395. College Access and Success News

For today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj, you can read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸http://paper.li/rottenbornj
or

consult the Facebook page of

Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP) at

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394. College Access and Success News

Here are links to recent news on college access and success.

by

Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj ▸ http://paper.li/rottenbornj

2. Is it OK for Someone to Proofread Your College Application Essay? - College Admissions Q&As (http://t.co/YL8VAMpm) http://bit.ly/sXOnvK

3. Do colleges with test-optional admissions inflate ratings? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/admissions-101-do-colleges-with-test-optional-admissions-inflate-their-us-news-ratings/2011/12/20/gIQApEvD7O_blog.html?tid=sm_btn_tw - "A growing number of colleges do not require SAT or ACT tests. Does that help, hurt or do nothing for a school’s U.S. News ranking?"

4. The Hazards of Being a Stealth Applicant, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://www.thecollegesolution.com/the-hazards-of-being-a-stealth-applicant#.TvKffx58XNU.twitter via AddThis - "You could reduce your chances of getting accepted into college if you are a stealth applicant, who never contacts the university before you apply."

5. Tweet-like College Admission Essays Spark Debate: http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/tweet-like-college-admission-essays-spark-debate-5487866.html#.TvKf4o5Y2aY.twitter via ArticlesBase - "The new format integrated in the college admission essays that asks students to respond in as brief as a tweet, has triggered debates participated by students, parents and even school administrators."

6. Action teams tackle St. Paul achievement gap, recommend other big changes at SPPS Twin Cities Daily Planet http://bit.ly/swqoDm - "Slide is one of a series of recommendations from nine District Action Teams — see pdf at end of article for full PowerPoint presentation."

7. Will $60 Million For Early Learning Help Close The Achievement Gap? http://shar.es/WHwd2 - "Last week Washington state won a $60 million federal grant for early learning. We take a closer look with leading experts on early childhood education in Washington and other states. How will the state spend the money? Will it help close the achievement gap for low–income kids?"

8. Cost vs. benefit steers debate over future of integration aid http://t.co/wy2UiQMB http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/135974858.html

9. 'Financial Aid Offers in Florida' - http://EzineArticles.com/6762362 - "There are several financial-aid programs given to students. Each of the programs has different requirements and qualifications. Every university and college in the United States of America have scholarship offerings to students . . . ."

10. Autopsy: FAMU band member died within an hour of beatings, by Douglas Stanglin - http://usat.ly/tZJ8Ho via @USATODAY - "CNN reports that some band members have said Champion died after taking part in a rite of passage called "crossing Bus C." One member, who CNN says spoke on condition of anonymity, described the ordeal in which students "walk from the front of the bus to the back of the bus backward while the bus is full of other band members, and you get beaten until you get to the back."

11. Ohio State gets bowl ban, other penalties - Tribune Chronicle - Warren, OH: http://bit.ly/s53koq via AddThis - "The NCAA also issued a public reprimand and censure, put the Buckeyes on probation through Dec. 19, 2014, and reduced football scholarships from 85 to 82 through the 2014-15 academic year."

12. Study Links Winning Football and Declining Grades, by Mary Pilon: http://nyti.ms/tBcKoJ - “Our results support the concern that big-time sports are a threat to American higher education,” the paper’s authors — Jason M. Lindo, Isaac D. Swensen and Glen R. Waddell — wrote. They said their work was among the first to take a look at the “nonmonetary costs” of college sports."

393. College Access and Success News

Here are links to recent news on college access and success.
by
Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj ▸ http://paper.li/rottenbornj

2. Early Line on Early Admissions: http://nyti.ms/swWdAH - "High school seniors who applied to early admission programs can find an early tally providing some context for this year's process."

3. Colleges are watching applicants' online trails - http://kansascity.com/: http://bit.ly/u07ZEq via AddThis - Watch what you post!

4. New Report Analyzes Nation's Progress in Meeting College Graduation Goals: http://bit.ly/vitc5v via AddThis - "To help the nation achieve its educational goals, CollegeBoard.org recently issued a report to assess the current state of the nation's college graduates."

