Afternoon Announcements: America Holds Most College Degrees, but the Lead is Narrowing

New analysis on charter schools in Boston reveal that students tend to perform better on aptitude tests like the SAT, but the schools have higher than average high school dropout rates. Boston Globe

The Christina School District in Delaware has decided not to participate in the state’s Race to the Top plan. This follows in the wake of several other school districts in Ohio who considered dropping out of the state’s grant because the costs weren’t worth the federal grant money. Politics K-12

Georgia’s graduation rate increased from 67.4 percent for the class of 2011 to 69.7 percent for the class of 2012. The rate is calculated under the new federally mandated formula. Online Athens

Americans overall have more bachelor’s degrees than international rivals, but the gap is narrowing, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Education. The Hechinger Report Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: State Education Spending Per-Pupil Lowest in Three Decades

When Arne Duncan testified this week before the House Education and the Workforce Committee on the President’s 2014 fiscal year budget, he received numerous questions on student loan interest rates that are set to rise this summer, No Child Left Behind Waivers, and the Common Core State Standards. Politics K-12

New census report data shows how much states are spending per pupil on education. New York spends the most per-student, and Utah spends the lease. Overall, states are spending less per-pupil than they were in previous years. Stateline

The Wall Street Journal covers the new census bureau data on per-pupil spending, as well, today. They note that spending on public-education fell in 2011 for the first time in more than three decades. Wall Street Journal

Why is the GOP opposing the Common Core State standards? One opinion writer claims that the state-level rebuke of the standards is unfounded and challenges leaders to rethink their views. Washington Post Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Alaska, Hawaii, West Virginia Granted NCLB Waivers

Virginia students will take end of the year standardized tests on a computer this year. The state is abandoning paper-and-pencil tests. It’s one of few states to make the switch, primarily because of cost concerns to upgrade computers and internet access. Washington Post

A new assessment from the Education Testing Service (ETS) seeks to measure non-academic variables that may determine college readiness. These include social behaviors such as class attendance, engaging with professors and content, and making eye contact. Inside Higher Ed

Stephen Colbert’s commencement address at the University of Virginia has been circulating the web this week for good reason: it’s funny and inspirational. Colbert begins by joking he would have given the speech for free, but by the middle, he offers solid advice. YouTube

The U.S. Department of Education has offered three more states waivers from federal accountability standards under the No Child Left Behind Act. Alaska, Hawaii, and West Virginia are the latest additions, and bring the total number of states with approved waivers to 37. Politics K-12 Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Steve Job's Widow Focuses Philanthropy on Education, Conservation

Steve Job’s widow has stepped into the philanthropic spotlight after helping a student become the first person in her family to graduate from college. Laurene Powell Jobs has long supported causes in private, but since the death of her husband, she has gone public with donations to causes that include education. New York Times

President Obama’s commencement speech at Morehouse College inspired more than a few tears as he implored graduates to “keep setting an example.” He reminded the students the importance of being responsible family men and helping those less privileged. New York Times

Digital video has transformed classroom instruction in a way that no other technology has. It has inspired the “flipped classroom” movement and increased the breadth and depth of knowledge for teachers and students. Education Week

A California school district utilizes digital curriculum to English-language learners in their pursuit of mastery. They have found, however, that there is a lack of curriculum in this area. Education Week Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Microsoft Donates $1 Million to Expand Blended Learning in DC

For the Common Core to succeed, it must overcome seven challenges, one noted education writer posits. No matter what, he says, states should move toward better instruction and more learning. Eduwonk

Microsoft has donated $1 million to help DC schools integrate and expand blended learning programs. Blended learning refers to the combination of online learning and traditional classroom instruction. The donation will expand the Education Innovation Fellowship, a DC-based program that “exposes teachers to the latest thinking in the field and then encourages them to adapt those ideas into their own classrooms.” Washington Post

If high school students began going through college and career counseling in the 9th grade, would it make a difference in college enrollment rates? A new report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling shows it would make a big difference in students’ likelihood of enrolling in college. Education Week

Digital learning has been touted as a means of improving equity in education for all students. One group in particular that may benefit from it is students with learning disabilities. One program in California is seeing an increased number of these students participate in college courses through the use of digital technology. Homeroom Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: STEM Education Could Get $100 in Additional Funds

Ninety-two percent of elementary, middle, and high school students surveyed in a recent study believe that digital technology is the direction education is moving and believe increased access to it would make learning more enjoyable. The Student Mobile Device Survey was conducted for learning company Pearson by Harris Interactive. Information Week

