October 10, 2014: Education News We're Reading This Week

Posted October 10, 2014 | By Cooke Foundation Staff

October 10, 2014—Here is what’s new in education news this week.

This Wall Street Journal article lashes back at the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) after new data shows that “on average, students in 2014 in every income bracket outscored students in a lower bracket on every section of the test.” The author reflects on the National Center for Fair & Open Testing calculations that show the massive influence wealth can play in a student’s test scores, and offers a bit of optimism for those who don’t fit into the affluent category.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has called for poor and minority students to receive equal access to educational resources across the country. School districts may be investigated, said Duncan, “that aren’t doing enough to ensure equal access on everything from high-quality facilities to Advanced Placement courses.”

Liz Willen shares her favorite tools for helping smooth out the college application process for parents and students. Topping her list is Tuition Tracker, a site that shows what a given student will pay for school based on income—a helpful customizable resource. Read more on The Hechinger Report.

The Foundation believes that the cost of not going to college is great, and many agree. Here is one example, from NPR, of a millennial whose decision to work full time instead of attending college has hindered her career advancement.

Participants in the Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery Consortium took a good look at how “the federal government can modernize its financial aid system to be more efficient.” Ed Trust writes about the result of that meeting, a paper detailing the group’s plan to help the nation’s low-income students in need of quality education.

Take a look at this U.S. Department of Education blog on loan forgiveness and other helpful federal programs for student borrowers.

While low-income students have consistently borrowed to pay for college over the years, Pew Research data shows that wealthier families are borrowing at staggeringly increasing rates. Inside Higher Ed shares more.

Transferring from community college to a four-year university is tough, as this New York Times article shows. Luckily there are ways to help, including our Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which opened this week for applications.

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholar Isa Adney published an article for The Huffington Post in September. Read a response from Community College Spotlight, which highlights Adney’s strongest arguments for the quality opportunities community colleges can provide.

This week The Georgia Bulletin posted an article on new Young Scholar Tommy Kim.

Read about the Foundation winning the College Advising Corp’s first-ever inaugural Investor Impact Award.