Friday News Roundup

Teacher Prep Programs See “Encouraging” Growth, New Federal Data Reveal (The 74)

It seems like enrollment in teacher education programs is on the rise. The 74 online reported that,

“…new federal data has given researchers some cause for optimism, suggesting efforts to make teaching more financially viable with strategies such as paying student teachers have helped to move the needle.”

“From 2018 to 2022, enrollment in teacher preparation programs grew 12% nationally, or by about 46,231 more candidates, according to a March report on Title II data from Pennsylvania State’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis.”

Now if those teacher preparation programs would spend more time on learner-centered strategies than teacher-focused courses we might have a chance at developing the right type of talent to lead a new learning system in this country.

Survey Finds Many Gen Zers Say School Lacks a “Sense of Purpose” and Isn’t “Motivating” (The 74)

The 74 online reported this week that,

“A new report from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation surveyed more than 1,000 Gen Z students between the ages of 12 to 18, finding that less than half enrolled in middle or high school felt motivated to go to school. About half said they do something interesting in school every day.”

Wow. If that data isn’t an indictment on our present public school system and a plea to invent a new system of learning, then I don’t know what is.

In Many Schools, Declines in Student Enrollment Are Here to Stay (The 74)

According to The 74 online this week,

“[The National Center for Education Statistics reported that]…public schools served 1.2 million fewer students in 2022-23 than they did in the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“The losses were widespread, with 37 states and two-thirds of school districts suffering a decline. California was the biggest loser in numeric terms, with 420,000 fewer public school students (a 6.7% decline), while Oregon suffered the biggest decline in percentage terms (9.4%).”

“The center is now projecting much lower enrollments for the rest of the decade.”

If the customer is choosing to go elsewhere, then you have to ask yourself this question:

How well are we meeting the needs of our customers?

Study: 40% of 2013 HS Grads Who Started on a Degree or Credential Didn’t Finish (The 74)

The 74 online reported this week that,

“A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics found that about 40% of high school graduates who enrolled in college or a certification program in 2013 hadn’t received a degree or credential eight years later.”

So what does that data point say about college and career readiness in this country? What it says to me is that the Pre-K to College or Career pipeline is struggling mightily in the U.S., and the prospects of it improving is not good.

Should Working With Families Be a Core Skill for Teachers? (EducationWeek)

No need to read the article because the answer to the titled question is:

Yes, working with families should be a core skill for adult learning leaders.

The question is when will our traditional K-12 system of education figure out the importance of this strategy?

To this point, they haven’t.

And that’s your Friday News Roundup for May 3^rd. I’ll be away until May 13^th. Until then. SVB