The report provides a quantitative analysis of the differences in the career progression of officers based on gender, as well as the factors that explain these differences. Gender differences in career progression can be partly explained by differences in job-related and individual characteristics, such as occupation and marital status, and partly by differences in the association between these characteristics and career progression.

Though it is estimated that about half of the world's population is bilingual, the estimate for the United States is well below 20% (Grosjean, 2010). Amid growing recognition of the need for second language skills to facilitate international commerce and national security and to enhance learning opportunities for non-native speakers of English, many U.S. public, charter, and private schools have developed dual-language immersion (DLI) programs. The goal of these programs is to help the growing number of language minority students learn English and achieve academically, while giving language majority students the opportunity to develop proficiency in another language. Though numerous studies have established a positive relationship between dual-language education and student achievement, important questions about the relationship between the two remain. The research questions addressed in the paper are as follows: (1) What is the causal effect of dual-language immersion education on student achievement in mathematics and reading in grades 3 through 8, on student attendance in grades K through 8, and on initial English language learners' exit from ELL status in grades 1 through 8? (2) Does this effect differ for English language learners versus native speakers of English or by instructional model (90 versus 50 percent of time in the partner language)? (3) What does it cost to implement dual-language immersion programs relative to non-immersion programs? What are the components of these costs, and do they vary by instructional model? Findings to date suggest that immersion may improve student achievement in reading (in English) without diminishing other performance. The following are appended: (1) References; and (2) Tables and Figures.

Until recently, many colleges provided academic support to students by requiring students to complete one or more developmental education courses in a subject area before they could enroll in college-level coursework. As early as 2010, research indicated that very few students were making it out of these developmental education courses and into credit-bearing coursework. Colleges have been experimenting with new approaches that accelerate students into college courses. In this study, researchers focus on one of these approaches to acceleration: corequisite remediation. Corequisite remediation requires that students who are identified as requiring additional academic support be placed immediately into a college course while receiving aligned academic support during that same semester. Research has shown that corequisite remediation has positive impacts on academic outcomes relative to the traditional approach of requiring students to take developmental education courses. However, little is known about how student experiences differ in corequisite remediation relative to developmental education courses. In this report, researchers use data from a randomized control trial at five community colleges in Texas to examine contrasts in student experiences between college students who were assigned either to corequisite remediation or to standalone developmental education courses. Researchers examined eight areas: (1) early opportunities to make progress, (2) intensity and compression of academic practice, (3) rigor of coursework and expectations, (4) alignment of academic remediation with college coursework, (5) opportunities for student-centered learning, (6) opportunities for peer learning, (7) support for success skills (e.g., study skills, social and emotional competencies), and (8) exposure to stigma.

Research has demonstrated that students in dual-language immersion programs perform as well as, or better than, their peers in core academic content areas by late elementary school. The extent to which immersion education fosters bilingualism, however, has received less attention in the literature. Using data from a four-year efficacy study of dual-language immersion education in the Portland Public Schools in Oregon, this study reports the skill levels that 1,284 dual-language immersion students achieved in their classroom partner languages (Spanish, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese) between 3rd and 8th grades. The authors find that by 8th grade, the average dual-language immersion student, regardless of language, performs at least at the Intermediate Low sub-level, and often higher, on STAMP assessments of nearly all language skills tested (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). In comparison, 8th graders in the Portland Public Schools who began taking Spanish as an elective in upper elementary or middle school scored only at about the Novice Mid sub-level. After four years of immersion learning (Grades K-3), 4th grade students whose home language was Spanish scored similarly in reading and speaking to their immersion peers whose home language was not Spanish; they outperformed their immersion peers, however, in listening and writing. [This paper was published in "Foreign Language Annals" (EJ1115027).].

A major source of reserve manpower is the flow of enlisted members from an active component (AC) to a reserve component (RC). This volume examines how effective RC bonuses are in attracting prior service members and, in doing so, explores how AC and RC bonuses interact to affect both AC reenlistment and prior service enlistment in the Selected Reserve.

In 2013, the University of Texas at Tyler (UTT) began the implementation of the PATSS (Patriots Accessing Technology for Savings and Success) program, an initiative that seeks to increase the use of online technologies for instruction. A portion of a course's classes-a third, half, or two-thirds, depending on the course-is held face-to-face, while the remaining portion is provided online. UTT faculty members who teach PATSS courses are required to attend an extensive training program on how to create effective online material and have access to professional instructional designers to help develop hybrid courses. This research evaluates the implementation of the PATSS program, looking at student academic performance, course evaluations, and cost savings to students, educators, and the university. The authors found that while PATSS had a slightly negative impact on ratings given in student course evaluations, it had no effect on academic performance and provided a monetizable benefit of $80 per student per year. The research itself has already driven improvements to the PATSS program, resulting in clearer and better communication to students, as well as more-refined training for educators. The authors recommend that the PATSS system continue under a more centralized authority and note that faculty would benefit from continued professional development.

Teachers in two-way dual-language immersion classrooms consistently implemented key instructional practices targeted by the school district. Teachers strongly adhered to guidelines on language use. Students were less consistent in their language use.

Many workforce-development needs, particularly those requiring baccalaureate degrees, remain unmet in some areas of Texas. Employers and students are calling for additional programs to develop workplace skills and to provide opportunities for career advancement. On May 22, 2013, the Texas Legislature approved a bill mandating a study on whether community college baccalaureate degree programs should be expanded in Texas. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board asked the RAND Corporation to partner with the Texas Higher Education Policy Initiative to conduct the study. In this report, the authors assess unmet workforce-development needs in nursing and the applied sciences, assess the arguments for and against baccalaureate expansion, and recommend potential activities to support implementation of any new policies undertaken to expand community college baccalaureate programs. They find significant need for more baccalaureate nurses, although rapidly growing distance learning programs may be able to meet this need. The authors find varying needs for the four applied science occupations they examined: computer and information technology, management of fire sciences, management of production/operations technicians, and health information technology. While expanding community college baccalaureate degree programs could help meet unmet needs and increase degree attainment among students, there are concerns about costs, mission creep at community colleges, counterproductive competition between community colleges and universities, and a decline in the overall quality of a Texas baccalaureate. The authors discuss the inherent tradeoffs that policymakers face in this regard.

This report describes competency-based education in Texas by documenting six institutions that currently offer these programs and recent efforts of the state to support them.

Dual credit (DC) education programs—delivered through partnerships between high schools and colleges and universities—offer high school students the option to take college-level courses that simultaneously award them college and high school credit. In Texas, policymakers, K–12 and college and university administrators, and the public have sought to better understand the extent to which DC education programs boost higher education access and completion. Specifically, these groups are looking for ways to identify whether reforms are needed to maximize the benefits of DC programs and minimize the concerns around them. This report shares findings from Phase I of a two-year study that examines DC programs in Texas. It provides an initial perspective on the accessibility, diversity, quality, and efficiency of DC education programs in Texas. It also proposes areas of DC education to investigate in the second phase of the study.