Mining the Research

• Teaching Professional Learning in the United States: Case Studies of State Policies and Strategies. Leaning Forward. (December 2010). This report examines research on effective professional development (PD) and found that when teachers were offered these opportunities, their students reaped the benefits. The researchers conducted case studies of four "professionally active" states—Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, and Vermont—to assess the policy frameworks that support professional development in those states. The report shows that the states studied have made "significant gains in student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, scoring above the national average, and showed evidence of high levels of teacher participation in professional development in the 2008 National Schools and Staffing Survey (NCES) or on other indicators of access to professional learning."
• The U.S. Market for Self-paced eLearning Products and Services 2010-2015 Forecast and Analysis. Ambient Insight. (2011) According to this report, which concluded that online learning has increased dramatically over the past several years, the market for self-paced online learning is set to expand even further in the future. One reason the report cites is K–12 schools' need for cost-effective credit recovery programs. The report states that "budget cuts have prompted schools to reduce spending on summer school and classroom-based credit-recovery (making up for a failing grade) programs and increase spending on self-paced products and services. It is now more cost efficient to outsource credit-recovery programs to commercial online providers."
• Cracking the Student Aid Code: Parent and Student Perspectives on Paying for College. College Board Advocacy and Policy Center. (November 2010). This study looks at attitudes and beliefs of students and parents regarding planning for college and gaining access to financial aid. According to the report, the "focus group participants and survey respondents included students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds, parents with modest financial resources, nontraditional college students and advocates for members of immigrant groups." The report suggests that students do not receive enough information on options for paying college tuition early in their education careers, and parents and students need more information on grants, loans, and other methods of covering higher education costs. "After analyzing the data, one consistent theme emerged: While participants overwhelmingly understand the importance of college, lack of information and understanding of the college financing process is a barrier that is difficult to overcome for many students and families," says the report.

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