NPR Topics: Education
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/12/g-s1-15989/campus-protest-students-palestinian-israel-hamas-school-semester
A Scholarship of the Underserved to Inspire Equity
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
Dr. Tryan L. McMickens, associate professor at North Carolina Central University, focuses on inequities in higher education among marginalized students. His research explores racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities and the impact of campus environments on students, faculty, and administrators. McMickens also examines how historically white colleges prepare students to deal with social ills and oppression post-graduation. He pays special attention to the role of historically Black colleges in preparing students for success after higher education, with a focus on mental health among Black men. McMickens aims to explore racial and social justice issues in higher education and share findings to foster more inclusive learning environments.
Maryland-based online education giant files bankruptcy
Higher Education – The Washington Post
Online education firm 2U files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, plans to go private after debt and competition issues. Deal with lenders to cut debt by 50% to $459m, extend loan maturity, and provide $110m new capital. Bankruptcy proceedings expected to end by September. Company to continue services for students and colleges. 2U valued at $5bn in 2018, now $11.5m, lost money annually since going public. Bought edX for $800m in 2021, increasing debt. Criticized for revenue-sharing agreements and program quality. USC paid $40m to end partnership with 2U. Shares dropped 64% to $1.51 after bankruptcy announcement.
Native Son Propels Opportunities for Kentucky Students
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), advocates for equity in higher education. As the first African-American and native-born Kentuckian to hold the CPE presidency, Thompson has focused on improving outcomes for underrepresented minority (URM) students. Over the past decade, URM students have seen significant progress in retention, graduation, and persistence rates. Thompson has also worked to eliminate barriers such as non-credit remedial courses and has implemented wrap-around services to support student success. CPE’s efforts have resulted in increased funding for higher education and limited tuition increases. Thompson emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural competence in higher education for the benefit of students and the state.
McBride Appointed to Lead Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity at WashU
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
Dwight A. McBride, senior advisor and professor at Washington University, appointed executive director of Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity (CRE2). McBride, co-founder of James Baldwin Review and The New Black Studies, former president of The New School and provost at Emory University, brings extensive experience in advancing race, ethnicity, and equity scholarship.
Education Department Announces $1.2B in Approved Student Debt Relief
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
Biden-Harris administration approves $1.2 billion student loan relief for 35,000 public service workers under Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Relief marks another step in fixing broken student loan system, says U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel A. Cardona.
Title IX athletics rule delayed yet again
Higher Ed Dive – Latest News
US Education Department delays Title IX athletics rule, affecting transgender students’ team inclusion. Moved to “long-term action” without deadline. Rule’s release delayed multiple times due to high public feedback volume. Supreme Court ruling complicates rule’s path by limiting federal agencies’ powers. Student debt relief regulations expected in fall. December deadline for Title VI rule on racial discrimination. Draft regulations on distance education due in July, accreditation and state authorization in November.
PROOF POINTS: Asian American students lose more points in an AI essay grading study — but researchers don’t know why
The Hechinger Report
ChatGPT, a large language model, showed racial bias in grading essays, penalizing Asian American students more than other races, according to a study by ETS researchers. The AI model, trained on 300 billion words, reflected implicit biases in its source material. The study involved over 13,000 essays from students in grades 8 to 12. The AI model scored essays almost a point lower than human evaluators, with Asian Americans receiving an additional quarter point deduction. The researchers warned about potential racial bias when using AI in classrooms and advised caution and evaluation before presenting AI-generated scores to students.
Black Achievement, White Flight, and Brown’s Legacy
Education Next
Melnick’s book, The Crucible of Desegregation, discusses school desegregation in America but omits key topics in a recent article. It overlooks the failure of desegregation to raise Black and Hispanic achievement levels and the issue of white flight. Studies show no consistent effects of desegregation on Black students’ academic achievement. White flight undermines desegregation plans as it reduces white student presence. Courts’ failure to consider white flight is due to their undefined concept of school desegregation and tendency to follow precedent. Freedom of choice plans, allowing Black students to attend white schools, achieved greater interracial exposure than mandatory reassignment plans.
Common App Sets Goal to Increase Reach to Low-Income Students, Publishes Findings of Pilot Programs
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
Common App, a nonprofit offering an online tool for undergraduate applications, aims to increase usage among lower-income students. Despite reaching 1.4 million students in the 2022-23 application cycle, only 30% were from below-median income ZIP codes. To address this, Common App launched Next Chapter, aiming to get 650,000 more low- and middle-income students to use its platform by 2030. Initiatives include the Direct Admissions Program, admitting qualifying first-generation and low-income students conditionally, and a partnership with Scholarship America to match students with private scholarships. The organization also conducts research on first-generation students to better understand their needs.