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Nearly one out of five Canadian residents was born outside of Canada and approximately two-thirds of Canada's population growth results from net international migration. Only Australia, where immigrants represent 24% of the population, has a greater percentage of immigrants than Canada (18%). Immigration is a major factor in Canada's economic growth, but successful transitions into the Canadian labour market remain elusive for many immigrants, whose skills, knowledge and experience are too frequently under-utilized. This paper presents several strategies for removing obstacles to the successful integration of immigrants into labour markets. (Contains 3 figures.)

In order to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion" the European Union realizes its people as the most important asset. Moreover, every human becomes a value for the whole society. It makes significant to take into consideration communication competence needed for sustained participation in the knowledge-based society and for a coherent strategy to succeed. The greatest importance is the use of 3-5 languages, with at least 2-3 on the level of native/first language in order to form varied cooperative networks for the creation of new knowledge. Thus, the novelty of the present study is in a new outlook on communication competence as a basis for providing the system of spontaneous and scientific perspectives, individual combination of learning and communication interaction abilities and experience that provide constructive interaction with other people in interpersonal relation system. (Contains 5 tables.)

This report examines access to higher education in underserved regions of Michigan. This study focuses on specific concerns about postsecondary education access in three geographically diverse areas of the state: suburban Macomb County; the city of Saginaw; and six rural counties in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. The report provides a summary of findings regarding access to higher education in each of the three areas and proposes broad recommendations and policy alternatives to address the challenges of access to postsecondary degrees and institutions statewide. While findings from the three regions varied due to differing demographic and geographic conditions, a number of consistent patterns were found, including concerns about the affordability of a college education; poor public transportation systems; a lack of easily accessible four-year institutions; and, above all, the need to develop a college-going culture among Michigan residents. (Contains 9 figures and 2 boxes.) [For a brief summary of this report, see ED501511.]

North Carolina has long prided itself on what many perceive to be one of the finest systems of higher education in the country. Aside from having a number of nationally recognized private schools of distinction (e.g., Duke, Wake Forest, Davidson), the state has invested aggressively with public funds. State government appropriations for higher education in general have risen over time, even after adjusting for both considerable amounts of inflation and robust population growth. Higher appropriations were successfully promoted on the grounds that this will increase the access of students to college and enhance the state's economic condition. It is a point of pride among some politicians that North Carolina in modern times has tended to outspend peer states and the nation as a whole on higher education. However, the authors' objective analysis of the data suggests that another interpretation of higher education public policy is possible. Despite the massive increases in taxpayer support, the state lags behind both the national average and most neighboring states in the proportion of adults with college degrees. Tuition costs have soared. A huge and growing portion of resources have been devoted to noninstructional activities. A lack of transparency prevents some of the most elementary questions from being answered. In general, both the colleges and general public are clueless as to the answers to these questions. Thus, one could say that the higher education system lacks transparency and accountability, and is increasingly costly and inefficient. Productivity is hard to measure without good measures of outcomes, but it is more likely falling rather than rising in North Carolina higher education. The purpose of this study is to present factual evidence suggesting that the system of universities is deserving of greater public scrutiny. The evidence also shows areas where reform is needed the most--cost containment, for example. The authors will make some suggestions of areas where cost containment might legitimately occur. Higher education currently lacks the incentives or motivation to make the vigorous changes needed to make higher education a positive force for change and progress in the Tar Heel State. (Contains 33 figures, 7 tables, and 13 notes.) [This study was supported by the John William Pope Foundation.]

In the context of aging populations, governments in Australia and in other Western nations fear that slower growth in the numbers of people of working age (15-64 years) will have a dampening effect on economic growth. They are thus considering how to encourage older workers to remain in the workforce beyond the point at which many currently retire. Skills and qualifications are strongly related to workforce participation. Providing older workers with opportunities to update and extend their skills and qualifications may enable and encourage them to continue working. This project investigated the forms of skill development most effective overall for people in the workforce aged 45 years or older and the implications of some aspects of people's diversity for effective skills development, such as in their skills, qualifications, workforce experience and employment status, and in characteristics such as their gender and cultural and language backgrounds. Two major conclusions are drawn from the work conducted for this project: (1) Differences among older workers mean that skills development which supports and encourages their participation in the workforce should be targeted to the needs and circumstances of specific sub-groups; and (2) Appropriate and effective skills development for older workers, in all their diversity, is built on good practices in the teaching and learning of adults. Descriptions of seven case studies are appended. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.) [This work has been produced on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments, with funding provided through the Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.]

