through the state university, is designed to produce college graduates. Those who stop short of at least a community-college diploma are widely regarded as failures, or at least victims of a failed system. Yet most Americans fall into this category, and current trends offer little hope for improvement. Politicians and policymakers are finally paying attention to this population--which, roughly speaking, comprises the working class--and calls for more vocational education and apprenticeships have become fashionable. But a more fundamental reordering of the nation's misshapen educational infrastructure is necessary if alternatives to the college pipeline are to take their rightful place as coequal pathways to the workforce. Key finding of the report are: (1) Fewer than one in five students travel smoothly from high school diploma to college degree to career; most Americans fail to earn even a two-year associate's degree. Students are as likely to drop out of high school, skip higher education, drop out of college, or earn a degree unnecessary to their subsequent jobs; (2) Contrary to conventional wisdom, a college degree is neither necessary nor sufficient for reaching the middle class. The wage and salary distributions for college graduates and high school graduates overlap significantly; high-earning high school graduates in a wide variety of fields that require no college degree earn substantially more than low-earning college graduates; and (3) While the potential demand for a serious Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway is huge, the federal government spent only $1 billion on CTE in 2016 but more than $70 billion subsidizing college attendance. State and local governments spent an additional $80 billion on college and almost nothing on expanding CTE pathways. Federal spending on college has more than doubled since 1990; spending on CTE has declined.

"The Condition of Education 2018" is a congressionally mandated annual report summarizing the latest data on education in the United States. This report is designed to help policymakers and the public monitor educational progress. This report contains indicators on the state of education in the United States, from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. This year's report includes 47 indicators on topics ranging from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. In addition to the regularly updated annual indicators, this year's spotlight indicators highlight new findings from recent the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys: (1) The first spotlight indicator examines the choices and costs that families face as they select early childhood care arrangements; (2) The second spotlight describes the characteristics of teachers who entered the teaching profession through an alternative route to certification program; and (3) The third spotlight presents data on average student loan balances for students completing graduate degrees. "The Condition" includes an "At a Glance section," which allows readers to quickly make comparisons within and across indicators, and a "Highlights" section, which captures key findings from each indicator. The report contains a "Reader's Guide," a "Glossary," and a "Guide to Sources" that provide additional background information. Each indicator provides links to the source "data tables" used to produce the analyses. As new data are released throughout the year, indicators will be updated and made available on "The Condition of Education" website. [For the 2017 report, "The Condition of Education 2017. NCES 2017-144," see ED574257.]

"Projections of Education Statistics to 2026" is the 45th report in a series begun in 1964. It includes statistics on elementary and secondary schools and degree-granting postsecondary institutions. This report provides revisions of projections shown in "Projections of Education Statistics to 2025" and projections of enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures to the year 2026. In addition to projections at the national level, the report includes projections of public elementary and secondary school enrollment and public high school graduates to the year 2026 at the state level. The projections in this report were produced by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to provide researchers, policy analysts, and others with state-level projections developed using a consistent methodology. They are not intended to supplant detailed projections prepared for individual states. Assumptions regarding the population and the economy are the key factors underlying the projections of education statistics. NCES projections do not reflect changes in national, state, or local education policies that may affect education statistics. Appendix A of this report outlines the projection methodology and describes the models and assumptions used to develop the national and state projections. The enrollment models use enrollment data and population estimates and projections from NCES, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the economic forecasting service IHS Global Inc. The models are based on the mathematical projection of past data patterns into the future. The models also use projections of economic variables from IHS Global Inc. The projections presented in this report are based on assumptions for the fertility rate, internal migration, net immigration, and mortality rate from the Census Bureau. [For "Projections of Education Statistics to 2025. Forty-Fourth Edition. NCES 2017-019," see ED576296.]

