Archive for December, 2007

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on UPortal Consulting:
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uPortal Consulting services are a valuable asset to higher education institutions in creating a personalized gateway to the online campus. Gilfus Education Group provides expertise and resources that are required in building out the uPortal framework and ensuring uPortal’s long-term success.

Consulting
Gilfus Education Group UPortal consulting services help in advising institutions on how to take full advantage of uPortal to meet their business objectives.

Training and Mentoring
General uPortal mentorship affords institutions access to a Unicon developer-consultant experienced in working with uPortal. Our consultants are made available to your institution to assist and mentor your staff.

Types of mentoring activities include: answering questions, helping staff execute on portal development, providing guidance on portal configuration tasks, performing research and producing documentation as requested up to the agreed amount of hours. Mentorship assists in knowledge transfer to grow an institution’s staff’s expertise in the development of the uPortal framework and for maintaining the uPortal instance.

In order to remain competitive, institutions must continue to deliver innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Limited resources and shrinking budgets are quickly putting proprietary software options out of reach. This dilemma has caused institutions to come together and create open source solutions for higher education, such as Jasig’s uPortal framework.

What is uPortal?
uPortal is the leading open source enterprise portal framework built by and for the higher education community. uPortal continues to evolve through contributions from its global community and is supported by resources, grants, donations, and memberships fees from academic institutions, commercial affiliates, and non-profit foundations. uPortal is built on open standards-based technologies such as Java and XML, and enables easy, standards-based integration with authentication and security infrastructures, single sign-on secure access, campus applications, web-based content, and end user customization. It is one of the most widely deployed open source enterprise portal frameworks, having been adopted by hundreds of institutions and the eResearch community, world wide.

History of uPortal
In 2001, a group of 20 institutions, including Princeton, Yale, Cornell, Brown, Delaware, University of British Columbia, Cal Poly, Columbia, Holy Cross, Georgetown, and Boston College, recognized the need to protect the institutional image, to exploit the potential of the portal, and to promote the use of Java technology. Under the sponsorship of Sun Microsystems, these institutions formed the Java in Administration Special Interest Group (JASIG), now Jasig (no longer called Java in Administration Special Interest Group). Securing a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, volunteers from Interactive Business Solutions (a company subsequently acquired by Unicon, Inc.) and the participating institutions developed a free and open source portal focused on the use cases of higher education. The uPortal project has enjoyed considerable success with over 600 production deployments, and remains the most widely used open source portal in higher education.

What is Jasig?
Jasig is a consortium of educational institutions and commercial affiliates sponsoring open source software projects for higher education, fostering collaboration within and among communities of practice. Jasig is a non-profit 501(c)3 membership organization organizing conferences in support of open source software design, development, and implementation. Jasig provides hosting and representation for several open source projects including uPortal and Central Authentication Service (CAS) .

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on UPortal Consulting:
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Technorati Tags: campus portals, development, open source learning, UPortal Consulting

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on Sakai Consulting: Contact Us

Since 1997 the Gilfus Education Group has designed, implemented, and managed education technology solutions for major universities, colleges, and corporations.

Our team provides capabilities around open source solutions including enterprise deployments of Sakai. Our Sakai consulting services and expertise includes custom development and integration with campus portals, collaboration, learning, calendaring, and e-mail technologies in addition to othe LMS, ERP and Content Management systems.

One of the Gilfus Education Group’s greatest strengths is its expertise in planning new and expanded Sakai implementations. Major academic institutions have utilized the Gilfus Education Group consultants to successfully implement Sakai as a compelling alternative to proprietary learning and collaboration software.

Two major issues academic institutions communicate is their need and desire for more choices and more control. Sakai gives them both. Sakai is a full-featured viable alternative and it enables them to control the amount of their investment, how and where they invest, and even choose when to upgrade their software. Whether an institution is replacing costly proprietary software, or desires to build/integrate new applications, Gilfus Education Group can provide a range of services to maximize the benefits of open source software. These services include consulting, implementation, branding, migration, custom software development, integration, training, and support.

Consulting and Mentoring for Sakai
Sakai is a valuable asset to higher education institutions in creating a collaborative and learning environment for the online campus. Gilfus Education Group provides knowledge and resources that are required in building out the Sakai CLE and ensuring Sakai’s long-term success.

Sakai Consulting Services
Gilfus Education Group’s consulting services help in advising institutions on how to take full advantage of Sakai to meet their business objectives. These services assist customers with projects such as a major migration from other LMS solutions to Sakai.

Mentoring
General Sakai mentorship affords institutions access to a Unicon developer-consultant experienced in working with Sakai. This consultant provides general mentorship and consulting support, answers questions, helps staff to execute on development and configuration tasks, performs research and produces documentation as requested. Mentorship assists in knowledge transfer to grow an institution’s expertise in the development of the Sakai collaborative and learning environment and for maintaining the Sakai instance.

More Sakai Consulting Services are available from the Gilfus Education Group.

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on Sakai Consulting: Contact Us

Technorati Tags: campus portals, Course Managment Consulting, learning management systems, lms, Mentoring Services, Sakai CLE, Saki Consulting

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on Education Consulting: Contact Us
When you are trying to develop and grow your business, having additional resources at your fingertips can prove invaluable. Enter consulting services from the Gilfus Education Group.

With help from our experienced consultants, you can assess your educational needs, quantify your desired results, and leverage direct assistance to achieve your goals. We work with customers of all sizes and industries to provide expert guidance, regardless of what solution you’ve implemented. And because the services are customizable and cover various levels of your organization, you can optimize them to ensure they meet your unique needs.

Take advantage of the following consulting services from Gilfus Education Group Education:

Change management – Focuses on helping you introduce the change process; ensure organizational alignment; and coordinate and integrate key leadership, organizational, technology, and cultural issues so you can achieve goals and objectives

Education needs analysis – Examines your institution’s objectives, user communities, and current implementation or implementation plan and develops recommendations for helping you achieve your goals

Assessment of education scope – Provides your senior management with a clear and easily understood definition of the size, scope, and cost elements required to successfully implement or upgrade solutions

User services and products – Brings consulting, customized training, documentation, and the latest computer-based tools to your employees, so you can improve daily operations, streamline training time, and increase user productivity

Training planning and support – Provides you with advice on organizational training requirements such as upgrades, new functionality and application implementation, and rollouts, and addresses training needs related to attrition, new hires, and improvement initiatives.

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on Education Consulting: Contact Us

Technorati Tags: College Consulting Higher Education, Education, Educational Consulting, K12

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on PeopleSoft Consulting: Contact Us

Companies that use PeopleSoft applications – or want to – face a confusing array of choices. You need top functionality now but can’t afford to spend time and money on software, upgrades or services unless they bring tangible value.

The Gilfus Education Group can help you assess options and put the right solution in place based on your budget, goals, software and infrastructure. We’ll get your PeopleSoft applications running quickly and smoothly, with an emphasis on and long-term maintainability…and on what’s affordable for you.

We have extensive experience installing, upgrading, enhancing, managing and supporting PeopleSoft, including 9.0, which offers users several improvements over earlier versions.

The Gilfus Education Group’s full-service PeopleSoft consulting combines technical and business expertise to help ensure that your PeopleSoft application does what you need. Our experts grasp real-world issues because they’ve been in your shoes and have more than a decade of experience implementing and managing PeopleSoft applications.

We will:

• Assign seasoned experts who know what works in production
• Get your enterprise applications up and running quickly and efficiently
• Build your system for long-term performance and availability
• Keep your operation and maintenance costs as low as possible

Never cut corners to go live for lower cost or less time if the result will be inefficient or expensive to operate
With The Gilfus Education Group, you can feel confident that your PeopleSoft applications are skillfully deployed and maintained, including:

Implementation.
Whether you’re installing PeopleSoft for the first time or adding a module to extend functionality, AT&T gets it running smoothly and effectively while meeting regulatory compliance challenges.

Upgrades. Because upgrades are never a “one size fits all” task, AT&T examines your existing PeopleSoft footprint and crafts a strategy suited to your business.

Enhancements. We help your PeopleSoft applications keep pace with your business by creating new interfaces, making customizations and extending application functionality.

IT Strategy. The Gilfus Education Group can evaluate your infrastructure, software, tools and business processes to identify key operational areas for improvement and recommend beneficial technologies.

Software Selection. By researching and recommending the right mix of PeopleSoft modules, third-party solutions and custom systems, we can help you achieve your business goals.
Integration. Because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, we ensure that your PeopleSoft application is seamlessly integrated with your legacy systems, supply chain partners, industry-standard software packages and external interfaces.

• Services tailored to each client’s needs, resources and budget
• Guidance in assessing options and choosing solutions that fit your needs
• Wide range of capabilities, from full implementation to upgrades, integration and enhancements
• High success rate and reliability by following proven processes, choosing teams carefully and using
• proprietary tools to track steps, costs and changes
• Long-term perspective—no quick fixes or shortcuts that cause problems down the road
• Ability to scale and address your needs as they change over time
• Easy-to-support solutions

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on PeopleSoft Consulting: Contact Us

Technorati Tags: Oracle Software Consulting Services, PeopleSoft, PeopleSoft Consulting, PeopleSoft Consulting Services, PeopleSoft Partner, PeopleSoft Service Provider, PeopleSoft Services, PeopleSoft Software Consultants, PeopleSoft Software Consulting Services

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on Liferay Consulting: Contact Us

Exploit Liferay to the fullest with expert consulting.
Our Liferay consulting services enable customers to leverage the power of real-time information and collaboration to gain numerous organizational and business benefits. Our Liferay portal consulting services and solutions enable our clients to streamline operations, enhance partner and supplier relations, build social communities, and help improve customer loyalty by enabling self-service capabilities. Our Liferay consulting clients range from large Fortune 500 enterprises to exciting Web 2.0 startups.