5. Low-income quota eyed for St. Paul schools http://t.co/wy2UiQMB http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/135900333.html

6. Malloy unveils education reform ideas for Conn. http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2011/12/20/malloy_unveils_education_reform_ideas_for_conn via @BostonDotCom - "Connecticut lawmakers will be asked next year to allow more state intervention in troubled school districts, more autonomy for high-achieving schools, changes in teacher evaluation methods. . . ."

7. Build School Systems on a Solid Foundation http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/12/20/15westervelt.h31.html?cmp=SOC-SHR-TW via @educationweek - "Early-childhood education must promote opportunities for needy children, Gerrit Westervelt and Cassie Schwerner say."

8. Essay: Washington college grant program favors vocational over liberal education Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/sCAoaQ via AddThis - "Last year, as Washington State faced a severe budget crisis, legislators embraced a novel way to fund student financial aid: a public-private partnership between the state and private corporations. Called the Opportunity Scholarship Fund, the fund attracts private donations and matches them. . . ."

9. The Envelope, Please: Eight High School Seniors Blog Their College Searches: http://nyti.ms/vIviRa - "Eight students from four high schools -- one each in Atlanta; New York City; Minnetonka, Minn.; and Long Beach, Calif. -- invite readers of The Choice along on their college searches, via a first-person series called "The Envelope, Please."

10. Some Early Applicants Will Wait a Little Longer: http://nyti.ms/uzzRXu - "For early applicants to the University of Michigan and Lehigh University, there is a bit more waiting for admissions decisions this year."

11. Sniffing Out Financial Aid Awards, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://www.thecollegesolution.com/sniffing-out-financial-aid-awards#.TvFQmxlaRZ0.twitter via AddThis - "Parents and teenagers should not apply to colleges and universities before getting a good idea how much scholarships or grants a school would provide."

12. Measuring the Generosity of Colleges, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://www.thecollegesolution.com/measuring-the-generosity-of-colleges#.TvFQ1pbxwus.twitter via AddThis

13. The Best Way to Study for Final Exams, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://www.thecollegesolution.com/the-best-way-to-study-for-final-exams#.TvFRNc6A2qU.twitter via AddThis - "Research from Purdue and Washington University suggests the best way to study for final exams for high school and college students."

392. College Access and Success News

Here are links to recent news on college access and success.

by

Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj ▸ http://paper.li/rottenbornj

2. Most bizarre essay questions - http://m.golocalprov.com/70548/show/7acfb5cb851c6ca4865138c70d1503a9/ - "According to the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), the importance that colleges place on student essays has been steadily increasing. While the Common Application provides standard essay prompts, individual colleges often ask additional essay and short answer questions . . . ."

3. College Early Admission Is Tougher Than Ever http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/19/college-early-admission-is-tougher-than-ever.html via @thedailybeast - "This year’s early admission applicants had it tougher than ever, reports Steve Cohen."

4. Startup raises $2.5M to put college admissions on Apple's iPad http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2011/12/19/college-admissions-ipad-app-raises-25m.html?ana=twt via @BBJNewsroom

5. Your College Advisor - End-of-the-year checklist for high school seniors - http://northjersey.com/ http://shar.es/Wmcjm

6. Teen musician, 17, graduates from UWM - JSOnline http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/teen-musician-17-graduates-from-uwm-ll3g3or-135835833.html - And a guitarist, at that!

7. Sample College Admissions Essays on a Fictional Character http://collegeapps.about.com/b/2011/12/18/new-sample-college-admissions-essay-on-a-fictional-character.htm?r=twitter - "Common Application Sample Essay - An essay for option #4 on a fictional character"

8. Achievement gap among Seattle black students Education News - The News Tribune http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/19/1951412/achievement-gap-among-seattle.html via @thenewstribune - "A new look at test scores by Seattle Public Schools shows American-born black students lag behind black immigrants in academic achievement."

9. The Poverty of School Reform -- In These Times: http://bit.ly/vWbuHR via AddThis

10. The Financial Aid That You Didn't Know Existed http://www.educationfact.com/blog/financial-aid-didnt-existed/ - "A blog post offering information regarding the some of the often-overlooked financial aid options to investigate"

391. College Access and Success News

Here are links to recent news on college access and success.
by
Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj ▸ http://paper.li/rottenbornj

2. 'Good-enough’ university http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/setting-our-sights-on-a-good-enough-college/2011/12/16/gIQAyCK8yO_story.html?tid=sm_btn_tw - "Help high schoolers keep perspective."