In May 2013, the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute published a short paper calling on the governments of Mexico and the United States to form a high-level bilateral working group on educational exchange with government, private sector, and academic representation. Based on a recognition of the economic, public diplomacy, and business benefits of deepening educational cooperation, the paper argued for a focus on STEM subjects and emphasized the importance of language training, public-private funding partnerships, and the creation of binational joint-degree programs. Later that year, the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Forum on Higher Education, Innovation, and Research (known by its Spanish acronym FOBESII) was created by Presidents Obama and Peña Nieto as part of the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue. Launched in 2014, FOBESII seeks to "expand opportunities for educational exchanges, scientific research partnerships, and cross-border innovation to help both countries develop a 21st century workforce for both our mutual economic prosperity and sustainable social development." It aims to promote binational cooperation in higher education and research, especially regarding important areas for innovation in the United States and Mexico, by promoting programs for student mobility, academic exchange, research, and innovation in areas of common interest to contribute to the competitiveness of the region. This report argues that, while FOBESII has done much to expand educational exchanges, increase joint research, and promote innovation, it has yet to achieve its stated goals and continues to face serious challenges. The authors argue that to overcome these challenges, future initiatives must focus on advancing private sector engagement, workforce development, and improving public communication and outreach. FOBESII continues to be a relevant and important initiative, but it is in urgent need of restructuring and redirection if it is to make a significant contribution to bilateral affairs and regional competitiveness.

"The Condition of Education 2017" is a congressionally mandated annual report summarizing the latest data on education in the United States. This report is designed to help policymakers and the public monitor educational progress. This year's report includes 50 indicators on topics ranging from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. "The Condition" includes an "At a Glance" section, which allows readers to quickly make comparisons within and across indicators, and a "Highlights" section, which captures a key finding or set of findings from each indicator. The report contains a "Reader's Guide," a "Glossary," and a "Guide to Data Sources" that provide additional information to help place the indicators in context. In addition, each indicator references the data tables that were used to produce the indicator, most of which are in the "Digest of Education Statistics." In addition to the regularly updated annual indicators, this year's report highlights innovative data collections and analyses from across the Center: (1) The first spotlight indicator examines the relationship between student risk factors at kindergarten entry (poverty and low parent educational attainment) and academic achievement in early elementary school; (2) The second spotlight indicator draws on administrative data from the Center's EDFacts data collection and finds that 2.5 percent of students in U.S. public elementary and secondary schools were reported as homeless in 2014-15; (3) The third spotlight indicator draws on longitudinal data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Study to examine the rates at which first-time college students persist toward completion of a degree or certificate; and (4) The fourth spotlight indicator examines how disability rates for U.S. adults vary by educational attainment, finding that 16 percent of 25- to 64-year-olds who had not completed high school had one or more disabilities in 2015, compared to 4 percent of those who had completed a bachelor's degree and 3 percent of those who had completed a master's or higher degree. In addition, two indicators provide insights from the Center's recent work on technology in education. The first previews key findings from the Center's upcoming report, "Student Access to Digital Learning Resources Outside of the Classroom." The second presents findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress's 8th-grade Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) assessment. [For the 2016 report: "The Condition of Education 2016. NCES 2016-144," see ED565888.]

This report provides a snapshot of the extent to which U.S. public school students are taught by certified and experienced teachers. The report uses two datasets available to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). SASS provides a comprehensive picture, as it includes teachers of K-12 students in all subjects. NAEP provides a picture specific to grades 4 and 8. In addition, NAEP data are directly related to teachers of two key subjects: reading and mathematics. SASS data are available for the 2011-12 school year and NAEP data are available for 2013 and 2015. The report presents the percentage of U.S. public school students who are taught by teachers with state certification, by teachers with more than 5 years of experience, and by teachers with a postsecondary degree in the subject in which they teach by various school and student characteristics. Taken together, the information from SASS and NAEP illustrates that access to teachers with certification and other qualifications varies among students in different demographic groups, in different school settings, and in different states and large urban school districts. The following are appended: (1) Chapter 2 Data Tables; and (2) Chapter 3 Data Tables. Technical Notes are included.

This white paper, "Understanding Underrepresented Populations in the Business School Pipeline," examines the shifting US racial and ethnic demographics and projected growth among US minority populations and the challenges--and incentives--these developments pose for US business schools to increase the opportunities for minority students to participate in a graduate management education. Historically, many US underrepresented populations (URP), particularly African Americans and Hispanic Americans, have had disproportionately small representation in the business school pipeline. There are no easy solutions to changing these dynamics and smarter, more customized approaches to recruiting these prospective students will be required of business schools to bring more of these students through their doors.

