Washington & Lee: A National Disgrace

By James Murphy On March 23, several hundred students at Washington and Lee University in Virginia walked out of class to protest the Board of Trustees’ decision to delay deciding whether to drop Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s name from the institution, almost a year after a faculty vote to do so. Tahri Phillips, Class

Words and Deeds: James Madison University

By Katlyn Riggins There’s quite the gap between words and deeds at James Madison University (JMU) when it comes to matters of racial equity and social justice.  For context though, know that James Madison is a public research university situated in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It enrolls just over 21,000 undergraduates and

Shame on the University of Richmond

By: Katlyn Riggins The University of Richmond seems more concerned with creating an inclusive history than an inclusive present. Last week, the University of Richmond was in the news over two campus buildings named for a slave owner and long-time segregationist. Instead of removing the names, as James Madison University recently did, Richmond added the

De Facto Segregation in Virginia Higher Ed

By Michael Dannenberg A new issue brief by Education Reform Now highlights the extent to which Virginia’s leading public and private colleges are choosing to under enroll students from working class, low-income, and racial minority backgrounds. Of the 15 worst public colleges and universities in America on working class and low-income student enrollment, one-third are

Pandemic Pods for All: Utilizing COVID Relief Funds for High-Dosage Tutoring

  On March 23, ERN hosted “Pandemic Pods for All: Utilizing COVID Relief Funds for High-Dosage Tutoring” a panel discussion focused on how funds from the American Rescue Plan Act can be used to implement HDT programs to combat learning loss and accelerate student learning.  HDT Research  Carly Robinson, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University’s

The ASPIRE ACT: What You Need to Know

ASPIRE ACT SUMMARY SPONSORED BY SENATORS COONS (D-DE) & ROSEN (D-NV) Summary in Brief The ASPIRE bill: (1) provides some $8 million over five years to each voluntarily participating, under resourced nonprofit or public college producing very low completion rates, and (2) incentivizes wealthy colleges that are not enrolling their fair share of low-income students

Why Local Tests Should Not be Used in Lieu of Annual Statewide Assessments – This Year, or Any Year

Why Local Tests Should Not be Used in Lieu of Annual Statewide Assessments – This Year, or Any Year By Charles Barone Last Monday, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it would not issue blanket waivers for statewide, annual assessments for the 2020-21 school year. Instead, the Department will offer states some degree

In Reopening Debate, We Must Not Forget Black and Brown Students

By Nicholas Munyan-Penney As conversations about reopening schools continue, we must not forget to prioritize the needs of those who most heavily bear the burden of the myriad issues exacerbated by COVID: our historically underserved Black and Brown students. Calls for reopening schools have focused on reengaging students who have been absent during remote learning—disproportionately

Rich Schools, Poor Recruiters

By James Murphy The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) has released its 2020 report on university endowments, identifying the wealthiest universities and colleges in the nation. If only that list intersected more with the universities that enroll large numbers and proportions of low-income students.  In 2019-20, approximately 31% of all undergraduates

Size Matters in More Ways Than One

By James Murphy For all their problems, college rankings have the power to shine a light on institutions that are doing good for students and the nation as a whole and to expose those that help drive income inequality and social division. In 2005, Washington Monthly magazine began ranking colleges “based on what they do