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Is an online education really that cheap?

According to U.S. News and World Report, online higher education options aren’t necessarily cheaper than the traditional brick-and-mortar schools. The report attempts to “debunk” the myths surrounding the theory that online education may be a cheaper option for some students. According to usnews.com, tuition costs for online courses, or degrees in some cases, are more expensive due technology and faculty costs. “Even if tuition for an online program looks appealingly low, students should be sure to look into whether they will be paying any additional fees, says Vickie Cook, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of …

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Solving the special education teacher deficit

Across the nation schools are trying to locate and hire qualified special education teachers. The open positions are abundant and many teachers are not equipped to handle the challenges this difficult job presents. Schools often settle for inexperienced or under qualified candidates who may not last even a year or two. The Lee Pesky Learning Center, in conjunction with Boise State University, believes that adequate teacher preparation can make all the difference. This nonprofit organization is working to overcome the teacher shortage by preparing individuals for the unique demands and challenges of working with special needs students. The Pesky Center …

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Grad rates on track for 90 percent by 2020

A new report shows that for the second year in a row, American high schoolers are on track to reach a 90 percent graduation rate by the year 2020. Research for Building a Grad Nation:Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic was conducted through a collaboration of researchers from Civic Enterprises, John Hopkins, Alliance for Excellent Education and American’s Promise Alliance. In order for graduation rates to reach the lofty 90 percent goal,  there needs to be an increase in graduation rate of 1.3 percent every year. The report cites more streamlined paths to graduation as part …

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Bobby Jindal wanted more education cuts in Louisiana

Higher education in Louisiana faced cuts this past year after the state faced a multi-million dollar budget shortfall. It could’ve been worse (way worse) for education though. Governor Bobby Jindal reportedly wanted to cut over $600 million from higher education but was rebuffed by leaders in the state legislature. In speaking with the press this past week, Jindal notes that he was upset that lawmakers didn’t cut from the state’s higher education fund. To close the state’s budget shortfall, lawmakers used money from the rainy day fund. Despite Jindal’s opposition, the fact that higher education funds weren’t slashed even further …

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Some HBCUs struggling with NCAA academic requirement

A new NCAA requirement that governs if a college or university’s athletic teams will have the ability to compete in the postseason is hitting some HBCU’s pretty hard. The Academic Progress Rate, or APR, is the rule that the NCAA uses to “hold institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term,” according to diverseeducation.com. This new rule makes it so that all Division 1 schools would be judged by the same APR. That’s a mouthful. But APR is judged in four-year periods, …

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Do gifted education programs encourage social inequality?

“Gifted” is the term used by psychologists and educators to designate children with extraordinary academic abilities. Giftedness has typically been associated with having high IQ scores. Gifted education programs are loosely defined as being “above the norm.” So, gifted students are those who, compared to their age group, score above average. Gifted education programs have also traditionally been hubs for white children from middle to high classes to flourish. Discrepancies in how schools define giftedness only serve to further the sense of inequality. Continuing socioeconomic inequities, such as; class, race, disabilities and gender, have had an impact on which students …

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Worldwide: Girls are doing better than boys academically

Girls are outperforming boys academically in many countries according to a report from Dr. Gijsbert Stoet of the University of Glasgow in Scotland and David C. Geary of the University of Missouri. They found that in 2009, high school girls performed considerably better on an international standardized test in 52 out of 74 participating countries. This includes countries where women face political, economic or social inequalities. Here in the U.S., we are seeing girls outperforming boys. Thirty years after the passage of equal opportunity laws, girls are graduating from high school and college and going into professions in record numbers. …

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Will a degree from an HBCU cover student loan debt?

According to a new report, the starting salary for a new college graduate from an HBCU may not be enough to cover student loan debt. By way of an article on Chron.com, the class of 2015 is projected to have about $35,000 in student loan debt upon graduation. That’s $7,000 more than what the class of 2013 will owe. Of course in order to pay back the loan, students have to have jobs that will afford them that opportunity. So to look at how debt and income will factor into the financial success that students may have post graduation, Edsmart.org …

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How to help high school students find a career

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 30 percent of teens and young adults work in the leisure and hospitality industry. While those jobs are usually entry level and easy to attain, they aren’t necessarily career defining. In addition to working entry level positions, most high school students aren’t exactly sure of what career path to take after high school. To help them with such an important decision, Myverse has launched a new tool that will match high school students with a potential career path. Myverse, “an online and mobile resource for middle school and high school students,” is …

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