"Projections of Education Statistics to 2023" is the 42nd report in a series begun in 1964. It includes statistics on elementary and secondary schools and postsecondary degree-granting institutions. This report provides revisions of projections shown in Projections of Education Statistics to 2022 and projections of enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures to the year 2023. In addition to projections at the national level, the report includes projections of public elementary and secondary school enrollment and public high school graduates to the year 2023 at the state level. The projections in this report were produced by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to provide researchers, policy analysts, and others with state-level projections developed using a consistent methodology. Assumptions regarding the population and the economy are the key factors underlying the projections of education statistics. NCES projections do not reflect changes in national, state, or local education policies that may affect education statistics. The following are appended: (1) Introduction to Projection Methodology; (2) Supplementary Tables; (3) Data Sources; (4) References; (5) List of Abbreviations; and (6) Glossary. [This report was prepared with IHS Global Insight. For "Projections of Education Statistics to 2022. Forty-First Edition. NCES 2014-051," see ED544761.]

The Completion Report describes the state of postsecondary education degree and credential attainment in Kentucky between Academic Years (AY) 2004-05 and 2013-14. Part One details the number and types of degrees produced during this time and pays attention to trends among key demographics in the state. Part Two provides context for these trends by comparing Kentucky to the United States. The report also provides analysis of the Commonwealth's strengths and areas of opportunity for improvement, and identifies questions for future research and policy recommendations for the postsecondary education system.

The authors of this report aim to understand the health of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and labor market in the Appalachia region -- defined as the intersection of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia -- with a focus on the mining and extraction industry. This report is the third in a three-part series. The first two reports provided initial examinations of STEM education and the labor market in the Appalachia Partnership Initiative (API) region. In this report, the authors address the same questions as the first two reports but devote more attention to examining whether and how any of the indicators have changed over time. The authors also tighten the analysis specifically to the API region and introduces a few new measures, such as participation in career and technical education (CTE). Key Findings: (1) Middle school students in the API states have outperformed students nationwide in mathematics, and trends are improving over time; (2) CTE in the API region has room for growth; (3) High school graduation rates are high and improving; (4) Although postsecondary enrollment decreased in the API region over time, the percentage of students graduating in STEM has been increasing and outstripping the national average; (5) The working-age population declined within the API region; (6) Median earnings were higher in suburban areas of the API region and lowest in parts of the urban centers, but there was no clear geographic pattern of growth in median earnings; (7) Earnings were high and growing in the mining and utilities industry in the API region; (8) The mining and extraction industry was particularly successful at compensating workers who held a high school degrees or had less education; and (9) New hires from outside the extraction industry in API states primarily came from within the region but from other industries and enjoyed large earnings increases. [The research was conducted with the RAND Social and Economic Well-Being Division. For "Wages, Employment, and STEM Education in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Report No. 1 (2016). Research Report. RR-1357-CHC," see ED605413. For "Wages, Employment, and STEM Education in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Report No. 2 (2017). Research Report. RR-1863-CHC," see ED605433.]

Undergraduate astronomy enrollments in the US continue to rise with junior and senior level enrollments exceeding the previous year's all-time high. The increasing undergraduate enrollments have produced 428 bachelor's in the 2013-14 academic year, also an all-time high. Undergraduate astronomy degree production will continue to rise given the increases seen in undergraduate enrollments. The first-year graduate student enrollments for fall 2014 were similar to the previous year with 187 students enrolled. The number of astronomy PhDs awarded has remained relatively unchanged in recent years, with 147 astronomy PhDs conferred in the class of 2014. This report contains detailed data from the annual Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2014 and includes all degree-granting astronomy departments in the United States. All but 5 of the 81 degree-granting astronomy departments contributed to the data supplied in this year's roster (94%). Thirty-eight are stand-alone astronomy departments and the remaining 43 are combined physics and astronomy departments. The totals above include data from the 76 responding departments as well as estimated data for the 5 non-responding departments.

Physics bachelor's degree production has more than doubled since the recent low in 1999 and total enrollments in US undergraduate physics programs continue to increase. The all-time high of 7,526 bachelor's degrees in the class of 2014 represents the 15th consecutive year that the number of physics bachelor's conferred has increased. First-year graduate physics student enrollments have been relatively unchanged in recent years averaging around 3,200 students. The number of physics PhDs conferred continues the general decade long trend of increasing PhD production. The 1,803 physics PhDs conferred in the class of 2014 is a 3% increase from the previous year and represents a new all-time high for physics PhDs. This report contains detailed data from the annual Survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2014 and covers all degree-granting physics departments in the United States. Of the 751 degree-granting physics departments, 679 (90%) contributed to the data supplied in this year's roster. The totals above include data from responding departments as well as estimated data for the 72 non-responding departments.

