Education Trust News

Wouldn’t you hope that the standards for entry into the legal, medical, and accounting professions are rigorous? Wouldn’t you also want rigorous standards and a high bar for entering the teaching profession? It matters that educators know the content they teach, particularly in core subjects at the secondary level. Now, new analysis by Ed Week’s Steven Sawchuk ramps up concerns about our new teachers’ level of content knowledge.

New Budget Values Education, but is Unlikely to Pass

Higher education got a lot of attention in President Obama’s FY 2013 budget proposal, which was unveiled on Feb. 13. The proposal allots $69.8 billion for the Education Department, an increase of $1.7 billion, or 2.4 percent, over last year’s budget, making it the largest percent increase in non-security discretionary request in the proposed budget. It maintains a small scheduled increase to the maximum Pell Grant, which would hit $5,635 for the 2014-2015 school year, an increase of $85. If enacted, the proposal would keep the Stafford loan interest rates at 3.4 percent for one more year, rather than allowing them to double as scheduled in July. This could save middle-income students who don’t receive Pell Grants a lot of money. And that’s not all.

Coalition Counters Kline's Ed Bill

More than 40 organizations have joined in opposing the Student Success Act, introduced Thursday, Feb. 9, by Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee. The opponents range from civil rights groups to groups representing business, education reform, and disability rights. Although Kline insists that the bill doesn’t retreat from accountability, the coalition members all agree that the bill abandons accountability and, in doing so, undermines opportunity for millions of students.

Honoring the Impact of School Counselors

On the walls of school offices and halls across the country, fresh posters are heralding “National School Counseling Week” in hot pink letters. The Education Trust salutes the hard-working school counselors of America who, at their best, put our most vulnerable students on a path to success in college and career. As shown in our recent report, “Poised to Lead,” school counselors can play an indispensable role in preparing all students, especially those most often underserved, for a productive future. Take, for instance, the graduates of the school counseling program at DePaul University in Chicago.

Obama: Students Need Colleges They Can Afford

President Obama has called for curbing the growth of college costs for middle-class and low-income students. While most families struggle to keep up, low-income families, not surprisingly, are the hardest hit. Since Obama broached this issue in his recent State of the Union address, some details have emerged about his plans to make college more affordable. These include linking eligibility for the billions of federal dollars spent on campus-based aid to the schools’ ability to provide better value to students.

Obama Presses Colleges for More Affordability

During last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama highlighted the importance of restraining the growth of college costs for middle- and low-income students and families. Later that week, before a boisterous crowd at the University of Michigan, he took his college affordability pitch on the road and offered some details. Specifically, the president proposed linking eligibility for the billions of federal dollars spent on campus-based aid to the schools’ ability to provide better value to students.

College costs are spiraling out of control. While most families struggle to keep up, low-income families, not surprisingly, are the hardest hit. Currently, to send just one child to a four-year university for one academic year, low-income families must contribute an amount equivalent to 72 percent of their annual household income. In contrast, families with annual earnings of $100,000 are required to contribute only 21 percent.

Plugging a Leak in the College Pipeline

Every year, a phenomenon known as the “summer melt” washes away the higher education plans of thousands of would-be college students. It’s a tragic scenario in a competitive economy where a college degree matters more than ever. Research from Chicago schools suggests that the college plans of as many as 1 in 5 students who’ve already been accepted to colleges “melt” away during the dog days of summer before their college careers begin. A new study out of Rhode Island holds promise for freezing summer melt and keeping more of America’s youth on the path to a postsecondary diploma. It also underscores the key role of school counselors in readying students for college and beyond.

Senate Bill Aims to Protect Service Members from For-Profit Predators

A new Senate bill, introduced by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), seeks to eliminate the financial incentives that invite for-profit college companies to prey on active-duty service members and recently returned veterans. It is an encouraging development for both students and taxpayers.

New Reports Offer Guidance on Improving Teacher Quality

Strong teachers can boost student learning just as weak teachers can undermine it. And the impact that a strong or weak teacher can have on students who are behind, as many low-income students are, can make a huge difference in students’ long-term success.

Robust teacher evaluation systems are a useful tool for identifying teachers who need help, and Ed Week’s Steven Sawchuk highlighted two valuable resources this week for those charged with setting up these systems: Craig Jerald's paper for the Center for American Progress, and the Aspen Institute Education and Society Program’s paper by Rachel Curtis and Ross Weiner.

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