Obama Taps Chicago Chief for Secretary of Education

President-elect Obama announced Monday that Arne Duncan would be his Secretary of Education replacing Margaret Spellings. Mr. Duncan, known for his tough steps in tackling school improvement issues, has raised achievement levels in Chicago's school district, the nation's third largest.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/us/politics/16educ.html?_r=1&ref=education

Higher Education Out of Reach for Most

It's no secret that the rising cost of education has been slowly exceeding the grasp of many Americans, but the biennial report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education reports that the figures now put it out of the reach of the majority of US families. Over all, college tuition and fees rose 439 percent from 1982 to 2007 (adjusted for inflation) while median family income only rose 147 percent. The financial aid picture isn't any rosier: student borrowing has more than doubled and the lower-income families are getting smaller grants.


Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/education/03college.html?_r=1&ref=education

University Presidents Give Back...

Within a week of The Chronicle of Higher Education's annual survey of college and university presidents' pay, some of the highest-paid presidents will give back part of their pay. This comes amidst a tumultuous week for the economy and rising tuition notices.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/education/23college.html?ref=education

Demystifying the College Admissions Puzzle

It's no secret that with an increased number of applicants vying for the same number of spots is going to lead to quite a competition. If you factor in the varying costs from application to enrollment and these uncertain times, the trends in become even more puzzling. Howard and Matthew Greene, former college admissions counselors discuss some of these trends and what families can do to navigate the maze.

Read the article at:
http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1743

More Students Joining Nonprofits

Studies show that more and more of the "Gen Y" cohort are sparking a surge in nonprofit and leadership courses at colleges and universities across America. A decade ago, only 179 schools offered programs in those areas, but now more than 230 schools have offerings. Arizona State, last year, created the first named undergraduate degree in nonprofit management and other institutions are looking to follow suit.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/giving/11EDUC.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

US to Expand Student Loan Purchases

In an effort to stave off potential short falls in the coming years, the US government has decided to purchase student loans it backs - a sign that credit crisis fears are seeping into the student loan market as well. While students can still obtain federally backed loans, many private lenders have dropped out of the market, citing risky market conditions, thus making the availability of loans strained.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/08/business/08loan.html?ref=education

Sarah Lawrence Gains Dubious Distinction

Amidst increasing economic anxiety, edging out George Washington University and New York University, Sarah Lawrence College finds itself atop the College Board's most expensive school. Students pay over $53,000/year for tuition, room and board at the small liberal arts college in Bronxville, NY. It should interest you where all of that money goes...

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/education/01college.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Tuition Costs and Financial Aid Up

In a report released by the College Board on Wednesday, tuition costs rose slightly faster than the Consumer Price Index while students received more financial aid than ever. Lest you think that the financial aid numbers indicate students encumbering less debt, the average amount of student borrowing is also going up.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/education/30college.html?ref=education

Finding Higher Education at Lower Prices

As tuition for private colleges and universities sky rockets, many students are turning to high competitive state universities that deliver value for their dollar. Take SUNY Binghamton, for example, where the tuition (including room and board) is a mere $16,452. Kiplinger's ranks this SUNY school as its #1 school in terms of value. That translates into roughly a 50% increase in applications to the school, making it more competitive than ever.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/nyregion/26towns.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Baylor Pays Students to Retake SAT

Late Tuesday night, the Faculty Senate of Baylor University in Waco, TX passed a motion criticizing the Admissions office initiative to pay incoming Freshman to retake the SATs in hopes of improving the incoming scores. If students raised their score by 50 points or more, they received $1,000 merit scholarship aid; for simply retaking the test, they received a $300 credit towards books.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/education/16baylor.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

No Child Faltering Even Solid Schools

Many schools in California have been hitting their federally mandated target since 2002, but this year worked out a little differently: the schools were asked to increase the proficiency levels in each group by 11%. Across the nation, more schools are failing to meet No Child's testing standards this year than any previous years.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/education/13child.html?ref=education

Standardized Tests Study Draws Large Crowd at NACAC

It was standing room only at the annual conference of the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) for William R. Fitzsimmons presentation on the use of Standardized Testing in College Admissions. Mr. Fitzsimmons, the dean of admissions at Harvard, was commissioned by NACAC to lead this study of the SAT's and ACT's role in the college admissions process.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/education/29admissions.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=education

Panel Calls for Less Reliance on SAT

A commission comprised of some of college admissions officials from some of the most influential colleges and universities is recommending that admissions office put less focus on the SAT and ACT when considering applicants. The yearlong study headed by William R. Fitzsimmons, the dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard University, was convened by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/education/22admissions.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Illegal Immigrants Allowed at Arkansas State Colleges

The Arkansas attorney general's office declared that Arkansas colleges and university can admit illegal immigrants, on Wednesday. The advisory opinion stated that schools did not have a duty to verify the citizenship status of potential students as a part of the application process. The opinion came as a response to a directive from the state's higher education director earlier this month for state schools to begin checking the immigration status of potential students.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-09-11-immigration-colleges_N.htm

New Marketing Code Introduced for Student Loan Companies

Seven student loan companies agreed to a code of conduct for their marketing practices, the New York attorney general's office announced on Tuesday. Additionally, the companies agreed to donate to a $1.4 million fund to help educate students and families on financial aid. An eighth company, My Rich Uncle, also agreed to abide by the marketing code even though its marketing practices were never faulted by the NY attorney general's investigation.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/business/10loan.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Building a Better School Without Bricks

Walk around today's newer school buildings and you are sure to be impressed by the technology and even the architecture of the building, but does that always equal a better education? Pundits can argue that the availability of resources breeds a better student and advocates can deride the deteriorating conditions in our older, more urban schools. All of this begs the question: where should the funding go - shoring up the building or getting better teachers?

