College Board |

The College Board recently released four new publications, addressing issues from the presidential election to expanding opportunities for historically underserved groups in public institutions of higher education. Each of the publications underscores the country’s current economic issues and the raging debate over education reform. The Common Core aims to prepare all students for college and career, but how will this really play out when students reach college or technical training programs? How might this year’s presidential election affect education?

Don’t Forget Ed!

A call for a renewed focus on education will be the focal point of the College Board’s campaign, Don’t Forget Ed, which seeks to rally thousands of voices via Twitter and Facebook in order to send a powerful message to the candidates, that education is the foundation of our society. Find striking educational facts online and use Twitter or Facebook to share information and draw attention to this eminent issue.

http://www.dontforgeted.org/?excmpid=OC58-PR-0612-DFE-FW

Swing State Education Survey

With no party holding a distinct advantage in reflecting voter priorities on education, the issue is up for grabs in swing presidential states and key Senate races. The College Board Swing State Education Survey reveals that education is a top issue for voters in this year’s elections, ranked only behind jobs and the economy and on par with government spending.

See the survey here: http://media.collegeboard.com/homeOrg/content/pdf/college-boarded-survey-key-findings.pdf

Trends in Public Higher Education

With three-quarters of all undergraduate students enrolled in public institutions, accurate information about prices, funding sources, and operation costs is critical for students pursuing higher education. Trends in Public Higher Education: Enrollment, Prices, Student Aid, Revenues, and Expenditures offers an overview of the issues and circumstances facing public institutions – which play a central role in educating the country’s labor force – and the students enrolled in these institutions.

Read the brief at http://advocacy.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/12b_5303_PubHighEd_AnalysisBrief_WEB_120530.pdf

Measuring Community College Student Success: The Completion Arch

Community colleges welcome more students from underserved groups than any other higher education segment. The College Board’s Advocacy & Policy Center is working to expand opportunities for students attending community colleges, especially those from underserved groups, by identifying barriers they face and helping them meet their education goals.

The Completion Arch is a new web-based tool shedding light on the community college story by synthesizing publicly available national-, state-, and initiative-level data that are presented as indicators of student progress and success.

http://completionarch.collegeboard.org/?excmpid=OC58-PR-0612-Arch-FW

David Coleman, one of the main writers of the Common Core, has been appointed president of the College Board and will take his post in October. His new position will involve a continued focus on college readiness, as well as some role in ensuring that the Common Core is reflected in the exams and curricula administered by the College Board—namely, the SAT and Advanced Placement programs.

“The main thing on the College Board’s agenda is to deliver its social mission. The College Board is not just about measuring and testing, but designing high-quality curriculum,” he said in a recent interview.

Many education leaders across the country have voiced their support for Coleman’s appointment, including Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and US Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

With the possibility that the Common Core could be adopted by all 50 states, it is not unthinkable that college admission tests like the SAT could become irrelevant. That being the case, the College Board has been placing increased emphasis on its Advanced Placement program. In a post-appointment interview, Coleman spent more time talking about the AP program than of any other aspect of the College Board’s work.

Mr. Coleman’s appointment has also faced criticism. Stephen Krashen, an emeritus education professor at the University of Southern California, has openly criticized the Common Core movement and standardized testing. “The problem is poverty, poverty, poverty…even the best tests, the most inspiring teachers, won’t mean anything if the kids don’t have enough to eat,” he says. Coleman has also been criticized for putting too much emphasis on “informational texts” over fiction and for his push for students to write fewer personal and opinion pieces.

Overall, Mr. Coleman has emphasized the enthusiasm in many circles with which the Common Core has been greeted. “The degree of consensus is remarkable. I think a lot of my success has been my ability to work with teachers.”

The "Core" of Education

Tag Archives: College Board

New Publications from the College Board

Common Core Architect Appointed President of the College Board