College Planning

Technology Made Special Education Parents Better Advocates During the PandemicAs schools let out for summer, there are undoubtedly aspects of the past year that teachers and parents alike are ready to leave behind. But then there are the benefits that some are hoping stick around. Among them: better communication strategies and tools that make it easier for special education parents and teachers to interact. Those are lessons that should stay in place long after our current era of remote learning, says research analyst Lane McKittrick, who focuses on special education and families at the Center on Reinventing Public Education. She recently co-authored a report on how charter schools effectively supported students with disabilities during the pandemic and is blogging about the topic. “If yo...

Pennsylvania leaders fill federal gaps in sexual violence preventionThe year 2016 marked a dramatic shift in how federal education officials discussed and enforced polices to prevent and address sexual violence on college campuses and punish perpetrators. The Obama administration had spent about five years bringing attention to the pervasive sexual violence occurring on American campuses and threatening to sanction colleges that did not respond to reports of assault in a manner focused on protecting and believing victims. Those efforts were upended when Donald Trump was elected and appointed Betsy DeVos secretary of education. DeVos, whose views on campus sexual misconduct ran counter to the work of advocates for victims, quickly began to dismantle the policies of the Obama administration....

The 2021 college commencement speech for our timesThank you for inviting me back to Boston to be with you on this glorious day and in this spectacular setting. Fenway is a hallowed arena of achievement and joy and common purpose. Those are the very subjects I want to discuss today. But first things first. Deepest congratulations to all of the graduates on your achievements. As your achievements are recognized in this ceremony, you can look back with justifiable pride — because you have worked hard to reach this day. And you can look forward — with hopeful anticipation toward a fulfilling life. Congratulations as well to all the family and friends who are here, physically or in spirit, to celebrate with you. Throughout your years at Suffolk University, they have been by your side, supportin...

Amid Objections to Automated Proctoring, One Company Abandons the PracticeThe use of remote proctoring has surged as colleges shifted to remote instruction during the pandemic. But not everyone is on board with the practice. Many students and even some schools have pushed back against the practice, especially objecting to automated services that rely on algorithms that watch students via their webcam and look for suspicious patterns of behavior—sending clips of questionable moments to professors for later review. The problem, critics say, is that the systems often lead to false-positives, add stress to the test-taking process and invade privacy. Darker skin tones can prove especially tricky for algorithms. This week one large provider of proctoring services, ProctorU, took the unusual step...

7 Stress Management Tips To Deal With Academic Changes During Covid-19The new academic changes are taking their toll on students. Somehow “Your exam has been cancelled/postponed” has not brought the same degree of relief to students as it was supposed to. Sure, it’s all fun and games until the endless nights of hard work and sacrifices to excel in board exams become worthless. Deprived of classroom learning and co-curricular activities, students have been affected by Covid-19 in different ways from the past year. And the class of 2021 is on the threshold of missing out on another critical rite of passage – 10th and 12th board exams.  Although these closures are for their own good, it has left the students with an overwhelming sense of loss and a very alarming question – Now what? Read on t...

Your Guide To College Scholarships: What They Are And Where To Find ThemYour college applications are in and your acceptances will be arriving soon. But how are you going to pay for your dream college? College can be expensive, but scholarships can make a significant difference in defraying the cost. And contrary to popular belief, they aren’t only available to straight A students! Learn about different categories of scholarships and where to find them, then begin applying! Types of scholarships Academic Academic scholarships are the best known. They are based on your grades and special academic achievements, although they may also have requirements for certain extracurricular activities or community service. While many go to straight A students in AP courses, some are available for thos...

Why Every Student Should Learn A Foreign LanguageWhether you’re a freshman just starting high school, a junior looking forward to college applications, or a senior preparing for college courses, you should definitely consider working a foreign language into your schedule. Learning a foreign language has numerous benefits, from improving your learning and analytical skills to helping you get and succeed in future careers. Whether you opt to study Spanish, French, German, or Chinese, taking a language course is one of the best decisions you can make for your future. Learning a second language improves your education. Taking the time to become bilingual doesn’t just leave you able to speak another language. You’ll also develop study skills, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills. Stud...

12 Books Every High School Student Should Read Before CollegeRead these books before you start college to prepare to get the most from the experience! Both fiction and nonfiction books are on this list, but each will help you earn admission to and survive in college, whether it be by promoting your education, helping you to develop life skills, or giving you something to talk about in college interviews! To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee This is an American classic, and if you haven’t read it for a high school class, definitely read it for college. It’s an excellent book to use to study for the reading comprehension of the SAT, and once you’ve read it, you’ll understand so many more literary quips your college professors will make. It will also provide a little insight for your history c...

Can Universities Have a ‘Normal’ Fall If International Students Can’t Get to Campus?Though universities are hopeful that the vaccine rollout will return a sense of normalcy to the fall semester, a question remains about international students whose plans were curtailed by the pandemic. Will they make it to campus in time? Experts say that while students have been exempted from coronavirus-related travel restrictions, overseas U.S. consulate shutdowns and backlogs could leave them waiting for their visas until September. “Remember they’re not just processing visas for new students in the 2021-2022 academic year, but also our freshman class for last year. We’ve been told that once a consulate is up and fully operational, it’ll be several months before they work through the backlog,” says Sar...

What civics education should really look like— How do we navigate tensions between the powers and limits of federal, state, local and tribal governments to protect collective well-being, as well as the rights of people to assert their individual rights? This can include issues such as wearing a mask during a pandemic or requiring that children or adults be vaccinated. Published at Fri, 14 May 2021 10:00:52 +0000 Article source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/05/14/what-civics-education-should-really-look-like/

Alabama Lifts a Nearly Three-Decade Ban on Yoga in Public Schools For the first time in nearly three decades, Alabama will allow yoga to be taught in its public schools, but the ancient practice will be missing some of its hallmarks: Teachers will be barred from saying the traditional salutation “namaste” and using Sanskrit names for poses. Chanting is forbidden. And the sound of “om,” one of the most popular mantras associated with the practice, which combines breathing exercises and stretches, is a no-no. The changes follow the signing of a bill on Thursday by Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, overriding a 1993 ban on yoga instruction in public schools by the state’s Board of Education. Some conservative groups had called for the prohibition to be preserved, contending that the practice of y...

Bucknell Investigating ‘Horrific’ Harassment of L.G.B.T.Q. Students Officials at Bucknell University have ordered an investigation into what they described as a “horrific” episode of harassment targeting residents at a house for L.G.B.T.Q. students on its campus in Lewisburg, Pa., last week. In a letter to students, the university said a group of men “harassed and intimidated” residents of Fran’s House, an affinity house for L.G.B.T.Q. students, and tried to break into the building on Thursday night. In interviews, residents said they were terrified and traumatized by the episode. “It is clear from multiple accounts that the students violated the physical space and, far more importantly, the residents’ sense of place and security,” the university’s president, its provost and an associate ...