Check out the article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/31/AR2008083101859.html

SAT Scores Remain the Same After a Year

SAT scores for 2008 high school graduates remained the same as those who took the test last year, even though participation rose among minority students and first generation college goers, the College Board reported on Tuesday. The number of total students taking the SAT surpassed 1.5 million - an 8% increase from five years ago.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/26/AR2008082601468.html

Harvard Regains Top Spot on List

The nation's oldest and wealthiest university is back atop the rankings again: U.S. News & World Report's college rankings list Harvard as number one, besting Princeton University which held the spot for 8 years. Harvard won the coveted #1 position by beating Princeton by one-tenth of a point.

Want to see the whole list? Check out this link:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-08-22-top-universities_N.htm

The Start of Freshman Year...in January

This past spring, many students opened up their college decision letters to find out they had been accepted to their school of choice...not for this fall, but for January. It is an increasingly common trend among college and universities as they deal with record number of qualified applicants. Rather than deny admission, schools still look to capture the tuition-paying students in a different manner, by offering slots that are abandoned by students taking a semester abroad, off-campus internships, or simply have dropped out.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-midyear21-2008aug21,0,841695.story

Pass and Get Cash Plan Fails

The controversial plan to monetarily incent students from low-income New York City public schools came up short in making a difference in the exam's passing rate. Students were offered between $500 and $1000, dependent on their actual score on the AP exam. Despite this monetary reward, the exam's pass rate dipped--in 2007 35 percent of students passed compared to 2008's 32 percent.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08202008/news/regionalnews/schools_cash_to_kids_plan_doesnt_pay_off_125250.htm

Economy Woes Trickle into Education

With the shaky economy increasing the costs of gas and food, schools face a challenge in filling up their buses and stocking the cafeteria. If it costs you close to $100 to fill up a tank of gas, imagine what schools have to pay to top off their buses. That's when school districts have to get imaginative...like 4-day school weeks or winnowing down the list of available electives.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-08-18-schools-statistics_N.htm

No Gap for Girls in Math

A study paid for by the National Science Foundation has found that girls perform as well as boys on standardized math tests. 20 years ago, however, boys in high school performed better than girls in math--that, too, has changed, the study found. Why? Simply put, girls used to take fewer advanced math classes than boys took. Now that that gap has narrowed, boys and girls are performing equally.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/education/25math.html?ref=education

Appealing Schools' "Moment of Silence" Law"

The legal appeal to a 2003 Texas law mandating a moment of silence in school is going to the 5th US Circuit court of Appeals this fall. A North Texas couple are appealing the law upheld by a Federal district court, contending that the moment of silence is advancing religion, while the Texas attorney general will argue that the law is allowing students to, "reflect, pray, (or) mediate."

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5924034.html

Congress Overhauls Higher Education Laws

Yesterday Congress voted in a huge majority to overhaul existing higher education laws to provide provisions and programs to help families with inflating college costs. Part of the bill calls for colleges and universities to be more transparent in their reporting of costs and prices and when a tuition increase becomes necessary, the reason for it.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/01/education/01education.html?ref=education

ETS Reveals Reasons Behind Voiding AP exams for High School in California

A south Orange County (California) high school is making plans to retest students for their AP exams held last May. after a litany of testing irregularities was revealed by the Education Testing Service, which led to the voiding of almost 400 students' results. Apparently, many of the students were allowed to text friends, leave the testing area, and consult study aids in what has shaped up to be one of the biggest shake-ups in the history of the AP test.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-trabuco24-2008jul24,0,6014463.story?track=rss

New York State Looking to Lend

Before Governor Eliot Spitzer left office, his commission to assess the state's public colleges and universities, appointed back in May of 2007, agreed that New York should join 40 other states who offer a low-cost student loan program. Now Spitzer's successor, Gov. David A. Paterson, is taking up the charge and asked the Legislature on Monday to create such a program.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/nyregion/22loan.html?ref=education

Online Textbook Gain Support

Food prices aren't the only things spiking upwards - textbooks are becoming more and more expensive, pushing colleges to turn to more affordable options: "open textbooks." These are free textbooks that are licensed to allow users to download, customize, and print any part of the text.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-07-09-open-textbooks_N.htm

Anxiety with Graduation

A 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision entitled illegal immigrants to education from kindergarten to 12th grade, but access to higher education has not been guaranteed. Though many state universities have encouraged undocumented college students to pursue a higher education, their numbers still remain low. Even if many were to attend, a degree does nothing to alter their illegal status - graduating may not lead to the same opportunities as their classmates.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-ucla8-2008jul08,0,6025873.story

Six States Create Own Plan for School Fixes

The No Child Left Behind law, a signature education law of the Bush administration, softened just a bit for six states: Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, and Ohio. These states are getting the OK to write their own remedies for failing schools; they won this freedom out of 17 that applied for it.

