The Week in Review / Educational Policy Institute

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The Year of the Election

January 4, 2008

Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute

I am pleased to welcome everyone to 2008—the Year of the Election. This isn’t just a US thing, as federal elections are also expected in Canada in 2008. Looking at the current G8 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, and the US), France and the UK debuted new leaders in 2007, Italy in 2006 and Germany in 2005. This year, we will see a new President in Russia (big whoop), a new President in the US, and possibly a new Prime Minister in Canada. While not in the G8, Australia also has a new leader, finally tossing Howard out of office.

Of course, the main race in the US finally started in earnest last night, with the Iowa Caucuses. After living for 17 years in the US, my sense continues to grow that the US electoral system is totally antiquated for this millennium. While John McCain said last night that the Iowa Caucus proves that elections can’t be bought (a pointed attack at Mitt Romney), the $100M raised by Obama hasn’t hurt him a bit. Without that coin in his pocket, it is very unlikely he would have won the state. Currently, Clinton has six points on Obama in New Hampshire, which will go to the polls on Tuesday. It seems that John Edwards did the best for the money (beating Clinton) on the Democrat side. The bottom line is that money matters and it is a problem that democracies are facing globally, because, in reality, you can buy an election. John Kennedy proved it, as did George W. Bush (and arguably, every other presidential candidate since 1789)....Read More

Only 7 out of 50 States require students to pass promotion exams in order to enter the next grade....Read More





	School makes life part of its curriculum Carla Rivera, Los Angeles Times Vistamar School in El Segundo is working to prepare its students not just for college but the world beyond. Giving Disorganized Boys the Tools for Success Alan Finder, The New York Times With girls outperforming boys these days in high school and college, educators have been sparring over whether there is a crisis in the education of boys. Some suggest the need for more single-sex schools, more male role models or new teaching techniques. Others are experimenting with physical changes in classrooms that encourage boys to move around, rather than trying to anchor them to their seats. But as they debate, high-priced tutors and college counselors have jumped into the fray by charging as much as $100 an hour and up to bring boys to heel.	State Legislatures May Juggle Education Priorities, Fiscal Needs Linda Jacobson, Education Week The 2008 state legislative season launches this month under a fiscal cloud in a number of states, where ambitious education initiatives—including expanded pre-K programs, college- or career-preparation efforts, and improved teacher pay—may end up being balanced against gloomy revenue projections.


	Establishment of Negotiated Rulemaking Committees The U.S Department of Education The Secretary of Education (Secretary) announces the establishment of two negotiated rulemaking committees to develop proposed regulations related to the Federal student aid programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). Sallie Mae Faces Education Dept. Audit Over 9.5% Loans Paul Basken, The Chronicle of Higher Education Sallie Mae, the nation’s largest student-loan company, is facing a further investigation by the Education Department concerning its billing practices.	Most Top Colleges Enroll Fewer Low-Income Students Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education Most of the nation’s top-ranking universities and liberal-arts colleges have seen both short- and long-term declines in the share of their students who come from low-income families, according to an analysis conducted by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.


	Losing an Edge, Japanese Envy India’s Schools Martin Fackler, The New York Times Japan is suffering a crisis of confidence these days about its ability to compete with its emerging Asian rivals, China and India. But even in this fad-obsessed nation, one result was never expected: a growing craze for Indian education.	General GCSE Diploma idea dropped Gary Eason, BBCnews The government has quietly scrapped its plan for a General Diploma recognising GCSE achievement by England's teenagers, BBC News has learnt.


	The Government of Canada Supports Eight Projects Led by Canadian Universities in Developing Countries Canadian International Development Agency The Honorable Beverley Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, continues the federal government's commitment to international development by announcing close to $8 million in funding to support eight development projects by Canadian universities. Poverty-stricken offered glimpse of academic life Louise Brown, The Toronto Star It's a radical notion for the Ivory Tower: Invite people from the margins of society – on welfare, in shelters, the working poor, the emotionally fragile – to come soak in the world of ideas. Not for job training, not for credit, but simply to feed their minds and maybe, slowly, begin to imagine a way out of poverty.	Mount Allison launches new recruitment portal Academica Group Late in December, Mount Allison University launched its new student recruitment portal: mta.ca/apply. The site includes a direct link to apply, as well as sections such as "Why MTA," "Academics," "Money Matters," and "Who Are You?" The site refers to the school's strong results in Maclean's, the Globe & Mail Report Card, and the National Survey of Student Engagement, and asks "Why NOT Mount A?"


	Teacher training without the TEE Janine MacDonald, The Australian In an effort to combat the dire shortage of teachers, Edith Cowan University has asked principals to recruit suitable Year 12 students who have not sat the tertiary entrance examination to train to become teachers.	Want to be a doctor? Try your luck. Harriet Alexander, The Sydney Morning Herald THE University of Sydney's medical school may turn its admissions process into a lucky dip and scrap applicant interviews in the biggest overhaul of its selection policy in 10 years.


	Projections of Education Statistics to 2016 NCES This publication provides projections for key education statistics; it includes statistics on enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures in elementary and secondary schools, and enrollment, earned degrees conferred, and current-fund expenditures of degree-granting institutions.


The Educational Policy Institute is an international non-profit think tank dedicated to the study of educational opportunity. The Week in Review is a weekly publication that highlights the top news stories, reports and statistics related to academic preparation and access and success in the US, Canada, and beyond. The publication also features a commentary written by either President Watson Scott Swail, EdD or Vice-President Alex Usher. To submit comments, news releases, or submissions, please email Dr. Watson Scott Swail at wswail@educationalpolicy.org or call (757) 430-2200.