Hi I’m Julie Larsen and this is the BreakDrink daily dose for Friday, October 21st, 2011.
NYU Leaves National Merit Scholarship Program
NYU follows the like of Harvard, Yale, and UT Austin in it’s decision to stop supporting the National Merit program. Based off the PSAT scores of high school juniors, the National Merit program awarded more than $50 million in aid during the 2009-2010 academic year. Along with member schools contributing funds to the program, larger corporations such as Boeing and Pfizer also contribute funds.
Critics of the program believe that using the results from a single standardized test to determine such large financial aid awards is not good practice. They also cite lack of transparency from the National Merit program, who does not release statistics on the ethnicity nor financial need of those students receiving the awards. Many critics believe the awards are primarily received by those students who come from affluent backgrounds who have access to test prep services, along with other academic resources.
A statement from NYU Assistant Vice President of Admission said that they “do not feel that enrolling a larger number of National Merit finalists is a necessary way for us to attract the most academically qualified freshman class.” NYU will continue to fund current National Merit scholars enrolled on campus through their graduation. For a list of current corporate and collegiate National Merit partners view this 2011 guide.
No Child Left Behind Revision Passes Senate Education Committee
The Senate Education Committee passed a revision of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) that most notably will give more flexibility to the state governments, and reduces the number of federally mandated sanctions resulting from teacher and school assessments. Federal action will still be allowed in the lowest performing 5% of schools. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is concerned that the reduction of federal involvement may slow down education reform. The committee rejected all 74 amendments from KY senator Rand Paul which included repealing NCLB in it’s entirety. The committee voted to include amendments by MN senator Al Franken to give foster care students the option to remain at a school even if a new residential placement would assign them to a new school, and TN senator Lamar Alexander which will allow students enrolled in the lowest performing 5% of schools to transfer to a higher performing school. The bill is expected to come to vote in the Senate on November 8th.
STEM Degrees Increase in Workforce Value
A new report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce says that jobs utilizing STEM field degrees are the second-fastest occupational group in the US. Data showed that jobs calling for these degrees are moving beyond traditional positions in computer engineering and research to include manufacturing, mining, and utilities. The study says the increase of technology in the world as a whole has called for more STEM based knowledge in a new group of fields. Statistics show that on average 65% of those with bachelor’s degree in a STEM field make more than those with master’s degrees in other fields. For more depressing salary data based on your choice to work in education, click the link in the show notes for additional survey results. Full study.
Thanks for listening, and check out more news and information on BreakDrink.com.
