Shrinking the “word gap.” Officials in Providence, R.I., are using a $5 million grant to take on the “word gap,” or the difference in literacy seen in children from high- and low-income families. They will give recording devices to low-income children to record the words they hear, as well as coach parents on how to improve their child’s language exposure. (Boston Globe)

Penalizing parenContinue Reading »

Pressure’s on. About one-third of low-income, high-achieving high school graduates attend selective institutions, according to new research. (New York Times)

This doesn’t bode well. Less than 30 percent of professors who teach MOOCs believe that college credit should be tied to their courses. (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

An abandoned school. In 14 slides.  (Philly.com)

That’ll get someone’s attention. Texas lawmakers “zero out” funding for standardized exams in hopes of drawing attention to a bigger conversation about testing. (h/t Joy Resmovits) (KUT News)

Priorities. A new report finds that universities spent more on athletics per athlete than on academics per student from 2005-10. (Inside Higher Ed)

Promising trends. In 2000, 61 percent of blContinue Reading »

The Big Gap. Ninety-three percent of middle school students report that their goal is to attend college. However, only 44% enroll in college, and only 26% graduate with a college diploma within six years of enrolling. (National High School Center)

As if this election cycle weren’t enough evidence. Great story on why civics education matters. (American School Board Journal, h/t AlanContinue Reading »