Education News: October 10, 2008

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending October 10, 2008.

Generation Y Convinces Many Universities Across the Nation Go Green
(Boston Globe, October 5th, 2008)  Every generation seems to have their crusade and for Generation Y, it seems to be environmentally friendly practices.  Schools all over America are going green in an effort to draw applicants, impress parents and attract donors.  Programs include cutting electricity use, converting buses to clean fuels, and composting food waste.  While activists are appeased by reduced carbon emissions, schools can celebrate lower energy costs.  Over 550 US schools have already signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment which signifies their aim to become carbon neutral. 

Rising Tuition Costs Raise Questions Regarding Where the Money Goes
(Boston Globe, October 5th, 2008)   With the mortgage crisis sucking up so much credit, much of the financial aid money that enables students to attend colleges with sky-rocketing tuition costs could be lost.  While colleges are doing all they can to help students raise the money they need, the idea of cutting back costs or lowering tuition hasn’t materialized.  Since 1984, average tuition costs have risen 375%, vastly outpacing the 175% increase in family income, while the percentage of many colleges’ budgets going towards instruction has actually been shrinking.  At the same time, the college premium, which represents the extra earnings associated with a college degree, has actually begun to erode.  Part of the blame can be attributed to parents who demand state of the art facilities and gourmet meals for their children.  Colleges claim they are just playing the rankings game and must focus on ways to attract applicants instead of trying to turn a profit or keep tuition down.

Proof of Latin Language’s Growing Popularity in NY Suburb
(New York Times, October 6th, 2008)  The Latin language may not be dead quite yet, as enrollment in Latin classes has increased steadily over the past decade.  Over the past decade, the number of students taking the National Latin Exam has risen from 101,000 to 134,000 and the number of students taking the AP test in Latin has more than doubled.  The biggest increases have been seen in more remote parts of the country such as New Mexico, Alaska and Vermont.  Adam D. Blistein, executive director of the American Philological Association at the University of Pennsylvania, attributes the growth to the facts that Latin can help build vocabulary skills for the SAT, demonstrate critical thinking skills to college and “foster true intellectual passion.”

Rhode Island Schools Now Required to Educate Annually About Dating Violence
(USA Today, October 6th, 2008)  A new Rhode Island law called the Lindsay Ann Burke Act, named for a girl who died as a result of an abusive relationship, requires all public middle and high schools to teach the dangers of dating violence each year to health classes.  The campaign was led by Lindsay’s parents who felt that schools should be the ones educating on the warning signs and dangers of dating violence.  Currently only one other state, Texas, mandates education on the subject, but the law is gaining traction across the nation.

Denver Study Shows Arts Instruction Improves Academic Performance
(Denver Post, October 7th, 2008)  A recently released study, funded by the Colorado Council of the Arts, suggests that schools that offer arts instruction tend to have higher scores on statewide exams on reading, writing and science, regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic status.  While the study did not find any correlation with math scores, schools with arts programs universally tended to have lower dropout rates.  The study gives ammunition to the arts in the ever present struggle with the core curriculum subjects for more attention and funding.

Penn State Offers Trading Cards of Top Faculty Members
(USA Today, October 8th, 2008)  The Penn State Alumni Association as paid to produce the 10-card set of the school’s top faculty.  The cards are not for sale, but are intended as giveaways at tail-gate parties hosted by School President Graham Spanier.  So far, about 3,000 packs have been printed.

Approval Pending for Chicago School for Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Teenagers
(Chicago Tribune, October 9th, 2008)  The Board of Education will vote on October 22nd, and are expected to approve the School for Social Justice Pride Campus to open in the fall of 2009.  A recommendation has already been given by Chicago Public Schools leaders.  Chicago plans to open its first public school geared towards gay and lesbian students who, studies show, are very often harassed and feel unsafe in school.  On the other side of the argument, however, is that the city should be working to foster acceptance, not segregating the students.