This program could skyrocket AP scores

Participating in a specific college readiness program could cause a massive increase in qualifying Advanced Placement (AP) scores for students.

Schools that complete the first year of the National Math and Science Initiative’s College Readiness Program see the number of qualifying Advanced Placement scores in math, science and English increase by an average of 67 percent, based on data from the College Board.

The increase at NMSI-supported schools is more than 10 times the average annual increase.…Read More

The 2 edtech fields with the most potential under Trump

The tumultuous early weeks of the Trump administration have produced plenty of headlines and controversy, but almost nothing on higher education. The nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, has only recently been confirmed, and given her background in K-12, higher education was not a major theme of her Senate hearing. The announcement of a task force to reform higher ed, to be led by Liberty University President, Jerry Falwell, Jr., gave little detail about its policy priorities or objectives but remains the young administration’s only substantive action on higher ed to date.

Why the Administration Matters

Ultimately, public policy is just one of many factors shaping the edtech environment; and, regardless of policy direction, any administration should provide consistency and stability for the institutions and investors that purchase our products and services.…Read More

This pathway helps students better prepare for college

A new “MicroMajor” program from the University of Texas at Austin will help high school students better prepare for the rigor of university life.

The TEXAS MicroMajor program has its roots in UT Austin’s work with school districts, educators and students across the state to bridge gaps between traditional high school courses and the expectations of colleges and universities.

TEXAS MicroMajors will feature courses developed or endorsed by UT Austin faculty members that help high school students prepare for specific programs of study and earn college credit. Students will receive advising and ongoing academic support through their high schools and from the university.…Read More

5 critical considerations for CBE and CBL implementation

As schools begin to invest in competency-based education (CBE) and higher ed institutions set up competency-based programs, two of the big questions often unanswered become “is their focus on education or on learning?” And “what’s the difference?”

Educators can argue that the characteristics of CBE call for increased attention to learning: clearly defined competencies, flexible time structures for competency mastery, and teacher and faculty roles for mentoring learners, to name a few.

But to what extent is academic culture, even in CBE programs, actually changing to be more learner-centric? How often are educational business decisions made with clear consideration of learners’ perspectives? Are academic credentials simply assumed to represent relevant learning, or do they actually document and verify competencies with evidence of learning? Are we meeting the needs of lifelong learners?…Read More

New CTE bill creates new routes to credentialing

U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced a bill to give more high school students the opportunity to take career and technical education college courses that can help prepare them for success in the 21st century.

The Workforce Advance Act will help strengthen and expand dual and concurrent enrollment and early college high school options as part of Perkins-supported career technical education (CTE) programs. Strong CTE programs can provide vital access to the knowledge and skills needed for job and career success.

“At a time when higher education is more important for success in the 21st century economy than ever before, we need to help create opportunities for students in high school to prepare for college and their future careers,” Bennet said. “Tens of thousands of kids in Colorado are already taking advantage of dual and concurrent enrollment opportunities, which has helped more of them enroll and do well in college. This bill will help improve career and technical education programs by expanding these opportunities across the country to allow even more students to benefit.”…Read More

7 new standards for excellent online learning leadership

As online learning evolves from amateur experimentation to a mainstream professional entity on campus, new standards for quality online learning leadership are emerging in order to not only sustain these distance programs, but ensure they meet the growing demands of 21st-century academe.

Key Points:

  • The University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) has released a report detailing seven hallmarks of excellence in online leadership.
  • These standards of excellence for online learning leadership are an attempt to articulate those features and principles that will create opportunities for students that “far exceed anything already achieved in higher education, take pedagogy to a new level, and demonstrate the capacity of universities to be an even more vital force in our society,” notes the report.
  • Hallmarks range from advocacy to entrepreneurial initiatives and much more.

(Next page: The 7 new standards for excellent online learning leadership)

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3 reasons why AI is education’s future

If you ask kids today why phrases like “hang up” the phone or “roll down” the window exist, chances are they’ll have no idea. Fast-forward to the near future and “search the web” may also cause a few head scratches.

“We’re evolving, but remain electronic ‘hunters and gatherers,’” explained Ralph Lucci, cofounder and user experience director at Behavior Design.

But that’s about to change thanks to today’s quickly emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology for practically every industry, including education. “The day will soon come when we’ll sardonically ask ourselves: ‘Remember when we had to visit a website and look around for what we needed?’ Now the data comes to us.”…Read More