Posted July 28, 2009
Education | Immigration | Media | Multiculturalism/Multicultural Society | Religion | U.S. Society
Assessment and Innovation in Education
Looney, Janet
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Education Working Paper #24, July 16, 2009, 61p (PDF)
"High-stake assessment can be an obstacle to the introduction of innovative practices in education and to the development of social and behavioural competences that are crucial for innovation (but typically fall out of the scope of existing assessments). This report reviews the evidence on the impact of high-stake summative assessment on innovation in education and explores possible ways to reconcile high-stakes assessments and examinations through innovative approaches to testing."
This report was prepared in collaboration with the OECD Secretariat for the project "Innovation Strategy for Education and Training" undertaken by the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI). Janet Looney is responsible for the CERI programme entitled: What Works in Innovation in Education. Fulltext E1/04-09
The Condition of Education 2009
U.S. Department of Education & The National Center for Education Statistics, May 28, 2009, 359p (PDF)
"The report summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. It presents 46 indicators on the status and condition of education. The indicators represent a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education for which accurate data are available. The 2009 print edition includes 46 indicators in five main areas: (1) participation in education; (2) learner outcomes; (3) student effort and educational progress; (4) the contexts of elementary and secondary education; and (5) the contexts of postsecondary education." Fulltext E2/04-09
Meaningful Measurement: The Role of Assessments in Improving High School Education in the Twenty-First Century
Alliance for Excellent Education, June 2009, 208p (PDF)
"As the nation embraces the goal of graduating all students college and career ready, there is a growing movement to realign standards, assessments, and accountability systems to that goal. This report offers a collection of essays by leading experts that discuss important assessment issues, examines promising assessment practices from across the globe, and offers recommendations on how the federal government can support an assessment agenda for the twenty-first century." The Alliance for Excellent Education is a national policy and advocacy organization, based in Washington, DC. Fulltext E3/04-09
Forum: The Future of No Child Left Behind
Ravitch, Diane; Chubb, Daniel E.
Education Next, Summer 2009, v9, #3, online edition
"More than seven years ago, President George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) into law. Sweeping calls for testing, intervening in persistently low-performing schools, and policing teacher quality made it the most ambitious legislation on K–12 schooling in American history. The law, due for congressional reauthorization in 2007, still awaits legislative action. This spring, the Hoover Institution’s Koret Task Force issued 10 recommendations to guide reauthorization. In this forum, lead author of Learning from No Child Left Behind, EdisonLearning’s John Chubb, and education historian and task force member Diane Ravitch, who declined to sign the recommendations, weigh in on the future of the law." Fulltext E4/04-09
Diplomas and Dropouts: Which Colleges Actually Graduate Their Students (and Which Don’t)
Hess, Frederick M. et al.
American Enterprise Institute, June 2009, 80p (PDF)
By 2015, less than one in four college students who start their higher education studies this fall will have earned a degree. So says this new study, which seeks to shed light on whether institutional practices might cause certain colleges to graduate fewer students than do other colleges.
Frederick M. Hess is AEI's director of education policy studies. Fulltext E5/04-09
Florida’s Online Option
Tucker, Bill
Education Next, Summer 2009, v9, #3, online edition
This article emphasizes the success of the state-run Florida Virtual School (FLVS), now a decade-old public education experiment. "This most radical of choice based schools—where students and teachers never meet
in physical classrooms and state funding flows on a performance-based,
demand-driven model—has largely avoided the political and legal tangles that
have stymied other reform efforts. And, free from the geographic constraints and
facilities costs of traditional schools, FLVS has grown rapidly, scaling up to
match the considerable demand for the school’s courses. In the 2008–09 school
year, approximately 84,000 students will complete 168,000 half-credit courses, a
10-fold increase since 2002–03."
Bill Tucker is managing director at Education Sector. Fulltext E6/04-09
How to Get the Teachers We Want
Hess, Frederick
Education Next, Summer 2009, v9, #3, online edition
"To improve schooling, the U.S. has adopted the peculiar policy of hiring ever more teachers and asking them each to do the same job in roughly the same way. This dilutes the talent pool while spreading training and salaries over ever more bodies. [...] A teaching profession for the future would make better use of teachers’ talents
and skills by adopting a staffing model similar to those in law and health care."
Frederick M. Hess is director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and an executive editor of Education Next. Fulltext E7/04-09
Battlefield: El Paso
Massey, Douglas S.
