Watson Scott Swail

President and Chief Executive Officer of The Educational Policy Institute

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Virginia Beach, VA, United States

Watson Scott Swail
Biography

DR. WATSON SCOTT SWAIL brings a quarter century of life in education to his speaking appearances. From his earliest teaching experiences in Winnipeg, Canada, to his leadership at the Washington, DC-based Educational Policy Institute, Swail offers perspectives on educational issues tailored to his audiences. His keynotes and workshops are interesting, lively, and engaging.Widely respected in the area of college opportunity research, Dr. Swail has published extensively in national journals and publications. Recent publications include Finding Superman: Debating the Future of Public Education in America (Teachers College Press); Retaining Minority Students in Higher Education (Jossey-Bass); Latino Students and the Educational Pipeline, The Affordability of Higher Education, and Higher Education and the New Demographics. He has been published in Phi Delta Kappan, Change, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Other areas of expertise and commentary include educational reform, STEM education, college preparation, student persistence and success, and financial aid.In 2002, Dr. Swail established the Educational Policy Institute, a research-based think tank on education in Washington, DC. Today, EPI conducts studies for the US Department of Education, school districts, colleges, and other entities. EPI provides professional development through workshops and conferences. Via EPI, Dr. Swail publishes the weekly Swail Letter on Higher Education. Prior to establishing EPI, Swail served as the Founding Director of The Pell Institute and Vice President of the Council for Opportunity in Education in Washington, DC. He previously served as senior policy analyst with SRI International and associate director for policy analysis with The College Board. While with the Board, Dr. Swail co-directed the Trends in College Pricing and Trends in Student Aid reports. He is a former middle school technology teacher in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Hampton, Virginia. Dr. Swail received his doctorate in educational policy from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, his master's in education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and a bachelor's of education from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba. He resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Watson Scott Swail
Featured Keynote Programs

Fixing Our Schools

Reforming Our Reform Agenda

The US has been on a educational reform track for the past 50 years, starting with the Civil Rights Act and continuing to our acceptance of charter schools and other levers of change. Data show regarding student outcomes are less than compelling, so how do we change this cycle? This session offers solutions and directions for changing our public schools.

The Higher Education Arms Race

How Much is Enough?

With the President of the United States and major philanthropies pushing for more higher education, it is important to question where the tipping point is on how much is too enough or too much. This session uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources to look at trends in college attainment in the United States and other countries.

Understanding the ROI of Education

What are the true returns to education? Is it worth the cost? Or have we come to a point where the cost is too much to justify the investment? This session will look at both sides of this argument, giving participants information to make up their own mind about where we are on this issue.

The Affordability of Higher Education

With college tuition and fees continuing to sky rocket over twice the rate of inflation, Dr. Swail discusses trends in college costs and how students and families can prepare for one of the most costly decisions we make in life: a higher education.

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