Public education is the foundation of our democracy and the engine of our economy. Texans have a collective responsibility to ensure that public education is adequately supported. This responsibility needs to be fairly distributed among Texas families in a way that supports economic growth. Recently, some have proposed that Texas replace local school property taxes by increasing the rate of the state sales tax or expanding the sales tax to more goods and services. Such a tax swap would be a bad deal for businesses, families, and public education. Reasons include: 1) The swap would make Texas businesses less competitive because the higher sales tax would raise the cost of Texas goods and services; 2) Taxes on most Texas families--including middle-class families--would actually go up. Only the wealthiest families would see a tax reduction; and 3) At the same time, public education would be hurt. Schools would have one source of revenue, sales, which is less stable than property. With the state paying all the bills, more decisions would be made in Austin, and the link between local taxpayers and public schools would be broken. In addition, local communities could no longer supplement the basic education provided by the state. Texans need to ask what problem we are trying to fix? Are property taxes too high? Even if Texas eliminated school property taxes, Texas would still have to raise the same amount of tax dollars. Are we worried that some residents aren't paying their fair share? In fact, everybody pays the property tax either as owners or as renters (with the tax reflected in the rent). Are we worried that property taxes discourage homeownership? Texas already has laws on the books to ensure that property taxes do not undermine homeownership. Are we worried that property taxes don't correspond to our ability to pay? Generally this is not true, but for those families for which it is true, most states address the problem through a tailored tax break called a circuitbreaker. Texas could provide a circuitbreaker too. As discussed in this paper, trading property taxes for sales taxes does not solve any real problems, but it does create some. (Contains 8 endnotes.)

The Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board is charged by state statute with creating a strategic master plan for higher education once every 10 years, with updates every four years. The purpose of a statewide strategic master plan is to identify the overarching goals of the state's postsecondary education system. A limited and focused set of accountability measures must be designed to monitor progress and invent institutional behavior that can accomplish these goals. The 2008 Strategic Master Plan charts the course for improvement of the state's higher education system over the next decade and beyond. To get started with this important work, the Higher Education Coordinating Board will lead initiatives in three main areas of emphasis during the coming year. The work immediately ahead consists of establishing strategies and crafting proposals that will, when carried out fully, achieve long-term goals. Following is a summary of the initiatives scheduled for the plan's first year: (1) raise educational attainment to create prosperity and opportunity; (2) promote economic growth and innovation; and (3) monitor and fund higher education for results. The plan presented herein reflects Washington state's commitment to the principle that educational opportunities must be expanded to every young person and every adult. It is envisioned that by 2018, Washington's higher education institutions will be fully integrated into a cradle-through-career system that educates more people to higher levels of skill and knowledge than ever before.

This report summarizes what we have learned in the course of the "Innovation America" initiative, paying special attention to the role of governors in establishing best practices. In collaboration with leading experts, the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices produced several reports expanding on "Innovation America's" three core strategies: improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; improving the alignment of the postsecondary system with state economies; and encouraging regional economic growth. This final report: (1) Highlights strategies and best practices around those three themes, stressing the importance of innovation and the governors' role in advancing and encouraging it; (2) Spotlights key findings from an NGA-commissioned survey that gauged Americans' "innovation attitude," conducted by noted researcher Dr. Frank Luntz, who uncovered the ways in which governors can inspire citizens to embrace a successful innovation agenda; and (3) Looks ahead to sustaining the innovation agenda in the future and provides best practices around the three Innovation America themes, with illuminating snapshots from Governor Napolitano's site visits to state innovation hubs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Cupertino, California; and Woodbury, Minnesota. A list of resources is provided. (Contains 3 tables.)