The National Interest, July/August 2009, #102, pp44-51
"Over the past two decades, America has witnessed a dramatic upsurge in illegal immigration mostly from Mexico. But this is a problem of our own making. Workers previously labeled immigrants became illegal. The border was fortified. And now many migrants have permanently settled here rather than returning home. A more laissez-faire attitude that allows for the freer flow of people will reduce both the number of migrants and illegals."
Douglas S. Massey is the Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Fulltext E8/04-09
U.S. Immigration Policy
Bush, Jeb; McLarty III, Thomas F. (Chairs); Alden, Edward (Project Director)
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force, Report no. 63, July 2009, 165p
"The goal of the Independent Task Force on U.S. Immigration Policy
was to examine this complex issue and craft a nuanced strategy for
reforming immigration policies and practices. The Task Force report argues that immigration is vital to the long-term prosperity and security
of the United States. In the global competition to attract highly
talented immigrants, the United States must ensure that it remains the
destination of first choice. The report also finds that immigrants, who
bring needed language and cultural skills, are an increasingly important
asset for the U.S. armed forces. What is more, allowing people to
come to this country to visit, study, or work is one of the surest means
to build friendships with future generations of foreign leaders and to
show America’s best face to the world. The Task Force finds that getting legal immigration right will also
help policymakers tackle the issue of illegal immigration. [...] The Task Force report recommends that Congress and the administration
launch a new effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform
legislation [...]." Fulltext E9/04-09
Comprehensive Immigration Reform: A Primer
Immigration Policy Center, June 24, 2009, 4p
"America’s immigration laws are some of the most complex and archaic provisions that can be found in the U.S. statutes. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (INA) rivals the tax code in the level of detail, confusion, and absurd consequences produced by years of layering on provisions without systematically reviewing their results. [...] The necessity of comprehensive immigration reform stems from years of neglect and failure to respond to incompatible interactions between different parts of the system, resulting in breakdowns that have crippled our ability to regulate immigration adequately, protect our borders, reunite families, and foster economic opportunity." Fulltext E10/04-09
Legal Immigration to the United States
Batalova, Jeanne
Migration Policy Institute, June
4, 2009, online edition
"More than 1.1 million persons became legal permanent residents (LPRs) in the United States in 2008. Nearly two-thirds of new LPRs are immigrants with family ties in the United States, reports MPI's Jeanne Batalova in this updated look at the latest statistics on legal immigration."
Jeanne Batalova is a Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. Fulltext E11/04-09
Refugees and Asylees: 2008
Martin, Daniel C.; Hoefer, Michael
Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics, Annual Flow Report, June 2009, 6p
"The United States provides refuge to persons who have been persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution through two programs: one for refugees (persons outside the U.S.) and one for asylees (persons in the U.S.). This Office of Immigration Statistics Annual Flow Report provides information on the number of persons admitted to the United States as refugees or granted asylum in the United States in 2008."
The authors are affiliated with the department's Office of Immigration Statistics. Fulltext E12/04-09
Understanding Immigrant Families From Around the World: Introduction to the
Special Issue
American Psychological Association, APA Online & Journal of Family Psychology, June 4, 2009
"A recent surge in immigration rates has led psychologists to study how these
families are coping and thriving in their adopted countries. In a special June
issue of the Journal of Family Psychology, published by the American
Psychological Association, researchers report that close family ties are crucial
for immigrants’ successful transition to their new country." Fulltext E13/04-09
Muslim Integration into Western Cultures: Between Origins and Destination
Inglehart, Ronald; Norris, Pippa
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Faculty Research Paper Series, 2009, 39p
"To what extent do migrants carry their culture with them, and to what extent do they acquire the culture of their new home? The answer not only has important political implications; it also helps us understand the extent to which basic cultural values are enduring or malleable; and whether cultural values are traits of individuals or are attributes of a given society. [...] This paper demonstrates that on average, the basic social values of Muslim migrants fall roughly mid-way between those prevailing in their country of origin and their country of destination and conclude that Muslim migrants do not move to Western countries with rigidly fixed attitudes; instead, they gradually absorb much of the host culture, as assimilation theories suggest."
Ronald Inglehart is affiliated with Department of Political Science, University of Michigan. Pippa Norris is affiliated with the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Fulltext E14/04-09
Media as Global Diplomat
Himelfarb, Sheldon et. al.