As a Preferred Partner for Liferay and a trusted certified training partner, we offer the depth of expertise in the Liferay Portal platform that you need to succeed. Our portal consulting services provide robust, easy-to-maintain and cost-effective alternatives to proprietary applications.

Service Offerings

• Liferay Portal implementation
• Liferay Social Office implementation
• Liferay / Alfresco integration
• Liferay Portal jump start package
• Liferay customization, deployment, integration
• Custom portlet development
• Specialized Liferay support services

Methodology
We apply an agile methodology for Liferay consulting services, consisting of the following major activities:

• Business strategy and goals review
• Requirements and use cases
• Proof of concept(s)
• Architecture and design
• Implementation and test
• Production deployment
• Training and knowledge transfer
• Solution support (if needed)

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on Liferay Consulting: Contact Us

Technorati Tags: Liferay, Liferay / Alfresco, Liferay Consulting, Liferay Customization, Liferay Portal, Liferay Support

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on Moodle Consulting: Contact Us
Moodle is what we do at and we have a wealth of expertise to help you get the most out of Moodle.

We’ve been working with Moodle for a long time, if there’s something that we can’t provide from within our own team we’re likely to be able to source experienced and reliable expertise from our tried and trusted partners.

Below is an outline of the areas where we can help.

Evaluation
Is Moodle right for your organisation? We provide informal presentations to more detailed comparison of Moodle against your requirements.

Course design
If you need a new course designing or need help translating an existing course to Moodle we work with your team combining our expertise with Moodle and their subject matter and sector knowledge to create effective learning online.

Skills development
Even the best technical implementation is likely to fall flat if your people don’t have the necessary skills. We will work with you to devise and deliver a suitable development programme.

Support
We provide you with Moodle tool support whilst you are building your own courses, support for your facilitators in live courses, and technical support for installation, migration and maintenance of your Moodle site.

Moodle development
If you can’t find a way to make Moodle do what you want, we’ll work with you to make sure that really is the case and help you specify a detailed requirements document. Alternatively if we can show you how to achieve your aims without a software development spend we’ll do that too!

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more on Moodle Consulting: Contact Us

Technorati Tags: Consulting, Course Design, Moodle, Moodle LMS, Moodle Services, Support

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more: Contact Us

Interested in capturing the full value of Blackboard, leveraging the expertise of our consultants is the best way to maximize the success of your implementation. With our Blackboard Consulting, you’ll work with certified industry and technology experts who understand your institution’s specific needs. From strategy to implementation to maintenance. On a per project basis or as a full-time member of your team. Our Blackboard consultants can help you throughout your full project lifecycle by:

• Ensuring greater adoption and more effective use of your Blackboard applications
• Minimizing support and administrative costs
• Enabling your employees to learn and share best practices

e-Education Planning
e-Education Planning Services will help you develop strategies specific to your goals. You’ll work with certified industry and technology experts who understand your institution’s needs and will help you identify critical success factors across your Blackboard deployment.

Systems Architecture Design
We’ll work closely with you to ensure your system architecture successfully supports critical initiatives. We’ll help with load balancing and database clustering so you can distribute user load across multiple application and database servers. We’ll work with you to design sophisticated backup, recovery and fail over mechanisms. We’ll prepare your system for sustained growth through systems engineering and routine load testing. And we’ll help ensure high availability with periodic health checks of your implementation.

Solution Implementation and Maintenance
Successful implementation and ongoing expansion of your Blackboard deployment can be challenging for even the most sophisticated IT organization. Additionally, the management of these solutions evolves over time, placing increased demands on your overall environment. Blackboard Consulting goes be yond mere installation by ensuring that your Blackboard application is effectively config ured, tested and documented. In cases where migration is required, this assistance is even more critical. We’ll ensure that your vital system data and course content is preserved.

Integration and Customization Services
Integrating your Blackboard system with other key campus technologies improves the flow of information and helps manage your costs as your e-Learning deployment grows. Blackboard Consulting offers a wide range of services designed to ensure rapid, successful integration of Blackboard Learn with your student information system, portal, authentication scheme and other applications.

