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Race to the Top

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the federal grant program to states that encouraged education reform from 2010 to 2013
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Families & the Community From Our Research Center Households With Kids See Continued Educational Hurdles as Pandemic Drags On
Interactions with teachers, ed-tech access, and postsecondary plans remain sources of stress, monthly U.S. Census Bureau data shows.
Alex Harwin & Sterling C. Lloyd, September 1, 2021
5 min read
Special Education What Employers Can Teach Schools About Neurodiversity
The benefits of neurodiversity have gained traction in business, but college and career support for students with disabilities falls short.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 12, 2021
8 min read
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College & Workforce Readiness Fewer Students in Class of 2020 Went Straight to College
First-year college enrollment dropped steeply last year, a study finds, and the declines were sharpest among poorer students.
Dalia Faheid, April 6, 2021
6 min read
Rowers paddle along the Charles River past the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass. on March 7, 2017.
Rowers paddle along the Charles River past the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass.
Charles Krupa/AP
Law & Courts U.S. Supreme Court Is Asked to Take Up Harvard's Consideration of Race in Admissions
Lower courts rejected claims by Students for Fair Admissions that the Harvard policies discriminate against Asian-American applicants.
Mark Walsh, February 25, 2021
3 min read
Federal Betsy DeVos: My COVID-19 Competitive Grants Aren't Like Race to the Top at All
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos tells EdWeek opinion blogger Rick Hess her new competitive grants are "not even a little bit" like the Obama administration's Race to the Top program. Let's examine that claim.
Andrew Ujifusa, May 14, 2020
4 min read
Long Beach State is part of the 23-campus California State University system, where officials are pushing to raise freshman admissions standards by requiring an additional high school course in math, science, or "quantative reasoning." The proposal has brought strong pushback from some school districts and advocates who argue it will make access harder for black, Latino, and low-income students.
Long Beach State is part of the 23-campus California State University system, where officials are pushing to raise freshman admissions standards by requiring an additional high school course in math, science, or "quantative reasoning." The proposal has brought strong pushback from some school districts and advocates who argue it will make access harder for black, Latino, and low-income students.
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College & Workforce Readiness California State University Wants to Raise Admissions Standards. Will It Shut Out Black and Latino Students?
The nation’s largest public university is pushing to raise minimum standards for freshman admissions—a move that has galvanized opposition from advocates and some districts that argue it puts more roadblocks in the path of students who already struggle to meet current requirements.
Christina A. Samuels, November 19, 2019
8 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Does Higher Ed Really Pay Off? New Gates-Funded Commission Aims to Find Out
As the cost of college rises and students go deeper into debt, families are increasingly asking whether higher education is worth the cost. A new commission is tasked with helping to answer that question.
Catherine Gewertz, May 16, 2019
3 min read
Education Funding Report Roundup Early Childhood
Early-childhood-education programs increasingly use quality rating systems, but it's not clear how much the ratings are helping them to improve, finds an evaluation by the research firm Mathematica.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 7, 2019
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness 4 Things You Need to Know About 'Free College' Proposals
"Free college" proposals are multiplying like rabbits as Democratic presidential candidates jump on board with the idea. But these plans vary widely. And most don't make college "free."
Catherine Gewertz, May 1, 2019
3 min read
College & Workforce Readiness 140-Plus College Admissions Deans Pledge to Prioritize Service, Ethical Character
Deans of admission at more than 140 colleges and universities pledged to abide by principles designed to reduce "excessive achievement pressure" in admissions and promote ethical character among parents and students.
Catherine Gewertz, March 18, 2019
4 min read
College & Workforce Readiness National College Fraud Scheme Highlights Flaws in Admissions Process
Federal prosecutors charged 33 parents, along with two SAT/ACT administrators, an exam proctor, nine coaches and three organizers with involvement in a college admissions fraud scheme on Tuesday.
Sasha Jones, March 12, 2019
5 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Selective Colleges Report Gains Enrolling More Low-Income Students
A group of elite colleges and universities reports modest progress in enrolling more lower-income students.
Catherine Gewertz, December 19, 2018
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Guaranteed Admission Helps High-Achieving Low-Income Students Make Good College Match
Guaranteeing college admission to highly qualified students can have a big influence on whether low-income students pick an appropriately challenging college, a new study finds.
Catherine Gewertz, December 4, 2018
2 min read
College & Workforce Readiness College Advising Is in Short Supply in U.S. High Schools, Study Finds
Only a third of the country's public high schools have a counselor devoted to helping students get prepared for college, and the problem is even worse in high-poverty schools.
Catherine Gewertz, November 13, 2018
2 min read