Sequestration cuts will impact how many students take national tests in social studies for 2014. The National Assessment Governing Board voted to postpone the 4th and 12th grade tests in civics, history, and geography, but the assessments will continue for 8th graders. Politics K-12

According to research by the Pew Hispanic Center, 7 in 10 Latino high school graduates in the class of 2012 went to college. That’s a record college enrollment rate for Latinos. The group surpassed white and black students but still lagged behind Asian-Americans. NPR

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to put additional resources toward science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM) education. It could mean an additional $100 million annually for STEM. Politics K-12 Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: AFTPresident Randi Weingarten Says Teachers Need Time with Common Core

“Although the two of us have disagreed about several school-reform issues, we strongly believe that the Common Core State Standards, voluntarily adopted by 45 states, is one of the most promising education initiatives of the past half century.” A powerful opinion piece from two scholars. Wall Street Journal

American Federal of Teachers President Randi Weingarten explains how she would teach the Common Core. First, she reiterated that teachers are supportive of the new standards but they need time and practice to get it right before they should be evaluated on teaching them. State Impact

The Buena Vista School District in Michigan succumbed to budgetary restraints and closed their schools for the year, even though the academic year shouldn’t end until the middle of June. Students will attend “skills camp.” Huffington Post

More than half of college graduates surveyed in a recent study said they would choose a different major or “do things differently if they had to do it all over again.” The study, conducted by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. in conjunction with online student hub Chegg, involved more than 4,900 graduates. CNBC Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Common Core Standards Create a Level Playing Field

Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent a letter to Department of Education Staff with good news: there will be no furloughs due to sequestration cuts. He fears that furloughs would put delays on getting grants to school districts, states, and universities. Politics K-12

Student loan debt hurts more than the borrowers – it hurts the national economy. Students burdened with debt are spending less and delaying big purchases like homes and cars, slowing down growth, according to economists. New York Times

Claremont Middle School in Oakland, California has seen a significant reduction in suspensions – from 25 percent of students suspended to just 7 percent – in the last year. The success has been attributed to twin brothers who took over as co-principals last year. CBS News

Some Republicans have vocally opposed the Common Core State Standards as an intrusion on states rights. One scholar argues against this claim, saying the Standards create  a level playing field: “It is more important than ever that we create a level playing field to give students from all states equal opportunity to thrive in our technology-driven world in which formulas and equations play a crucial role.” Wall Street Journal Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: President Obama Visits New Tech School Known for Deeper Learning

Utah’s State School Board supports the Common Core State Standards and has asked the Governor, along with state lawmakers, to do the same. In a series of passed resolutions, they outlined their support of the new Standards. “There seems to be some confusion surrounding the Common Core so the intent was the help clarify some of the misconceptions about that,” said David Crandall, vice chairman of the State School Board. Deseret News

Yesterday, President Obama visited a New Tech school in Texas. The school is part of a network making a name for itself by incorporating innovative digital technology and deeper learning standards to improve student outcomes. “The workforce is demanding these skills,” Alliance president Bob Wise said of the approach New Tech schools take. Christian Science Monitor

High school graduation costs seem to rise with every passing year. In addition to purchasing ga cap and gown, parents are encouraged to spend money on senior photos, yearbooks, class rings, and proms, among other things. CNBC

New proposed legislation submitted this week in the House of Representatives aims to tie student loan interest rates to the 10-year Treasury note, plus 2.5 interest. The bill would half the interest rate hike that will go forward this summer on student loan interest rates if Congress and the administration don’t stop it. Politics K-12 Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: TEDTalks Education

Coursera, a well-known provider of massive open online courses (MOOCs), announced this week that they’ll be partnering with several publishers to provide some textbooks for free for student-use while taking the courses. The textbooks would be available on e-readers. Washington Post

A one-hour TED Talks Education program aired this week, bringing together teachers and education advocates who each delivered short, high-impact talks on the theme of teaching and learning. You can watch the program online. PBS

The Texas Senate approved a bill this week that will dramatically reduce the number of standardized tests that students need to take in order to graduate high school. The House passed a different version of the bill that also reduces the number of tests. The two bills will have to be reconciled. Huffington Post

Increasing numbers of cities and school districts are surveying their teachers to find out if they feel prepared to begin teaching to the Common Core State Standards. The newest is Sacramento; the results are broken down into school districts. Sacramento Bee Read Entire Post