At the moment, the [...]]]> With increases in tuition, an uncertain job market and ample debt risks, more high school seniors are contemplating whether to delay college. An increasing number of students are looking at alternative learning paths such as vocational education that will equip them with on-the-job training. They’re also considering traveling and exploring internships.

At the moment, the high costs of tuition and uncertainty about whether those financial investments will yield a return in the form of a high-paying job, is the main factor for the ambivalence about college.

The cost of education is a top priority not just for individuals, but for governments and learning institutions as well. According to a recent report from the Washington Post, which analyzed a survey conducted by the Council for Aid to Education, public colleges are increasingly seeking out private funds to make up for monies lost to dwindling state support.

The CAE survey found a four-fold increase in private funding for George Mason University. Across the country, state funding to public colleges has diminished from $8,035 in 2000 to just $6,451 in 2010.

Increasingly, the cost of college is being shifted on to students. According to the Washington Post report, tuition costs at public universities across the country has nearly doubled in the previous ten years.

As public colleges turn to private funding, there may be a discrepancy since private and charitable giving seems to be on the decline.

According to research from the CAE, charitable contributions to universities and colleges increased by .5 percent in 2010 and reached $28 billion total. Adjusting for inflation, this meant that giving decreased by 8 percent from levels set in 2006.

According to a recent article from the New York Times, several school districts have cut summer school programs, reduced [...]]]> Smaller budgets for education means that we should cut class time to save money, right? It sounds logical, but what will shortened school days and fewer learning hours cost students in the long run?

According to a recent article from the New York Times, several school districts have cut summer school programs, reduced the school week to four days and slashed entire days out of the academic year in an effort to save money and make up for millions of dollars in deficits. The report sites a $3 million cut to the Los Angeles summer school budget. Districts in New Mexico and Idaho plan to close classes on Fridays and Mondays during certain months.

What would be the consequences of no summer school? Well, according to the National Education Association, which began advocating in 2009 to bring back summer school, these programs are essential to closing the achievement gap in learning. The association cites that most students can fall two months or more behind in math over the summer break. What’s more, low-income students are disproportionately affected and can fall up to three months behind in reading levels.

Summer school often serves as a bridge for students who have fallen behind their peers, so that without this supplemental learning, remedial students continue on a declining path year after year.

The National Summer Learning Coalition says that summer school is essential to bridge the disadvantages between low-income students and their more affluent counterparts. Part of the Coalition’s efforts, aside from lobbying congress for summer school support, is to build learning programs, particularly in low-income areas. These programs provide enrichment opportunities during the months where students are most likely to fall behind.

But it’s not just summer school that has taken a hit. A shortened school week, even if only implemented periodically, would mean that more material needs to be crammed into a shorter time period. With schools increasingly being measured against assessments such as standardized testing, it remains to be seen how a shortened school week will impact student achievement. The fear is that students will not only fall behind in learning, but that the impact will reverberate against national measures for achievement. In such cases, students and administrators could be held responsible for the achievement gap.

So are lawmakers listening to the concerns of teachers, parents and students? Yes and no. In the wake of budget cuts, as local and state governments continue to look at shortening the school week or taking days off the year altogether, the national government is praising summer school and full school days.

According to the same New York Times report, the Obama administration is in full support of summer school. Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, has said that the school day, week and year are too short.

But how will these words stand up against action when education is still the prerogative of local and state laws? States set minimum days and minimum hours for school years. Even while federal stimulus money is going to education and the national government is encouraging summer programs, many districts are unable to meet these calls for action.

Since state revenues are down, many are taking cuts where they can, and shortening a school week or cutting a summer program equals cost savings.

How do you feel about a shortening school year? If you’re a parent, teacher, administrator or student, voice your thoughts with us.

A recent blog from Education Week says that [...]]]> It’s June. The weather is warm and the typical school day is officially over. No doubt children are excited to be out of school; but does leaving the hallways and books behind necessarily equal a 3 month hiatus from learning?

A recent blog from Education Week says that the summer break tends to harm low income students and others across different economic groups if those students are not engaged during this critical time period between the end and start of the school year.

says that the summer break tends to harm low income students and others across different economic groups if those students are not engaged during this critical time period between the end and start of the school year.

This summer, consider ways to keep the education going without missing any of the fun. U.S. News and World Report has compiled for their Travel section, a list of best summer vacations.

Destinations include San Francisco, Paris and Montreal. What’s more, all of these destinations offer new things to learn, are chocked full of history lessons and a real-time challenge for kids. Encourage your children to put down the cell phones and engage in a walking tour. From museums to interactive space and science centers, summer vacations can be an extension of the classroom.

Another option, and an old-time favorite, are educational summer camps. Supercamp offers programs to suit a range of learning styles. Programs include linguistics, music, math and more and one of the benefits of summer camp is that it provides an opportunity to make friends and learn from peers outside of your student’s immediate social group.