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) collects institution-level data from postsecondary institutions in the United States (50 states and the District of Columbia) and other U.S. jurisdictions. This First Look presents findings from the provisional data of the IPEDS fall 2012 data collection, which included three survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2012-13 academic year; Completions, covering the period July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012; and 12-Month Enrollment, covering the period July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012. Data for all three components were collected through the IPEDS web-based data collection system. This "First Look" provides users with an opportunity to access fully reviewed, edited, and imputed IPEDS data. These provisional data are an update to the previously released preliminary data, which were not extensively reviewed or edited. Final data, including revisions to the provisional data submitted by institutions after the close of data collection, will be available during the next collection year (2013-14). The purpose of this report is to introduce new data through the presentation of tables containing descriptive information. Selected findings have been chosen to demonstrate the range of information available when using the IPEDS data rather than to discuss all of the observed differences, and they are not meant to emphasize any particular issue. Not all data collected during the fall 2012 collection are displayed in this "First Look"; however, all data from the fall 2012 collection are publicly available through the IPEDS Data Center, found at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter. Appended are: (1) Data Collection Procedures; and (2) Glossary of Terms. (Contains 4 tables and 8 footnotes.)

A new environment of budgetary cuts and increasing competition is forcing many institutions to become strategic and deliberate in their recruitment efforts. Effective international recruitment practices are dependent more than ever on a deep understanding of student mobility patterns and decision-making processes. The purpose of this research is to provide an in-depth understanding of the trends and issues related to international student enrollment and to help institutional leaders and administrators make informed decisions and effectively set priorities. Although student mobility is expected to grow, institutions have to compete hard for talented and self-funded students. A better understanding of global mobility trends and their relationship to the applicant pipeline will help institutions channel their efforts. Institutions that are strategic, deliberate and informed in their recruitment efforts will maximize the investment in an efficient manner.

To date, no research has examined the AB degree through a state policy lens or has acknowledged the scope of involvement of 4-year colleges and universities. This omission limits current understanding of the AB degree as a potential contributor to the higher education system and to the nation's college completion agenda in particular. The primary goals of this study were to document the extent to which AB degrees are offered by higher education institutions in the 50 states, to examine different approaches and models for implementing and awarding these degrees, and to explore the state and institutional policy contexts that surround the awarding of AB degrees by community and technical colleges and 4-year colleges and universities. The study was conducted in two phases, beginning with a national inventory of AB degrees in the U.S. public higher education sector (Phase 1), and extending into a multicase study of 6 states (Phase 2). In 2009, the authors began the second phase of the study by conducting case studies in six states (Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington), which were selected because of their engagement in AB degrees, but also because of their diversity in policy and program approaches to various forms of baccalaureate degrees. In looking at the six states that were the focus of Phase 2 of the study, several themes emerged. First, despite a paucity of impact data, state and institutional administrators believe that AB degrees benefit adult learners, particularly those who are currently working or who are using the degree as a means for job advancement. Also important to this investigation was the fact that interview and online survey results confirmed that students targeted for AB degrees are overwhelmingly adult learners who are working, but this group also included unemployed or dislocated workers and active military personnel. Students of color and students with disabilities were identified by program directors responding to the authors' survey, as was also evident in their field observations and interviews. The findings lead to several conclusions about past developments in and potential of the AB. The authors offer several recommendations to continue to advance research and development concerning the AB degree. Appended are: (1) The Applied Baccalaureate Project Advisory Committee Members; (2) State-by-State Inventory; (3) Identified Applied Baccalaureate Programs in the Six Selected States; and (4) The Applied Baccalaureate (AB) Online Survey Instrument. (Contains 2 figures, 11 tables and 1 footnote.)

