April 15: Education News We're Reading This Week

Posted April 15, 2016 | By Cooke Foundation Staff

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April 15, 2016—Here’s our weekly roundup of education news you may have missed. Strategies for ensuring equality in opportunities for advanced learner programs, technology, and science fairs were shared for K-12. College decision hurdles and tips dominated the higher ed news cycle.

 

Elementary & Secondary Education:

  • In order to bridge the digital divide when assigning homework, educators must do their best to be aware of the devices and internet accessibility that students may or may not have access to. EdSurge shares five tips for teachers on creating thoughtful edtech plans.

  • Following the White House Science Fair, STAT discusses how science fairs can often be an “exercise in privilege” for students whose families are well-resourced. In the opinion piece, Society for Science & the Public (SSP) President Maya Ajmera discusses how the organization is working to address the equity issues and alumni of the Intel Science Talent Search share their own suggestions for STEM outreach to low-income students. (SSP is a grantee of the Cooke Foundation.)

  • According to NPR, Paradise Valley Unified School District in Arizona is one of the few districts that places high-achieving students who are also English language learners (ELLs) in advanced classes. Paradise Valley’s Dina Brulles describes strategies for identifying ELLs for these programs.

 

Higher Education:

  • The Chronicle of Higher Education (paywall) reports on a new study which finds that at selective institutions, “admissions officers who were female or minority-group members were more likely to look favorably upon applicants from low-income backgrounds.”

  • There are some standout public universities graduating low-income students. What are they doing differently? Advancing Diversity shares success strategies from California State University-Stanislaus, CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College, and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

  • Even when undocumented students excel academically and gain admissions to selective colleges, uncertainty surrounds their college choice due to ineligibility for many forms of financial aid. The Washington Post shares one high school senior’s determination despite the odds.

  • “Students with high levels of college knowledge may find themselves having few college opportunities simply because of where they live,” notes a Brookings article on addressing “education deserts” in regions of the United States.

  • The latest podcast from USACollegeChat includes helpful advice for parents of high-achieving students weighing their admissions offers. Considering the selectivity of the institution and planning for financial cost are discussed.

 

Cooke Foundation Highlights:

  • Cooke Young Scholar Timothy Im was an honored invitee at 2016 White House Science Fair.

  • Enabling school districts to comparison shop and learn from each other is the key to securing better edtech outcomes, writes Executive Director Harold O. Levy in Education Week.

  • West Newsmagazine outlines the three-step process that the Parkway School District will undergo with Equal Opportunity Schools as part of the Lead Higher initiative to increase underrepresented students in AP courses.

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