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		Past Extra Credits November 23 All issues

Satisfying the demand for highly skilled workers is the key to maintaining competitiveness and prosperity in the global economy.

According to the Employment Policy Foundation, over the 10 years from March 1993 to March 2003, employment of persons ages 25 to 64 with master's degrees or higher increased by more than 3.2 million. On the other hand, employment of persons ages 25 to 64 with no more than a high school diploma increased by fewer than 460,000.

Additionally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average unemployment rate for high school dropouts in 2003 was more than 1.5 times higher than the unemployment rate for people with just high school diplomas (8.8 percent compared to 5.5 percent). And, it was almost three times higher than the rate for college graduates (8.8 percent compared to 3.1 percent).

A recent report by The Teaching Commission found that raising student achievement directly leads to national economic growth. The report estimates that "significant improvements in education over a 20-year period could lead to as much as a 4 percent addition to the Gross Domestic Product" or over $400 billion in today's terms.

This information and many other key other important facts related to education and No Child Left Behind are available in the U.S. Department of Education’s new pocket guide entitled"A Guide to Education and No Child Left Behind."

Order your FREE copy of "A Guide to Education and No Child Left Behind " today by:

• Calling the U.S. Department of Education's Publications Center (ED Pubs) toll-free at 1-877-4-ED-PUBS (1-877-433-7827); TTY/TDD: 1-877-576-7734; FAX: 1-301-470-1244;
• Ordering online at: www.edpubs.org; or
• Writing to request a copy: ED Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398.

This guide is also available online.

Note: The NCLB Extra Credit will not be published on Nov. 25th or Nov 26th.