Blackboard Training lays the foundation that enables you to:

Save time and money by equipping your staff with the skills they need to fully leverage your Blackboard deployment
Whether you are looking for a certification or to hone a specific skill set, we offer a variety of flexible training options to fit your needs. Available training formats include:

• Online Courses
• Regional Workshops
• Onsite Workshops
• Training Materials
• Custom Training

Training is available for:

• System Administrators
• Instructors/Faculty
• Trainers
• Support Personnel
• Course Designers

Contact the Gilfus Education Group to learn more: Contact Us

Technorati Tags: Bb Consulting, Blackboard, Blackboard Consulting, Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Training

Educational Services

* Nature of the Industry
* Working Conditions
* Employment
* Occupations In The Industry
* Training and Advancement
* Outlook
* Earnings
* Sources of Additional Information

Significant Points

* With about 1 in 4 Americans enrolled in educational institutions, educational services is the second largest industry, accounting for about 13.3 million jobs.
* Most teaching positions, which constitute almost half of all educational services jobs, require at least a bachelor’s degree, and some require a master’s or doctoral degree.
* Retirements in a number of education professions will create many job openings.

Nature of the Industry [About this section] Back to TopBack to Top

Goods and services. Education is an important part of life. The amount and type of education that individuals receive are a major influence on both the types of jobs they are able to hold and their earnings. Lifelong learning is important in acquiring new knowledge and upgrading one’s skills, particularly in this age of rapid technological and economic changes. The educational services industry includes a variety of institutions that offer academic education, vocational or career and technical instruction, and other education and training to millions of students each year.

Industry organization. Because school attendance is compulsory until at least age 16 in all 50 States and the District of Columbia, elementary, middle, and secondary schools are the most numerous of all educational establishments. They provide academic instruction to students in kindergarten through grade 12 in a variety of settings, including public schools, parochial schools, boarding and other private schools, and military academies. Some secondary schools offer a mixture of academic and career and technical instruction.

Postsecondary institutions—universities, colleges, professional schools, community or junior colleges, and career and technical institutes—provide education and training in both academic and technical subjects for high school graduates and other adults. Universities offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, while colleges generally offer only the bachelor’s degree. Professional schools offer graduate degrees in fields such as law, medicine, business administration, and engineering. The undergraduate bachelor’s degree typically requires 4 years of study, while graduate degrees require additional years of study. Community and junior colleges and technical institutes offer associate degrees, certificates, or other diplomas, usually involving 2 years of study or less. Career and technical schools provide specialized training and services primarily related to a specific job. They include computer and cosmetology training institutions, business and secretarial schools, correspondence schools, and establishments that offer certificates in commercial art and practical nursing.

This industry also includes institutions that provide training, consulting, and other support services to schools and students, such as curriculum development, student exchanges, and tutoring. Also included are schools or programs that offer nonacademic or self-enrichment classes, such as automobile driving and cooking instruction, among others.

Recent developments. In recent decades, the Nation has focused attention on the educational system because of the growing importance of producing a trained and educated workforce. Many institutions, including government, private industry, and research organizations, are involved in improving the quality of education. The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 established Federal guidelines to ensure that all students in public elementary through secondary schools receive a high-quality education. Through this act, individual States are given more flexibility on how to spend the educational funds they are allocated. In return, the Act requires standardized testing of all students in core subject areas. In this manner, students, teachers, and all staff involved in education are held accountable for the results of testing, and teachers and teacher assistants must demonstrate that they are sufficiently qualified in the subjects or areas in which they teach. States are responsible for following these guidelines and can lose Federal funding if the standards are not met. Despite the increased Federal role, State and local governments are still the most important regulators of public education. Many States had already begun to introduce performance standards individually prior to passage of the Act, and the Act still allows States a considerable amount of discretion in how they implement many of its provisions.

In an effort to promote innovation in public education, many local and State governments have authorized the creation of public charter schools, in the belief that, by presenting students and their parents with a greater range of instructional options, schools and students will be encouraged to strive for excellence. Charter schools, which usually are run by teachers and parents or, increasingly, by private firms, operate independently of the school system, set their own standards, and practice a variety of innovative teaching methods. Businesses strive to improve education by donating instructional equipment, lending personnel for teaching and mentoring, hosting visits to the workplace, and providing job-shadowing and internship opportunities. Businesses also collaborate with educators to develop curricula that will provide students with the skills they need to cope with new technology in the workplace.

Quality improvements also are being made to career and technical education at secondary and postsecondary schools. Academics are playing a more important role in career and technical curricula, and programs are being made more relevant to the local job market. Often, students must meet rigorous standards, set in consultation with private industry, before receiving a certificate or degree. Career and technical students in secondary school programs must pass the same standardized tests in core subject areas as students who are enrolled in academic programs of study. A growing number of career and technical programs emphasize general workplace skills, such as problem solving, teamwork, and customer service. Many high schools now offer technical preparatory (“tech-prep”) programs, which are developed jointly by high schools and community colleges to provide a continuous course of study leading to an associate degree or other postsecondary credential.

Computer technology continues to affect the education industry. Computers simplify administrative tasks and make it easier to track student performance. Teachers use the Internet in classrooms as well as to communicate with colleagues around the country; students use the Internet for research projects. Distance learning continues to expand as more postsecondary institutions use Internet-based technology to conduct lessons and coursework electronically, allowing students in distant locations access to educational opportunities formerly available only on campus.

