Here are some new resources and news for the field of higher education.
Apprenticeship: Training That Works. This report provides an overview of the field of apprenticeship and identifies areas where coordinated investments of foundations could support high-leverage, actionable ideas that would grow apprenticeship and strengthen its impact on poor and marginalized populations. The report targets four aspects of the apprenticeship “eco-system”: knowledge and research, marketing and outreach, advocacy and policy, and capacity building for practitioners. (Source: Aspen Institute).
Building Student Momentum from High School into College. This report identifies key ways that high schools and higher education can collaborate to redesign the transition from 12th grade through the first year of college and build critical momentum toward completion. The author proposes a student momentum framework of specific college preparatory experiences and markers of educational attainment in high school. Students who accumulate these evidence-based “momentum points” are more likely to enter college, avoid remediation, and graduate with a credential of value within a reasonable amount of time. The report focuses on three dimensions of college readiness that are rooted in research: academic knowledge and skills, non-cognitive skills, and college cultural capital. (Source: Jobs for the Future).
Skills of U.S. Unemployed, Young, and Older Adults in Sharper Focus. This new report presents updated results on the skills of U.S. adults compared to other countries, based on data collected in 2012 and 2014 from assessments of literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology rich environments. The report also takes a deeper look at the skill levels of three critical demographic groups of the U.S. population: the unemployed, young adults, and older adults. In numeracy, a higher percentage of U.S. adults scored in the bottom levels of proficiency compared to adults from other participating countries. The average numeracy score for U.S. adults was lower than average scores for 16 other countries, not statistically different for three countries, and higher than those for three countries. (Source: National Center for Educational Statistics).