United States Institute of Peace (USIP) , June 2009, 12p
"Public diplomacy in today's media climate favors a decentralized approach that reflects the fragmentation of information and builds on local partnerships that go beyond U.S. governmental broadcasting to foreign audiences, according to the report. Media companies, NGOs, and third-party news outlets can reach certain communities that the U.S. government media cannot. Citizen-to-citizen exchanges and citizen journalism allow for more access and participation in the "grand conversation" that takes place outside government channels. The United States needs to tap the potential of citizen media and citizen networks to enhance U.S. understanding of foreign cultures and overseas understanding of America, says the authors."
Sheldon Himelfarb is the Associate Vice President of the Media, Conflict, and Peacebuilding Center of
Innovation at USIP. Fulltext E15/04-09
Cities Without Newspapers
Smolkin, Rachel
American Journalism Review, June/July 2009, online edition
"As the economic noose tightens, the notion of big cities without local dailies seems a real possibility. What would the impact be on civic life? And what might emerge to fill the gap?"
Rachel Smolkin is the legal affairs editor at USA Today and a former AJR managing editor. Fulltext E16/04-09
Interview: Forecasting the Future
Frons, Marc
American Journalism Review (AJR), June/July 2009, online edition
Marc Frons, the New York Times' chief technology officer of digital operations, gives his opinion on the future of the Newspapers in an interview with Katherine King. He believes that "Newspapers will still exist, but I don't see them as a mass market medium 10 to 20 years from now. I think by that time, most people will be getting their news on electronic devices and not in print. Print will be a much smaller and more elite vehicle for the people who still want print and are willing to pay for it." Fulltext E17/04-09
How Teenagers Consume Media
Morgan Stanley Research (via Financial Times), July 10, 2009, 8p
"Digital media is profoundly transforming consumer behaviour and traditional media business models. While creating new opportunities, its disruptive influence is being accelerated by the global recession. At the vanguard of this digital revolution are teenagers. While their habits will obviously change (especially when they start employment), understanding their mindset seems an excellent way of assessing how the media landscape will evolve. To this end, [Morgan Stanley Research] asked a 15-year-old summer work intern, Matthew Robson, to describe how he and his friends consume media." Fulltext E18/04-09
Not so Huddled Masses: Multiculturalism and Foreign Policy
McConnell, Scott
World Affairs, Spring 2009, v171, #4, pp39-50
"The author examines the connection between America’s immigration and foreign policy throughout U.S. history. Although Hispanics will make up a quarter of the American population by 2040, this does not guarantee a different foreign policy. Apart from the highly-mobilized Cuban émigré community, Latinos’ foreign-affairs activism remains modest since it is not clear that they have either the resources or the will to influence American foreign policy in a singular way; most new immigrant groups tend to vote Democratic. The power of ethnic lobbies to exert influence upon U.S. policy are also discussed."
Scott McConnell is co-founder and editor-at-large of The American Conservative. Fulltext E19/04-09
Racial Preferences Debate Makes A Comeback
Brownstein, Ronald
National Journal, June 6, 2009, v41, #23, pp44-48
"During the 1970s and '80s, programs to increase representation of minorities in public- and private-sector hiring, college admissions, and government contracting ignited many of the most searing arguments in American politics and helped remake the Republican and Democratic electoral coalitions. But since then these issues have provoked only rare skirmishes, as a combination of political, economic, and cultural changes have reduced their visibility and immediacy to all but a handful of activists on each side. [...] Now Sotomayor's nomination is forcing these issues back into the spotlight. And they have quickly proved as polarizing as ever."
Ronald Brownstein is a national political correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, and the author of the weekly Washington Outlook column, which appears in the Times and is syndicated nationally. Fulltext E20/04-09
G.M., Detroit and the Fall of the Black Middle Class
Mahler, Jonathan
New York Times Magazine, June 28, 2009, pp30-41
"The story of the rise of America’s black working and middle classes is
inextricably bound up with that of Detroit and the Big Three." Jonathan Mahler points to the people behind the American auto industry. While describing how the vehicle manufacturers helped to create a black middle class, he argues that further reduction in vehicle-industry employment will challenge the black and white middle classes.
Jonathan Mahler is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine. Fulltext E21/04-09
Indigenous People Today
EJournal USA, v14, # 6, June 2009, online edition
The June 2009 edition of eJournal USA provides insight into Native Americans and other indigenous peoples. Articles provide historical background and look at issues surrounding their languages and culture, their legal status, and how they are networking around the world. Fulltext E22/04-09
Religion
Like I Was Jesus: How to Bring a Nine-Year-Old to Christ
Aviv, Rachel
Harper's Magazine, August 2009, v319, #1911, pp42-51
"Last summer, forty Christian missionaries, members of the Child Evangelism Fellowship, roamed the housing projects of Connecticut telling children the condensed and colorful story of Jesus’ life. The goal was salvation, but the missionaries rarely used that long word. They employed monosyllabic language and avoided abstract concepts and homonyms. 'Holy' was a problem, the missionaries said, as children thought it meant 'full of holes.' 'Christ rose from the dead' was also tricky because children mistook the verb for a flower."