3. High seniors receive college scholarships Los Angeles Wave - Community News, Sports & Entertainment Lynwood Press http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/lynwood-press/Three-Firebaugh-High-seniors-receive-colege-scholarships-135757023.html -"LYNWOOD — Three seniors from Firebaugh High School here have been given full four-year scholarships through the QuestBridge National College Match program.QuestBridge is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with scholarship opportunities. . . ."

4. Reducing the black-white achievement gap by reducing black unemployment Economic Policy Institute http://shar.es/WnCTW

5. RT @fremonttribune It's time to starting gathering financial aid information http://bit.ly/tTu13Y - "If you or your child will be heading to college next fall, now is the time to prepare for applying for financial aid."

6. Toys wear out, gift of education lasts a lifetime - Chicago Sun-Times: http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/9482631-452/toys-wear-out-gift-of-education-lasts-a-lifetime.html#.Tu1e9TBpeN8.twitter via AddThis

7. Inconvenient Income Inequality: http://nyti.ms/uLWvcn - "Some recent surveys seem to suggest that many Americans are in denial about the seriousness of the gap between the rich and poor."

8. Florida A&M death puts focus on traditions – http://usatoday.com/ http://usat.ly/tTaX5N via @USATODAY

9. Half of U.S. schools fail federal standards – http://usatoday.com/ http://usat.ly/roQv42 via USATODAY

10. College prep: All I want for Christmas is acceptance http://t.co/2BUIIe1S http://shar.es/W1Yo4

11. Yale early admissions - http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/dec/17/early-admit-rate-increases-slightly/ - "Yale sent acceptance letters to 15.7 percent of its early action applicants for the class of 2016 on Thursday evening."

12. Lori Sturdevant: Achievement gap -- a disaster in slow motion http://t.co/wy2UiQMB http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/135762243.html

13. UC Berkeley Extends Financial Aid To Middle-Class Students Neon Tommy: http://www.neontommy.com/news/2011/12/uc-berkeley-extends-financial-aid-middle-class-students#.Tu5Vpi1z0Us.twitter via AddThis - "Robert Birgeneau, UC Berkeley chancellor, announced Wednesday that the Berkeley Middle Class Access Plan (Berkeley MCAP) is aimed at families with an annual gross income between $80,000 and $140,000."

14. College savings made simple [The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa]: http://t.co/uemxeGeW via @AddThis

15. College students face shorter Pell Grants - http://shar.es/W1d7p - "As Congress passes a 2012 budget, student loans will get pinched next fall. Changes to Pell Grant program would hit African-American students hard."

390. College Access and Success News

Here are links to recent news on college access and success.

by

Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj ▸ http://paper.li/rottenbornj

2. Charter schools: Wave of the future? by Steve Kastenbaum – Schools of Thought - http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/15/charter-schools-wave-of-the-future/ via CNN - "The Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University studied charter school performance in 16 states. Researchers concluded that 17% of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools. But 37% of charter schools performed at rates below their public school counterparts. The remaining 46% showed no significant difference. The Rand Corp., a nonprofit research foundation, looked at charter schools in eight states and found that, on average, charter schools as a whole aren't producing results that differ substantially from traditional public school systems. However, the study showed that students at charter high schools are between 7% and 15% more likely to graduate than their traditional public school counterparts."

3. eCheating: Students using high-tech tricks, by Greg Toppo – http://usat.ly/urySpd via @USATODAY - "Common Sense Media, a non-profit advocacy group, finds that more than 35% of teens ages 13 to 17 with cellphones have used the devices to cheat. More than half (52%) admit to some form of cheating involving the Internet, and many don't consider it a big deal. For instance, only 41% say storing notes on a cellphone to access during a test is a "serious offense." Nearly one in four (23%) don't think it's cheating at all."

