College Tuition Costs Rising Rapidly

According to a study by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, tuition at public colleges and universities has increased by at least a quarter over the past decade, more than that of private universities. Deep state funding cuts have had major consequences for public colleges and universities.  States (and to a lesser extent localities) provide roughly half of the revenue that can be used to support instruction at these schools. When this funding is cut, colleges and universities look to make up the difference with higher tuition levels, cuts to educational or other services, or both. The study states that responsible reinvestment can only occur, however, if policymakers make sound tax and budget decisions.  

Mitchell, M., & Leachman, M. (2015). Years of cuts threaten to put college out of reach for more students. Washington, D.C.: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/years-of-cuts-threaten-to-put-college-out-of-reach-for-more-students

Report Reveals College “Preparation Gap”

According to a report by the Center for American Progress, high-school graduation requirements in some states may fall short of admissions requirements for public universities. To understand the extent to which diploma requirements denote eligibility for a student’s chosen postsecondary pathway of choice, this report analyzes state high school graduation requirements for a basic, nonadvanced high school diploma. The authors organize their analysis into three main areas: years of study required by subject matter for high school graduation and state college admission; course type and sequence required by subject matter for high school graduation and state college admission; and how high school graduation requirements stack up against measures of quality. Answering these questions provides policymakers, educators, parents, and students with information about whether the high school diploma a student receives denotes eligibility for their postsecondary pathway of choice: admission to a state’s four-year public university system; further study in a career and technical education (CTE) field; or direct entry into a career or the military. The researchers state that ideally, the answers should be “yes” to both questions in every state.

Jimenez, L., & Sargrad, S. (2018). Are high school diplomas really a ticket to college and work?: An audit of state high school graduation requirements. Washington, D.C.: Center for American Progress. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/high_school_and_beyond/CAP-report-grad-requirements

Student Plagiarism

Although universities differ in how they deal with student plagiarism, there are also 'clusters of consensus’. This is the finding of the second phase of the Academic Misconduct Benchmarking Research Project (AMBeR) conducted by the UK's Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service (AJAIS). The report found that while all universities manage the issue of student plagiarism on an individual basis, the most common ways of dealing with the issue were the resubmission of assessments, where the resulting mark would be capped and a formal warning given. Over 50 per cent of the recorded instances of plagiarism were dealt with in one of these ways. The report also indicated that the vast majority of offences are first offences which suggests that current measures being taken are successfully reducing repeat offenders.

Tennant, P., Rowell, G., & Duggan, F. (2007). Academic misconduct benchmarking research project: Part I. United Kingdom: Amber Project. https://www.plagiarism.org/assets/Tennant_amber1.pdf

evaluting online tutorials in universities study

The effective integration of current technologies in teaching and research is a high priority for today’s universities. To support the technology skills of university faculty, staff, and students, the subject university’s office for faculty training and support, provides free, 24/7 access to a collection of online technology tutorials leased from a professional vendor, PBJ (pseudonym). Despite significant financial investment, the effectiveness of these tutorials has never been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PBJ online technology training tutorials in supporting the technology skills development of faculty, staff, and students at a large university. A customized Web-based survey was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from PBJ users. Findings revealed that PBJ users are largely satisfied with this online learning resource. However, users also recommended improvements: providing alternative formats/media for flexibility in learning; offering more practice opportunities to skill-build; providing content that is current, comprehensive, and targets high-need areas; and resolving usability issues such as cumbersome navigation. In sum, findings resulted in practical recommendations for improvement to this facet of the university’s technology support strategy as well as insights for other universities engaged in similar efforts. Implications for effective e-learning evaluation are offered.
International Journal on E-Learning, 2011, Evaluating Online Tutorials for University Faculty, Staff, and Students: The Contribution of Just-in-Time Online Resources to Learning and Performance
http://www.editlib.org/f/33278

Beginning teachers have better academic credentials than their predecessors did a decade ago, suggesting that tougher requirements at all levels — from the federal government to the local teacher's college — have forced teachers' colleges to improve offerings while luring more qualified candidates into teaching. The gains hold across gender, racial and ethnic lines.
Educational Testing Service. (2007). Teacher Quality in a Changing Policy Landscape: Improvements in the Teacher Pool. Princeton, NJ: ETS.
http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=1dec64a4785a6110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=b8cc64a4785a6110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD