Endless Summer…of ESSA Implementation

By Marianne Lombardo   This is the 10th ESSA implementation update in a series. To see all posts on ESSA implementation, click here. To see our interactive 50-state ESSA implementation map, click here. National Early Learning. Democratic leaders Patty Murray (D-WA) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) sent a letter to Education Secretary King and Health and Human Services Secretary

Stop Burying Your Heads In the Sand, Colleges

By Mary Nguyen Barry Turns out it’s not only parents who are in denial about the quality of their children’s schools, but colleges – perhaps unsurprisingly – are too.     We recently detailed how perhaps the complacency that’s likely in part driving the Common Core opt-out movement directly hurts the pocketbooks of families who

For Higher Income Students, Money Can’t Buy College Readiness

By Anthony Howell  Plenty has been said about college-bound students leaving high school woefully underprepared for the content and rigor in college-level classes. Typically, these reports (e.g., see here and here) focus on low-income students’ experiences in remedial or developmental coursework – mandatory pre-college level courses that carry zero credit toward a college degree –

Hidden High School to College Remediation & Dropout Costs

By Mary Nguyen Barry and Michael Dannenberg   Check out a fast PowerPoint of our latest report on how half a million college freshmen from all income backgrounds – including middle class and wealthy backgrounds – attending all types of colleges pay an extra $1.5 billion a year out-of-pocket for content they should have learned in high

A Parent’s Heartbreak to See College Dreams Crushed

By Marianne Lombardo   There’s no heartbreak worse than seeing your child struggle. And when they struggle to make a successful college transition, it can impact the rest of their life. In my son’s case, the public K-12 schools and the college of his dreams got paid, but he got a pink slip.    

Out of Pocket: The High Cost of Inadequate High Schools and High School Student Achievement on College Affordability

  By Mary Nguyen Barry and Michael Dannenberg    Academic under-preparation at the high school level is seen across income groups and reflected in widespread remedial education at a broad cross-section of colleges.  It’s hurting students’ chances for success in college, costing families a sizable amount out of pocket, and making college a poor value proposition for

RELEASE: Americans Spending At Least $1.5 Billion in College Remediation Courses; Middle Class Pays the Most

  EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 12:01 a.m. EDT, April 6, 2016   For further information: Michael Vaughn, Director of Communications 303-921-9350 mvaughn@educationpost.org   Americans Spending At Least $1.5 Billion in College Remediation Courses; Middle Class Pays the Most Lack of Rigor in High Schools Adds to Cost of College   More than half a million college

DC Students and DC TAG Lack Meaningful College Options

By Mary Nguyen Barry Students and families in Washington, D.C. are stuck between a rock and a hard place. As in many cities, DC students face a number of education realities specific to an urban public school environment: segregated schools, inequitable facilities, and inequitable school resources. But unlike most students who successfully navigate the system

A College Fund for Every Union Family

By Michael Dannenberg Here’s an idea. Did you catch the New York Times article a few weeks ago about the union-founded and owned Amalgamated Bank that has carved out a niche as the financial institution of choice for left-leaning non-profits and Democratic campaign committees? Well, maybe Amalgamated should pursue a mutually beneficial deal with its

Education Reformers tell their “Story of Self, Story of Us, Story of Now”

By Marianne Lombardo As a proud parent and strong supporter of public charter schools, I’m very excited to be attending the 2015 National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Conference here in New Orleans. Here are some major personal highlights so far: “I saw ‘Stand and Deliver’ . . . I wanted to be Jaime Escalante,”