Despite these improvements in quality, problems remain. High school completion rates remain low, particularly for minority students, and employers contend that numerous high school graduates still lack many of the math and communication skills needed in today’s workplace. School budgets often are not sufficient to meet the institution’s various goals, particularly in the inner cities, where aging facilities and chronic teacher shortages make educating children more difficult.

Working Conditions [About this section] Back to TopBack to Top

Hours. Elementary and secondary schools generally operate 10 months a year, but summer sessions for special education or remedial students are common. In addition, education administrators, office and administrative support workers, and janitors and cleaners often work the entire year. Postsecondary institutions operate year-round, but may have reduced offerings during summer months. Institutions that cater to adult students, and those that offer educational support services such as tutoring, generally operate year-round as well. Night and weekend work is common for teachers of adult literacy and remedial and self-enrichment education, for postsecondary teachers, and for library workers in postsecondary institutions. Part-time work is common for this same group of teachers, as well as for teacher assistants and school bus drivers. The latter often work a split shift, driving one or two routes in the morning and afternoon; drivers who are assigned to drive students on field trips, to athletic and other extracurricular activities, or to midday kindergarten programs work additional hours during or after school. Many teachers spend significant time outside of school preparing for class, doing administrative tasks, conducting research, writing articles and books, and pursuing advanced degrees.

Work environment. Elementary and secondary school conditions often vary from town to town. Some schools in poorer neighborhoods may be rundown, have few supplies and equipment, and lack air conditioning. Other schools may be new and well equipped and maintained. Conditions at postsecondary institutions are generally very good. Regardless of the type of conditions facing elementary and secondary schools, seeing students develop and enjoy learning can be rewarding for teachers and other education workers. However, dealing with unmotivated students or those with social or behavioral problems can be stressful and require patience and understanding.

Despite occurrences of violence in some schools, the educational services industry is relatively safe. There were 2.3 cases of occupational injury and illness per 100 full-time workers in private educational establishments in 2006, compared with 4.4 in all industries combined.

Employment [About this section] Back to TopBack to Top

The educational services industry was the second largest industry in the economy in 2006, providing jobs for about 13.3 million workers—about 13.2 million wage and salary workers, and 195,000 self-employed and unpaid family workers. Most jobs are found in elementary and secondary schools, either public or private, as shown in table 1. Public schools employ more workers than private schools because most students attend public educational institutions. According to the latest data from the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, close to 90 percent of students attend public primary and secondary schools, and about 75 percent attend public postsecondary institutions.

Table 1. Distribution of wage and salary employment in educational services by industry, 2006
(Employment in thousands) Industry Employment Percent

Educational services, public and private, total
13,152 100.0

Elementary and secondary schools
8,346 63.5

Junior colleges, colleges, universities, and professional schools
4,215 32.0

Colleges, universities, and professional schools
3,434 26.1

Junior colleges
781 5.9

Other educational services
591 4.5

Other schools and instruction
285 2.2

Technical and trade schools
134 1.0

Educational support services
91 0.7

Business schools and computer and management training
80 0.6

Occupations in the Industry [About this section] Back to TopBack to Top

Workers in the educational services industry take part in all aspects of education, from teaching and counseling students to driving school buses and serving cafeteria lunches. Although 2 out of 3 workers in educational services are employed in professional and related occupations, the industry also employs many administrative support, managerial, service, and other workers. (See table 2.)

Teaching occupations. Teachers account for almost half of all workers in the industry. Their duties depend on the age group and subject they teach, as well as on the type of institution in which they work. Teachers should have a sincere interest in helping students and should also have the ability to inspire respect, trust, and confidence. Strong speaking and writing skills, inquiring and analytical minds, and a desire to pursue and disseminate knowledge are vital prerequisites for teachers.

Preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school teachers play a critical role in the early development of children. They usually instruct one class in a variety of subjects, introducing the children to mathematics, language, science, and social studies. Often, they use games, artwork, music, computers, and other tools to teach basic skills.

Middle and secondary school teachers help students delve more deeply into subjects introduced in elementary school. Middle and secondary school teachers specialize in a specific academic subject, such as English, mathematics, or history, or a career and technical area, such as automobile mechanics, business education, or computer repair. Some supervise after-school extracurricular activities, and some help students deal with academic problems, such as choosing courses, colleges, and careers.

Special education teachers work with students—from toddlers to those in their early twenties—who have a variety of learning and physical disabilities. While most work in traditional schools and assist those students who require extra support, some work in schools specifically designed to serve students with the most severe disabilities. With all but the most severe cases, special education teachers modify the instruction of the general education curriculum and, when necessary, develop alternative assessment methods to accommodate a student’s special needs. They also help special education students develop emotionally, feel comfortable in social situations, and be aware of socially acceptable behavior.

