Education

Walter Leonard, Pioneer Of Affirmative Action At Harvard, Dies At 86

6:48pm December 17, 2015

NPR's Ari Shapiro and Harvard University President Emeritus Derek Bok remember Walter Leonard. Leonard helped pioneer affirmative action for Harvard University, a model that rippled across other colleges in the country. He died this week at the age of 86.

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Learning Soft Skills In Childhood Can Prevent Harder Problems Later

4:53pm December 17, 2015

by Lynne Shallcross

There's more to learn at school than reading and math. Teaching kids to control their emotions, solve problems and work well with others can help them succeed as teens and adults.

Low Pay, Long Commutes: The Plight Of The Adjunct Professor

10:47am December 17, 2015

by Eric Westervelt

Adjuncts teach most college courses in the U.S., but it's a job fraught with insecurity and low pay. One adjunct with a particularly tough commute is hoping to foster a community among his colleagues.

Education

School Arts Advocates Cheer New Education Measure

2:59pm December 16, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

The Every Student Succeeds Act favors a well-rounded education over high-stakes testing under No Child Left Behind. It specifically includes music and art as part of the definition of well-rounded.

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Threat That Led To LA School Cancellations 'Wasn't Credible'

1:15pm December 16, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Los Angeles public schools are reopening Wednesday morning, after a terrorist threat on Tuesday led to a controversial decision by administrators to close all of the district's roughly 1,000 schools.

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Politics In The Classroom: How Much Is Too Much?

11:04am December 16, 2015

by Steve Drummond

Two authors argue that teachers should embrace controversial issues to help students learn the political process. But, they say, context is key.

Fans of the Memphis Grizzlies, seen here celebrating with Jeff Green, made only 2.47 grammar mistakes for every 100 words according to a new study.

The Sports (And Teams) Whose Fans Made The Fewest Grammatical Mistakes In 2015

5:48pm December 15, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The most language errors came from fans of the Washington Redskins, whose 16.5 mistakes per 100 words widely surpassed every other franchise. Fans of NBA teams did well.

U.S. High School Graduation Rate Hits Record High

1:42pm December 15, 2015

by Anya Kamenetz

For the fourth straight year, the U.S. high school graduation rate has improved — reaching an all-time high of 82 percent in the 2013-2014 school year, the Department of Education announced Tuesday.

Coming To Texas: Special-Ed Cams To Protect Students From Their Own Teachers

11:02am December 15, 2015

by Ryan Schuette

A new state law will require cameras in special needs classrooms at parents' request. But the schools must pay for recording systems, and there's no way for other students in the room to opt out.

The PBS Kids version of ScratchJr features characters from PBS cartoon shows like Nature Cat.

A Kids' Coding Expert Says We're Making Computer Class Way Too Boring

10:06am December 11, 2015

by Anya Kamenetz

This week, thousands of events around the world are encouraging computer-coding literacy. "Coding is really about creative self-expression and storytelling," says Mitchel Resnick of MIT's Media Lab.