Quick Hits (1.3.12)

What happens after high school? About two in five Connecticut high school graduates go on to earn a college degree or certificate within six years, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse. State officials requested and compiled the data, some of which was previously unavailable, to distribute to policymakers. Education Sector’s Amy Laitinen has previously emphasized the importance – and need – for the National Student Clearinghouse to better inform decision-making at all levels. (Connecticut Post)

Not leading by example. A high school coach and guidance counselor was suspended for two weeks after sending a disparaging email to the student body, blasting students for not showing more school pride during a recent basketball loss. He told one boy, who preferred to sit with his parents rather than the student cheering section, to “cut the umbilical cord and grow a pair.” He also called the opposing teams’ fans “mayonnaise sandwich eating, sister loving, trailer park dwelling clowns.” (Erie Times-News)

Plenty of attention on student loan debt lately. U.S. News and World Report released the top 10 schools that sent graduates off with the least amount of debt in 2010. The average amount of debt was $25,000, but students at these schools left with no more than $7,200 in debt, on average. Education Sector’s Kevin Carey, with former Analyst Erin Dillon, also looked at the total amount of money borrowed by the nation’s students and divided that by the number of degrees awarded to get what they call a “borrowing-to-credential” ratio for colleges and universities. See here for more about the top universities that are graduating students with the least amount of debt. (U.S. News and World Report)

Teachable moment. Perhaps the winners of the spelling bee should have been in charge of posting this congratulatory sign at their elementary school. (Huffington Post)