The Overhyped College Dropout ‘Scandal’
About 40 percent of Americans who enroll in college drop out before earning a certificate or degree. A high percentage of those who drop out are from poor families; they…
Posts tagged with
“standardized tests”
Is Early College Paying Off?
“Early college” is an increasingly popular program that allows students to earn college credit in high school. Among the advantages it offers to high school students is the ability to…
It’s Time to Abolish Letters of Recommendation
Every year, professors around the world write millions of letters of recommendation. They write letters for admission to graduate schools, law schools, and medical schools. They write letters for tenure…
Can Americans ‘Handle the Truth’ About Individual Achievement Differences?
In the 1992 movie A Few Good Men, there is a courtroom scene where the prosecuting attorney (played by Tom Cruise) tells the defendant Marine officer Nathan Jessup (played by…
Keeping Journalists in the Dark: ‘Citation Cartels’ Limit Public Knowledge
The public relies on journalists to learn about and share academic research. Public knowledge can be undermined, however, when academics try to influence what research journalists cover or limit the…
Preparing Students for Life Beyond High School
Few factors affect the long-term direction of students’ lives more than the quality of their K-12 education. For students who decide to attend a four-year university, their ability to keep…
Fixing a Liberal Arts Education Requires a Standardized Curriculum
In higher education, the value of a liberal arts education has been frequently debated. Defenders on the left argue that it exposes students to coursework and teaches critical thinking skills…
Be Wary of This Test
There is a notable new testing effort afoot. It’s called Imbellus, an assessment project that has raised millions in investment capital and whose founder Rebecca Kantar recently earned a gushing…
A Unique Opportunity for Athletics Reform
Many colleges are setting up their student-athletes for failure. Whether one looks to the long-term neurological health risks that young athletes are subject to, or the myriad cases of academic…
The Evidence for Standardized Tests Already Exists
Making college admissions “test-optional” has been steadily gaining steam among elite and liberal arts American colleges. In late September, Colby College and Rosemont College joined the hundreds of other institutions…