Check out the entire article at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080701/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/education_law_changes

Career Programs Give Students Better Odds

These aren't your parents' vocation education classes that direct students on solidly noncollege tracks. Over the past twenty-five years, the career academy has steadily gained a foot hold in our nation's high schools. These programs, primarily in low-income districts, focus students on not only a career, but combine job placement, college prep, and classes beyond the vocational trades. A report released on Friday finds that students from these career academies have a significantly higher employment and earnings rate than their control group peers.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/education/26careers.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Getting Parental Involvement

Helicopter parents have been creating quite a buzz in the news, but there is a particular group of parents that are not knee deep in their child's school affairs--immigrant parents. While the parents care very much about their children, often times they are very confused by the American educational system.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/22immigct.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Public Service or Wall Street?

All too often, graduates from elite institutions are heading off to Wall Street - succombing to the lure of the big paycheck and working with their friends. Now, however, this phenomenom is being challenged by a few professors and even the new president of Harvard.

Read the article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/23/education/23careers.html?ref=education

Congress Backing Universal College Loans

In a response to reports that some lenders have stopped offering loans to students at community and other colleges, two congress members introduced a bill that would prohibit companies from "selective" lending--offering loans to only those who meet a certain economic and educational criteria. Many financial aid officers criticize this practice as weening out those with the most economic need and Senators Patty Murray (D-Washington) and Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) intend to stipulate that loans backed by federal tax dollars need to be available to everyone.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/business/18loan.html?ref=education

Education Secretary Fights Opponents of "No Child Left Behind"

Though the "No Child Left Behind" law was not updated by Congress earlier this year, Margaret Spellings is not letting it die with the Bush presidency--in fact, she has taken to the road to speak in support of updating it before the White House changes hands. So far she has visited more than 20 states, drumming up support even though the bill's main sponsor in the legislature, Representative George Miller (D-CA) calls the "No Child" law, the "most negative brand in the country."

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/washington/12spellings.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=education&adxnnlx=1213632160-HilhKzhHCurlYKcSuxi1bA

Few Student Loans Available for 2-yr Colleges

Many big banks have stopped student loans altogether; those that remain are paring down their lists of colleges, to whose students, they will offer loans. Which schools are getting dropped: 2-yr colleges, for-profit universities, and other less competitive institutions. Citibank, which has been the most aggressive in paring the list, is joined by JPMorgan Chase, PNC, and Suntrust banks as those that are cutting out 4-yr colleges that aren't very selective in their admissions. This practice threatens to cut off loans to those students who often need it the most.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/business/02loans.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Bringing More than Textbooks to Freshman Year

Many states have exit exams to test for college readiness, but one exam they do not give students is on time and money management. Freshman year is frought with pitfalls, but simply planning ahead can make a big difference in students' lives.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5812106.html

No SAT or ACT? No Problem...

At Smith College and Wake Forest University, students need not worry if they haven't taken their SATs. These two institutions join a growing number of small liberal-arts colleges that have decided to make these admissions test optional for applicants due to their concern of the validity of standardized tests to predict academic success.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/education/27sat.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Dept of Education Outlines Plans to Guarantee Student Loans

Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, announced a plan, on Wednesday, that commits the federal government to buy college loans for the upcoming school year as well as ensure that students will have access to financing, despite troubled credit markets. Experts agree that the move will work to significantly stabilize the college student loan market.

Read more of this article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/education/22loan.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Girls' Gain Not at Boys' Expense

The American Association of University Women released a report on Tuesday that surmises the gains made by girls have not cost their boy counterparts in the classroom. Echoing a report released two years ago by the American Council on Education and other groups, that while girls have graduated from high school and college at a higher rate than boys, the largest disparities in educational achievement are between different races, ethnicities, and income levels.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/education/20girls.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

MIcrosoft to Join One Laptop per Child Group

A years-long disagreement between Microsoft and the education project "One Laptop per Child" is fundamentally over - the organization will soon bring Windows to their computers. Microsoft had long resisted joining the project because most of the organizations laptop were based off of a Linux operating system that is a freely distributed alternative to Windows. Though the idea is to get the laptops into the hands of children in developing nations, usually it is the ministries of education that purchase the computers.