The Statistical Research Center of the American Institute of Physics conducts an annual census of all degree-granting physics departments in the United States and Puerto Rico. In the 2007-2008 academic year, there were 763 degree-granting departments. The authors received responses from 97% of these departments. Estimates were derived and included in the totals for non-responding departments. Their findings are presented in this paper. Appendices include: (1) Undergraduate physics student enrollments, fall 1999-fall 2008; and (2) Graduate physics student enrollments, fall 1999-fall 2008. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)

Through this document, Lumina Foundation for Education offers a "Degree Qualifications Profile," a tool that can help transform U.S. higher education. A Degree Profile--or qualifications framework--illustrates clearly what students should be expected to know and be able to do once they earn their degrees--at any level. This Degree Profile thus proposes specific learning outcomes that benchmark the associate, bachelor's and master's degrees--which constitute the great majority of postsecondary degrees awarded by U.S. colleges and universities--regardless of a student's field of specialization. Beyond encouraging thoughtful discussion and evolution of those reference points, the Degree Profile can serve other purposes either lacking or imperfectly realized in American higher education today. While it is difficult to anticipate all of the purposes that the Degree Profile can serve, there are several obvious applications that deserve mention. At the curriculum and classroom level, instructors and students can refer to the Degree Profile as a common source of understanding and as a point of departure for agreement on more detailed and specific expectations regarding the development of programs, courses, assignments and assessments. At the college and university level, the Degree Profile provides reference points that allow faculty members to articulate and better align institutional student learning outcomes with departmental objectives. The Degree Profile also should offer students and advisers reference points for degree planning. In addition, institutions can use the Degree Profile to help align their expectations with those of other institutions and to give prospective students a clear statement of the outcomes they seek to assure. Regional accreditors should find that the Degree Profile prompts them to reach the consensus on learning outcomes that is being sought by many leaders and opinion makers. Specialized accreditors can use the Degree Profile as a platform for relating disciplinary expectations to institutional ones. A list of sources is included. (Contains 1 footnote.) [For the executive summary, see ED515341.]

Today, the United States spends about twice as much on higher education as the average developed nation, but many other countries are doing a better job of graduating more students at substantially lower expense. To provide more high-quality degrees and credentials at lower cost, colleges and universities must become high-performing institutions. They must contain costs and reallocate their resources to programs that help more students succeed. Arizona--the subject of this issue of "Lumina Foundation Focus" magazine--is one of seven states seeking to get back on track. It is using a four-year, $1.5 million Lumina grant to scale up the state's range of "no-frills" bachelor's degrees to meet local and student needs, including joint community college/university programs, university centers and baccalaureate campuses in high-demand areas. The state is also designing and implementing a new student-level funding model that rewards campuses for student progress and degree completion. In addition, Arizona is making its higher education system more student-centered through improved advising and career planning, development of more seamless pathways to two- and four-year postsecondary opportunities, and better tracking of student success. In short, the Arizona experience offers important lessons--lessons that this issue of "Focus" is meant to share.

In the midst of the global recession, how have national governments viewed the role of higher education in their evolving strategies for economic recovery? Demand for higher education generally goes up during economic downturns. Which nations have proactively protected funding for their universities and colleges to help maintain access, to help retrain workers, and to mitigate unemployment rates? And which nations have simply made large funding cuts for higher education in light of the severe downturn in tax revenues? This essay provides a moment-in-time review of the fate of higher education among a number of OECD nations and other countries, with a particular focus on the United States, and on California--the largest state in terms of population "and" in the size of its economy. Preliminary indicators show that most nations have not thus far resorted to uncoordinated cutting of funding for higher education that we generally see in US state systems. Their political leaders see higher education as a key to short-term economic recovery, long-term competitiveness, and often their own political viability--particularly in nations with upcoming elections. Further, although this is speculative, it appears that many nations are using the economic downturn to actually accelerate reform policies, some intended to promote efficiencies, but most focused on improving the quality of their university sector and promoting innovation in their economies. One might postulate that the decisions made today and in reaction to the "Great Recession" by nations will likely speed up global shifts in the race to develop human capital, with the US probably losing some ground. The Obama administration's first stimulus package helped mitigate large state budget cuts to public services in 2009-10 and to support expanded enrollments largely at the community college level. But it was not enough to avoid having universities and colleges lay off faculty and staff, reduce salaries and benefits, often eliminating course offerings that slow student progress towards a degree, or making sizable reductions in access in states such as California. States have very limited ability to borrow funds for operating costs, making the federal government the last resort. "In short, how state budgets go, so goes US higher education; whereas most national systems of higher education financing is tied to national budgets with an ability to borrow." Without the current stimulus funding, the impact on access and maintaining the health of America's universities would have been even more devastating. But that money will be largely spent by the 2011 fiscal year (Oct 2010-Sept 2011), unless Congress and the White House renew funding support on a similar scale for states that are coping with projected large budget gaps. That now seems unlikely. The Obama administration announced its proposed 2011 budget in February, including $25 billion in state aid targeted for Medicaid. This is a modest contribution to states that face projected cumulative budget deficits of $142 billion in 2011, and there is uncertainty regarding the final federal budget. This is because Obama's proposal will be debated and voted on in a Congress increasingly focused on stemming the tide of rising federal budget deficits. Without substantially more federal aid to state governments, many public colleges and universities will face another major round of budget cuts. There is the prospect that higher education degree production rates in the US will dip in the near term, particularly in states like California that have substantially reduced access to higher education even as enrollment demand has gone up. (Contains 49 footnotes and 4 figures.) [A version of this paper was presented at the Beijing Forum, University of Peking, November 7, 2009.]

