Spartan Echo

Duncan: Schools should disclose more

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged schools across the country on Wednesday, Aug. 25, to disclose more data on student achievement and teacher effectiveness, saying too much information that would help teachers and parents is being kept out of public view.

Colleges see prospective donors among new students

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - The drill for new college students remains pretty consistent: grab a campus map, buy some overpriced textbooks, save those quarters for laundry and don't forget to call home.

On a growing number of campuses, first-year students are hearing another message. Please give. Not for tuition, but instead as a young donor.

10 named 'Race to the Top' grant winners

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) - The U.S. Education Department said Tuesday, Aug. 24, that nine states and the District of Columbia will get money to reform schools in the second round of the $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" grant competition.

Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C., will receive grants, department spokesman Justin Hamilton said.

Lesbian cadet quits West Point, cites 'don't ask' policy

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) - A lesbian cadet asked to resign from the U.S. Military Academy because she said she can no longer lie about her sexuality and was troubled by the anti-gay attitudes of some around her.

Katherine Miller of Findlay, Ohio, also said she wants to fight for repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" law, a subject she was studying and writing about as a sociology major at West Point.

"I intend for my resignation to offer a concrete example of the consequences of a failed law and social policy," she wrote in her resignation letter on Monday, Aug. 16, referring to the law against gays serving openly in the military.

Student lender settles lawsuit for $55M

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Student lender Nelnet said Friday, Aug. 13, it agreed to pay $55 million to settle a whistle-blower lawsuit that accused the company and nine other lenders of defrauding the U.S. government out of $1 billion.

Muslim student group faces suspension

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A University of California, Irvine, disciplinary committee ruled that a Muslim student group should be suspended for at least a year because of a protest that disrupted a talk by Israel's ambassador and led to the arrest of 11 students, according to documents released June 14.

First lady recalls family's influence

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Her voice cracking and eyes filled with tears, first lady Michelle Obama remembered her parents' sacrifices for their two children and how they pushed for success as she urged high school graduates to claim their destiny.

Mrs. Obama addressed students, parents and faculty of The Academies at Anacostia at the school's graduation ceremony June 11 at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall, not far from the White House. She said she would not have been standing at the podium if her parents had not encouraged her and her brother, Craig Robinson, to dream big.

Job outlook brightens for grads--barely

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

This year's slightly better performance is one of many signs around the country that 2010 is a better year than 2009 for landing that first job out of college - but not by much.

Even graduates with sought-after degrees had less than sizzling prospects. Fewer than half of U.S. accounting majors could boast job offers this spring.

In 2007, about two-thirds of soon-to-be graduates reported having job offers in hand that spring. Just three years later, about 40 percent could say that.

Resume adviser helps would-be federal workers

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

With the economy inching out of the worst downturn in a generation, working for the feds has gained cachet as a source of stable employment in uncertain times. The government needs to fill 270,000 "mission-critical" - non-clerical, nonsupport - positions by 2012, an increase of 40 percent over the previous three years. And Kathryn Troutman of Crystal City, Va. is happy to guide them through Uncle Sam's bewildering application thicket.

Students stand in class ...for their health

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Researchers for years have studied the so-called "stand-up" desks with adults, who in some cases work at stations fitted over standard treadmills, but the data being collected from Idaho students could provide crucial information on how this works in the classroom.

Hispanic college success: It's all in the family

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Studies show that more Hispanic students are enrolling in college, but a disproportionate number drop out with debt instead of degrees. At the average college or university, 51 percent of Hispanic students earn a bachelor's degree in six years, compared to 59 percent of white students.

But researchers point out that institutions that serve similar students show wide disparities in graduation rates. Their argument: What colleges do matters.