Check out the rest of the article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/technology/16laptop.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Virtual Schools Becoming a Popular Option

Enrollment in online courses, last year, grew 22 times the level of enrollment in 2000 according to the North American Council for Online Learning. This report was quickly followed up by a paper from the Hoover Institute (a conservative Stanford University think tank) projecting that half of the courses in grades 9 through 12 will be delivered online.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0514/p03s08-usgn.html

Yearbooks Become a Memory

Yearbook sales have plummeted down by 80% in teacher Peggy Miller's tenure as yearbook advisor at Alief Hastings High School. Several schools in the Houston Independent School District have eliminated the creation of yearbooks all together. Though no one tracks yearbook sales nationally, many believe with the advent of social networking websites, that the popularity is diminishing.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5774505.html

Sanctions by No Child Left Behind

Four hundred eleven school districts across twenty-seven states failed to meet the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act and now face sanctions and intervention by the federal government. The act, meant to shine a light on inequity in the nation's education system, will now affect an already shrinking budget for these school systems.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-05-10-school-districts-sanctions_N.htm

Measuring Teachers by Using Student Success

Can you evaluate teachers on the performance of his or her students? According to New York law, you cannot and even though data now exists, in large part due to "No Child Left Behind", it is not used in the decision to grant tenure.

Check out the entire article at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121029630059279623.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

Words from an AP drop out...

Tom Stanley-Becker is a junior at the University of Chicago's University High School who reflects on the AP frenzy that is prevalent in high schools across the nation and then speaks on his own experience with AP classes.

Check out the article at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-becker8-2008may08,0,4579485.story

Blogging as English 101

Recently, a survey pointed out how phone text-messaging was creeping more and more into students' formal writing assignments. Though that was enough to cause quite an alarm with writing purists, another finding didn't get much press but was more promising: blogging is helping teenager become prolific writers.

Check out the article at:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=53663

Financial Aid Q&A

Five financial-aid directors discuss some common questions regarding college and finances.

Check out the Q&A at:
http://questions.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/19/college-and-money-ask-the-expert/

Reading First: $1 billion/year and Marginal Results

At a cost of $1 billion per year, Reading First was a pillar of the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" act. Already mired in a textbook scandal, the latest findings might be the knock-out punch for this plan. A study conducted by the US Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) demonstrated virtually no difference in students' standardized test scores from those schools that received funding than those that did not.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-05-01-reading-first_N.htm

Fed Looks to Secure Loans for Students

The Senate, yesterday, approved legislation to ensure that today's restrictive credit markets don't hurt students' ability to receive a college loan. Akin to the bill that passed in the House, the Senate bill would increase the limits on the amount a borrower can receive. This, in turn, should ease students' reliance on private lenders - many who have left the market as a result of the credit crisis.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043003191.html

The Psychological Cost of Applying to College

As May 1st draws near, the traditional deadline for replying to a college's acceptance letter, many students already have resigned themselves to their second, third, or even fourth choice school. With an unprecedented spike in the number of applicants to colleges this year, students were facing rejection at their first-choice schools at record rates. Moreover, those students relegated to the wait lists are about to discover their fate. Given the intensity of this annual pressure-driven situation, psychologists wonder what kind of toll does this take on a student's health?

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/health/29well.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

The SAT finally a good predictor of grades?

Not exactly. However, the "new" writing portion of the SAT outshines its older and more established siblings, the Critical Reading and Math sections, when it comes to predicting freshman success. The early findings from two studies, one conducted by The College Board (who administers the SAT) and the University of California, is sure to raise a few eyebrows - especially since most colleges still consider the Writing portion as optional.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-04-24-sat_N.htm

Changes to 'No Child Left Behind' Offered by Education Secretary

On Tuesday, Margaret Spellings, the Secretary of Education, proposed a series of fixes to President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" law. Among the proposals, Ms. Spellings wants to require states to use a single federal formula to calculate high school graduation rates. Additionally, she would require schools to notify parents about their rights to transfer students out of a federally failing school and the opportunity to take advantage of federally financed tutoring available to those students. The finalized regulations will be issued in November and will take effect one month later

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/washington/23child.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=education&adxnnlx=1208955743-JXlaozJEkQoyooKTLkgOcg

Prestige or Affordabilty?

It's one of the toughest questions a parent might have to answer. With all of the acceptance letters already sent, it's a question that many parents are now forced to answer. What complicates this even more is the murky state of college financial aid: dozens of private companies have fled the student loan market making traditional sources of financing education scant. Compounding this is the housing market collapse: parents can no longer rely on home equity loans to help finance their child's education. Therefore, is it worth going into debt for a pricier, more prestigious school or will your child be fine in a more affordable one?

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/19/business/19money.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Turn-about is fair play...

At the end of each season of CBS's TV show "Survivor," the folks that the finalists had a hand in voting off now have to rely on those very same folks to vote for them - to win a million dollars. It's an interesting case of role reversal; something high school seniors and college admissions counselors are experiencing right now. Last fall, the seniors were the ones looking to impress the colleges to gain admission; now, it's those colleges where they have successfully gained admission, who are looking to woo the students. Some colleges are holding admissions parties, where they have alumni speak about their own collegiate experience, and some are even paying for students to fly out to their campus.

Check out the article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/20/AR2008042002113.html

Banks Leave, Lawmakers Enter

The US House of Representatives, yesterday, approved a measure that would allow the Department of Education to buy federally guaranteed loans--loans that private investors will not buy. It is another step in trying to avert the looming shortage of available student loans for new college students.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041702268.html

$100 Million Gift from AT&T

AT&T will announce a $100 million gift today, to help combat this nation's high school dropout problems as noted by America's Promise Alliance. The gift ranks among one of the highest ever corporate donations on record, but is the second such gift in as many months: Goldman Sachs & Company also announced it will donate $100 million dollars to women's business education in the developing world.

Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/17charity.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

When "Lenders of Last Resort" Become a First Option...

Student loan companies are in turmoil and banks are tightening their budgets. All in all, parents will be in peculiar waters this year when trying to figure out how to pay for their child's college tuition. Colleges are doing their part, many of them joining the federal government's direct lending program, but many experts fear that too many private lenders have left the market and the "lenders of last resort" may not be able to pick up the slack.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/business/12loan.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Record Number of Applicants Creates a Peculiar Situation

With the record number of high school students applying for higher education this year, one would be tempted to think that this ultra-competitive environment would make it easy for admissions counselors to fill their incoming freshman class. Not exactly. This year, for college admissions, it's a year of uncertainty. Admissions deans are doing some fuzzy math to estimate how many students to accept, hoping that these students would ultimately choose their school. These calculations are yielding some crazy results: for example, at one Maryland school, a student with a near perfect GPA was accepted to Yale but rejected from her second-tier safety.

Read about this article at:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.college10apr10,0,2604313.story

Obama and Hilary Agree: No Child Left Behind is Broken

While both Democratic presidential hopefuls, Senators Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, disagree on a number of key issues, they find common ground on one topic: No Child Left Behind. The act, when signed in 2002, received broad bipartisan support, but now both Democratic presidential hopefuls call the act extensively flawed.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08100/871524-298.stm

Study Shows Difference in Dyslexia by Language

The National Academy of Sciences on Monday reported that dyslexia affects different parts of children's brains depending on whether they are raised reading Chinese or English. This finding might signal a need for therapists to seek different methods of assisting dyslexic children from from different cultures.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/07/AR2008040701798.html

Fed Requires States to Use Single Drop-out Formula

On April 1st, the Bush administration announced it will require states and school systems to report high school graduation rates, which have long been subjectively submitted, in a uniform way. Margaret Spellings, the Secretary of Education, made this announcement on the heels of another report that reported a graduation rate of less than 50% in major cities across the US.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=53380;_hbguid=c02b97fe-f8f3-4b9e-9e6b-faaf6ce716aa

Record Lows for America's Elite Colleges and Universities

93 out of 100 students applying to Harvard for fall '08 admission are about to find out that they will have to go with their second choice school. With one of the largest applicant pools in years, it's no secret that the competition for admission to the nation's elite colleges and universities has become more and more intense each year, but this spring, in particular, has seen a record of low admission numbers.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/education/01admission.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Will You Graduate? Flip a Coin...

Across America's biggest cities, the odds that a ninth-grader will graduate from high school are almost equivalent to a coin toss, according to a study being released today by the America's Promise Alliance, which was founded by Colin Powell.  As you cross from the city into the suburb, you will find that the odds of graduating go up dramatically--as much as twenty-five percent for some suburbs!

Read more about the study at:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-04-01-cities-suburbs-graduation_N.htm 

NY Teachers Are Urged to Be Kind on School Surveys

New York City Schools are sending out surveys, at a cost of $2 million, to teachers and parents regarding the quality of their "learning environment." Though the surveys are designed to poll on a variety of issues from art programs to teacher-parent communications, school administrations are asking the respondents to react in a positive light as it, "contributes additional funding to our schools."

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2008/03/31/2008-03-31_schools_urge_teachers_make_positive_comm-2.html

Getting Urban Students to Attend School

In many urban schools, attendance is often the greatest indicator of achievement versus failure: more than intelligence, work ethic, or economic background. On average, a Chicago Public School freshman will miss 20 schools days in a year and fail two classes. The impetus to attend school everyday is missing for most low-income urban students where the incentive of a "better future" is not enough.

Read more of this article at:
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/one-class/index.html?ref=opinion

Education Earmarks at Record Highs

Last year, Congress gave out $2.3 billion in pet projects for colleges and universities for research on subject many people would scratch their head at. In spite of recent calls by presidential hopeful John McCain and many others in Congress, last year's total exceeds the previous year's by $300 million. The largest single earmark went to the University of South Alabama which received $30 million for an engineering and science center.

Read about all of the earmarks at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/washington/24earmarks.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Free Tutoring Not Helping Students In Need

Though Federally mandated, free, public after-school tutoring isn't reaching all of the students it's intended to help--and when it does, it doesn't always raise a students scores. New data from Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee found that very few students take advantage of this free resource.

Read the article at:
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=7056860684661284059

Smaller Classes Alone Benefit Students

It's been a key movement in the United States to break up bigger classes for small ones, but the reasoning behind it was that it would positively affect how a teacher is able to teach to a smaller audience. However, a new study, conducted by four nations (US, England, Switzerland, and Hong Kong), suggests the benefit is not as originally thought. The simple fact that a student will not have to compete with as many students for the teacher's time makes the classroom a more engaging environment.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-03-24-small-classes_N.htm

Some States Under Report Graduation Rates for NCLB

A team of statisticians reported Mississippi's graduation rate at a nice rate of 87 percent; however, the state schools superintendent, Hank Bounds, is on a campaign that is combating a drop out crisis. His statistic of choice is a sobering 63 percent graduation rate.

