Jan 09 College essays could be early clue for college grades By Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed Admissions essays are thought of by many as less scientific than other parts of the college application process -- a chance to share a personal story, to inject personality into the process, to become more than just a grade-point average… Continue reading
Jan 09 Obama to outline plan for free community college By Kyla Calvert Mason President Barack Obama will announce a proposal today to make two years of community college free for eligible students with the goal of making a two-year college degree as universal as a high school diploma. Continue reading
Jan 08 Could push to improve teacher training start by taking a cue from flight schools? By Kirk Carapezza, WGBH The burn-out rate for teachers in this country is high. Nearly half leave the profession within five years. That doesn’t come without consequences, American schools are falling behind. Some teacher educators are looking for what it would take to better… Continue reading
Dec 24 Watch 8:22 With virtual seminars and lower tuition, Minerva Schools offers online alternative to college By PBS News Hour There are no lectures allowed at San Francisco’s Minerva Schools, an innovative college with a curriculum specifically designed to improve knowledge retention for students. Professors hold their seminar-style classes online, allowing Minerva students to move around the globe each semester,… Continue watching
Dec 04 Why college education isn’t a bubble By Vivek Wadhwa PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel has argued that college is overvalued in this country and that not everyone should go. He's even called it a bubble -- like housing. But entrepreneur and academic Vivek Wadhwa defends higher education, calling Thiel's ideas… Continue reading
Dec 04 Next online experiments in higher ed focus on flexibility By Carl Straumsheim, Inside Higher Ed Some of the country’s most rigorous research universities have a new obsession: flexibility. As the institutions contemplate a more modular future, experiments with blended learning may provide an early glimpse at their plans. Continue reading
Dec 02 Domestic violence as prevalent for college students as sexual assault By Jake New, Inside Higher Ed On Black Friday, Nadia Ezaldein, a University of Chicago student, was working at a Chicago Nordstrom when her ex-boyfriend entered the store, found her in the accessories department, and shot her to death. It was her 22nd birthday. Continue reading
Nov 26 Obama administration releases plan to grade teacher prep programs By Kyla Calvert Mason Too many new teachers are under-prepared for the classroom and left figuring out how to reach students on their own. That’s the problem proposed regulations from the Department of Education mean to solve, Education Secretary Arne Duncan told reports during… Continue reading
Nov 21 Some colleges reconsider ties to Cosby By Ry Rivard, Inside Higher Ed At least one college is distancing itself from Bill Cosby, the once-family-friendly comedian who has been accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women. Continue reading
Nov 12 Are future teachers getting too many easy A’s? By Kyla Calvert Mason A new report shows teaching candidates are getting higher grades than students in other departments at the same colleges. More challenging coursework would lead to better prepared teachers, the authors conclude. Continue reading