This Strategic Action Plan for Advancing Math and Science Education is an initial outline of strategies, actions, measures of progress, resources needed, timelines, and responsible parties. The Plan focuses on these three main goals: (1) increasing student interest, participation, and achievement in math and science; (2) raising public support and awareness of the importance of science and math to New Mexico's economic health and security; and (3) establishing effective collaborations with internal and external partners. (Contains 53 endnotes.) [This publication was produced by the New Mexico Public Education Department.]

State universities in Michigan argue that they have been starved for money and that falling real appropriations from the state legislature have jeopardized the quality of higher education. They contend that this has resulted in a loss of competitiveness for Michigan at a time when the state faces economic stagnation caused by globalization's impact on key basic industries. This study makes two key findings: (1) By most measures, on-average revenues per full-time equivalent student at Michigan public universities rose throughout the 2000-2005 period despite real reductions in state appropriations per student while expenditure growth per student was somewhat less; and (2) National econometric evidence indicates that state appropriations for higher education do not have positive effects on economic growth but to the opposite conclusion: higher appropriations are associated with lower economic growth. These findings suggest that the observed shrinkage in state appropriations over the first half of the decade was actually a positive development. The authors question a growth strategy based on expansion of higher education, advocating that results included in the econometric estimation suggest that a better growth strategy for the state would be a reduction in the overall tax burden. (Contains 9 footnotes and 3 tables.)

Career technical education (CTE) rests at the nexus of governors' efforts to improve their states' K-16 education system and develop an economy supportive of innovation. Traditional CTE programs, such as carpentry, which emphasized employment in a specific trade, are evolving into programs that now educate students for a range of careers in the broader construction industry. New CTE programs, such as computer networking and pre-engineering, are being created to educate and prepare students for careers involving sophisticated scientific and technological skills and knowledge. Today, more than half the students who choose to concentrate in CTE also take a college preparatory curriculum. Despite CTE's past reputation as a less-demanding track, research proves that career technical education engages and motivates students by offering them real-world learning opportunities, leading to lower dropout rates and greater earnings for high school graduates. When CTE courses also incorporate more academic rigor, research shows that student achievement significantly increases. These findings suggest that CTE should be an important aspect of a state's broader high school redesign strategy. A handful of states have already begun to incorporate CTE into their high school reform and economic competitiveness efforts, making learning both more challenging and relevant to students' interests. The following plan can help governors accelerate this trend by reorienting state CTE programs to reflect more demanding academic expectations: (1) Connect education to economic growth industries; (2) Use the bully pulpit to promote CTE; (3) Include the skills employers demand in state standards, assessment, and accountability systems; (4) Base CTE curricula around state standards; (5) Improve the quality of CTE teaching; (6) Design quality-control measures to promote more rigorous programs; (7) Require high school students to declare a course of study; and (8) Eliminate duplicated coursework between high school and postsecondary systems. By providing the leadership to strengthen state policies and improve coordination across agencies and systems, governors can improve the outcomes for both high school students and the workforce. Those states that undertake this strategic approach to retooling CTE programs can expect more engaged and persistent graduates who have added earning potential and are better prepared to enter high-wage/high-skill occupations. Suggested resources are included. (Contains 18 endnotes and 1 figure.)

The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) was commissioned by Kent County Council (KCC) to conduct an independent survey of children and young people in Kent. The council and its partner agencies wanted to find out what children and young people thought about a range of issues related to the five Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes. The purpose of the research was to provide information to support self-evaluation and planning for improvement at county, cluster and school level. The study involved two specifically-designed questionnaire surveys: one for primary pupils (aged 7-11) and one for secondary and college students, including those participating in work-based learning (aged 11-19). Pupils in special schools and pupil referral units were also included in both surveys. In total, 31,527 children aged 7 - 11 from 382 schools took part in the paper-based primary school survey. It was administered in schools, at a class level, by teachers. A total of 11,305 children and young people aged 11-19 from 98 secondary schools and other educational provision completed the secondary online survey. The 42,832 children and young people who took part in the survey were generally representative of all children and young people aged 7-19 in Kent according to the following characteristics: gender, looked after children, free school meals, special educational needs, speakers of a first language other than English, and year group. The key findings are presented under the five ECM outcomes: (1) Being healthy; (2) Staying safe; (3) Enjoying and achieving; (4) Making a positive contribution; and (5) Achieving economic well-being. Overall, the survey findings were relatively positive in relation to the five ECM outcomes. Children and young people had a good understanding of "being healthy", of the activities, inside and outside of school or college, that they enjoyed participating in and which helped them to learn. They also had a good awareness of economic well-being and had positive aspirations for their future. The main issues appeared to be in relation to two of the five outcomes - staying safe and making a positive contribution--where there were particular areas highlighted that required further attention. (Contains 60 tables.)

