SUNY's Educational Opportunity Program offers spots to low-income students who don't meet traditional admissions criteria, with extra support. Researchers note that SUNY's approach is promising but may have restrictive additional criteria, potentially locking out students who could benefit from a SUNY education. Experts such as Zachary Bleemer, an economics professor at Princeton University, suggest that the program may have modest effects on student enrollment and campus diversity.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2024/12/10/suny-admissions-promise-excludes-many-black-latino-kids-in-nyc/The RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) guidelines in higher education aim to provide access to higher education for individuals who have acquired skills through non-formal and informal learning methods. This includes creating flexible pathways for those with diverse educational backgrounds, promoting a culture of continuous learning, and fostering lifelong learning to equip individuals with the necessary skills to meet evolving career demands. The guidelines also seek to promote equity by acknowledging and valuing experiential learning, particularly for marginalized groups, and facilitating their transition into the formal sector. Additionally, they aim to enhance social inclusion, address industry needs, and improve job prospects by validating and certifying skills acquired through practical experience.
https://www.ndtv.com/education/ugc-releases-guidelines-on-recognition-of-prior-learning-in-higher-education-7215817#pfrom=home-ndtv_mainnavigationA recent report on student proficiency in Utah found that despite efforts to address chronic absenteeism, the average net percentage proficiency changes for pre- and post-pandemic school years remains below 2%. The report noted that poor attendance in the pandemic's aftermath may have contributed to this decline. In one school district, absenteeism rates nearly doubled, with a significant increase among English-language learners, from 19% in 2018 to 38% in 2023. Utah lawmakers have responded by passing a law requiring schools to implement evidence-based strategies to reduce student absenteeism. The report recommends that schools evaluate the effectiveness of their student intervention programs and provide targeted support to students who show signs of difficulty.
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2024/12/09/utah-education-legislative-audit-pandemic-absenteeism-committee-under-performing/The Estonian government has agreed to a new career model for teachers, which includes three tiers of minimum wages. The second tier is 10 percent higher than the base wage, while the third tier is 30 percent higher. The agreement was signed by several local governments and private schools, including the Estonian Christian Private Schools Association and the Tartu Catholic Education Center MTÜ. However, most local governments, such as Tallinn and Tartu, declined to sign due to insufficient funding from the central government. The government plans to allocate funds for implementing the career model in the state budget for 2026.
https://news.err.ee/1609546033/education-workers-and-local-governments-sign-education-agreementPrime Minister Jafar Hassan visited several education, youth, and social initiatives in Tafileh as part of his weekly tour of the Kingdom. He inspected a major maintenance project at the Kaab Bin Umair School, which included the installation of solar panels, air conditioning, and a water filtration system, among other improvements. Hassan emphasized the importance of maintaining upgraded facilities to ensure a supportive educational environment and commended staff for their dedication at the Community Development Centre in Ain Al Bayda. He also toured the Basira Charity, sports clubs, and schools, including the Al Jurf Secondary School for Boys and Girls, where he instructed the expansion of renovations and provision of resources to support student activities.
https://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/prime-minister-inspects-education-youth-social-initiatives-tafilehThe St. Louis area school district has implemented new initiatives to improve student attendance, including hiring attendance secretaries at high schools and forming "attendance care teams" made up of counselors, social workers, and staff to support families facing challenges. As a result, the district has seen significant gains in attendance among Black male students. However, despite these efforts, minority populations continue to experience disparities in attendance rates compared to their white peers. For example, only 58% of Black students attended school at least 90% of the time during the 2023-24 school year, while 70% of Hispanic students met this benchmark. Additionally, students from low-income families had an average attendance rate of 64%, indicating a need for continued support to address these disparities.
https://stltoday.com/news/local/education/attendance-up-since-pandemic-but-many-st-louis-area-kids-are-still-skipping-school/article_f6372f46-b28b-11ef-a5db-ebd32d9cdacc.htmlMoerdijat, the MPR deputy speaker, emphasized that efforts to provide education to students with special needs are in line with Indonesia's constitution. She noted that the government and other relevant parties must take these efforts seriously to ensure that all children can learn in a decent environment that meets their individual needs. The goal is to promote inclusive education, which is still varied across the country. To achieve this, Moerdijat stressed the need for thorough planning with stages that are understandable and implementable by stakeholders at various levels, including central, regional, and educational institutions.
https://en.antaranews.com/news/337255/mpr-calls-for-expediting-efforts-to-achieve-inclusive-education?utm_source=antaranews&utm_medium=desktop&utm_campaign=popular_rightThe Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) are two international assessments that track student achievement trends in mathematics, science, and reading. Conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), a global cooperative of research institutions and experts, these studies aim to provide insights into education systems worldwide.
https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/12/07/uae-students-lead-arab-world-in-science-and-mathsA recent report found that Denver Public Schools (DPS) saw a steeper decline in test scores for students from low-income families compared to the statewide average, with a 4 percentage point drop. Despite an overall increase in the number of students meeting expectations on state math and literacy tests, DPS has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. The report's author, Van Schoales, argues that reporting overall state test scores without considering demographic factors is misleading and irresponsible, suggesting that Denver should reinstate its former school rating system or create a new framework to better track student performance from low-income families.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2024/12/06/denver-students-from-low-income-families-test-scores-report/