Woodburn Press Education Newsletter |
| March 2008 |
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone who might be interested in this Privacy Guarantee: Please be assured that we will never give your email address to anyone. The Influence of the Internet
The following statistics demonstrate how the Internet continues to change our lives, and the lives of our students. NACAC reports that 58% of college applications are now submitted online, 47% of colleges send email newsletters to prospective students, and 27% of colleges notify students of their decision by email. According to Ponemon Institute, half of all employers now check the Internet before making a job offer. Approximately one half of the job candidates are then dismissed based on negative information discovered online. According to the NY Times, Google has doubled the size of its workforce every year for the last few years. Google is now hiring some 500 workers each month. Teachers around the globe are concerned about secretly taped classroom videos showing up on sites like YouTube and MySpace. Most school districts require that cell phones be turned off during class. Some districts have banned cell phones from the classroom altogether. Recommending a Change in Our Educational System
The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce has proposed some dramatic changes to our current education system. Their report, "Tough Choices or Tough Times" provides "a bold and specific road map for transforming all levels of education to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing global economy." (Mike Kirst, Stanford University) In their report, the Commission first proposes changing the way that students progress through the education system. They recommend that students take a new Board Examination in the 10th grade.
Students whose exam scores are high enough could go immediately to a community or technical college.
Students who need additional preparation would continue with their high school studies, and retake the exam.
Students who want to go to a 4-year college would take accelerated courses in high school and then take a 2nd Board Exam.
The Commission says that in this system no student would fail, and that students would only go to college once they've shown they are ready for college-level work. Their goal would be to have 95% of all students ready to go to a 2-year or 4-year college by the age 18. By relieving colleges of the burden of remediation, and by allowing the 16 year olds who are ready to go to college, the Commission believes that we could save 60 billion dollars a year. They propose that this money be spent on early childhood education, teacher compensation, and funding for poorer schools. For more information on the Commission’s report, go to www.skillscommission.org. This and That
• According to College Board, the schools offering at least one AP course dropped by almost 13% during the last school year. • 20 years ago Pell Grants covered 52% of a low-income student’s tuition, fees, room and board at an average public 4-year college. In 06-07 Pell grants covered only 32% of those costs. • Many employees would like to leave their jobs, but don’t because they’re afraid of losing their health insurance. According to Business Week, these employees are experiencing “job lock.” • Approximately 67% of new law school graduates pass the bar exam. • The “One Laptop Per Child” laptop is drop tested at 4 feet and it’s built to withstand extreme temperatures and bad weather. While they didn’t meet their $100 per unit goal, they were able to keep the cost at $188.• The Advisory Council for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as downing 5 drinks in about 2 hours for males, and 4 drinks for females. • According to the Journal of College Admissions, community colleges enroll more undergraduates than our nation’s 4-year public colleges and universities. Quote of the Month
"Every child, regardless of the disguise, knows what he or she is not. We must teach every child what he or she can be." Author Unknown What’s New At Woodburn Press
College Basics - Plan for Your Future - This NEW booklet will get your students thinking about college. It’s perfect for middle school students, and for high school students who need basic college information. More info. New Planners for 2008-2009 - Our planners for next year are now available. For a free sample planner, or a sample book, go to www.woodburnpress.com/samples. Looking for a handout for your spring parent meeting? Our High School Parent Guidebook is perfect for the parents of incoming high school students, our Middle School Parent Guidebook is ideal for the parents of incoming middle school students, and Preparing for College - a Guide for Parents provides parents with valuable, up-to-date college information. More info. If you would like to read an excerpt of any book, go to www.woodburnpress.com/excerpts. All books are in stock and ready for immediate shipping. For more information, visit us online at www.woodburnpress.com. If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, you may unsubscribe here. Woodburn Press • 405 Littell Ave •
Dayton, OH 45419 • 1-888-285-1502 |