Max Weber attributed the higher economic prosperity of Protestant regions to a Protestant work ethic. We provide an alternative theory, where Protestant economies prospered because instruction in reading the Bible generated the human capital crucial to economic prosperity. County-level data from late 19th-century Prussia reveal that Protestantism was indeed associated not only with higher economic prosperity, but also with better education. We find that Protestants' higher literacy can account for the whole gap in economic prosperity. Results hold when we exploit the initial concentric dispersion of the Reformation to use distance to Wittenberg as an instrument for Protestantism. Two appendixes are included: (1) Census Data for Prussia in the 1870s/1880s; and (2) The Spread of Literacy from Lutheran Times to 1871. (Contains 32 footnotes, 4 figures, and 13 tables.)

Technological progress has been the key to improved living standards, but how and where do new ideas get their start? The answer might give us some insight into how we can support greater innovation. Some suggest universities have been an important source of innovative technology. A look at the people involved in the development of patented technologies can give an idea of how much innovation originates in universities.

This study analyses the role and impact of higher education on per capita economic growth in the Former Soviet Bloc. It attempts to estimate the significance of educational levels for initiating substantial economic growth that now takes place in these two countries. This study estimates a system of linear and log-linear equations that account for different time lags in the possible impact of higher education on economic growth. The results indicate that an increase in access of population to higher education brings positive results for the per capita GDP growth in the long term. Increasing the number of college-educated specialists leads to sustainable economic growth. Apparently, background for the 2000-2005 rapid economic growth in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation was laid down in early 1990s. This contradicts commonly accepted perception about the crisis decade of 1990s in the former Soviet Bloc. (Contains 16 tables, 4 figures, and 8 appendices.)

Historically, many mayors have had direct authority over the education system in their cities. Until recently, however, they have largely deferred to boards and superintendents to lead and monitor the work of schools. Now, with increased federal accountability, growing awareness of how education impacts economic growth and related issues like public safety and employment trends, mayors are taking an increased role in public education. These roles vary greatly across the country, from cities like New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Harrisburg and Boston where mayors have "taken over" the schools, to traditional "hands off" stances. Clearly, in the current climate of educational accountability, how a mayor approaches school reform, especially at the high school level, will be a critical component of his or her administration both in terms of immediate public perception and long-term economic impacts. This brief offers some specific suggestions for the new mayor to keep high school reform moving in the right direction for Philadelphia's students. (Contains 11 additional sources.)

The role of improved schooling, a central part of most development strategies, has become controversial because expansion of school attainment has not guaranteed improved economic conditions. This paper reviews the role of education in promoting economic wellbeing, with a particular focus on the role of educational quality. It concludes that there is strong evidence that the cognitive skills of the population--rather than mere school attainment--are powerfully related to individual earnings, to the distribution of income, and to economic growth. New empirical results show the importance of both minimal and high level skills, the complementarity of skills and the quality of economic institutions, and the robustness of the relationship between skills and growth. International comparisons incorporating expanded data on cognitive skills reveal much larger skill deficits in developing countries than generally derived from just school enrollment and attainment. The magnitude of change needed makes clear that closing the economic gap with developed countries will require major structural changes in schooling institutions. (Contains 80 footnotes, 16 figures, and 5 tables.) [This report was published by the Program on Education Policy and Governance, and sponsored in part by CESifo and the Packard Humanities Institute.]