For those on a budget, summer school is an option or free programs, which are offered at local recreation centers such as the YMCA. Use your natural surroundings–research free museum days in your town or hit the local library for some good books.

Just because school is out doesn’t mean the learning can’t continue.

What are you up to this summer and how do you plan to work in some learning while still having fun?

Childhood obesity rates have tripled since 1980 and is an increasingly growing problem. Today there is a concerted effort to overhaul a school nutrition [...]]]> According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 17%, or 12.5 million, children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years are obese.

Childhood obesity rates have tripled since 1980 and is an increasingly growing problem. Today there is a concerted effort to overhaul a school nutrition program that has too-long focused on unhealthy, processed foods.

The federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 would replace today’s common menu items such as french fries and hot dogs with whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.

A sample menu provided by the white house would modify ingredients in a typical meal to ensure nutritional value. For example, cheese pizza, canned pineapple, tater tots and chocolate milk would be replaced with whole wheat cheese pizza, baked sweet potato fries, fresh grapes, applesauce and low fat milk. The new menu would also pay critical attention to portion sizes.

Beyond the sweeping nutrition-based changes, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act would also provide safety regulations to guard against dangerous food-borne illnesses and require additional training for cafeteria staff. Read more about provisions in the bill at USAtoday.com.

Some states are taking their own advanced nutritional initiatives to offer a variety of vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy. In Pennsylvania, the statewide school nutrition incentive program provides more specific guidelines for nutrition. For example, food items should be packaged in single serving sizes and provide no more than 250 calories per serving. At least 50 percent of grains offered will come from whole grains and foods should not contain in excess of 35 percent of calories from fat. Additionally, transfats would be reduced or eliminated.

These very specific guidelines would provide for a reduction in processed foods with empty calories and provided more satisfying choices. States such as Pennsylvania can become leaders for healthy school meals.

The main point of the bill is to link teacher tenure more directly [...]]]> The state of Illinois recently made headlines in education by passing a reform bill that would make it easier to fire teachers deemed ineffective and allow for a lengthened school year in Chicago.

The main point of the bill is to link teacher tenure more directly to student achievement. In an example scenario, a teacher could be laid off for poor student achievement and seniority, which is a factor often considered in cases of teacher lay-offs, would not play as large of a role in saving teacher jobs.

Provisions in the new bill will give Chicago Maylor-elect Rahm Emanual powers to lengthen the school year. Many believe this is critical for student achievement. This move comes at a time when budget constraints in other states have seen teacher furlough days and huge cuts to education.

The Illinois bill made headlines and drew support from the U.S. Department of Education. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said:

“Illinois has done something truly remarkable, and every state committed to education reform should take notice. Business, unions, educators, advocates and elected officials all came together around a plan that puts children ahead of adults and paves the way for meaningful education reform. For some time now I have been saying that tough-minded collaboration is more productive than confrontation, and this is the proof. I respectfully urge Governor Quinn to sign this quickly so that Illinois can put these landmark reforms to work in the classroom.”

How the longer school year will be funded remains to be seen. Equally unpredictable is the model, if any, Illinois will set for the rest of the country as this bill addresses a long debated question of how to adequately and fairly assess teacher competence.

The debate over measuring a “good” teacher has been waged in every state and the set of criteria—from student evaluations to standardized testing–can be murky and inconsistent.

A recent blog post in the Baltimore Sun highlights a unique challenge in Maryland—a state now under deadline pressures to revamp the way its teachers are evaluated. The evaluation system will combine traditional methods of assessment like personal observations and review of lesson plans with new approaches from different jurisdictions.

The most complicated part of the equation is to adequately measure “student academic progress.”  Student “growth” is often measured in stages–for example how many grade levels a student improves in critical areas such as math or reading within a given school year.

The broad idea of measuring student growth has proved convoluted for other states, but for Maryland, the issue is critical because 250 million dollars of federal educational funding are at stake.

With Illinois pushing the equivalent of a “no-excuses” bill into the national spotlight, other states must reassess how they grade, promote and fire teachers.

Amid the lack of consistency across the board and arguments that divide decision-makers on how to fairly assess teachers, one thing remains universal for teachers, parents and lawmakers alike—-coming up with a solution is of utmost urgency for students across the country.

The Louisiana Science Education Act, passed in 2008 has been criticized [...]]]> The Miami Herald reports this week that lawmakers in Louisiana rejected a challenge from some students, teachers and parents to repeal a 2008 law which allows public school science teachers to use supplemental materials in their classrooms in addition to state-approved textbooks.

The Louisiana Science Education Act, passed in 2008 has been criticized by opponents as a subtle if not direct attack on teaching evolution. The provision for supplemental materials usually is feared to include information meant to criticize evolution and support creationism.