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) in consultation with the universities has estimated that 53,000 to 86,000 more university spaces will be needed by 2021 to meet student demand. There will be special pressures in the GTA. Universities' enrollment plans will not be sufficient to meet this demand. To help meet the growing demand for postsecondary degrees, Ontario needs to expand the degree programs offered at colleges. This report explains how Ontario would benefit from improved access to college degree programs. (Contains 29 footnotes.)

The title of this document is a deliberate play on the title of the biennial reports on the progress of Bologna produced by the European Students' Union, "Bologna With Student Eyes." It is a way of paying tribute to student involvement in the Bologna reforms, and marking a parallel student working participation in the state system "Tuning" study groups in the U.S. This monograph, an expansion of the previous Bologna Club essay, draws on hundreds of documents in 8 languages, interviews with principal actors in 9 countries, and suggestions from two rounds of European reviewers, to bring to a broad academic audience in the United States an analysis of what European higher education authorities, academic leaders, faculty, and students have learned over the first decade of their considerable efforts, particularly in the challenging matters of: (1) student learning outcomes (set in what are called "qualification frameworks"); (2) the relationship of these frameworks to credits and curriculum reform; (3) the construction of new paths to student participation in higher education, including refinement of "short-cycle" degrees analogous to our Associate's, and combinations of e-learning and part-time status; (4) the reflection of all of this in the documentation of student attainment called "Diploma Supplements," and the expansion of this documentation in a lifelong "Europass' (5) the establishment of a "zone of mutual trust" through an all-encompassing culture of quality assurance, and an international accreditation register; and (6) consolidating and hence clarifying the myriad of academic credentials offered across 46 countries into common "cycles," which, in combination with qualification frameworks, a common credit system, and quality assurance, assures the recognition of degrees across national borders. These highlights help clarify, for North American readers, what Bologna is and what it is not. Some of them are extraordinarily relevant to challenges that face U.S. higher education, and are particularly applicable to accountability and access issues--in ways we simply have not considered. This document urges us to learn something from beyond our own borders that just might help us rethink our higher education enterprise. Thirteen Chapters comprise this report. They are: (1) A Tapestry of Change; (2) The Core of Bologna, Line I: Qualification Frameworks; (3) The Core of Bologna, Line II: Qualification Frameworks from the Ground-Up: the "Tuning" model and its Analogues; (4) The "Bologna-Code:" Learning Outcomes and Competences; (5) The Core of Bologna, Line III: The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS); (6) The Core of Bologna, Line IV: Closing the Loop with The Diploma Supplement; (7) Coda to the Accountability Loop: Quality Assurance; (8) The Core of Bologna, Line V: A Different Kind of Visit With Degree Cycles; (9) The Social Dimension of Bologna: Providing Multiple Pathways; (10) The External Dimension: Bologna Faces the World; (11) The Larger Language Landscape; (12) Bologna 2020: What is Left to be Done?; and (13) What Should the U.S. Learn?: Epiphanies for Our Eyes. Appended are: (A) Our European Colleagues; Our Translation Assistance; (B) 2007 Status of Core Bologna Features and Enabling Legislation in 46 Countries; and (C) Institutions from Which Diploma Supplements Were Received and Examined. (Contains 14 figures and 4 tables.) [For the document, "Bologna with Student Eyes, 2007," see ED500451.]