• 29 March 2024
The Roundup: Fall 2017 Education News

The Roundup: Fall 2017 Education News

Nov 16, 2017

The important news and interesting stories in education that you may have missed this fall.

With all of the activity fall brings, it's often considered one of the busiest times of the year for students, parents and educators. The world of education has been busy, too. Between policy, new research, and everything between, there's no shortage of news in education. In case you missed it, Clark's got you covered with the major details to catch up on. Check out Clark's fall 2017 roundup of the most important and interesting news in education.

Education Policy
  1. Teachers Union: GOP Tax Plan Puts 250,000 Jobs at Risk via U.S. News. The tax plan currently being debated could have a huge impact on the education system, and the National Education Association has expressed significant concern about potential loss of jobs.

  2. Senate HELP Democrats Continue to Sound Alarm on Weak ESSA Implementation via The 74. A look at where ESSA currently stands, the problems with accountability, and the issues that have led to the program becoming less bipartisan than initially anticipated.

  3. New Senate Tax Plan Doubles Teachers' Deduction for Buying Classroom Supplies via EdWeek. A new Senate proposal looks to reform taxes for teachers who make out-of-pocket purchases for the classroom. How much will this affect teachers if it moves forward? EdWeek outlines the details of the plan.

  4. How the Republicans' Tax Plan Threatens Higher Ed via Bloomberg. A look at the tax plan recently introduced Republican tax plan and the implications of increasing education taxes, removing student debt relief, and more.

  5. City Announces Plan to Diversity Lower Manhattan Schools via The New York Times. Although parents of elemenary students in New York City have been largely given freedom when it comes to choosing schools, diversity has not historically been seen throughout districts. The call to diversify schools in Manhattan is now being answered through a new city plan.

Research In Education
  1. One-Third of Girls With 4.0 GPAs Don’t Think They’re Smart — and Other Findings From National School Survey via The 74. A recent study of 11,000 female students across the nation suggests a lack of confidence and other negative findings. What does this mean for female students today and how can this problem be solved?

  2. Advocates call recess a crucial part of education via The Boston Globe. Recent research has indicated the importance of recess and how it contributes to social, emotional, and mental health along with academic performance. The Boston Globe examines the push for mandatory recess time and what is being done.

  3. When teachers are better at raising test scores, their students are less happy, study finds via Chalkbeat. Better test scores are a goal for most, but the teachers who actually show results in score improvement are often more strict and hold students to higher standards. Chalkbeat dives in to the recent study that examines student dislike of these teachers and what the findings imply.

  4. The Age of Automation Demands a New American School System, Study Declares via The 74. Artificial intelligence is imminent in the classroom. As more and more aspects of learning continue to become automated, it has become increasingly clear that changes need to be made to accomodate this shift within the education system.

  5. Small 'Nudges' Can Push Students in the Right Direction via EdWeek. Research has shown that forcing students to make changes is largely ineffective at any age. A new study looks to the effectiveness of 'nudging' students in the right direction and how it may be the answer to getting students back on track.

General Education News
  1. Reinventing America’s Schools: 9 Inspiring Case Studies of Cities and Educators Rethinking Classrooms for the 21st Century via The 74. A special report by The 74 details groundbreaking case studies illustrating new initiatives and innovative processes happening in education throughout the country.

  2. Why Parents Make Flawed Choices About Their Kids’ Schooling via The Atlantic. Parents have to make decisions around their child's schooling that can be daunting. How can parents be assured that they are making the right choices when so much of the available information is convoluted or misrepresentative of the full story?

  3. Anxiety Is Taking A Toll On Teens, Their Families And Schools via MindShift. The prevalence of anxiety in teens is growing rapidly. MindShift examines this trend to find out why it's happening, how it's affecting students and what can be done to help.

  4. Billionaire Bill Gates announces a $1.7 billion investment in U.S. schools via The Washington Post. Bill Gates has historically been a significant contributor to education, and now he's announced an enormous new contribution to U.S. public schools. Get a detailed look on how past investments have been implemented and what this new donation could potentially bring.

  5. Getting The Most Out Of Pre-K, ‘The Most Important’ Year In School via NPR. An in-depth interview with The Most Important Year author Suzanne Bouffard, examining what makes Pre-K essential for later education and the crucial factors that shape the youngest students.

Higher Education News
  1. The Push For College Endowment Reform via The Atlantic. The sources of funds placed in college endowments have recently come under attack, with critics pointing out the issues with tax implications, among other things. A bipartisan effort has formed to examine and correct the issues within the system.

  2. Return of the College Scorecard via Inside Higher Ed. The Board of Education has announced a new tool for prospective college students that allows for easy comparisons of institutional data. Inside Higher Ed outlines the project’s benefits and the aspects that some find worrisome.

  3. College students today value education less and money more: study via US News. Today’s college students are much more motivated by income than those in previous years. Researchers are now looking at the underlying reasons for this generation’s placement of value on money above other factors.

  4. What Colleges Want in an Applicant (Everything) Via The New York Times. The college admissions process has often come under fire for being largely unfair, with a lack of definition for what "merit" truly means. The New York Times examines the components of the process and offers insight on what could tip the scale.

  5. Where the STEM Jobs Are (and Where they Aren't via The New York Times. An enormous emphasis has been placed on the importance of STEM fields and the increasing number of jobs in the market. Experts look at the current job market and what it means for those majoring in STEM subjects upon graduation.


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