Why the disparity? No Child Left Behind.

Many states use an inflated graduation rate for federal reporting. The law never set any national completion goals and thus the states choose which criteria define that rate.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/education/20graduation.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Does a Six Figure Salary Mean Better Teachers?

Zeke M. Venderhoek believes it will. He has received New York City and state approval to open up his charter school in 2009. Zeke will be the principal of the school at an annual salary of $90,000 while the teachers will be paid $125,00/year. Already this experiment has critics amongst the public education sector, but Zeke believes his economics are sound.

Read the entire article at:
http://ednews.org/articles/24054/1/Paying-Teachers-125000/Page1.html

No Child Left Behind Easing Its Provisions

The Bush administration announced it would relax the No Child Left Behind law's provisions for some states, in an acknowledgement that the law is diagnosing too many public schools as failing. The new eased code with allow states to differentiate between those schools that have a few problems from those that require major overhaul.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/us/19child.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Why Some Students Don't Get to College

The University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research found that being part of a college going culture makes a huge difference in getting students to college. Additional factors that were cited as difference makers were the overwhelming FAFSA document, applying to multiple schools, and getting steady support from teachers and counselor throughout the application process. The statistics are staggering: though 83% of Chicago Public School students aspire to a four-year degree, but approximately 40 percent of those students do not even apply for one. Among the top achievers, only 38 percent enrolled in a school that matched their credentials. Though the study focused on Chicago Public School students, "this is a national policy issue," says Vanessa Coca, a researcher for the study.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0319/p02s03-usgn.html?page=1

Federal Panel: American Math at "Mediocre Level"

"The sharp falloff in mathematics achievement in the U.S. begins as student reach late middle school, where, for more and more students, algebra course work begins," said the report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. The advisory panel was appointed two years ago by President Bush to study why American students were lagging behind the rest of the world in mathematics.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/education/14math.html?ref=education

Secretary of Education Promises Sudents Can Find Lender

Secretary Margaret Spellings testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor that, "Federal student aid will continue to be available." She went on to explain that though a "small number" of lenders have stopped making loans, "other lenders have stepped in to meet student needs." Critics have often pointed out that tight credit markets make it much more difficult for students and their families to find willing lenders, as investors have proved reluctant to buy securities backed by student debt.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/15/education/15educ.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

College: Soon A Buyer's Market?

High school seniors across the nation are nervously waiting for their fate in the form of a college acceptance letter. Though their's was an intensely competitive landscape, projections indicated that in a few years, the annual number of high school graduates in the U.S. will decline - until 2015.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/education/09admissions.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Can Billionaires Fix a Broken School System?

Traditionally, wealthy Americans have donated generously to education. This interesting interview is from a New York Times Magazine article who invited five interested parties to discuss educational philanthropy.

Read the interview at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/magazine/09roundtable-t.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Helicopter Parents and their kids

Helicopter parents are baby boomer moms and dads who virtually accompany their children to college and involve themselves in their social and classroom interactions. What college administrators fear is that the students are not learning to fend for themselves. The majority of children, however, feel that the level of their parent involvement is just right - according to a College Board survey.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/767344.html

Free speech and the Internet

Can a school regulate a student's language off campus? Before you craft an answer, consider how the internet blurs the boundaries of a school campus. That is the question the U.S. District court is struggling with after school officials barred Avery Doninger from speaking at the high school graduation after her blasting the aforementioned administrators on an internet blog.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-webspeech.artmar05,0,3846137.story

Single-sex classrooms make a comeback

In Foley, Alabama, the Foley Intermediate School began offering separate classes for boys and girls, after the school's principal, Lee Mansell, read a book by Michael Gurian titled, "Boys and Girls Learn Differently!" Soon thereafter, Ms. Mansell read an article by Leonard Sax which discussed his thoughts on how teaching boys differently would improve the test scores of minority boys.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02sex3-t.html?ref=education

US Educators tour Scandinavia for Ideas

A delegation of US educators recently toured Scandinavia in hopes of finding our how students of that region were able to score highly on an international test of math and science skills. Strikingly absent in those Scandinavian classrooms: competitive grading, standardized testing, and top-down accountability--staples of the American school. Instead, the educational systems of Finland, Sweden, and Denmark all cited autonomy, project-based learning, and nationwide broadband internet access as their ways to success.

Checkout the entire article at:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=52770;_hbguid=31475690-290f-4e70-8ce4-2742f7b52b83

As tuition rises, so does the cost of student loans

The credit crisis rolling affecting the US economy is also negatively impacting the student loan industry. Students who seek federally guaranteed loans, very popular because they offer fixed, below-market rates, might be required to pay higher fees in order to borrow the money. Moreover, at community and for-profit colleges, students might be denied money altogether.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/02/AR2008030202213.html

Build a website, sponsored by Google

Finding ways to reach students outside of the classroom has increasingly led teachers to the internet. Many educators are posting assignments, grades, and other things via school websites for students to access. Google has now made it even easier for a teacher to get on the web--for free.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=52732;_hbguid=1bcc0f56-11e9-4e17-bbbe-1b1eb9968f5e

Colleges resist use of endowment to raise aid

Despite growing pressure from Congress, the nation's wealthiest colleges and universities are guarding their endowments from the calls to expand financial aid and curb tuition hikes. Though lobbyists and national aid associations, colleges are fighting a handful of proposals passed around in Congress.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/02/28/colleges_guard_soaring_endowments/

An F in Literature and a C in History

Today's teens are surprisingly short on knowledge about historical or cultural reference such as Uncle Tom's Cabin or McCarthyism a study out today finds. Though students scored poorly in some topics, those subjects covered in school, of those surveyed, 88% knew about the bombing of Pearl Harbor and 97% could identify Martin Luther King Jr. as the man who delivered "I Have a Dream."

