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)...

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)...

Revving the Education Engine - This new ECS paper engages education, policy and workforce leaders to explore how to effectively align education, workforce and economic development policy to meet state and regional workforce needs. It provides a comprehensive view of alignment that addresses the various pathways students pursue through the education system and into the workforce. The paper provides examples of promising policies and programs states are employing to create greater alignment, as well as practical steps that state leaders can take in their states to fully leverage their education assets to meet state workforce and economic development goals. (Bruce Vandal, Education Commission of the States, 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)...

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)...

An American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding Opportunity: Redesigning Remedial and Developmental Education MS Word PDF - This ECS Alert describes the various sources of ARRA funds and offers suggestions for how states and postsecondary institutions might use this funding for one-time investments in education technology and curriculum development. Such investments would help meet the education and training needs of the growing dislocated worker population while also increasing the long-term level of institutional productivity. (Bruce Vandal, Education Commission of the States, June 2009) ...

The Progress of Education Reform: Economic and Workforce Development PDF - One strategy for addressing the misalignment among postsecondary education, state workforce development programs and state economic development strategies is to create career pathways programs at community colleges where students are able to enroll in a defined track of coursework that leads to jobs in high-demand fields within a state or region. This issue of The Progress of Education Reform reviews four reports developed by the Workforce Strategy Center that make the case for states to implement policies that support the use of career pathways to increase college completion, and contribute to state and regional workforce demand. (Chris Spence, Education Commission of the States, August 2007)...

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)...

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

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)...

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....

Progress of Education Reform 2003: Educational Attainment PDF - This issue of The Progress of Education Reform offers a brief review of recent research findings on the correlation between educational attainment and economic and social well-being. It also provides links to Web sites that feature state rankings on health, crime rates, voting participation, workforce preparation, per-capita income and tax revenues, and other key indicators. (Suzanne, Weiss, The Progress of Education Reform, vol. 4, no. 2, Education Commission of the States, September 2003)...

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....