SAT's show increasing minority and income gaps

An article in the August 25th Inside Higher Education reports that there are growing gaps between the scores of white and Asian students, who show modest increases, and other minority groups, who are showing decreases over time. There are also marked discrepancies between scores based on family income, with students from higher income factors achieving markedly higher scores.

Practice guide on improving adolescent literacy

"The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)has released the latest practice guide from the Institute of Education Sciences, "Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices."

....This guide presents practical strategies that classroom teachers and specialists can use to help students in grades 4-12 refine and build upon their reading skills. The recommendations can be integrated into classroom instruction to help students gain more from their reading tasks, improve their motivation for and engagement in the learning process, and assist struggling readers who may need intensive and individualized attention." (announcement from IES)

Trends in faculty & librarian attitudes

Whew! I got a little behind in the run up to the new term. I'll try and get caught up with my postings in the next couple of days.
The new Ithaka Report on the most recent survey results also identifies trends in faculty attitudes "related to online resources, electronic archiving, teaching and learning and related subjects..." In addition to providing a link to the white paper, this Web page also links to several more targeted presentations such as the short powerpoint on "What Characteristics of a Scholarly Journal Are Important to Authors?"

National ACT scores

You may have heard the brief report on NPR this morning and today's Inside Higher Education also talks about the slight drop in this year's composite score compared to last year. Mitigating factors include the substantial increase in the percentage of high school students taking the ACT and even in one case (Michigan) being required to take it. One-year and five-year trends by ethnic group are also available in the IHE article and state comparisons are availabe at ACT's Web site.

Two new REL - West reports (Nevada & California)

The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance within the Institute of Education Sciences released two new reports from REL West today. The first of these reports, "Examining the Links between Grade 12 Mathematics and Remedial Courses in Nevada Public Colleges and Universities," analyzes remediation rates by students' highest grade 12 mathematics course level and grade point average, and by various student and school characteristics.
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?id=145

The second report, "Trends in California Teacher Demand: A Country and Regional Perspective," highlights the differences among California's counties and regions in their use of under prepared teachers and needs for new teachers in the coming decade, as driven by projected student enrollment changes and teacher retirements. The findings show county and regional variations in key factors that influence teacher labor markets.
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?id=144

NCES Descriptive summary of beginning post-secondary students

This NCES report provides a description of the characteristics and enrollment patterns of a nationally representative sample of students who began postsecondary education for the first time during the 2003-04 academic year. Using data from the 2004/06 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, the report describes the background, academic preparation, and experience of these beginning students over three academic years, from July 2003 to June 2006, and provides information about rates of persistence, program completion, transfer, and attrition. The focus is on differences among students beginning at either 4-year, 2-year, or less-than-2-year institutions.
Report is available for viewing/download here: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008174