Obama proposes college-rating system that could increase affordability
By For decades, magazines have rated colleges to help families navigate the higher education market. On Thursday, President Obama proposed that the federal government rate the nation’s schools to hold them accountable for performance and help bring soaring tuition under control. By the 2015 school year, Obama said, his administration will begin evaluating colleges on measures such as the average tuition they charge, the share of low-income students they enroll and their effectiveness in ensuring students graduate without too much debt.
The president also will seek congressional approval — which could prove difficult — to steer more federal student aid toward colleges that score highly in the ratings. A student in financial need at such schools might qualify for a larger Pell grant or a better interest rate on a federal loan. The result, officials hope, will be relief for families from college bills that are in many cases three times as high as they were 30 years ago even after adjusting for inflation. More...
In D.C., controversy over academic testing has new frontier: preschool
By . The controversy over academic testing has spread to an unlikely new frontier in Washington: preschool. Some D.C. parents are protesting a plan by the city’s public charter school board to rank preschools based largely on how children as young as 3 are performing on reading and math tests.
The board set out to provide parents with a clearer picture of how charter schools compare with one another. It also wants to provide educators with a way to measure progress toward the goal of better preparing children for school, a goal that led city leaders to make a historic investment in universal preschool for 3- and 4-year olds. But as of Saturday, more than 200 parents had signed a petition asking the board to take a broader look at school quality and put more emphasis on the social and emotional development they want to see emphasized in their children’s schools. More...
Today’s youth have A grades and LinkedIn profiles, but are they happier?
By Robert Smith.The pressures on children to perform and succeed are becoming ever greater, and starting younger. The sudden death of a Bank of America intern last Thursday was not only a tragic loss of a life, but a timely reminder of the constant pressure young people feel to impress and succeed. It is chilling to read Moritz Erdhardt’s resumé now, whether or not his lifestyle contributed to his death: “I had a tendency to be over-ambitious…I was striving for excellence and trying to be the best all the time,” he wrote. “I felt somehow pressurised.”
Pressure, for the 15- and 16-year-olds collecting their GCSE results yesterday, is nothing new. The obstacle course which is the British education system – 11-plus, internal exams, SATs, GCSEs, A-levels, bachelors' degrees, masters – means that this crop are well versed in the trials and tribulations of late-night revision cramming, nervy two-hour tests in mundane sports halls, and the sickening experience of collecting those all-important small brown envelopes. Yes, testing is essential – and the "prizes for all" culture was flawed. But now not only are tests taken more often, they’re now taken at younger age too. This year’s results highlighted the escalating trend of pupils being entered into GCSEs early; a policy which not only heaps more pressure on slender shoulders, but distorts academic outcomes. More...
Surely all universities should be modern – and good for students
I was sorry to see Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of leading universities, adopting the propaganda term "the modern universities" to refer to the "post-92" (mostly ex-polytechnic) universities (Letters, 20 August). This is a term the latter have understandably coined to give themselves a positive identity compared with the established, top research universities. However, the term does a disservice to the UK university system as a whole – especially misleading for the all-important overseas applicant – by implying that our best universities are antiquated and hostile to change. More...
What makes a university 'modern'? – open thread
By Claire Shaw. Is it misleading to use the term to describe post-92 universities? Where does 'modern' start and end? Have your say below.
In a recent letter to the Guardian, Wendy Piatt, director general and chief executive of the Russell Group, opted for the word 'modern' when describing post-92 universities – or all those that are not part of the Russell Group. The description created quite a stir on Twitter and provoked Alan Bance, emeritus professor of German, University of Southampton to write a letter in response: "The term [modern universities] does a disservice to the UK university system as a whole – especially misleading for the all-important overseas applicant – by implying that our best universities are antiquated and hostile to change." More...
British v American cultural reference points
By Richard Morris. An annual list of what American university freshmen know is a fun read for Brits and other cultures. As a British university student who spent part of last year studying in the US, I have become a sort of "translator" of English and American culture. Recently, I learned about the Beloit Mindset List, an annual compilation what America's first-year college students "know" (at least in a cultural sense). It began in 1998 when two American academics realized many of their colleauges were citing movies, TV shows and singers that sounded woefully out-of-date to their students' generation.
The mindset list for 2017 has just been released, and it makes for some pretty interesting reading, particularly for Brits. I found myself pondering: do these same cultural reference points hold across the pond? I'm classified on the 2015 list (American colleges are four year courses, which I forgot myself while trying to search the site for the 1993 year, for a short while). More...
College students say no to costly textbooks
By . College students heading to campus this fall will probably pay more for new textbooks, but recent studies suggest that the era of costly course materials could be coming to an end.
