12/17/25: We're aware of a bug that is preventing some users from logging in. We'll post an update here when it's fixed.
Education
Alternative education fails some students
The Associated Press reviewed alternative education programs in West Virginia, finding that “some children removed from class for discipline problems receive as little as two hours of instruction a week because West Virginia has no time standards for alternative education.” More than 6,000 students throughout the state were enrolled in alternative programs during the last…
Read MoreStipend boosts school official’s pay
Rosalind Rossi of the Chicago Sun-Times, with assistance from Art Golub and Dave McKinney, used Illinois state records to find that “the highest-paid public school employee in the state last year was the No. 2 person — the man in charge of finance — at a one-school district in north suburban Lincolnshire.” James Hintz took…
Read MoreSchools fail to report all crime
An investigation by the Charlotte Observer has found that a lot more violent and threatening behavior takes place in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools than officials disclose in the state’s public report on crime. Observer reporters Lisa Hammersly Munn, Liz Chandler, Melissa Manware and Peter Smolowitz, along with database reporter Adam Bell, used school and police records and…
Read MoreMore students attending four-year colleges
Rich Cholodofsky of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports on findings that more of Pennsylvania’s graduating high school students are going to four-year colleges. “Within the past five school years, entering the work force, attending technical training or joining the military have fallen behind college as graduates’ first option after high school, according to a Tribune-Review…
Read MoreSexual harassment rarely reported on Oregon campuses
Alan Gustafson and Shawn Day of the Salem, Ore., Statesman Journal analyze Oregon University System’s handling of sexual harassment. They found that the system lacks “data on the extent to which sexual harassment is happening on Oregon campuses.” The university system also fails to inform students on the proper way to file a complaint.
Read MoreLarge endowments lead to heavy spending
Justin Pope of the Associated Press used federal data and other documents to show that “forty-seven U.S. colleges and universities now have endowments of $1 billion or more, compared to 17 a decade ago.” Along with rising endowments, many of these schools have also increased tuition: “Despite tripling its wealth over the last decade, the…
Read MoreFund-raising costs average at state college
Lynn Campbell, Erin Jordan and Madelaine Jerousek of The Des Moines Register analyzed fund-raising costs by state universities, finding that “foundations at ISU and the University of Iowa are about average in the amount they spend on salaries, travel and other overhead to raise money for their universities.” The two schools spend about 11 or…
Read MoreAthletic department purchased banned supplements
Danny Robbins of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram used the Texas Public Information Act to show that “the Texas A&M University and University of Texas at Austin athletic departments have routinely purchased tens of thousands of dollars worth of dietary supplements labeled as containing ingredients that make them impermissible for distribution to student-athletes under National Collegiate…
Read MoreTop schools not necessarily producing best scores
Mary B. Pasciak and Andrew Bailey of The Buffalo News analyzed fourth-grade standardized test scores from the area to find that “top performing schools – those that get the most from their students regardless of family income – often are the ones teaching students who have the least … These top schools didn’t necessarily have…
Read MoreHead Start execs spend lots on trips, gifts
Susan Vinella of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reviewed spending records from Ohio’s largest Head Start agency to find “executives and board members spending tens of thousands on meals, trips and gifts. Many of the expenses were paid with government money that the Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland receives for its annual budget, which…
Read More