Essential education reporting across America

College and career readiness

A young woman and educator embrace during a graduation ceremony, both wearing full graduation regalia.
From Chalkbeat Chicago College and career readiness
A free college class and $1,000 in cash: City Colleges’ Summer Start program gives students a head start
The community college system launched the program amid the pandemic to address “summer melt.”
By Mila Koumpilova
 
Two women and two men pose with a teen in a graduation cap and gown holding a diploma.
From Chalkbeat Chicago College and career readiness
They got their college degrees. Now they are graduating from high school.
Very few Chicago students are graduating from high school with associate degrees. The district wants to change that.
By Mila Koumpilova
 
A young woman welds a joint, sparks flying from her workstation.
From Chalkbeat Indiana College and career readiness
Indiana’s new flexible ‘scholarship accounts’ for career and technical education divide opinion
The new law — a priority for GOP lawmakers at the start of the 2023 legislative session — creates Career Scholarship Accounts to pay for internships and apprenticeships with local employers for students in grades 10-12.
By Christina Avery
 
A yellow school bus enters a parking light in the background behind a sign that reads “Fowler.”
From Chalkbeat Colorado College and career readiness
FAFSA changes might cut into college aid for students whose families own farms
The new FAFSA college aid application is expected to be rolled out this year. It might penalize families with small businesses and farms
By Jason Gonzales
 
The Colorado State Capitol against a blue sky.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
How education stood out in the Colorado legislature as an area of relative consensus and modest progress
Both sides agreed to some gun limits, universal mental health screening in schools, and free college for students in in-demand fields.
By Jason Gonzales and Erica Meltzer
 
A boy wearing a blue shirt sits working at a laptop under the shade of a tree. Others behind his sit at tables in the shade.
From Chalkbeat Colorado College and career readiness
Five takeaways from Colorado’s report on college-going trends
Colorado students enrolled in college at lower rates. They’re also going out of state at higher rates.
By Jason Gonzales
 
Colorado lawmakers stand together in front of a blue background and Colorado and United States flags.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Higher Education
How a new law will help incarcerated Coloradans reduce their sentence through a college education
Colorado Governor Jared Polis in April signed the bill enabling people to reduce prison sentences by earning a college education.
By Charlotte West
 
One student wearing black sits at a computer while another student stands over the computer wearing white and a black backpack.
From Chalkbeat Colorado College and career readiness
How to make sense of your college financial aid package
Financial aid letters are notoriously hard to understand.
By Lisa Philip
 
A Socrates statue in front of the Academy of Athens.
From Chalkbeat New York Student Voices Fellowship
I used to see college as just a prerequisite for med school. A philosophy course changed my mind.
Exposure to the humanities will make me a more open-minded and compassionate physician.
By Jasmine Harris
 
A close up of graduates wearing blue gowns and mortar boards with gold stoles.
From Chalkbeat New York College and career readiness
Timeline fast tracked for rethinking NY’s Regents exams and other diploma changes
A state-appointed commission will present its recommendations this November — moving up the timeline by at least a few months. The role of New York’s Regents exams remains a big question.
By Reema Amin
 
A student wearing goggles works on a piece of heavy machinery.
From Chalkbeat Detroit First Person
Career and technical education needs a mental health revolution
Our school-based occupational therapy labs teach job skills that take the whole student into account.
By Michele Morgan
 
The Flatirons behind a classroom building on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder Colorado.
From Chalkbeat Colorado College and career readiness
Colorado universities could soon admit more out-of-state students if they boost in-state aid
A bill would incentivize universities to enroll more in-state students who benefit from a Colorado merit aid program, in exchange for enrolling more out-of-state students who pay higher tuition.
By Jason Gonzales
 
woman speaks to people sitting at desks
From Chalkbeat Indiana Higher Education
To improve college scholarship program’s impact, Indiana might enroll students automatically
Legislation to auto-enroll eligible students in 21st Century Scholars would mean spending less time trying to enroll students and more time on their success, officials say.
By MJ Slaby
 
A student wearing blue scrubs pricks her own finger to draw blood for a glucose reading. Another student in scrubs watches.
From Chalkbeat New York College and career readiness
David Banks wants to expose more NYC students to careers before graduation. Here’s how.
NYC is beefing up career programs in education, technology, business, and health care. Officials are also offering hundreds of paid, three-year apprenticeships.
By Alex Zimmerman
 
A young man, wearing a grey sweatshirt and blue jeans, walks down a path toward campus, the Denver skyline looming in the background.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
Funding debate dashes hopes of creating a first generation-serving designation for Colorado colleges
Colorado lawmakers pulled the bill before it went to a vote on the House floor.
By Jason Gonzales
 