Rachel Aviv is a writer. This is her first article for Harper’s Magazine. Order article E23/04-09
US Society
US Society: What Makes Us Happy?
Shenk, Joshua Wolf
The Atlantic Monthly, June 2009, v303, #5, pp36-50
"Is there a formula—some mix of love, work, and psychological adaptation—for a good life? For 72 years, researchers at Harvard have been examining this question, following 268 men who entered college in the late 1930s through war, career, marriage and divorce, parenthood and grandparenthood, and old age. Here, for the first time, a journalist gains access to the archive of one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies in history. Its contents, as much literature as science, offer profound insight into the human condition—and into the brilliant, complex mind of the study’s longtime director, George Vaillant."
Joshua Wolf Shenk is the director of the Rose O’Neill Literary House at Washington College. Fulltext E24/04-09
U.S. Society: Can We Have a Public Bioethic
Guerra, Marc D.
Society, July/August 2009, v46, #4, pp333-340
"This essay examines the viability of a publicly held, articulated, and enacted bioethic in America's democratic regime. The essay takes the writings of several thinkers associated with the President's Council on Bioethics as its point of departure. The essay draws attention to some of the enduring moral, political, religious, and intellectual currents inherent in American civil society that will continue to provide both resources for and obstacles to any publicly held bioethic in America."
Marc D. Guerra is an assistant professor in theology at Assumption College in Worcester, MA. Order article E25/04-09
Seniors: Rethinking Retirement: Can American Afford to Retire?
Billitteri, Thomas J.
CQ Researcher, June 19, 2009, v19, #23, pp552-571
"Prospects for a secure retirement are more imperiled now than at any time since before the creation of the Social Security program in 1935. Low savings rates and credit abuse have contributed to the problem, but the recent economic crisis, which has led to massive layoffs and a collapse of the stock market, is forcing even those who have prepared and saved to rethink their retirement strategies. The entire retirement structure, including the shift away from traditional guaranteed pension plans toward 401(k) accounts, is under scrutiny, and Congress has called for greater transparency in the way such accounts are administered. Meanwhile, retirement experts are counseling workers to stay on the job longer to ensure their retirement security, and some economists are calling for reductions in Social Security benefits to shore up the entitlement system and accommodate the impending wave of retirements among the post-World War II baby-boom generation."
Thomas J. Billitteri is a CQ Researcher staff writer, who has more than 30 years’ experience covering business, nonprofit institutions and public policy for newspapers and other publications. Order article E26/04-09
Seniors: Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality
Pew Research Center, Social and Demographic Trends, June 29, 2009, online edition (full report 152p)
"Getting old isn't nearly as bad as people think it will be. Nor is it quite as good. On aspects of everyday life ranging from mental acuity to physical dexterity to sexual activity to financial security, a new Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends survey among a nationally-representative sample of 2,969 adults finds a sizable gap between the expectations that young and middle-aged adults have about old age and the actual experiences reported by older adults themselves." Fulltext E27/04-09
America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2009
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, July 2009, 216p (PDF)
"America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2009 is a compendium of indicators illustrating both the promises and the difficulties confronting our Nation’s young people. The report presents 40 key indicators on important aspects of children’s lives. These indicators are drawn from our most reliable statistics, easily understood by broad audiences, objectively based on substantial research, balanced so that no single area of children’s lives dominates the report, measured regularly so that they can be updated to show trends over time, and representative of large segments of the population rather than one particular group." Fulltext E28/04-09
A Right to Marry? Same-Sex Marriage and Constitutional Law
Nussbaum, Martha
Dissent, Summer 2009, v56, #3, pp43-55
"Same-Sex Marriage is currently one of the most divisive political issues in America. While several states have legalized it, others—most recently, California—have stripped same-sex couples of their right. 'What ought we to hope and work for, as a just future for families in our society?' asks Martha Nussbaum in her essay 'A Right to Marry.' Martha Ackelsberg, Stephanie Coontz, and Katha Pollitt respond."
Martha Nussbaum is Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago. Fulltext E29/04-09
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