Education News

MPR News keeps track of the latest education news in Minnesota so you can understand the events shaping the future of learning and how it impacts students at any level.

Stay informed about local education events, policies and more happening in schools and colleges across Minnesota.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system has posted on its government relations blog the names of the state Senate Higher Education Budget & Policy Committee members: Sen. Michelle Fischbach, R-Paynesville, Chair Sen. Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, Vice Chair Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, DFL Lead Sen. David Brown, R-Becker Sen. John Carlson, R-Bemidji Sen. Joe…
Got this off Bloomberg. As we’ve read, for-profit colleges have been battling the “gainful employment” proposal that would put restrictions on their access to student financial aid from the government. They’re spending hard. As the ProPublica research showed in a previous post of mine, it looks like Minnesota Republican John Kline has been busy. So…
Ohio University economics professor Richard Vedder, an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses why a college education is not the public good its supporters make it out to be and might not be the best investment for the U.S. government: Income inequality has increased in the past four decades of rapidly rising higher…
Top 10 college scandals of the year
It was almost all about sex and sexuality this year on The Huffington Post’s list of Top 10 college scandals. (And is it every year?) Hazing and race made a brief appearance, as did drugs. Only one scandal, however, was linked to money or academics. Or has the list missed anything? 10. Columbia University Professor…
College night owls get chances to hit books Wondering if students would be more enthusiastic and alert in the classroom after dark, Mansfield University professor Jonathan Rothermel scheduled an hour plus-long class next semester at a time fit for night owls: twice weekly at 9:45 p.m. Mansfield is one of a number of institutions that…
Thanks for tuning in this Christmas week. I won’t be posting today, but I hope you check back Monday. Let’s see what interesting things I can find over the school holidays!
For-profit colleges double Washington spending to beat aid rules
For-profit colleges, including Minneapolis-based Capella Education Co., more than doubled spending on lobbying and hired six former members of the U.S. Congress this year to fight regulations that threaten the industry.
From the Chronicle of Higher Education: Share of Seniors Participating in High-Impact Practices by Major Major Research with faculty Service-learning Study abroad Internship, co-op, field experience Culminating senior experience Biology (general) 38.3% 47.5% 17.6% 55.1% 36.4% Business administration 10.4% 40.8% 12.5% 37.5% 33.8% English 18.9% 42.4% 26.5% 44.7% 42.6% Psychology 29.1% 50.8% 15.1% 47.9% 39.1%…
Despite all the concern about the cost and relevance of a college education, surveying by the American Council on Education of young alumni found they were fairly content with what they’d paid for: Respondents expressed broad satisfaction with their undergraduate experience. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said their college experience had been worth it, and 85…
Study questions seniority-based teacher layoffs
A study of Washington state teachers has found that deciding layoffs based solely on which teachers have the least seniority has a significant impact on students' ability to learn.