Education

U.S. Government Officials Play Hardball On Student Loan Defaults

6:34am May 09, 2017

by Bobby Allyn

The federal government is ramping up an experimental program in which they hire debt-collection law firms to sue borrowers who decades ago defaulted on student loans.

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Administrators at Penn State's main campus in State College, Pa., had already banned Beta Theta Pi after the hazing death of a pledge, which has resulted in involuntary manslaughter charges.

Penn State Student's Hazing Death Was No Accident, Grand Jury Says

7:29pm May 08, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Eight Beta Theta Pi fraternity members face charges of involuntary manslaughter over the death of a new pledge in February. For nearly 12 hours after Timothy Piazza fell, no one called an ambulance.

When You're Not Quite Sure If Your Teacher Is Human

9:54am May 08, 2017

by Tasnim Shamma

When this computer science professor became overwhelmed with the number of questions students were asking, he recruited artificial intelligence to help serve up some answers.

Education

Harvard Library Fines No More

7:48am May 06, 2017

by Scott Simon

Harvard announced this week that they will no longer charge 50 cents a day for overdue books. Harvard's Steven Beardsley told The Harvard Crimson that overdue book fines are stressing students.

Education

Fidget Spinners: Good Or Bad For Kids' Concentration?

7:48am May 06, 2017

Perhaps your children have begged you for a fidget spinner. Elementary and middle schoolers are mad for them, and teachers are having to decide whether to allow or ban them from classrooms.

President Trump speaks during a school choice event at the White House.

Health Care Bill Hits Special Ed; Trump Touts D.C. Vouchers Despite Poor Test Scores

6:01am May 06, 2017

Our weekly education roundup: A big investigation into sexual assault in K-12 schools; achievement gaps persist in high school graduation rates.

Gordon (left) teaches Telly how to control his jealousy with breathing exercises.

When Elmo And Big Bird Talk To Refugees

4:31pm May 05, 2017

by Elizabeth Blair

Sesame Workshop is creating educational programming for refugee children around the world. But first, it's doing a lot of homework to make sure the lessons it teaches are the right ones.

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Clearly the players weren't the problem on May 2, when the Orioles matched up against the Red Sox.

This Week In Race: Movies, Memoirs And Fans Who Didn't Hit It Out Of The Park

2:02pm May 05, 2017

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Sometimes, the arc of the moral universe does bend toward justice. Even if it takes time, as was the case in South Carolina involving a white police officer and an unarmed black man.

Actress Katherine Langford (left), who plays Hannah, a high school student who kills herself after enduring much bullying, and actress Alisha Boe (Jessica) sit in the counselor's office on 13 Reasons Why.

Facts About Teens, Suicide And '13 Reasons Why'

9:04am May 05, 2017

by Anya Kamenetz

As the Netflix series sparks a national discussion, new research shows 1 in 5 middle and high schoolers have thoughts of suicide, and offers suggestions for adults in fighting the problem.

Purdue University President Mitch Daniels

A Public University Acquires A Big For-Profit, And Raises Big Questions

4:37pm May 04, 2017

by Anya Kamenetz

Some 32,000 students from the for-profit Kaplan University will join Purdue University in Indiana as part of a deal announced recently.