Posts published in January, 2011

College Vocational Certificates May Not Help Students In The Labor Market

Provided by Gay Clyburn at Carnegie Foundation

THE NEWEST COLLEGE CREDENTIAL
Short vocational programs leading to a certificate are becoming the kudzu of the educational world. In an economy that increasingly rewards specialization, more and more institutions – from the ones that advertise on late-night cable to the most elite of universities – are offering these programs, typically a package of five or six courses, for credit or not, taken over three to 18 months. Some cost a few thousand dollars, others tens of thousands. Are they worth the paper they’re printed on? Not always. The article was in Education Life in The New York Times.

Implementing K-12 Common Core Curriculum For College Readiness Will Take Years

Most states plan to revise professional development for teachers by next year to help them teach to the new common core standards, but it will take two or more years to complete anticipated changes in curriculum, assessment and other elements of the K-12 system to adapt to college ready goals, according to a Center on Education Policy survey. Common Core is designed to better link k-12 curriculum to college readiness, but this survey is another indicator of how long it will take. Forty states have adopted common core.

Early College In North Carolina Shows Promise

North Carolina has become an incubator of early college high schools, with one-third of the total in the country. A new one will be launched at N.C. State University. North Carolina has 71 early colleges with 15,000 students – more than any other state. Students in the schools have better attendance records, lower suspension rates and higher participation in college prep classes, according to early results from a study.  Early college allows high school students to enroll in college courses and programs. North Carolina makes sure community colleges are a major focus.

This Blogger Appointed To California State Board Of Education

Governor Jerry Brown appointed me to the Board yesterday. Here is the formal announcement:

Dr. Michael Kirst, of Stanford, has been appointed to the California State Board of Education.  He currently serves as a Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, where he has taught since 1969.   Previously, Kirst served on the California State Board of Education under Governor Brown from 1975 to 1982. Kirst also served as the Director of Program Planning for the U.S. Office of Education and was Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Manpower, Employment, and Poverty from 1967 to 1969.  Kirst is a Democrat