Banning Legacy Admissions Now to Ensure a More Inclusive Future

By Biena Depeña As a first-generation college student and the first in my family to obtain a college degree and graduate degree, I had no idea how competitive the college process would actually be. As an immigrant, I was even more clueless about the behind-the-scenes deals many affluent parents orchestrate to ensure their privileged children

The Fair College Admissions Act: Selective Private Institution Impact Data

New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblywoman Latrice Walker introduced the Fair College Admissions Act on March 9, 2022. It seeks to eliminate use of the legacy preference and binding early decision in admissions at public and private New York colleges and universities. The sponsors argue both policies undermine diversity and opportunity in and

NY Legislators Take Aim at College Admissions Reform

By Michael Dannenberg & James Murphy Spurred by the work of Education Reform Now, a group of New York State legislators is proposing to push public and private colleges to end the legacy preference and binding early admission policies that disproportionately harm racial minority, working class, low-income, and first generation students. Below is our summary

ERN Q&A with National Parents Union’s Keri Rodrigues on States’ Plans for ARP Funds

ERN’s Nicholas Munyan-Penney sat down with National Parents Union President Keri Rodrigues to discuss Massachusetts’s ARP plan, her observations and concerns as a parent leader and advocate, and areas of opportunity. The following transcript has been edited for brevity. Education Reform Now: Our analysis gave Massachusetts, your home state, our highest rating for the contents

Affirmative Action for the Rich

Breaking News: The Supreme Court will hear a pair of cases that challenge the race-based affirmative action policies for admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. What does this mean for higher ed equity? Catch up with Michael Dannenberg’s op-ed from the New York Daily News, which ran on January 20. American colleges practicing

ERN Highlights: 2021 in Review

Strengthened Relationships to Push Education Equity We were pleased by the confirmation of US Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, and we have been proud to work with him—both in his previous role as Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education through our Connecticut chapter and post-appointment in his current office—to ensure equitable access to education and resources

ERN Assessments Bootcamps – Key Findings

By Charles Barone and Nicholas Munyan-Penney From July to September, ERN hosted a series of webinars that we dubbed “assessment bootcamps” that focused primarily on statewide, summative assessments and their role within the broader context of state and local assessment systems. This first session was designed to provide advocates and policymakers with a shared language

The Long View on Free College

By Michael Dannenberg The Biden free community college plan is out of the Build Back Better reconciliation plan, according to media reports. While we supported the Biden plan, there was always a better design option. A debt-free college promise that is: (1) extended to two and four-year public colleges; (2) targeted on deserving and needy

It’s Pelloween! America’s Most Horrifying Colleges When It Comes to Access for Low-Income Students

America’s Most Horrifying Colleges When It Comes to Access for Low-Income Students By James Murphy Halloween is right around the corner, so in the spirit of the season we wanted to highlight something really scary. Forget ghosts and goblins. If you want to see something really frightening, look at the share of freshmen with Pell

Congressional Action on the Biden College Completion Fund

By James Murphy The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress are proposing a paradigm shift in how the federal government supports Americans pursuing postsecondary degrees. In the past, federal support for students was aimed at increasing college access and affordability through individualized student grants and loans. The federal government did little, however, to address the