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-02-26-teens-history_N.htm

Colleges not crediting IB courses

Enrollment in International Baccalaureate (IB) programs is booming and College admissions counselors love seeing IB courses on a student's transcripts. What's the catch? Well, many colleges are not granting college credit for one-year IB courses even though they are akin to the one-year Advanced Placement, or AP, courses which do come with credit. Moreover, some students can get credit for passing tests after a two-year IB course, but that credit is equivalent to one year in AP.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022402191.html

Gap in Higher Education Affects Climbing the Income Ladder

Scholars at the Brookings Institute concluded, on Wednesday, that economic mobility, the chance that children of the poor or middle class will climb up the income ladder, has been almost stagnant for the past three decades. "A growing difference in education level between income and racial groups, especially in college degrees, implies that mobility will be lower in the future than it is today," stated Ron Haskins, a former Republican official and welfare expert who authored the education section of the report.

Check out the rest of the article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/us/20mobility.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=education&adxnnlx=1203688902-F1wkmGfRLaHi2dOGa2JRFA

Endowments widening disparity amongst colleges

Stanford and Harvard had an exceptional 2007 in fund-raising; individually, they raised over half a billion dollars for their respective institutions. All totaled, colleges and universities raised approximately $30 billion. This is sure to fan the flames of those who feel universities are turning into fund-raising machines.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/education/20educ.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Science wins in Florida, but not by much

Despite objections of religious conservatives, a divided Florida Board of Education adopted new science standards that embrace evolution. To reach a compromise, the slim majority agreed to re-word the references to evolution as "scientific theory."

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080220/NEWS/802200457/1039

Harmful or Helpful - the focus on standardized testing

Teacher groups in Texas requested that a special state committee ease up on high-stakes testing that has forced many schools to put their focus on test preparation and school ratings than learning. All four of the teacher groups asked the panel to consider major changes in the state's school accountability system.

Check out the article at:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/021908dntexschoolratings.35a109c.html

More AP test takers, Racial gap still wide

According to a recent report released by the College Board, more public school students are taking and passing Advanced Placement (AP) exams. The proportion of students taking these exams has grown as well as the proportion scoring a 3 or higher--a 3 is the benchmark at which some colleges will offer course credit. Black and Hispanic test takers, however, still lag behind their white counterparts in taking and passing these exams.

Check out the entire article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/education/14exam.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

In Las Vegas, over 50% of students end up homeless

Clark County School District counselors and teachers face a growing problem: the number of homeless children is growing year after year. Experts cite the rash of people veering into Las Vegas at the idea of an easy paycheck run into trouble trying to match wages to high rents.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/feb/13/school-without-home/

Higher education spending considered by Congress

New legislation being considered by Congress would force states to spend a minimum amount on higher education or risk losing federal funds. Though proponnets see this as a necessary stopgap for the ever increasing tuition at public institutions, critic warn that this could be a "dangerous precedent."

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=279728

School closed? Find out at the speed of light

It used be that the emergency-notification system at the school district meant recording a raspy message on an automated answering machine and leaving a message for the local TV and radio station. For the parents, it meant waiting for the entire list to scroll through to see if their child was going to hop back in bed or put on some shoes. Not any more...

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/10Rnotify.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Congress taking aim at the high cost of college

Yesterday, the House approved legislation that would establish a list of the nation's most expensive colleges. The bill, which received bi-partisan support, seeks to hold down costs at colleges by requiring the Education Department to publish a list of the most expensive colleges and cut down on the states' eligibility for new federal grants if the states reduced funding for public colleges.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/education/08education.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Moneyball comes to public school teachers

New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is trying to mimic the success of the Oakland A's professional baseball team in the 90s with his public school teachers - that is if the union doesn't stop him. Klein's new initiative is based off of unbiasing crunching numbers that he calls "value-added" data to sort out differences among teachers.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/02/06/2008-02-06_what_public_schools_can_learn_from_recen-3.html

Endowments Widen Gap Between Colleges

America's already stratified system of higher education is growing even more so as the nation's wealthiest colleges grow their endowments into the billions of dollars. This disparity creates tension with less wealthy colleges as they try and compete.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/education/04endowment.html?ref=education

The college test drive

Precollege summer programs are the buzz at winter fairs in high schools across the country. Students can sign up to take courses at universities across the US, or even abroad, to get a taste of the "college life." Take public speaking courses or SAT preparation classes and then hop in a bus to go the art museum or the beach.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/travel/03heads.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Community Colleges Faced With a Lack of Funding

