Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
Today the Education Department released long-awaited details on a plan to hold colleges accountable for their performance on several key indicators, and officials said they’ll be seeking public comment on the proposals through February. (NPR)
The American higher education system has some of the finest institutions in the world and the diversity of institutional missions is key to its strength. While there will never be a way for a rating to capture the full spectrum of an institution’s contributions to an individual or society, the Department will develop a ratings system that will identify colleges that provide good value aligned with three key principles that President Obama articulated: access, affordability, and outcomes. (US Department of Education)
States that are implementing the Common Core State Standards and those going with their own college-and-career ready expectations are using the same strategies—and facing the same types of challenges, according to a Government Accountability Office report released last week. (Education Week)
New York
The four-year graduation rate for New York City students entering high school in 2010 reached 64.2 percent, a small uptick from 61.3 percent the previous school year, according to state figures released on Thursday. (WNYC)
The Department of Education agreed on Thursday to give more space to the city’s largest charter school network, Success Academy. The backroom deal came a day after Success founder Eva Moskowitz released a letter from anxious parents and just hours before she was scheduled to stage a press conference outside City Hall. (WNYC)