Quick Hits (4.18.12)

NCLB waivers lack specifics on ELT. Expanded learning time is often listed as a possible reform strategy among the applications from the 11 first-round states granted waivers last fall to the federal No Child Left Behind law. However, a new report shows that very few, if any, states fully articulate their plans to use the extended time wisely. As Education Sector’s Elena Silva recently pointed out, extended learning time can be beneficial in academic turnaround efforts when implemented thoughtfully and deliberately, and not like a magic wand. (Center for American Progress)

Newsflash: College tuition is not what it was 40 years ago, or even 10. U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., told a radio show that she has “very little tolerance” for students who graduate with student loan debt “because there’s no reason for that.” She said she was able to graduate (in 1968) without any debt. (Huffington Post)

If you can’t reach it, lower it. Los Angeles Unified School District officials want to dial-back their graduation requirements, allowing students to earn a diploma with 25 percent fewer credits and D grades, in an attempt to avoid “a massive dropout rate in four years.” (Los Angeles Times)

Staking a claim in the education arena. The Fordham Institute will host a panel discussion tomorrow on digital learning and its role in the future of education. Panelists include Education Sector’s Interim CEO John Chubb, and the discussion begins at 9 a.m. (Thomas B. Fordham Institute)