Postsecondary teachers, or faculty, as they are usually called, generally are organized into departments or divisions, based on their subject or field. They teach and advise college students and perform a significant part of our Nation’s research. They prepare lectures, exercises, and laboratory experiments; grade exams and papers; and advise and work with students individually. Postsecondary teachers keep abreast of developments in their field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues and businesses, and participating in professional conferences. They also consult with government, business, nonprofit, and community organizations. In addition, they do their own research to expand knowledge in their field, often publishing their findings in scholarly journals, books, and electronic media.

Adult literacy and remedial education teachers teach English to speakers of other languages (ESOL), prepare sessions for the General Educational Development (GED) exam, and give basic instruction to out-of-school youths and adults. Self-enrichment teachers teach classes that students take for personal enrichment, such as cooking or dancing.

Other professional occupations. Education administrators provide vision, direction, leadership, and day-to-day management of educational activities in schools, colleges and universities, businesses, correctional institutions, museums, and job training and community service organizations. They set educational standards and goals and aid in establishing the policies and procedures to carry them out. They develop academic programs; monitor students’ educational progress; hire, train, motivate, and evaluate teachers and other staff; manage counseling and other student services; administer recordkeeping; prepare budgets; and handle relations with staff, parents, current and prospective students, employers, and the community.

Instructional coordinators evaluate school curricula and recommend changes to them. They research the latest teaching methods, textbooks, and other instructional materials and coordinate and provide training to teachers. They also coordinate equipment purchases and assist in the use of new technology in schools.

Educational, vocational, and school counselors work at the elementary, middle, secondary, and postsecondary school levels and help students evaluate their abilities, talents, and interests so that the students can develop realistic academic and career options. Using interviews, counseling sessions, tests, and other methods, secondary school counselors also help students understand and deal with their social, behavioral, and personal problems. They advise on college majors, admission requirements, and entrance exams and on trade, technical school, and apprenticeship programs. Elementary school counselors do more social and personal counseling and less career and academic counseling than do secondary school counselors. School counselors may work with students individually or in small groups, or they may work with entire classes.

Librarians help people find information and learn how to use it effectively in their scholastic, personal, and professional pursuits. Librarians manage library staff and develop and direct information programs and systems for the public, as well as oversee the selection and organization of library materials. Library technicians help librarians acquire, prepare, and organize material; direct library users to standard references; and retrieve information from computer databases. Clerical library assistants check out and receive library materials, collect overdue fines, and shelve materials.

Teacher assistants, also called teacher aides or instructional aides, provide instructional and clerical support for classroom teachers, allowing the teachers more time to plan lessons and to teach. Using the teacher’s lesson plans, they provide students with individualized attention, tutoring and assisting children—particularly special education and non-English speaking students—in learning class material. Assistants also aid and supervise students in the cafeteria, in the schoolyard, in hallways, or on field trips. They record grades, set up equipment, and prepare materials for instruction.

Other occupations. The educational services industry employs many other workers who are found in a wide range of occupations. This industry employs many office and administrative support workers such as secretaries, administrative assistants, and general office clerks. They also employ many school bus drivers, who transport students to and from schools and related activities.

Table 2. Employment of wage and salary workers in educational services by occupation, 2006 and projected change, 2006-2016.
(Employment in thousands) Occupation Employment, 2006 Percent
change,
2006-16
Number Percent

All occupations
13,152 100.0 10.7

Management, business, and financial occupations
822 6.3 11.3

Education administrators, elementary and secondary school
213 1.6 7.5

Education administrators, postsecondary
125 1.0 14.4

Professional and related occupations
8,870 67.4 12.7

Computer specialists
199 1.5 15.7

Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists
46 0.4 6.9

Educational, vocational, and school counselors
190 1.4 10.3

Child, family, and school social workers
40 0.3 7.4

Postsecondary teachers
1,627 12.4 22.9

Preschool teachers, except special education
70 0.5 16.0

Kindergarten teachers, except special education
158 1.2 15.9

Elementary school teachers, except special education
1,499 11.4 13.4

Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education
650 4.9 11.1

Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education
1,027 7.8 5.5

Vocational education teachers, secondary school
94 0.7 -4.9

Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school
205 1.6 18.9

Special education teachers, middle school
100 0.8 16.0

Special education teachers, secondary school
133 1.0 8.1

Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors
61 0.5 11.7

Self-enrichment education teachers
99 0.8 23.1

Librarians
95 0.7 3.9

Instructional coordinators
90 0.7 22.8

Teacher assistants
1,086 8.3 6.5

Coaches and scouts
117 0.9 15.0

Registered nurses
86 0.7 13.2

Speech-language pathologists
53 0.4 6.2

Service occupations
1,402 10.7 7.3

Security guards
63 0.5 8.7

Cooks, institution and cafeteria
138 1.1 -3.7

Fast food and counter workers
172 1.3 8.2

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
469 3.6 7.2

Child care workers
135 1.0 17.6

Office and administrative support occupations
1,480 11.3 3.0

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
95 0.7 9.9

Library assistants, clerical
43 0.3 2.9

Secretaries and administrative assistants
580 4.4 1.6

Office clerks, general
369 2.8 8.8

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
165 1.3 8.7

Maintenance and repair workers, general
105 0.8 8.6

Transportation and material moving occupations
295 2.2 5.5

Bus drivers, school
251 1.9 5.5

Note: Columns may not add to totals due to omission of occupations with small employment