This week’s 5-1 decision by the Senate Education Committee striking down repeal of the Louisiana Science Education Act sent a resounding message to opponents, shunning their arguments that allowing for loosely-defined “supplemental materials” creates opportunities for teachers to challenge evolution and teach creationism in classrooms.

Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana supported the bill in 2008 and opposed this week’s move to repeal it.

The state has argued that there are guidelines in place that would ban promotion of religious doctrines in the supplemental materials. These guidelines require that any information presented by teachers be “scientifically sound and supported by empirical evidence,” but scientists are not so convinced. The bill has been hotly debated since its inception, with opponents from the science community including the American Association for the Advancement of Science pitted against proponents such as conservative and religious groups.

For now, interpretation of what is considered acceptable “supplemental materials” in science education is left largely to individual school boards.

The issue of opening up a science curriculum, one that could invite creationism, hasn’t been confined to Louisiana. A different perspective—a potentially religiously-slanted view is a notion that has gone through much debate in Seattle, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Laws designed to incorporate the teaching of creationism in public schools have so far been struck down by the courts in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

So as another state takes on science education, what are your thoughts on an appropriate curriculum?

As the effects of the natural disaster subside, it’s back to business for Governor Jay Nixon, who is grappling with the realities of a weak state budget. Education spending will inevitably bear [...]]]> Missouri has been in the news recently because of a deadly twister that left a huge financial and human toll in Joplin, Mo.

As the effects of the natural disaster subside, it’s back to business for Governor Jay Nixon, who is grappling with the realities of a weak state budget. Education spending will inevitably bear the bulk of cost-cutting as Missouri moves forward and disaster aid becomes the priority for spending.

This week, the Kansas City Star reports that Governor Nixon announced $172 million in budget cuts and some of that cost-cutting will come from reductions in aid to colleges, student scholarships and bus services for public school students.

Education budgets have been a tricky subject for many states, but the urgency of disaster relief forces Missouri to take a much closer look at their spending. The toll that public school busing systems will take has parents and educators worried.

This all comes at a time when other changes in Missouri’s education system are making headlines as well.

One such controversy involves a new approach to rating school districts that has educators on the defense. Under the new rating plan, standardized tests will effectively double in frequency. Teachers and administrators are concerned because the rating system includes tracking high school graduates into the future—-a task that will fall on high school administrators.

Among other moves, the new proposed rating system, part of new standards from the state education commission will test high school students in critical areas like math and chemistry. The education commission argues that such measures would ensure students stay competitive in important subjects. It’s hard to argue with the intentions as U.S. students consistently scores low in the critical areas of math and science when compared with their counterparts overseas.

The consequences of Misssouri’s proposed new rating standards are important for school districts that must revise their standards and curriculums to meet the demands of the new rating criteria. Those who do not comply may lose accreditation, but others note that such standards will be difficult to enforce due to the budget constraints. Some of the proposed measures will take years to implement and are contingent on budget allowance.

It remains to be seen how Missouri will cope with high standards and big goals set against the realistic backdrop of slashed budgets and ongoing disagreements between lawmakers and educators.

It’s a story being played out across the country, and at the core are good intentions mixed with real-world constraints.

Read more about Missouri’s budget cuts here.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said [...]]]> The United States Department of Education recently released the national report card on history, which surveyed the performance of sample student groups in grades 4, 8 and 12 and found results were low and mostly unimproved from measures taken 4 years ago.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said of the results, “The history scores released today show that student performance is still too low. These results tell us that, as a country, we are failing to provide children with a high-quality, well-rounded education.”

Only 20 percent of fourth graders, 17 percent of eighth graders and 12 percent of high school seniors demonstrated proficiency on the national exam. The scores resulted in one of three categories– “basic” which refers to partial mastery of a subject; “proficient” denoting solid academic performance and demonstrated competency over challenging subject matters; and “advanced” for those who demonstrated superior performance.

Those performing at the basic level could identify the significance of many people, places, events, dates, ideas, and documents in U.S. history. Proficient performers were able to understand particular people, places, events, ideas, and documents in historical context, with some awareness of the political, economic, geographic, social, religious, technological, and ideological factors that shape historical settings. Those at the advanced level demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of events and sources of U.S. history.

Tests at the fourth grade level included 95 questions broken into six sections and included a mix of multiple-choice and constructed response answers. Eighth grade tests contained 166 questions divided into 10 sections and 12th grade tests included 159 questions divided into nine sections.

Analysis of the results were published in multiple news sources, including the New York Times which notes that most fourth graders were unable to say why Abraham Lincoln was an important figure. Other students were not able to say what the decision in Brown v. Wade addressed, even though the answer was given in the form of an accompanying quote.

Read more about the Nation’s Report Card and see the break-down of results for the different grade levels.