Top 10 Issues in 2010

The current economic downturn has increased the focus on the value of postsecondary education for individuals, as well as for communities, states and the nation as a whole. The public’s and lawmakers’ attention to issues such as college access, affordability, accountability and cost containment will further spur state higher education leaders to redouble their efforts to innovate and collaborate and in so doing help fulfill American aspirations in the wake of the greatest recession since the Great Depression. This  new report from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities presents the top 10 issues most likely to affect public higher education in 2010. The synopsis is informed by a scan of state policy activities of the past year, an analysis of trends and consideration of events that will likely shape the policy landscape.

President Obama has launched an “Educate to Innovate” campaign to improve the participation and performance of America’s students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In addition to the federal government, this campaign will include efforts from leading companies, foundations, non-profits, and science and engineering societies to work with young people across America to excel in science and math. Through “Educate to Innovate” and other efforts, the Obama administration wants to

• Increase STEM literacy so that all students can learn deeply and think critically in science, math, engineering, and technology;
• Move American students from the middle of the pack to top in the next decade; and
• Expand STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and girls.

According to Community Colleges Face Challenge of Strong Growth, the surging enrollments and expanding role in the nation's higher-education system at community colleges are creating the need for more capital and operating resources. In addition to President Obama’s call on community colleges to produce five million more graduates by 2020, continuing high unemployment rates and affordable tuition are also expected to contribute to higher enrollment at two-year institutions. The report notes that the surge will result in increased student-fee revenue, helping to strengthen community colleges' credit position and provide protection against further cuts in tax revenue or government appropriations.

"Student success" programs of various types have proliferated on college campuses, driven by the reality that it's easier to keep current students than recruit new ones. The programs are popular, but are open to scrutiny about their effectiveness - and cost effectiveness. As part of a project sponsored by Jobs for the Future and the Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity and Accountability, thirteen colleges agreed to examine both the full costs of first-year retention efforts focused on first-generation and low-income students, and the extent to which their success in keeping students enrolled produces revenue to help pay for themselves. The report suggests that a majority of the programs have produced gains in retention that went a long way toward offsetting their costs. Most of the others could not complete the analysis because they didn't have all the necessary cost and retention statistics (for students in the programs and for a comparison group).

Teachers are making significant progress in adopting digital media and using the internet for instruction, according to findings from a new survey by PBS. The survey, Digitally Inclined, aims to provide information about instructional needs and trends to education leaders, policy makers, and the media industry. The annual survey has been conducted since 2002 to examine educators' media use. This year, for the first time, it includes data collected from pre-K educators. According to the report, 76 percent of K-12 educators said they use digital media in the classroom, up from 69 percent in 2008. Of those teachers, 80 percent are frequent or regular users, though digital media use is less common among pre-K educators, with only 33 percent reporting that they are frequent or regular users. The study’s findings could herald positive changes in pre-K and K-12 education, including more engaging, creative, and collaborative learning environments and new and different resources that support rigorous, inquiry-based learning, as well as new tools for students to produce content and take charge of their learning.

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has announced the formation of an expert panel on clinical preparation and partnerships, signaling the beginning of a change in the preparation of the nation's teachers. The work of the Panel will culminate in recommendations for restructuring the preparation of teachers to reflect teaching as a practice-based profession. Practice-based professions require not only a solid academic base, but strong clinical components, a supported induction experience and ongoing opportunities for learning. This redesign is intended to bring educator preparation into better alignment with the urgent needs of PreK-12 schools. Such changes in the way teachers and other PreK-12 educators are prepared potentially have far-ranging effects on the structure of schools of education.