4. You've Got Application Questions? We'll Have Answers, on Facebook, by Jacques Steinberg and Rebecca R. Ruiz: http://nyti.ms/vL2LEv - "We invite applicants who might be finishing their applications — or seeking to make sense of their early application news — to log on and draw on the expertise of these three counselors."

5. Budget compromise would preserve maximum Pell grant, NIH funding, by Libby A. Nelson Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/tsdSWi via AddThis - "The bill, HR 3671, draws from ideas put forward in Republican and Democratic spending plans earlier this year: it would preserve the maximum Pell Grant at $5,550, but change the program’s eligibility criteria, making as many as 100,000 of its 9 million recipients ineligible. The grants could be used for a total of 12 semesters, not 18, as in the past -- a change that would affect an estimated 62,000 beneficiaries and take effect July 1, 2012."

6. 9 States Win Race to Top Early Learning Grants, by Michele McNeil - http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2011/12/states_win_race_to_top_early_l.html via @educationweek - "Nine states will share $500 million in Race to the Top early learning grants, the U.S. Department of Education confirmed this morning. They are: California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Washington. They will get grants ranging from $50 million to $100 million, based on the state's student population. "Investing in early learning is one of the smartest things we can do," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said during the White House announcement of the winners this morning."

7. Ohio's Race to the Top: Early Learning Challenge Grant Application for Initial Funding - http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-earlylearningchallenge/applications/ohio.pdf -"Nearly 75% of high-needs children in Ohio enter school without the skills they need to succeed in kindergarten."

8. Outsourced city school tutoring program deeply flawed, report says, by Fern Shen Baltimore Brew http://bit.ly/oJZNNL - “This is a classic case of outsourcing a vital education program to private contractors without adequate public monitoring and regulation,” Jacobson told The Brew today. “Therefore, no one knows if tutored students are making academic improvement, even though the federal law states improving academic achievement as the program’s purpose.”

9. What research exposed about market-based ed reform in 2011, by Matthew Di Carlo - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/what-research-exposed-about-market-based-ed-reform-in-2011/2011/12/14/gIQAOJ3zwO_blog.html?tid=sm_btn_tw - "There were also several studies taking a look at the effects of the so-called “no excuses” model (most famously used by KIPP), which is generally characterized by an extended day/year, intensive tutoring, stepped-up recruitment and performance pay of teachers and administrators, strict discipline and data-informed instruction via interim assessments. Perhaps most notably, we received the first round of results on a pilot program in Houston, in which 20 regular public schools are being “converted” to the “no excuses” model. The preliminary results for the Houston intervention’s first year were, however, mixed. There were no discernible gains in reading, to go along with strong increases in math achievement, which seemed to be in no small part driven by the schools’ tutoring program (further discussion here)."

10. The 10 lowest college graduation rates in D.C., Md. and Va., by Daniel de Vise - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/college-inc/post/the-10-lowest-college-graduation-rates-in-dc-md-and-va/2011/12/13/gIQAnfSVsO_blog.html?tid=sm_btn_tw - “Show me a city with a high-school dropout factory and I will show you a college in the same city with an even lower graduation rate,” said Kevin Carey, an Education Sector researcher who has studied graduation rates at length. “Apparently there’s no number so low that it automatically triggers loss of accreditation. There’s no number so low that it causes state leaders to consider shutting an institution down.”

11. College Dropout Factories by Ben Miller and Phuong Ly Washington Monthlyhttp://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/feature/college_dropout_factories.php?page=all - "But the term “dropout factory” is also applicable to colleges. The Washington Monthly and Education Sector, an independent think tank, looked at the 15 percent of colleges and universities with the worst graduation records—about 200 schools in all—and found that the graduation rate at these schools is 26 percent. (See the table at left for a listing of the fifty colleges and universities with the worst graduation rates.) America’s “college dropout factories,” in other words, are twice as bad at graduating their students as the worst high schools are at graduating theirs."