Colorado’s governor in a blue suit stands at a podium with a yellow sign surrounded by people.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
Free college, $1,500 scholarships proposed for some in-demand fields
Colorado leaders want to offer two years of free college to students entering teaching, nursing, firefighting, and other professions struggling to find enough workers.
By Jason Gonzales
 
A person holds a pen in her right hand while seated at a desk and puts her head in her left hand.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Student & School Performance
Colorado will switch to use computerized SAT, PSAT
The state previously used the paper-version of the PSAT and SAT to test student math and English skills.
By Jason Gonzales
 
A sign for a CUNY campus with NYC silver subway trains running above ground over it.
From Chalkbeat New York College and career readiness
To boost enrollment, CUNY temporarily waives application fee for NYC high school seniors
The move could boost enrollment at CUNY’s undergraduate schools and programs as college enrollment remains below pre-pandemic levels.
By Reema Amin
 
Colorado College’s Bernis Hall, a brick building with a front portico.
From Chalkbeat Colorado College and career readiness
Colorado College won’t participate in U.S. News & World Report rankings
Colorado College said the rankings go against the school’s values.
By Jason Gonzales
 
A man in a cap and gown hugs another man in a gray T-shirt and beanie in a room while three people look on. Everyone is wearing masks.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Presos de Colorado podrían ser liberados temprano si asisten a la universidad
Los datos muestran que los graduados tienen menos probabilidades de reincidir. Eso también significa menos costos para la sociedad.
By Jason Gonzales
 
Young people wearing graduation caps and gowns point fingers up in the air.
From Chalkbeat Chicago College and career readiness
Five City Colleges campuses join Achieving the Dream network to boost completion
The campuses will get help in strategizing to improve completion rates for students of color and low-income students.
By Mila Koumpilova
 
A girl in a shirt that says “Super” stands next to a woman with black hair wearing glasses and a gray sweater over her shoulders.
From Chalkbeat Philadelphia standardized testing
To meet new state graduation rules, a Philadelphia school holds students and staff accountable
Pennsylvania’s Act 158 requires students to meet one of five “pathways” in order to get their diploma.
By Dale Mezzacappa
 
Students wearing lab coats and safety equipment work in a college laboratory.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Pensó que la universidad estaba fuera de su alcance. Aquí te contamos cómo lo logró.
El costo no tiene por qué ser un obstáculo para obtener un diploma en ciencias o ingeniería. La Colorado School of Mines está haciendo más para ayudar a los estudiantes de pocos ingresos a alcanzar sus sueños.
By Jason Gonzales
 
A man in a cap and gown hugs another man in a gray T-shirt and beanie in a room while three people look on. Everyone is wearing masks.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Higher Education
Incarcerated Coloradans would get an early release by getting college educated
A Colorado bill seeks to help people in prison get a college education.
By Jason Gonzales
 
College students sit at round tables in a large room with windows.
From Chalkbeat Colorado College and career readiness
Colorado’s higher education strategic plan wants better pathways to jobs for students, more support
Colorado’s new strategic plan wants higher education to pave the way for students to get good jobs that earn them better wages.
By Jason Gonzales
 
Three men sit at a desk in a classroom.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
Digital literacy, high school diploma programs for adults who haven’t finished high school could get boost from two Colorado bills
Colorado bills would fund more adult education to produce more educated workers and train more people for hard-to-fill jobs.
By Jason Gonzales
 
A student uses a circular saw on a piece of wood during a construction project.
From Chalkbeat Indiana College and career readiness
Indiana plan to create student career scholarships draws questions about funding and flexibility
GOP lawmakers say their proposal would address employee shortages in local businesses.
By Aleksandra Appleton
 
Students wearing lab coats and safety equipment work in a college laboratory.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Higher Education
How Colorado School of Mines plans to attract more low-income students
In 2020, the most recent data available, just 13.4% of the Colorado School of Mines’ 2020 freshman class had Pell Grants.
By Jason Gonzales
 
A room with floor-to-ceiling windows and students scattered at tables and chairs
From Chalkbeat Colorado Higher Education
Colorado college and university leaders say state funding is falling behind despite recent increases
Colorado’s higher education leaders requested more money to help meet inflationary pressures and get students to graduation.
By Jason Gonzales
 
A close up of graduates wearing blue gowns and mortar boards with gold stoles.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Student & School Performance
Colorado graduation rate went up with class of 2022, but so did the dropout rate
School districts continue to see pandemic-era struggles ahead.
By Yesenia Robles
 
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