Training and Advancement [About this section] Back to TopBack to Top

The educational services industry employs some of the most highly educated workers in the labor force. Almost 2 in 3 employees have at least a bachelor’s degree, which is required for nearly all professional occupations. Many professional occupations also require a master’s degree or doctorate, particularly for jobs at postsecondary institutions or in administration.

Teaching occupations. Kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers in public schools must have a bachelor’s degree and complete an approved teacher training program, with a prescribed number of subject and education credits, as well as supervised practice teaching. All States require public school teachers to be licensed; however, licensure requirements vary by State. Many States offer alternative licensure programs for people who have bachelor’s degrees in the subject they will teach, but lack the education courses required for a regular license. Certain teacher occupations require additional specific training: special education teachers need either a master’s degree in special education or some other form of specialized training in the subject, while vocational education teachers often need work experience in their field.

Teachers in private elementary, middle, and secondary schools do not have to meet State licensing standards; however, schools prefer candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in the subject they intend to teach for secondary school teachers, or in childhood education for elementary school teachers. They seek candidates among recent college graduates as well as from those who have established careers in other fields. Private schools affiliated with religious institutions also desire candidates who share the values that are important to the institution.

With additional education or certification, teachers may become school librarians, reading specialists, curriculum specialists, or guidance counselors. Some teachers advance to administrative or supervisory positions—such as instructional coordinator, assistant principal, or principal—but the number of these jobs is limited. In some school systems, highly qualified, experienced elementary and secondary school teachers can become senior or mentor teachers, with higher pay and additional responsibilities.

Postsecondary teachers who teach at 4-year colleges and universities generally must have a doctoral or other terminal degree for full-time, tenure-track employment, and usually also for part-time teaching at these institutions as well, though a master’s degree is sometimes sufficient. At 2-year colleges, however, most positions are held by teachers with a master’s degree. Most faculty members are hired as instructors or assistant professors and may advance to associate professor and full professor. Some faculty may also advance to administrative and managerial positions, such as department chairperson, dean, or president. At some institutions, these positions are temporary, with the holder returning to the faculty of their department after a set term.

Other professional occupations. School counselors are required to hold State school counseling certification; however, certification procedures vary from State to State. A master’s degree is generally required, and some States also require public school counselors to have teaching certificates and a number of years of teaching experience in addition to a counseling certificate. Experienced school counselors may advance to a larger school; become directors or supervisors of counseling, guidance, or student personnel services; or, with further graduate education, become counseling psychologists or school administrators.

Training requirements for education administrators depend on where they work. Principals, assistant principals, and other school administrators in school districts usually have held a teaching or related job before entering administration, and they generally need a master’s or doctoral degree in education administration or educational supervision, as well as State teacher certification. At postsecondary institutions, academic deans usually have a doctorate in their specialty. Other administrators can begin with a bachelor’s degree, but generally will need a master’s or doctorate to advance to top positions. In addition to climbing up the administrative ladder, advancement is also possible by transferring to larger schools or school systems.

Training requirements for teacher assistants range from a high school diploma to an associate degree. The No Child Left Behind Act mandates that all teacher assistants working in schools that receive Title I funds either have a minimum of 2 years of postsecondary education or an associate degree, or pass a State approved examination. Districts that assign teaching responsibilities to teacher assistants usually have higher training requirements than those that do not. Teacher assistants who obtain a bachelor’s degree, usually in education, may become certified teachers.

Librarians normally need a master’s degree in library science. Many States require school librarians to be licensed as teachers and to have taken courses in library science. Experienced librarians may advance to administrative positions, such as department head, library director, or chief information officer. Training requirements for library technicians range from a high school diploma to specialized postsecondary training; a high school diploma is sufficient for library assistants. Library workers can advance—from assistant, to technician, to librarian—with experience and the required formal education. School bus drivers need a commercial driver’s license and have limited opportunities for advancement; some become supervisors or dispatchers.

Outlook [About this section] Back to TopBack to Top

Greater numbers of children and adults enrolled in all types of schools will generate employment growth in this industry. A large number of retirements will add additional job openings and create good job prospects for many of those seeking work in educational services.

Employment change. Wage and salary employment growth of 11 percent is expected in the educational services industry over the 2006-16 period, comparable to the 11 percent increase projected for all industries combined. Over the long-term, the overall demand for workers in educational services will increase as a result of a growing emphasis on improving education and making it available not only to more children and young adults, but also to those currently employed and in need of improving their skills. Much of the demand for educational services is driven by growth in the population of students at each level. Low enrollment growth projections at the elementary, middle, and secondary school level are likely to limit growth somewhat, resulting in average growth for these teachers. However, reforms, such as universal preschool and all-day kindergarten, will require more preschool and kindergarten teachers.

Among other workers in primary and secondary education, the number of special education teachers is projected to experience faster than average growth through 2016 due to continued emphasis on the inclusion of disabled students in general education classrooms and an effort to reach students with problems at younger ages. Employment of teacher assistants will grow about as fast as the average. School reforms calling for more individual attention to students will require additional teacher assistants, particularly to work with special education and English-as-a-second-language students.

Enrollments are expected to grow at a faster rate in postsecondary institutions as more high school graduates attend college and as more working adults return to school to enhance or update their skills. As a result, employment of postsecondary teachers is expected to experience much faster than average growth.

Despite expected increases in education expenditures over the next decade, budget constraints at all levels of government may place restrictions on educational services, particularly in light of the rapidly escalating costs associated with increased college enrollments, special education, construction of new schools, and other services. Funding constraints generally affect student services (such as school busing, library and educational materials, and extracurricular activities) before employment of administrative, instructional, and support staff, though supplementary programs, such as music and foreign language instruction, also often face cuts when budgets become tight. Even if no reductions are required, budget considerations also may affect attempts to expand school programs, such as increasing the number of counselors and teacher assistants in elementary schools.

Job prospects. In addition to job openings due to employment growth, retirements will create large numbers of job openings as a greater-than-average number of workers are over the age of 45 in nearly all the major occupations that make up the industry—from janitors to education administrators. (See chart)

Some of the largest occupations in educational services have a high proportion of workers aged 45 and over.

School districts, particularly those in urban and rural areas, continue to report difficulties in recruiting qualified teachers, administrators, and support personnel. Fast-growing areas of the country—including several States and cities in the South and West—also report difficulty recruiting education workers, especially teachers. Retirements are expected to remain high over the 2006-16 period, so the number of students graduating with education degrees may not be sufficient to meet this industry’s growing needs, making job opportunities for graduates in many education fields good to excellent. Currently, alternative licensing programs are helping to attract more people into teaching, especially those from other career paths, but opportunities should continue to be very good for highly qualified teachers, especially those in subject areas with the highest needs, such as math, science, and special education.

At the postsecondary level, increases in student enrollments and projected retirements of current faculty should contribute to a favorable job market for postsecondary teachers. However, candidates applying for tenured positions will continue to face keen competition as many colleges and universities rely on adjunct or part-time faculty and graduate students to make up a larger share of the total instructional staff than in the past.

Earnings [About this section] Back to TopBack to Top

Industry earnings. Earnings of occupations concentrated in the educational services industry—education administrators, teachers, counselors, and librarians—are significantly higher than the average for all occupations because the workers tend to be older and have higher levels of educational attainment. Among teachers, earnings increase with higher educational attainment and more years of service. Full-time postsecondary teachers earn the most, followed by elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers. Most teachers are paid a salary, but part-time instructors in postsecondary institutions usually are paid a fixed amount per course. Educational services employees who work the traditional school year can earn additional money during the summer in jobs related to, or outside of, education. Benefits generally are good, but, as in other industries, part-time workers often do not receive the same benefits that full-time workers do. Earnings for selected occupations within the education industry appear in table 3.

Table 3. Median annual earnings of the largest occupations in educational services, May 2006 Occupation Educational services All industries

Education administrators, elementary and secondary school
$77,790 $77,740

Secondary school teachers, except vocational and special education
47,780 47,740

Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school
46,900 46,360

Middle school teachers, except vocational and special education
46,340 46,300

Elementary school teachers, except special education
45,610 45,570

Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive
28,130 27,450

Bus drivers, school
24,100 24,820

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
23,760 19,930

Office clerks, general
23,750 23,710

Teacher assistants
21,110 20,740

Benefits and union membership. About 38 percent of workers in the educational services industry are union members or are covered by union contracts, compared with only 13 percent of workers in all industries combined. Unionization is more common in public elementary, middle, and secondary schools than in other school settings. The American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association are the largest unions representing teachers and other school personnel.

Sources of Additional Information [About this section] Back to TopBack to Top
Disclaimer:

Links to non-BLS Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

Information on unions and education-related issues can be obtained from the following organizations:

* American Federation of Teachers, 555 New Jersey Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001.
* National Education Association, 1201 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to Industries, 2008-09 Edition, Educational Services, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs034.htm (visited July 23, 2009 ).