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.

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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.

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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...

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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.

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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