"An Enterprising Approach to Regional Growth: Implications for Policy and the Role of Vocational Education and Training" explores patterns of regional economic growth in Australia over the period 1984 to 2002 with the aim of identifying the drivers of variation in regional growth; the research also aimed to identify regional opportunities and the policies and practices that can assist in realizing them, in particular, the contribution the vocational education and training (VET) sector may make towards regional growth. In support of the full report, this document presents data tables and figures; discusses the key concepts flowing from the major regional development theories of institutional embeddedness that have emerged over the last few decades; discusses the methodology of the study; and explains the patterns of regional growth found. (Contains 13 tables and 17 figures.) [This document was produced by the authors based on their research for the report, "An Enterprising Approach to Regional Growth: Implications for Policy and the Role of VET" (ED499665) and was funded by the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training.]

This report explores patterns of regional economic growth in Australia over the period 1984 to 2002 in order to determine how and why these patterns evolved. From the results, the authors have attempted to identify regional opportunities and the policies and practices that can assist in realising them and, in particular, the potential contribution of the vocational education and training (VET) sector towards regional growth. Understanding the patterns and determinants of regional growth is an important prerequisite before any policy or practice can effectively be designed and implemented. A multi-methods approach was used to ensure that factors determining both the breadth and depth of regional growth variation within a national framework of all regions were identified. The quantitative side of the analysis used econometric modelling across 94 regions, while in-depth, facilitated community workshops in 11 diverse regions enabled the authors to inform the quantitative results with specific regional circumstances, thereby gaining a closer understanding of how regional growth actually occurs. The following are appended: (1) Regional delineation; (2) Theories of regional development; and (3) Variables used to measure regional variations in local economic growth drivers. (Contains 7 tables, 1 figure, and 5 footnotes.) [This work has been produced with funding provided through the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training. The author/project team was funded to undertake this research via a grant under the National Vocational Education and Training Research and Evaluation (NVETRE) Program. For the Support Document containing additional information, see ED499666.]

Ontario's 24 colleges drive economic growth and social prosperity in the province. Rapidly evolving technologies continue to change the nature of work in every industry sector and the requirements placed on workers at every level. As a result, Ontario must increasingly rely on a workforce with the skills and education to translate change into economic opportunity. By investing to improve access, quality and accountability at Ontario's colleges, the Ontario government underscored the critical role of colleges in creating wealth and prosperity for Ontarians. Two years of funding under the Reaching Higher Plan have better positioned Ontario's colleges to fulfill that role. This paper presents findings from the 2006 survey of Ontario colleges.

The Illinois Community College System Performance Report for Fiscal Year 2006 provides comparative accountability information built around the priorities of Illinois higher education. The Performance Report is structured around the policy areas in the Board of Higher Education's "Illinois Commitment" and the complementary pledges of the "Promise for Illinois," which is the statewide strategic plan for community colleges. This document reports on the performance indicators for 2006, showing accomplishments, plans, and challenges of the following six policy areas: (1) Economic Growth; (2) P-20 Partnerships/Teaching and Learning; (3) Affordability; (4) Access and Diversity; (5) High Quality; and (6) Accountability and Productivity. For the two focus Policy Areas -- High Expectations and Quality (Area 5) and Accountability and Productivity (Area 6) -- the report includes Selected Accomplishments, Plans, and Challenges. All Policy Area descriptions include information on Selected Performance Indicators. Through the development of the annual Performance Report, colleagues within and across institutions and at the state level take the opportunity to review and document accomplishments and progress achieved over the past year, enumerate challenges, and formulate plans to make further progress. The collaborative self-examination undertaken at the local level that involves looking across the college to create the institutional report is an essential part of the project. Mission-specific indicators are identified for each community college in Appendix A. Information on goal setting at the local level in all policy areas is provided in Appendix B.

Education, ingenuity, and perseverance have always been important components of the American dream. Today, a college degree is an increasingly critical milestone on the road to personal independence and career success. The individual gains from education are more obvious, but society also benefits substantially from the skills and knowledge of college graduates. In short, individuals benefit both from attaining a college degree and from living in a well-educated community. Yet, in response to shifting attitudes about the relative importance of individual and societal benefits that result from increased education, the share of public resources going to higher education in the United States has decreased over time. The purpose of this report is to present information to help policymakers and the general public understand and appreciate the relative contribution of education to individuals and to society. This report finds that the public economic costs of an insufficient level of educational attainment have at least two components. The first component is the decreased tax revenue due to stunted economic growth, and the second component is the increased public expenditure due to increased reliance on public social programs. (Contains 8 figures and 4 tables.) [USA Funds provided funding for this report.]

Economic Growth Challenge / Innovation Incentive, as proposed by the Governor's Commission on Higher Education and the Economy, is a new line item involving reallocation of current higher education funding plus matching levels of performance funding to achieve a major restructuring and refocusing of Ohio's portfolio of doctoral research programs. It is the intent of this line item ultimately to build world-class research excellence and catalyze Ohio's economic growth in concert with the Third Frontier Project. The required reallocation of funds at the institutional level will, by definition, result in the downsizing, or complete elimination, of doctoral programs that are not performing at, or above, a level consistent with national norms. This report describes the anticipated significant positive outcomes to be achieved over a ten-year period; the primary objectives of this innovative incentive program; the competitive review process; expectation values for Innovation Incentive Program awards; and application procedure. Appended are: (A) Program Statement Guidelines; (B) Internal Doctoral Program Reallocations by Institution; and (C) Economic Growth Challenge Planning Committee.

Ontario's economic productivity, competitiveness and growth in the 21st century depend on investments in three critical areas: highly qualified people, ideas (research and development), and the adoption and diffusion of new technologies. Compared to many other jurisdictions, Ontario is underutilizing its college system's potential to contribute to enhancing Ontario's capacity in all three of these key areas. Ontario colleges already contribute significantly to the development of highly qualified, entrepreneurial personnel. They are committed to building their capacity to contribute to the creation, adoption and diffusion of new technologies through applied R&D and workplace innovation activities. Applied research in colleges bridges the gap between publicly-funded research and its practical and industrial application. Through applied research and innovation activities, Ontario colleges enhance the competitiveness and productivity of Ontario firms "and" provide advanced training opportunities, thus meeting the changing needs of firms and organizations in key sectors of Ontario's economy. Looking ahead to needs of the economy through to 2011, Ontario colleges seek to increase their future contributions to economic competitiveness and a high performing society by strengthening and expanding their capacity to perform applied R&D and innovation. The goal of Ontario's colleges in the applied research, innovation and commercialization field is not to duplicate efforts, but to increase collaboration among all postsecondary institutions, industry, organizational partners and government to stimulate innovation to the greatest extent possible. The recommendations contained in this report represent a critical first step in a multi-year strategy to expand the role of colleges as catalysts for applied R&D and innovation that will enable Ontario to better meet its needs for increased productivity and prosperity in the 21st century. Appended are: (1) Examples of Applied Research Initiatives at Ontario Colleges Relevant to Provincial Investment Priorities; (2) Examples of Ontario College Applied Research/Commercialization Partners; and (3) Examples of Policy Approaches to Facilitate College Research in Other Canadian Jurisdictions. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures and 11 notes.)

Keeping our competitive edge in the world economy requires focused policies that lay the groundwork for continued leadership in innovation, exploration, and ingenuity. America's economic strength and global leadership depend in large measure on our Nation's ability to generate and harness the latest in scientific and technological developments and to apply these developments to real world applications. These applications are fueled by: scientific research, which produces new ideas and new tools that can become the foundation for tomorrow's products, services, and ways of doing business; a strong education system that equips our workforce with the skills necessary to transform those ideas into goods and services that improve our lives and provide our Nation with the researchers of the future; and an environment that encourages entrepreneurship, risk taking, and innovative thinking. By giving citizens the tools necessary to realize their greatest potential, the "American Competitiveness Initiative" (ACI) will help ensure future generations have an even brighter future. The ACI commits $5.9 billion in FY 2007 to increase investments in research and development, strengthen education, and encourage entrepreneurship. Specifically, the ACI: (1) doubles, over 10 years, funding for innovation-enabling research at key Federal agencies that support high-leverage fields of physical science and engineering: the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and the National Institute for Standards and Technology within the Department of Commerce; (2) modernizes the Research and Experimentation tax credit by making it permanent and working with Congress to update its provisions to encourage additional private sector investment in innovation; (3) strengthens K-12 math and science education by enhancing our understanding of how students learn and applying that knowledge to train highly qualified teachers, develop effective curricular materials, and improve student learning; (4) reforms the workforce training system to offer training opportunities to some 800,000 workers annually, more than tripling the number trained under the current system; and (5) increases our ability to compete for and retain the best and brightest high-skilled workers from around the world by supporting comprehensive immigration reform that meets the needs of a growing economy, allows honest workers to provide for their families while respecting the law, and enhances homeland security by relieving pressure on the borders. (Contains 3 charts and 1 table.)

Despite economic theory postulating that increases in investment in human capital and physical capital leads to increase in economic growth, in the Kenyan case, this has not been true. This paper empirically examines the contribution of human capital and physical capital to economic growth in Kenya. Measures to be undertaken by higher education institutions in revamping Kenya's real economic growth by investing in human resource development are recommended. (Contains 1 table.)

The Association of American Universities (AAU) calls on the Administration, Congress, and academia, with the help of the business sector, to implement a 21st Century National Defense Education and Innovation Initiative aimed at meeting the economic and security challenges we will face over the next half-century. Government and America's universities and colleges should implement this initiative now, so that it can be fully in place by 2008--the 50th anniversary of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958. The Initiative springs from a belief among AAU universities that the burden of meeting these challenges is not government's alone and that research universities and higher education have key roles to play. It therefore calls for action and resources--and change-- not only from government but also from the nation's colleges and universities. It also reflects a strong belief that, if we take the right actions, America can maintain its global leadership and that we can ensure our national and economic security for the 21st Century. The objectives of the Initiative are threefold: (1) Enhance America's research capacity in order to sustain scientific and technical innovation; (2) Cultivate American talent to enhance the nation's math, science, engineering, and foreign language expertise; and (3) Continue to attract and retain the best and brightest international students, scientists, engineers, and scholars. This report is in three parts. The first highlights the most significant recommendations contained in the Initiative. The second is a narrative that lays out the challenges, historical background, and a broad description of the Initiative. The third section of the report provides a detailed list of recommendations. Contains 4 figures.)

Early education programs have long been regarded as an important step in preparing children for primary school--but investing in the education of America's youngest learners has emerged as one of the most promising ways to help strengthen the future economic and fiscal position of our states and nation. High-quality preschool programs offer societal benefits that far outweigh program costs by improving the later education, employment, earnings, and crime outcomes of students who attend preschool. These programs improve the fiscal position of states and the nation by reducing education and criminal justice costs, while boosting income-tax revenues. They also contribute to long-term economic growth and development for states and the nation. This report provides the economic evidence that justifies increasing investments in preschool. It recommends that publicly funded preschool programs meet the quality standards necessary to deliver the promised economic benefits. It also recommends that federal, state, and local governments consider the broad economic benefits of preschool when deciding how to allocate resources in the face of competing uses and demands. Appended to this report is a table showing spending and enrollment in publicly funded prekindergarten programs, by state. (Contains 8 tables, 9 figures, and 192 endnotes.) [For the Executive Summary of this report, see ED502296.]

The Performance Report is an accountability initiative addressing important indicators and outcome measures that are built around the Policy Areas from the Illinois Board of Higher Educations' Illinois Commitment. The Illinois Commitment was developed based on the premise that higher education must be part of the process of providing a foundation for Illinois' future by enhancing the social, economic, and civic well-being of the state and its residents. The Policy Areas for the Illinois Commitment, addressed in this report, include: (1) Economic Growth: Higher education will help Illinois sustain strong economic growth through teaching, service, and research; (2) P-20 Partnerships/Teaching and Learning: Higher education will join elementary and secondary education to improve teaching and learning at all levels; (3) Affordability: No Illinois resident will be denied an opportunity for a college education because of financial need; (4) Access and Diversity: Illinois will increase the number and diversity of residents completing training and education programs; (5) High Quality: Illinois colleges and universities will be accountable for providing high quality academic programs and the systematic assessment of student learning outcomes while holding students to ever higher expectations for learning and growth; and (6) Accountability and Productivity: Illinois colleges and universities will continually improve productivity, cost effectiveness, and accountability. This document reports on the performance indicators for 2005 for each of these policy areas, showing accomplishments and challenges. The pledges in the Illinois Community College System's Promise for Illinois intentionally complement the goals. This report lists those pledges. Appendix A contains Mission-Specific Goals Selected by College. A subset of Illinois Commitment Policy Areas are focused on for the narrative portion of the Performance Report based on a rotating schedule. For the 2005 report, the narrative focus will be on the following Policy Areas: P-20 Partnerships Improving Teaching and Learning (Policy Area Two), Affordability (Policy Area Three), and Access and Diversity (Policy Area Four). While more targeted narrative reporting was required on these three Policy Areas, data reporting was required across all six Policy Areas. Institutional level community college Performance Reports included data and analysis on Common Institutional and Mission-specific Indicators. Information was also provided on local level Accomplishments, Challenges, Plans and Goals. Appendix B contains Common Measure Goal Statement.

Higher education provides a broad array of benefits to both individuals and society. While such a statement has been a long-held belief in American higher education, only recently has the combination of social and economic benefits that accrue from the investment in higher education received sustained attention. This study attempts to build on recent efforts to better describe the broad national benefits of higher education by calculating state-by-state benefits using readily available data from the U.S. Census. The six indicators chosen for this analysis convincingly show that almost every state benefits from higher education in every indicator, even as some states benefit more than others. 7 tables are appended.

The Illinois Community College System Performance Report replaces the Results Report and reflects an initial effort to increasingly streamline and integrate state outcomes and progress reporting in Illinois. The fresh approach taken this year further combines qualitative information and quantitative data reporting. The Performance Report is structured around the goals in the Illinois Board of Higher Education's (IBHE) Illinois Commitment. These goals include: (1) economic growth; (2) teaching and learning partnerships with P-12 education; (3) affordability; (4) access and diversity; (5) high expectations and quality; and (6) productivity and accountability. Through the "Promise for Illinois", community colleges pledge to: (1) Address workforce development needs with flexible, responsive and progressive programs; (2) Offer rigorous courses and programs designed for college and university transfer; (3) Expand adult education and literacy programs necessary for individuals and families to have high-quality work and life in Illinois; (4) Equip Illinois residents with the technology skills they need to be successful in the 21st century; (5) Emphasize high quality in all programs, services, and operations; (6) Deliver affordable learning opportunities to the doorstep of Illinois residents; and (7) Model and promote leadership and ethical decision making. In an effort to more closely measure progress toward these goals and pledges three levels of indicators were developed by the Performance Indicator Advisory Committee over the course of a year (January 2002 - February 2003), incorporating feedback from constituent groups. Appended are: (1) Mission-Specific Goals Selected by College; and (2) Common Measure Goal Statements. A bibliography is included.

As the debate rages in Lansing over the size and scope of the 2004-2005 Fiscal Year state budget, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy is republishing and updating budget cutting ideas from its March 2003 study, "Recommendations to Strengthen Civil Society and Balance Michigan's Budget." The 2003 study made over 200 recommendations that, if adopted, could still generate more than $2 billion in savings and one-time "revenue enhancements" for the state General Fund/General Purpose (GF/GP) portion of the state budget. The GF/GP is the area over which legislators have the most discretion. It is especially notable that none of these recommendations include any cuts to revenue for the state School Aid Fund or the Michigan Education Assessment Program, only a small cut to Medicaid revenue is recommended. This report differs from the 2003 budget five ways. First, it excludes most budget line items that would have relied primarily on federal or special revenue funding. This change was made to simplify the report for readers and to emphasize the savings that could easily balance Michigan's budget without raising taxes--an imperative if Michigan is to compete effectively with other states and nations for economic growth and development. Second, this report is different from the 2003 budget study in that it relies on both the Governor's "as passed" 2004 budget data and her proposed 2005 budget as sources. Third, the author has taken the liberty of highlighting useful information by adding new italicized commentary within the 2003 text. Fourth, the aggregate savings proposed by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in this document reflect neither the proposed savings or proposed spending increases in Governor Granholm's 2005 proposed budget. Fifth, the Mackinac Center recommends making other fundamental changes to Michigan's budget landscape that did not appear in the 2003 budget study. Those are detailed in the 2004 addendum at the back of this volume.