A report commissioned by the nonprofit College Board shines a spotlight on higher education's heavy-lifters: community colleges. Not only does the document calls for a more public funds, but it also looks to focus community colleges to do more to measure students' progress and ensure they have earned enough credits to transfer or complete a degree.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/01/31/community_colleges_need_funds_study_says/

Bush Calls for Pell Grants for Kids

In his State of the Union address on Monday night, President Bush called for another education initiative: Pell Grants for Kids. It would be a $300 million program that channeled tax dollars to low-income parents to help them send their children to private or religious schools. Some top lawmakers denounced the plan as a national "voucher" program that would drain resources from urban public schools.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/washington/29educ.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

This is Jeopardy!...for the Classroom

Jeopardy! in the classroom? Well almost. Schools across the nation are investing in "audience response" technology to make their classrooms an interactive paradise. Through tiny clickers, students answer quiz questions. The clickers transmit, wirelessly, to a computer program, which then displays, instantaneously each student's progress--that's where the competition begins.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/28/education/28neck.html?ref=education

136 Wealthiest Colleges Asked to Open Up Their Books by Senate

The Senate Finance Committe, demanded detailed information, yesterday, from the nation's 136 wealthiest colleges and universities on how they disbursed financial aid and managed their endowments. This move comes as the committee becomes more and more concerned about the rising cost of tuition in the wake of increasing endowments and bonuses paid to college presidents and endowment managers.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/education/25endowments.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Investigating the Study Abroad Program

NY Attorney General's investigators, who shined some light on the relationship between colleges and the student loan industry are now looking into many college and universites' study abroad programs. The list of colleges include Harvard, Brown, and Columbia.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/us/21cuomo.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=education&adxnnlx=1201010419-bbId0ttoCJxp5vPpbBKiww

Q & A with a few Guidance Counselors

Take a look what parents are asking your peers and how their responses would match yours.

Read the Q&A at:
http://questions.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/04/edlife_qanda/

Record Breaking Number of College Applicants

Applications to selective colleges and universities are reaching record heights this year. Harvard has seen a 19 percent increase, while the University of Chicago has seen 18 percent. Princeton and the University of Virgina, despite ending the early admissions process, did not suffer from a decline in applications. What does all of this mean? Even more rejection letters will be sent this spring than in previous years...

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/education/17admissions.html?ref=education

US Dominance in Science is Dwindling

Though the United States is still the world leader in scientific and technological innovation, but its dominance is being challenged by the economic development, particularly in Asia, in other parts of the world. The report, which can be found at www.nsf.gov/statistics/indicators, is produced biennially.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/science/15cnd-nsf.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

High School A Haven

Marcelino Benitez dreaded graduating high school even though he received all A's and B's in his senior year and won a college scholarship. Unlike many of his classmates, Marcelino lacked the documents to continue his way in the United States.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/13/AR2008011303641.html

Welcome to 8th Grade, Here's Your College Scholarship

To help with college enrollment, Utah Board of Regents wants to award a scholarship to high schoolers. This scholarship money is set aside in an interest bearing account in their 8th grade year and to earn it, students must graduate high school with a B average in a college preparatory curriculum.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.sltrib.com/education/ci_7919545

Parents Turn to Peer Group as Partners

College tuition can be like a second mortgage, nevermind the money that has to be spent well before that on application and testing fees. It's no wonder that many parents are taking advantage of the federally funded network of National Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRC) which help bring parents by pairing them with the administration and resources they need.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/09/AR2008010901369.html

Yale Increases Spending

In the wake of mounting pressure from Congress to explain how the nation's wealthiest universities' tuition rates keep outpacing inflation, while their endowments continue to soar, Yale University announced on Monday that it would increase the amount of money it spends from its endowment by 40%. They did not, however, outline how where the increase in spending would go.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/education/08yale.html?ref=education

No Child Left Behind Back in Court

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit revived what was thought to be an over and done with 2005 lawsuit against No Child Left Behind.

Check out the article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/education/08child.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Colleges Feel Pressure to Match Harvard's Financial Aid

Last December, Harvard University announced that it would significantly expand financial aid to students from families earning as much as $180,000 a year. Now other similarly priced institutions are forced to compete or lose students. Though many institutions were moving to eliminate loans from their financial aid packages, Harvard's largess may be too much for these schools to afford. Additionally, critics believe Harvard's move could end up shifting financial aid from low-income students to wealthier ones.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/29/us/29tuition.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Bringing Arabic to Iowa

Zahra Al-Attar may be from Iraq, but her teaching is in Iowa. The Baghdad native responded to a flyer she saw posted in her mosque to teach in a tiny Iowa town that is used to paper candy canes and christmas carols--not arabic folk songs.

Check out the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/education/02education.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin

Tutoring Boys on Organization

As recent studies consistently show that girls are outperforming boys in high school and college, some educators are arguing whether or not there is a crisis in the education of boys. While they continue to debate, tutors are popping up to fill the need to get boys to close the gap--mainly by getting them organized.

Check out the article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/education/01boys.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin