Trump On Education Department: 'Reverse This Federal Power Grab'

Our weekly education news roundup: State officials criticize DeVos on student loan protections; and typos torpedo some grant applications for low-income students.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/29/525720941/trump-on-education-department-reverse-this-federal-power-grab?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

At TED This Week, Two Speakers Got To The Root Of Things

At the TED Conference in Vancouver this week, two Fellows, Devita Davison and Damon Davis talked about putting ideas to work to invigorate marginalized communities from within.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/04/28/516430327/at-ted-this-week-two-speakers-got-to-the-root-of-things?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Georgetown University To Offer Slave Descendants Preferential Admissions

When Georgetown University announced they were going to try to make reparations to descendants of slaves held by the university more than a century ago, it raised tough questions for the families who stand to receive the reparations. Georgetown is offering preferential admissions to descendants, but one family with two students applying, have another idea.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/28/526085106/georgetown-university-to-offer-slave-descendants-preferential-admissions?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

19th Century Princess And Cookbook Author Was Also Georgia's First Feminist

Princess Barbare Jorjadze is renowned for her cookbook. But she spent most of her life writing letters, poems and essays, to fight for a greater public role for Georgian women.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/28/524404924/19th-century-princess-and-cookbook-author-was-also-georgias-first-feminist?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Who Gains And Who's Left Out Of Georgetown's Reparations Plan

Georgetown University says it will try to atone to the descendants of slaves sold more than a century ago. One concrete step is "preferential admissions" for descendants, but it doesn't help everyone.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/28/525992183/who-gains-and-whos-left-out-of-georgetowns-reparations-plan?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

A Path Out Of Poverty: Career Training + Quality Pre K

A new study on an innovative program in Tulsa, Okla., that links quality Head Start services with job training and parental support shows it's improving the lives of both mothers and their children.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/28/525733959/a-path-out-of-poverty-career-training-quality-pre-k?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

This Week In Race: Fox Sued, Schools Re-Segregate And Shea Moisture Gets Thirsty

Oh, and there's a new philanthropist in town.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/04/28/525926179/this-week-in-race-fox-sued-schools-re-segregate-and-shea-moisture-gets-thirsty?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

After Ann Coulter Speech Cancellation, Protesters Rally At Berkeley

The university and city of Berkeley saw dueling demonstrations with police on hand. Coulter suggested that she might "swing by" to greet supporters.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/27/525898344/after-ann-coulter-speech-cancellation-protesters-rally-at-berkeley?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

West Virginia State University Sues Dow Chemical For Contamination

The school alleges the chemical manufacturing giant is responsible for the elevated levels of three likely carcinogens in its groundwater. Its lawsuit asks that the company provide for their removal.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/27/525926237/west-virginia-state-university-sues-dow-chemical-for-contamination?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

After Ann Coulter Backs Out Of Visit, UC Berkeley Braces For Free Speech Rallies

UC Berkeley expects more unrest on Thursday. Conservative groups charge the campus with censorship after it cancelled speeches by provocative speakers over safety concerns.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/27/525918248/after-ann-coulter-backs-out-of-speech-uc-berkeley-braces-for-free-speech-rallies?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Want To Finish College? Go Full Time, At Least Part Of The Time

Students who attend full time for at least one semester are 50 percent more likely to complete community college, a new study shows.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/27/524684260/want-to-finish-college-go-full-time-at-least-part-of-the-time?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

The Research Argument For NYC's Preschool Plan For 3-Year-Olds

New York City's plan for universal preschool for 3-year-olds aligns with a growing body of research showing that the benefits of high-quality pre-K can persist for years.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/25/525594764/the-research-argument-for-nycs-preschool-plan-for-3-year-olds?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

New York City Announces Plan To Expand Universal Preschool To 3 Year Olds

New York City has announced an ambitious plan to extend universal preschool to 3 year olds. Mayor Bill de Blasio says the effort will expand on the city's current program for 4 year olds.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/25/525604338/new-york-city-announces-plan-to-expand-universal-preschool-to-3-year-olds?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Reminder: 2016-2017 Federal FAFSA Deadline is Approaching

source http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/reminder-2016-2017-federal-fafsa-deadline-is-approaching

Nation's Report Card Finds Mixed Grades For U.S. Students In Visual Arts, Music

It's the first time since 2008 that the federal government has released its assessment of U.S. eighth-graders in the arts. While there are some signs of progress, troubling achievement gaps remain.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/25/525444055/nations-report-card-finds-mixed-grades-for-u-s-students-in-visual-arts-and-music?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Student Loans: You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Is trade school the ticket? Does the middle class have the worst debt woes? Listeners weigh in with burning student loan questions.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/23/525073178/student-loans-youve-got-questions-weve-got-answers?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

His Teacher Told Him He Wouldn't Go To College, Then He Did

African-American students with disabilities are disciplined far more and graduate far less than their counterparts, researchers say. What needs to change to help more succeed?

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/23/520021794/his-teacher-told-him-he-wouldnt-go-to-college-then-he-did?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

DeVos Meets With A Key Union Leader; The Supreme Court Hears A Voucher-Related Case

The Education Secretary tours schools with the head of the American Federation of Teachers, the controversy over Ann Coulter at UC Berkeley, and other highlights from the week in education.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/22/524511091/devos-meets-with-a-key-union-leader-the-supreme-court-hears-a-voucher-related-ca?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Educators On A Hot Topic: Global Warming 101

Thousands of people will participate in Saturday's march. We reached out to three experts on teaching and climate change to find out how the event — and its aftermath — can help engage young people.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/21/524766962/educators-on-a-hot-topic-global-warming-101?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

This Islamic School Teaches How To Be Muslim, And American

The Al Fatih Academy in Virginia is one of about 270 Islamic schools in the U.S. The staff aim to give their students a well-rounded education and promote civic awareness.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/20/524510378/this-islamic-school-teaches-how-to-be-muslim-and-american?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

A Theory To Better Understand Diversity, And Who Really Benefits

The business model for diversity teaches students about cultural preferences and how to avoid offense, but it is ill-equipped to unpack social group power dynamics.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/04/19/523563345/a-theory-to-better-understand-diversity-and-who-really-benefits?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Down With 8 A.M. Classes: Undergrads Learn Better Later In The Day, Study Finds

A recent study shows that college classes start too early for students' brains to be functioning at their best. Does that mean that high schools and middle schools also start too early?

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/19/524348257/down-with-8-a-m-classes-undergrads-learn-better-later-in-the-day-study-finds?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Tech Is Dominating Efforts To Educate Syrian Refugees

Half of private donors to Syrian students are funding educational technology, says a new report.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/18/523611124/tech-is-dominating-efforts-to-educate-syrian-refugees?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Schools Will Soon Have To Put In Writing If They 'Lunch Shame'

Advocates hope the recent law out of N.M., banning school staff from shaming kids for not having lunch money, helps to shape policies the USDA is requiring school districts write by July 1.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/17/524234563/schools-will-soon-have-to-put-in-writing-if-they-lunch-shame?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Big City Escapee Is Living In A Mud Hut — And Loving It

Most young people in the tiny Indian village of Chanka dream of life in the big city. But Girindra Nath Jha give up his New Delhi life to return to his birthplace.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/04/17/524340466/big-city-escapee-is-living-in-a-mud-hut-and-loving-it?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Artist Sets Futuristic Dinner Party In World Reshaped By Rising Seas

How will our diets shift as climate change causes sea-level rise and coastal flooding? Photographer Allie Wist attempts to answer that with pictures of an imagined "post-sea-level-rise dinner party."

source http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/16/520294246/artist-sets-futuristic-dinner-party-in-world-reshaped-by-rising-seas?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

This Week In Education: DeVos Announces Some Hires; Free College And Free Textbooks

Federal marshals aren't the only new faces at the U.S. Education Department, we report in our weekly roundup of education news. The other big story: New York State's plan for free college.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/15/523447993/this-week-in-education-devos-announces-some-hires-free-college-and-free-textbook?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

The Uninjured Victims Of The Virginia Tech Shootings

Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history, which killed 32 people and wounded many others. Those who survived with no injuries carry emotional scars.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/14/523042249/the-uninjured-victims-of-the-virginia-tech-shootings?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

10 Years Later, Virginia Tech Instructor Recalls Her Students' Response To Tragedy

Jane Vance and Lucinda Roy were both teachers at Virginia Tech 10 years ago when one of the deadliest shootings occurred. They talk about coming back to campus after and moving on since that day.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/14/523751473/10-years-later-virginia-tech-instructor-recalls-her-students-response-to-tragedy?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Ready Or Not (For Kindergarten) Some Research Says, Enroll Anyway

Academic redshirting, the practice of holding kids back a year before enrolling them in kindergarten, has been debated for years. A new article attempts to clear up some of the confusion for parents.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/14/523282846/ready-or-not-for-kindergarten-some-research-says-enroll-anyway?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Former Student Remembers Life Of Education Donor Eugene Lang

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Juan Martinez, one of the many thousands of students the philanthropist Eugene Lang helped send to college. Lang died over the weekend.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/12/523631682/former-student-remembers-life-of-education-donor-eugene-lang?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Crowdfunding for College

source http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/crowdfunding-for-college

5 Tips for Answering Usage and Mechanics Questions on ACT English

Once you’ve taken ACT practice tests and identified particular areas you could use more focus, the real work begins. For many students, knowing how to proceed in a particular subject area can be challenging. Usage and Mechanics is all about your foundational knowledge of grammar, word usage, sentence structure, and punctuation. As you can imagine,...

source http://www.collegeconfidential.com/5-tips-answering-usage-mechanics-questions-act-english/

On The Navajo Nation, Special Ed Students Await Water That's Doesn't Stink

Fundraising is underway for a new filtration system at an Arizona school for Navajo children with disabilities. Now, the water runs black and smells like rotten eggs, but is technically safe to drink.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/12/523303559/on-the-navajo-nation-special-ed-students-await-water-thats-doesnt-stink?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Where Corporal Punishment Is Still Used In Schools, Its Roots Run Deep

The use of corporal punishment is on the decline, but at one high school in N.C., the principal paddles his students himself.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/12/521944429/where-corporal-punishment-is-still-used-its-roots-go-deep?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Should High School Students Need A Foreign Language To Graduate?

Many Tennessee high schoolers graduated in 2015 without meeting state requirements. How they did it reveals a disconnect between district and state expectations.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/11/522770863/should-high-school-students-need-a-foreign-language-to-graduate?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Here's the Fine Print On The Country's Biggest-Ever Free College Plan

Freedom's just another word for ... a full-ride scholarship, with strings attached. New York's vast new scholarship program has brought praise, and some nitpicking.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/11/523290884/here-s-the-fine-print-on-the-countrys-biggest-ever-free-college-plan?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Talking College Costs with Your Teen

source http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/talking-college-costs-with-your-teen

How to Approach Paired Passages on ACT Reading

The reading section on the ACT is made up of 40 questions across four sections, for which you’ll be given 35 minutes to complete. Each question relates to one of the five passages you’ll be asked to read before answering the questions. If you’ve ever taken a test in a class like English or history,...

source http://www.collegeconfidential.com/approach-paired-passages-act-reading/

Having Just One Black Teacher Can Keep Black Kids In School

According to a recent study, having a role model at school who looks like you can have large and long-lasting effects.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/10/522909090/having-just-one-black-teacher-can-keep-black-kids-in-school?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Students From Different Cultures Collaborate To Communicate With Each Other

At one high school in San Francisco, students speak 18 different languages, and while students can't totally communicate with one another, they're working hard to learn English and other cultures.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/09/521945437/students-from-different-cultures-collaborate-to-communicate-with-each-other?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Chicago Mayor's Plan To Update H.S. Graduation Has A Fatal Flaw

The mayor's mention of "like you do with your children," raises questions about his grasp of his school district's largest student and parent constituency — African-Americans and Latinos.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/04/09/502654584/chicago-mayor-s-plan-to-promote-h-s-graduation-has-a-fatal-flaw?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

White Supremacists Trying To Recruit On College Campuses

White supremacists are stepping up recruitment efforts on college campuses. NPR's Scott Simon asks Emerson College President Lee Pelton how he's responded to racist fliers and emails on his campus.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/08/523103224/white-supremacists-trying-to-recruit-on-college-campuses?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Elizabeth Warren On Student Debt Collectors And More Education News

Student debt has tripled, a shake-up in loan repayment, and states unveil new education plans.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/08/522588790/elizabeth-warren-on-student-debt-collectors-and-more-education-news?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Travel Ban's 'Chilling Effect' Could Cost Universities Hundreds Of Millions

President Trump's latest travel ban is stuck in legal limbo, but many still think it's having an effect on American colleges and universities.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/07/522773429/travel-bans-chilling-effect-could-cost-universities-hundreds-of-millions?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Online FAFSA Tool Disabled: Creates Complications for Students

source http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/online-FAFSA-tool-disabled-creates-complications-for-students

The Picture Book Behind The New Movie 'Boss Baby'

Before the new animated film was a box-office hit, it was a beloved children's book.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/06/522581126/the-picture-book-behind-the-new-movie-boss-baby?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Kansas High School Student Explains What Led To Ousting Of New Principal

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to Gina Mathew, one of the students who led the investigation into the credentials of their new school principal at Pittsburg High School in Kansas.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/05/522756881/kansas-high-school-student-explains-what-led-to-ousting-of-new-principal?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Teachers, Lawyers And Others Worry About The Fate Of Student Debt Forgiveness

Borrowers are "frightened," "anxious," "betrayed," at the suggestion that a federal student loan forgiveness program could be taken away.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/05/522575533/teachers-lawyers-and-others-worry-about-the-fate-of-student-debt-forgiveness?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Education Department Casts Doubts On Public Service Loan Forgiveness

A legal filing by the Education Department last week calls into question the future of a program that allowed a student's loan to be forgiven after 10 years of work in the public sector.

source http://www.npr.org/2017/04/04/522632392/education-department-casts-doubts-on-public-service-loan-forgiveness?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

The Ugly Side Of Being An African Student In India

India is a magnet for African youth who want to study abroad. But tensions between Indians and Africans sometimes explode into violence. The latest incident took place on March 27.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/04/04/522453520/the-ugly-side-of-being-an-african-student-in-india?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

How Two Georgia Tech Students Came Up With The Common App For Internships

Students create their profile and can apply for several internships with one click. Currently, InternBlitz is available to students at Georgia Tech, but there are plans to add more campuses soon.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/04/04/522038496/how-two-georgia-tech-students-came-up-with-the-common-app-for-internships?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

A New Look At The Lasting Consequences Of Student Debt

Going to college can boost your earning power, but just having student debt can affect your chances of owning a home, according to a new report.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/04/522456671/a-new-look-at-the-lasting-consequences-of-student-debt?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

Deported Students Find Challenges At School In Tijuana

More than half a million children born in the U.S. have ended up in Mexico because their parents were deported.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/03/520547750/deported-students-find-challenges-at-school-in-tijuana?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education

How Schools Are Like Uber, Trump U Settlement, And Other Education News Of The Week

A financial aid flap, DeVos on stage, and more.

source http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/01/521902888/how-schools-are-like-uber-trump-u-settlement-and-other-education-news-of-the-wee?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education