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‘I needed help’: Students spill the truth about college experiences
Community college student Jennifer Toledo says earning a four-year degree is exciting, but has had difficulty navigating the complicated higher education system after growing up in Mexico. Benjamin Gregory, a former community college student, managed to graduate with an associate degree and transfer to a four-year school despite the challenges of enrolling as an older...
By Joshua Bay | July 22, 2024
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Data reveals few community college transfers complete a bachelor’s degree
A recent report has revealed only 16 percent of community college transfers earn a four-year degree with Black, Latino and low-income students taking the brunt of the completion outcomes. The data, released by the Community College Research Center and the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, found about one-third of community college students transfer to a...
By Joshua Bay | May 23, 2024
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Survey: Many Gen Zers say school lacks ‘sense of purpose’ and isn’t ‘motivating’
Pursuing her passion for a career in medicine, California high schooler Ella Mayor found fulfillment working as a part-time pharmacy technician — tapping into skills she could never practice in school. Mayor, a 12th grade student at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley, said she is often just going through the motions in her...
By Joshua Bay | May 2, 2024
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Stress leading cause why Black and Latino students leave college
A new report has found Black and Latino students continue to be more likely than their white peers to leave postsecondary education even as college enrollment has slowly increased since the pandemic. The report from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation surveyed more than 14,000 respondents in the fall of 2023 — including about 6,000 enrolled...
By Joshua Bay | March 25, 2024
Studies: Pandemic Aid Lifted Scores, But Not Enough To Make Up for Lost Learning
‘Astonishing’ Absenteeism, Trauma Rates Root of Academic Crisis
Reinventing Report Cards: Reading, Writing, Collaboration and Other Work Skills
Older Immigrant Students Say High School Admission Bettered Their Lives in U.S.
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On-the-job training prevails as students’ disinterest in college grows
A new study has found more than 80 percent of high schoolers value on-the-job training over other postsecondary options, including a four-year degree — laying bare students’ interest in immediate employment and disdain for a college education. The study, commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, surveyed more than 1,700 high school juniors and seniors, with 83 percent saying...
By Joshua Bay | March 18, 2024
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Job focused community college programs grow — but grim transfer trend continues
A new report has found community college enrollment grew nationwide — but few students are transferring to four-year institutions as their interest in immediate employability rises. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found community colleges led overall undergraduate enrollment growth in the fall of 2023 by 2.6 percent, or 118,000 students, compared to the previous...
By Joshua Bay | March 13, 2024
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Gen Z’s declining college interest persists — even among middle schoolers
Consumed with pandemic-era grief, Gen Z’s apathy towards attending college has grown — even influencing students as young as middle schoolers. A new YPulse report found two in five Gen Z students agreed with the statement: “The pandemic has made me less interested in pursuing higher education.” Middle school students, generally 11 to 13 years old, not...
By Joshua Bay | September 5, 2023
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Fewer school meals: As California moved to approve universal access, data show 7% drop in school meals served at districts across U.S.
The number of students receiving school meals fell dramatically in the 2022-23 school year as federally funded pandemic meals expired, according to a new report from the Food Research and Action Center. Of the 91 large school districts surveyed, accounting for more than 6.5 million students, participation in school breakfast and lunch decreased by more...
By Joshua Bay | August 1, 2023
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Gen Z entrepreneurs tackle youth mental health crisis with music therapy
As the youth mental health crisis impacts schools nationwide, two Gen Z entrepreneurs created a new way for educators to understand students’ emotional needs — through the power of sound. SoundMind, a music therapy app created by founders Brian Femminella and Travis Chen, reduces students’ stress and anxiety through audio and visual beats tailored to...
By Joshua Bay | July 19, 2023
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College transfer enrollment plummeted another 7% last year; biggest drops for low-income, female & Asian students
As a Pakistani immigrant and first generation college student, Nabiha Sheikh completed her associate degree from Lone Star College in Texas unaware of how difficult her transfer to a four-year university would be. Sheikh experienced several hurdles, from losing community college credits to inconsistent academic advising, after transferring twice during the pandemic. “When COVID hit,...
By Joshua Bay | July 5, 2023