Cooke Chronicle: Jan. 13, 2017
Jan. 13, 2017 – Here’s our weekly roundup of education news you may have missed. The Trump administration’s transition was a popular topic, along with improvements to college access.
Elementary & Secondary Education:
- “Frontloading matters and interventions that follow in the vein of frontloading are the most likely to put a dent in excellence gaps,” write Jonathan Plucker and Scott J. Peters. They outline the six components of the model recommended in their recent book.
- First Lady Michelle Obama, who led college actions initiatives throughout her time in the White House, delivered her final official remarks this past Friday: “Young people, don’t be afraid. Be focused, be determined, be hopeful, be empowered.” Time has the full text of her speech. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. also shares his thoughts in an “exit interview” with Education Week.
- In preparation for Betsy DeVos’s confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Elizabeth Warren releases a list of questions for the Secretary of Education nominee. The Atlantic lists an additional five cabinet members who will influence education policy.
Higher Education:
- The National College Access Network (NCAN) recommends its Simplified FAFSA, after finding improvements in completion times, lower error rates, and greater usability.
- Temple University Professor of Higher Education Policy and Sociology Sara Goldrick-Rab says criticism about New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s free college proposal is “wrong” in The Washington Post.
- “Many high achievers from poor families don’t even consider elite schools. Scared off by the sticker price, they enroll at community colleges and less selective institutions instead,” writes David L. Kirp in The New York Times. His commentary describes Cooke Scholar Ben Castleman’s research on using text-messages for college advising and reminders.
Cooke Foundation Highlights:
- Executive Director Harold O. Levy and Dr. Susan Assouline, director of the Belin-Blank Center, write about the need for educational opportunities for rural students in The Des Moines Register.
- For Inside Higher Ed, our executive director describes how early admissions is a disadvantage to bright, low-income students who must wait on financial aid decisions and may receive less robust college advising.
- Nearly 3,000 community college students applied for our 2017 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Here are the semifinalists for this prestigious award.
Social Media Spotlight: