The Progress of Education Reform: Producing Quality Credentials PDF - This issue of The Progress of Education Reform presents emerging research on the value of credentials and highlights ways that states can leverage data and accompanying strategies to strengthen the fit between the production of postsecondary credentials and workforce demand. (Matthew Smith, ECS, October 2012)...

From the ECS State Policy Database: Economic/Workforce Development - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

From the ECS State Policy Database: STEM - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

Legislative Commissions and Task Forces: Developing Strategies to Meet Completion & Workforce Challenges PDF - Using the ECS State Policy Database, the Boosting College Completion project scanned 370 college completion and workforce policies enacted over a five-year period: 2006-10. Nearly one in five policies established a commission or task force. This policy analysis shows the diversity of approaches to emerging problems and how commissions are charged to address them. (Matthew Smith, Education Commission of the States, March 2011)...

Exemplary State Online Resources for Students, Career Explorers and Adult Learners MS Word PDF - This ECS StateNote takes a look at several exemplary state online resources for students, career explorers and adult learners. (Kathy Christie, Education Commission of the States, August 2009)...

Examples of State Activities Addressing Economic-Workforce Development at the K-12 Education Level MS Word PDF - Educators and policymakers have begun addressing the challenges of global competitiveness from not only the viewpoint of student educational attainment but also from the view of economic development. This StateNote looks at a sampling of related state activity. (Melodye Bush, Education Commission of the States, October 2008)...

Policies to Engage Postsecondary Education in State Economic Development MS Word PDF - Confronted with the challenge of developing more globally competitive regional economies, policymakers have taken a renewed interest in the role of postsecondary education in state economic development strategies. A review of recent legislation suggests that states are implementing policies and making investments in the following three mechanisms: (1) Collaborative research initiatives; (2) Workforce development programs; and (3) Economic development boards, commissions or councils. This ECS StateNote describes these three policy mechanisms, highlights noteworthy policies that have been enacted and looks at a sampling of state policies enacted since 2004. (Ashley Zaleski, Education Commission of the States, September 2007)...

Entrepreneurial Education Laws in the States MS Word PDF - One of the great historical drivers of this nation's economic success is the entrepreneurial spirit of its people. States have sought to harness and nurture entrepreneurship in many ways, including in their public school and higher education systems. One tool states have used is enacting legislation addressing entrepreneurship, and this ECS StateNote examines such legislation in 18 states. (Kyle Zinth, Education Commission of the States, February 2007)...

Youth and Work: Restoring Teen and Young Adult Connections to Opportunity - In this KIDS COUNT policy report, the authors find that nearly 6.5 million U.S. teens and young adults are neither in school nor in the workforce. With employment among young people at its lowest levels since the 1950s, these youth are veering toward chronic unemployment as adults and failing to gain the skills employers need in the 21st century. In addition to new national and state data on the issue, the report offers recommendations to support youth in gaining a stronger foothold in the economy. (Annie E. Casey Foundation, Dec 2012) ...

Consolidating Workforce Education Would Bring More Uniformity; Mixed Results on Whether Evidence Supports Other Stakeholder Arguments - This report evaluates the option of consolidating all postsecondary career education programs under the Florida College System and consolidating adult education programs under the school districts. They determined consolidating career education under colleges and adult education programs under school districts could help provide more consistent policies and practices for workforce education programs, provide better alignment and articulation of postsecondary career education programs and make it easier for some students to access financial aid. It could also help district efforts to address dropout prevention and recovery. (OPPAGA, December 2010)...

The Economic Benefits of Reducing the Dropout Rate Among Students of Color in the Nation’s Forty-Five Largest Metropolitan Areas - To better understand the various economic benefits that a particular community could expect if it were to reduce its number of high school dropouts, the Alliance for Excellent Education analyzed the local economies of some of the nation’s largest cities and their surrounding areas. Using a sophisticated economic model the Alliance calculated economic projections tailored to the forty-five largest metro regions. The projections estimate the gross increase in important local economic factors such as individual earnings, home and auto sales, job and economic growth, spending and investment, tax revenue, and human capital. The findings are powerful reminders that entire communities are impacted by the educational outcomes of our youth. (Alliance for Excellent Education, June 2010)...

New Paradigm for Economic Development: How Higher Education Institutions Are Working to Revitalize Their Regional and State Economies - In states across America, higher education institutions and systems are working to become key drivers of economic development and community revitalization. They are putting their research power to work, embracing a role in the cultural, social and educational revitalization of their home communities, and educating people to succeed in the innovation age. Together these trends suggest a new paradigm for economic development--one that puts higher education at the center of the efforts to succeed in the knowledge economy. (David Shaffer and David Wright, Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, March 2010)...

Florida Should Not Use the Targeted Occupations List as the Sole Criteria to Fund Career Education Programs - As directed by the legislature, OPPAGA examined student outcomes for career education programs. This report is part of a series on career education in Florida and addresses two questions: (1) What are the major sources of information used to target Florida's career education resources? And (2) Would it be desirable for the state to use the targeted occupations lists to direct all state funding for career education programs? This report explains why OPPAGA determined it would not be feasible at this time. (OPPAGA, March 2010)...

Public Career Education Programs Differ from Private Programs on Their Admission Requirements, Costs, Financial Aid Availability and Student Outcomes - In 2007-08, public and private institutions offered 669 different career education programs, serving over 385,000 students. Few of these programs were offered by both public and private institutions, although the two sectors offered training targeted at many of the same occupations. Public and private institutions had significant differences in the areas of the state they served, program admission and completion requirements, program and student costs, financial aid availability, and student outcomes. (OPPAGA, January 2010)...

Leveraging Higher Education for a Stronger South Carolina - The South Carolina Higher Education Study Committee identified four primary goals for higher education: Making the state one of the most educated states; increasing the state's research and innovation; increasing workforce training and educational services in the state; and, realizing the state's potential--resources and effectiveness. This report identifies several objectives for each of the goals and provides specific recommendations on how to achieve each of the objectives. (South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, March 2009)...

How California's Postsecondary Education Systems Address Workforce Development - This report on the nexus between postsecondary education and workforce development discusses the question of how California’s colleges and universities address the state’s need for a highly educated and skilled workforce. It includes a detailed review of the systems and their roles, and considers issues regarding how those roles are being carried out. (California Postsecondary Education Commission, September 2007)...

Emerging Policy Triangle: Economic Development, Workforce Development, and Education: Updated Profiles for All 50 States and Including International Comparative Data - The planning and policymaking associated with K-12, higher education, adult basic education and workforce/economic development are by and large activities running on separate tracks. In some states the state policymakers are beginning to realize progress within the P-16 framework requires the separate tracks to work together. (Dennis Jones and Patrick Kelly, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, May 2007) ...