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More young people are skipping college: Is that a crisis?
A good student at a good high school, Grayson Hart "believed college was the only route to a good job, stability and a happy life," until...
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 13, 20232 min read
0 comments


Apprenticeships on the rise
BMW’s Rising Scholars program lets 12th-graders launch a pre-apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing, including paid work and training,...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 24, 20231 min read
1 comment


Emotionally fragile college grads say they're not prepared for work
People who fell apart under pressure were "nervous in the service," my father used, a World War II veteran, used to say. There are a lot...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 16, 20231 min read
3 comments


Indiana students can earn career skills 'badges' in social skills, mindset, etc.
Students at Indiana's Yorktown High School can show they're employable by earning "soft skills" badges, reports Patrick O'Donnell on The...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 16, 20231 min read
5 comments


What parents worry about
Depression and anxiety are the top worries of parents, according to a Pew Research Center survey, report Rachel Minkin and Juliana...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 11, 20231 min read
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Down with the college-industrial complex
Young people believe they need a college degree to be considered for a "good job," writes Rick Hess, education policy director of the...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 6, 20232 min read
5 comments


How much math?
British students who pass a national math exam at 15 or 16 don't have to take any more math, unless they need higher-level math for...
Joanne Jacobs
Jan 19, 20232 min read
8 comments


Grandin: Educate the visual thinkers too
Our society and our schools aren't designed for "visual thinkers, which so many of us neurodivergent folks are," writes Temple Grandin, a...
Joanne Jacobs
Jan 14, 20231 min read
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Employer: Don't tell us where you went to college
Rick Singer was sentenced to 42 months in prison this week for helping wealthy parents bribe and scam their children's way into...
Joanne Jacobs
Jan 6, 20232 min read
9 comments


College is 'worth it' for those who want to learn -- which isn't everyone
Students' desire to learn is the key to college success, writes Jonathan Malesic, who teaches writing at the University of Texas at...
Joanne Jacobs
Jan 4, 20232 min read
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A diploma track for students who say 'no' to college
Indiana's state board of education is allowing districts to create diploma tracks for students who want to enter the workforce...
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 16, 20221 min read
7 comments


They earned a diploma, but they need help to succeed in jobs, college
How do you judge a high school's effectiveness? Graduation rates don't mean much: It's easy to raise the graduation rate by lowering...
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 16, 20222 min read
4 comments


Poverty is down, but can they fish?
Fewer people are living in poverty, but not because they're earning more, writes Jon Baron on The Hill. We're doing better at giving...
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 10, 20222 min read
6 comments


'Be all you can be' works for black soldiers
Enlisting in the Army raises earnings for blacks, writes Jeff Murray, citing a new study. Army Service in the All-Volunteer Era by West...
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 9, 20221 min read
3 comments


Paid jobs put teens on career paths
Career and technical education (CTE) programs are surging across the country, but most students don't end up in those careers. In...
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 9, 20222 min read
2 comments


Future jobs: Compete with robots or design them?
Throughout my newspaper career, I asked young people about their career goals. There was a time when the high achievers wanted to be...
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 27, 20222 min read
13 comments


Reinvent high school, but how?
Fordham's 2022 Wonkathon is looking for ideas on how to reinvent high school: What policy barriers get in the way? If we all agree that...
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 13, 20221 min read
20 comments


School choice is a winner
School choice advocates did well in the midterms, writes Mike McShane, national research director of EdChoice, in Forbes. Governors Ron...
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 9, 20221 min read
1 comment


What skills does a web developer need? What about a truck mechanic?
What does it take to be a web developer or a truck mechanic or a personal-care assistant? Texas State Technical College has built a free,...
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 12, 20221 min read
2 comments


Students don't know how well they're doing or what their choices will be
Most students are "in the dark about their own learning," according to Data Quality Campaign’s new national poll of high school students,...
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 12, 20221 min read
3 comments
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