All Education
Vocabulary 'report card': 'Urbane' stumps 8th-graders, 'grimace' doesn'tA first deep look at vocabulary skills among America's students shows their vocabulary proficiency tracks closely with their reading ability overall. Racial gaps exist, but boys and girls performed about the same.
- New push for two-year degrees could be smart move for US, report says
The US ranks 5th in the world for the share of its adults with degrees, but only 18th when looking at the two-year programs that the study author says will be sufficient for many jobs in the future.
- Longer school day? How five states are trying to change education.
Five states are participating in a pilot project designed to recast and improve education in low-income communities by leveraging a longer school day or year in innovative ways.
Judge blocks Gov. Bobby Jindal's signature school voucher programThe nation's boldest school voucher program made nearly half of Louisiana's students eligible for taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private schools. A state judge ruled the plan unconstitutional, setting up a funding fight in an age of austerity.
Not just 4 texting: 1 in 3 middle-schoolers uses smart phones for homeworkA new survey by the Verizon Foundation finds that middle-schoolers, across income levels, are using mobile apps to learn math, do 'virtual' labs, and collaborate with peers on projects.
- Texas test case: Do school IDs with locator chips violate religious freedom?
A Texas student has has sued her school district, which tried to transfer her when she refused to participate in program that introduced ID badges with locator chips.
- US appeals court strikes down Michigan ban on affirmative action
While the 8-7 ruling on affirmative action did not address the constitutionality of race-conscious admissions to college, the majority said Michigan's prohibition on the policy 'places special burdens on racial minorities.'
'Fiscal cliff': With cuts of $4 billion looming, educators sound alarmIf the US goes over the fiscal cliff, schools might see larger class sizes, fewer jobs, and less special-education funding, among other things. But not everyone sees a sky-is-falling scenario.
The untold story of Obama's youth vote victoryYes, the youth vote came out on Election Day and supported President Obama by a wide margin, but that's only half the story. Working-class youth mostly stayed at home.
US colleges, especially in Midwest, see record number of foreign studentsForeign students contribute nearly $23 billion annually to the US economy, according to the annual Open Doors Report on trends in international college education.
Progress WatchYoung adults are earning college degrees at a record rate. Why?More adults might be completing college degrees because it’s been so hard for young people to find jobs during difficult economic times. But the rise is also part of a historical trend.
Does gender pay gap exist? Right out of college, says new study.The study focused on recent college graduates with few of the differences that can eventually explain some gender pay gaps – such as children, marriage, and different work experience.
Bottom line on college costs: Students, families are paying moreThe average net price of college – what students actually pay after grants and tax benefits are taken into account – jumped this year for public and private institutions, a College Board report found. Debt is rising for students and families.
Progress WatchWhy Miami-Dade schools won prestigious Broad Prize for urban districtsMiami-Dade County Public Schools has been steadily chipping away at the achievement gap. After being a finalist four other times, the district won the Broad Prize for Urban Education on Tuesday.
- Chicago schools chief out after run-ins with Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Chicago schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard, recruited just 17 months ago by Rahm Emanuel, is stepping down nearly four weeks after the teachers strike. He reportedly infuriated the mayor.
How tougher classes in high school can help kids make it through collegeSome 40 percent of students are failing to graduate from college in six years. A study calls for higher-quality college prep, with more advanced math, advanced placement classes, and better advising.
Supreme Court: If affirmative action is banned, what happens at colleges?Nine states have tried to achieve campus diversity through other means, with mixed results. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court takes up an affirmative action case from the University of Texas at Austin.
15 must-read books about K-12 education in the US Confused by the rhetoric? Here are 15 books to help you understand public education in the US today.
'Won't Back Down': A film to spur parent-led coups on public schools?'Won't Back Down' portrays a parent and teacher leading a takeover effort at a failing school. It has become a centerpiece in debates over the best ways to make troubled schools better, and more responsive to parents.
- Traditional or charter schools? Actually, they help each other, study says.
A new study suggests that best practices from charter schools can help student achievement at underperforming public schools. The issue is getting the two to cooperate.
