Watch 8:06
Why 36 million American adults can’t read enough to work — and how to help them
In the U.S., 36 million adults lack the basic literacy skills needed to sustain employment -- yet education programs for this group serve only about 1.5 million, and funding continues to be cut at state and federal levels. Meanwhile, stigma…
Watch 6:31
Can ‘cultural proficiency’ among teachers help close student achievement gap?
Racial disparity in academic achievement remains a leading problem in American education, both at the K-12 and the college levels. A number of studies show greater diversity in the teaching profession can address some of those concerns. Hari Sreenivasan has…
Watch 7:23
Can the political divide be mended by bringing rural and urban students together?
In a country fractured by political polarization, an Illinois program is hoping college students can help mend the rift. The University of Chicago and Eureka College created Bridging the Divide to address the harsh rhetoric that emerged from the 2016…
Watch 7:27
Many college students struggle to pass remedial math. Do they need to?
Colleges created remedial education classes to ensure students were sufficiently prepared for more advanced material. But increasingly, there’s a sense that remedial courses are hurting the prospects of the students they are intended to help. As a result, some California…
A majority of American college graduates leave school with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. The issue of paying for college is so concerning that several 2020 presidential candidates have proposed forgiving student debt or making public colleges…
Fewer than 40 percent of fourth and eighth grade students nationwide are proficient readers. Now, led by parents of children with dyslexia, a learning disability that makes reading and spelling difficult, some states are trying to change how reading is…
New teacher strikes and walkouts are making headlines this year, but the issues they are raising are familiar. Educators are especially concerned about pay, school resources, growing responsibilities, testing policies and the role of charter schools. John Yang talks to…
The first five years of a child’s life are critical for language exposure, but studies suggest children in lower-income families often don’t experience the rich literary environment wealthier kids do. A New York City initiative trying to close that gap…
Two members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas community have died by apparent suicide. One of them was a survivor of last year’s mass shooting who reportedly struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber of the Columbia Lighthouse Project…
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