389. College Access and Success News

Here are links to recent news on college access and success.
by
Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj ▸ http://paper.li/rottenbornj

2. Diploma Rates Far Short of Goal, Report Says, by Rebecca R. Ruiz: http://nyti.ms/tlKr21 - "From 2000 to 2009, the report noted, the percentage of adults with associate degrees or higher increased by just 3 percent. If that pace holds steady, by 2025 the United States will fall nine percentage points below the president’s goal, with 46 percent of adults holding college degrees. . . . The report also highlighted differences in completion rates by race, noting that while around 40 percent of all young Americans hold college degrees, nearly 70 percent of Asian-Americans do, compared with 49 percent of white young adults, 19 percent of Hispanic young adults and 29 percent of African-American young adults."

3. For-profits should get ahead of accountability push, experts say, by Paul Fain Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/rBPRxL via @AddThis - “They’re going to run you out of town anyway,” said Smith, who is senior vice president of academic strategies and development for Kaplan Higher Education. “Get in front and make it look like a parade.”

4. AYP Results for 2010-11 - http://www.cep-dc.org/ - "This report updates previous CEP research with data from the 2010-11 school year on the number of schools not making adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The estimated percentage of all U.S. schools not making AYP was 48% in 2011, an all-time high and an increase from 39% in 2010."

5. What Is College For? by Gary Gutting: http://nyti.ms/rGzWtl - "Most American college students are wrapping up yet another semester this week. For many of them, and their families, the past months or years in school have likely involved considerable time, commitment, effort and expense. Was it worth it?"

6. Our Universities: Why Are They Failing? by Anthony Grafton - http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/nov/24/our-universities-why-are-they-failing/?pagination=false - "Fewer than 70 percent of high school students graduate. Just over 70 percent of those graduates will enter some form of postsecondary education. But barely more than half of those who start BA programs will finish them in six years, and only 30 percent of those who start community college will win an associate degree in three years. After that point, most people don’t manage to graduate."

7. Education Secretary Overstated Failing Schools Under No Child Left Behind, Study Says, by Sam Dillon: http://nyti.ms/ugOmVJ - "Now a new study, scheduled for release on Thursday, says the administration’s numbers were wildly overstated. The study, by the Center on Education Policy, a Washington research group headed by a Democratic lawyer who endorses most of the administration’s education policies, says that 48 percent of the nation’s 100,000 public schools were labeled as failing under the law this year."

8. ‘Moneyball’ Meets Education, Part 2: Colleges Pool Data to Prevent Dropouts, by Marc Parry - http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/moneyball-meets-education-part-ii-colleges-pool-data-to-prevent-dropouts/34681 - "But what if you could perform that kind of predictive analysis based on student information and course records from many colleges, not just one? That’s the idea behind an ambitious project that is pooling more than 640,000 student records from six different institutions. Led by WCET, a group that promotes technology in higher education, the project aims to answer three main questions. What factors make some students drop out? What keeps others in college? What demographics make a difference?"

9. Boomers heading back to community colleges, by Matthew Daneman – http://usat.ly/vZMU22 via @USATODAY - "An increasing number of people ages 50 and up are headed to community college — 388,000 were enrolled nationwide in fall 2009, the most recent data available from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). That was up 6% from 2007 and more than 12% from 2005. Nationwide, people over the age of 50 typically make up between 5%-6% of community college enrollment, according to AACC figures."

10. George W. Bush Looks Forward After No Child Left Behind, by Andrew J. Rotherham - http://ti.me/sS7ErX via @TIMEIdeas - "The education debate about George W. Bush is loaded with irony. The same President who is attacked by the left for pushing through tax cuts that benefited the wealthy is being assailed by the right for education policies that focus on disadvantaged students allegedly at the expense of high-achieving ones. But Bush remains steadfast. He considers No Child Left Behind a piece of civil rights legislation, and while his party is running from his education record, some education leaders are starting to run toward his institute and its work."

11. Why strong afterschool programs matter to school reform, by Jodi Grant -http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/why-strong-afterschool-programs-matter/2011/12/14/gIQAvtUpuO_blog.html?tid=sm_btn_tw - "Afterschool programs have long known that they can embrace the hours between the time school closes and parents return from work to provide children, especially those who don’t have access to other activities, with exciting, engaging experiences that will help them learn academic, social and professional skills. The research is clear: children in quality afterschool programs are more likely to come to school and stay in school, more likely to hand in their work and get better grades."