The Education Sector

Updates, Analysis, and Commentary on Today's Education Issues

In the EduBlogs

Eduwonk Squared

Eduwonk has all your links on charters, Houston, RTT, and ESEA. Plus, where do you fit on his nifty choice/accountability 2x2?

Crunching Numbers

Budget, budget, who's got the scoop? We do. Our bloggers break down what the president's budget means for education and what to look out for in the weeks ahead. Also, will Pell avoid the budget freeze? We answer that question and touch on a number of other important issues.

This Week

The 411 on Cohort Default Rates

Each year, the federal government spends billions of dollars to provide grants and loans to college students. To ensure that these funds are not wasted, the federal government has developed an accountability metric known as the cohort default rate (CDR). CDRs, or the percentage of borrowers who default on their student loans within two years of graduating or dropping out, are calculated annually for every college and university that participates in the federal student aid program. While these rates have been used for years, the U.S. Department of Education recently released a new set of CDRs that provide better information about the longer-term borrowing prospects for students at individual schools. In a new presentation, Policy Analyst Ben Miller explains the ins and outs of cohort default rates and why the new rates have important implications for students, parents, and schools.

Cohort default rate data are an important measure for parents and students to know, Miller argues. "Parents and students can use CDR data to identify high-default schools. These data can also help prospective students anticipate their long-term repayment outcomes based on the experiences of previous borrowers and make more informed decisions about where to attend college."

Also From Education Sector

How I “Aced” College

"It has recently come to my attention that my college degree is something of a sham." So starts Policy Director Kevin Carey's latest column for The Chronicle of Higher Education, where he describes how he essentially looked for the easiest and fastest way to reach the 128 credits needed to graduate from his alma mater, Binghamton University. Looking back, he could have "worked harder," he says. But Carey also argues that the institution has a responsibility too. It "should aspire to be more than just a knowledge vending machine of courses to be chosen at semi-random with little in the way of guidance or forethought. It should look for opportunities to teach undergraduates more than its peers, not less..."

On a related note, Carey responds to some misgivings about this column on The Chronicle's Brainstorm Blog. It's also worth checking out.

Reaching Out to “Democracy's Next Generation”

In the latest edition of the National Civic Review (a member publication of the National Civic League), Communications Manager Kris Amundson co-authors an article about techniques legislators can use to connect with students—"Democracy's next generation"—on the Web. A former state legislator herself, Amundson describes the "Web dialogue" strategy she used to engage students in her district. The dialogue—an online town hall meeting combined with an extensive resource library—was scheduled over a few days, highlighting a new topic each day. At the end of the dialogue, students had a better understanding, and more of an appreciation, of how policymaking works. "Tomorrow's citizens need to understand how policy gets made and how they can shape that policy," argues Amundson. Schools are an integral part of that process and must find ways to give students this type of "realistic classroom instruction," she says.

Choice Ideas From the Big Apple

In an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, Margaret (Macke) Raymond, Education Sector board chair and director of Stanford's Center for Research on Education Outcomes, discusses the need for a greater focus on quality among California's growing charter-school sector. "Dramatic growth of both demand and supply intensifies the concerns about quality," she argues. And California's record "has been mixed." Cities like Los Angeles could learn from other cities like New York on how to raise charter performance, says Raymond, who recently produced a study on the Big Apple's charter sector. Among the elements that are instrumental in New York's success are: political will among district and city leaders, operational and infrastructure capacity, and high-quality oversight. "In New York City, charters are given every chance to succeed. But in the end, they must produce results in the form of student achievement or be cut off," Raymond says.

ES on 'Washington Journal'

Confused about the education reforms President Obama laid out in his State of the Union address? Don't be. Policy Director Kevin Carey recently appeared on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" to talk about the president's education plans including student loans, college prices, and ESEA reauthorization. He also responds to a number of viewer questions.

Where America Stands: On Education

Co-founder Andrew Rotherham recently appeared in a CBS News special on education, "Where America Stands." The report highlights some of the challenges facing American public education and reform efforts that are under way in many districts. Part of the problem, Rotherham says, is that the economy is changing, and American education ought to keep up. "We're operating with a public education system that served the 20th century well—when our economy was more industrial—but now the economy is changing, and so must education," argues Rotherham.

Upcoming Events

Mark Your Calendars! Race to Reauthorization Event Series

Race to the Top applications are in. Up next is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Join Education Sector this spring for an exciting series of events on "Race to Reauthorization." Our first event, College and Career Ready, which is co-sponsored with College Summit, will be held the morning of March 11 at the Conference Center of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Full details to come soon, but mark your calendars now!

Announcements

I.S.O. Summer Interns—Last Call!

We're seeking applications for summer interns. Interns are integral to Education Sector's policy, research, and communications teams. This review from a recent intern says it all:

"I'm really not exaggerating when I say that working at Education Sector was the best internship I've ever had. The internship is very substantive, and I've gotten to learn a lot about a variety of topics in the education policy world from doing research on the job."

So come on, spend your summer in Washington! Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply now!

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