College students and some of their professors are pushing back against ever-escalating textbook prices that have jumped 82% in the past decade. Growing numbers of faculty are publishing or adopting free or lower-cost course materials online.
Students also are getting savvier: 34% this spring reported downloading course content from an unauthorized website, up from 20% in 2010, says a survey released last month by the Book Industry Study Group, a trade association whose members include publishers, retailers, librarians, and other professionals engaged in print and electronic media. Also, 31% said they photocopied or scanned chapters from other students' books, up from 21% in 2010. The study (from spring 2013) is based on ongoing surveys involving about 6,000 book buyers a month. More...
Circulaire relative aux cas de recours au contrat dans la fonction publique de l’Etat
Le gouvernement a réaffirmé en 2011 (protocole du 31 mars) le principe de l’occupation des emplois permanents des collectivités publiques par des fonctionnaires (article 3 du titre 1er du statut général des fonctionnaires). Le législateur a clarifié en 2012 (loi du 12 mars 2012) les conditions de recours au contrat dans la fonction publique pour mieux définir les situations justifiant le recrutement d’un contractuel (emploi permanent à temps complet, fonctions permanentes à temps incomplet, besoin permanent de l’administration, remplacement temporaire, vacance temporaire d’emploi, accroissement temporaire ou saisonnier d’activité), mieux encadrer les durées de contrat et les possibilités de renouvellement, dans l’optique de prévenir la reconstitution de situations de précarité. Un strict respect des conditions légales de recours au contrat est demandé, ainsi que la mise en œuvre d’une procédure de recrutement plus transparente.
Consulter la Circulaire relative aux cas de recours au contrat dans la fonction publique de l’Etat.
Un Guide pratique Emploi d'Avenir spécial employeurs de l'ESS pour vous faciliter le dispositif !
Comment fonctionne le dispositif : le recrutement, le tutorat, les outils de la Région PACA et des OPCA de soutien à la formation, tous les contacts DLA, Missions Locales et Cap Emploi, et même des simulations du reste à charge par filière.
La CRESS PACA vous propose ce guide réalisé avec le soutien de la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur et de l'Etat (Préfecture de Région) . C'est un outil d'accompagnement à la réflexion, la mise en oeuvre et au recrutement d'un salarié en Emploi d'Avenir. Il s'inscrit en complémentarité des outils existants mis à disposition par les différents opérateurs, pilotes, prescripteurs agissant pour le dispositif.
Le présent guide rassemble l'essentiel de l'information disponible sur les Emplois d'Avenir. Nous espérons qu'il vous permette d'optimiser votre temps de recherche d'informations et de faciliter la mobilisation de l'acteur correspondant à votre besoin.
La distribution des premiers exemplaires s'est faite à l'occasion de la signature, vendredi 28 juin 2013, d'une convention d'engagement entre la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, l'Etat et la CRESS PACA. Article entier...
Filles et garçons sur le chemin de l'égalité de l'école à l'enseignement supérieur 2013
Pour la septième année consécutive,le ministère de l'Education nationale rend publique,à l'occasion du 8 mars,journée internationale des droits des femmes,une série de statistiques qui renseignent sur la réussite comparée des filles et des garçons depuis l'école jusqu'à l'entrée dans la vie active.Cette parution reflète l'engagement du système éducatif dans les objectifs de mixité et d'égalité,objectifs déclinés dans la convention interministérielle pour 2013-2018. Télécharger la brochure Filles et garçons sur le chemin de l'égalité de l'école à l'enseignement supérieur 2013. Feuilleter la brochure : Filles et garçons sur le chemin de l'égalité de l'école à l'enseignement supérieur 2013
Quelques chiffres clés
Les filles réussissent mieux que les garçons à l'école. Elles connaissent moins de difficultés scolaires, elles poursuivent des études plus longues et plus de 45% d'entre elles obtiennent un diplôme d'enseignement supérieur contre 37 % seulement des garçons.Le moment est sans doute venu de s'interroger sur les difficultés persistantes des garçons :12 % des garçons de 17 ans connaissent des difficultés de lecture, 22 % des garçons sortent de formation initiale sans diplôme.
Cette réussite scolaire des filles ne se traduit toutefois pas encore dans l'orientation et le choix des spécialités. En 2011,les filles ne représentent que 40 % des élèves des terminales scientifiques, un mince progrès : elles étaient 38% en 2005. Quand ils se jugent très bons en mathématiques, 8 garçons sur 10 s'inscrivent en série S. Dans la même situation, seules 6 filles sur 10 effectuent la même démarche.
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