Updated: January 22, 2012
The Illinois attorney general intends to sue a for-profit college that has allegedly recruited students for a law enforcement career despite the fact that its program does not have the proper accreditation to allow students to work in law enforcement in Illinois. The lawsuit accuses Westwood College, which has four campuses in the Chicago area, of misrepresentation and false promises. In addition, at $71,610 a criminal justice degree from Westwood costs much more than nearby accredited schools, the suit alleges.
AAUW believes increasing access to higher education for traditional and nontraditional students is imperative to helping women obtain financial security and economic independence. AAUW, however, remains concerned about institutions that overburden students with debt and take advantage of taxpayer-supported financial aid while failing to prepare students for the workforce.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Januray 20, 2012.
House Republicans released two draft bills that would greatly reduce the federal role in regulation of K-12 schools. Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, presented the bills as part of Congress’ ongoing effort to overhaul the decade-old No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Part of Kline’s proposal would give states control over the design and implementation of accountability and school improvement systems. The second bill would require districts to write teacher and principal evaluations that factor in student achievement. NCLB, the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, has been due for a reauthorization since 2007. In light of stalled reform efforts, the Obama administration has encouraged states to apply for waivers from some of the law’s provisions.
The administration greeted the House Republicans’ proposal unfavorably, with a pledge from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to stay the course on granting waivers to states. So far, the Education Department has issued feedback to states that have sought waivers; however, the details of the feedback have not been made available despite Duncan’s pledge that the review process would be public.
AAUW maintains that congressional reauthorization of No Child Left Behind is the best way to ensure high standards and greater accountability in our nation’s public schools. Read AAUW’s congressional testimony that outlines many of the problems we see with the current law. AAUW encourages the Obama administration to hold those seeking waivers accountable for the success of all students by requiring additional efforts to close achievement gaps and demonstrating in detail how they will prepare our children for college and rewarding careers as a condition of these waivers. AAUW believes that it is incumbent on the states seeking waivers to assure the public that this flexibility is necessary to improve student achievement. The public’s ability to hold states and the Obama administration accountable requires transparency throughout the waiver process.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Januray 13, 2012.
Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Richard Cordray announced that his agency will increase investigations of nontraditional lenders to students at for-profit colleges and trade schools with high rates of loan default. Cordray’s efforts to better enforce laws against predatory student loan agencies are his first major action in his new role. President Barack Obama appointed Cordray, the former attorney general of Ohio, last week. Cordray’s nomination had been blocked by Republicans in the Senate, but Obama was able to move forward because the Senate was in recess.
Since its founding in 1881, AAUW has been committed to making the dream of higher education a reality for women. However, AAUW remains concerned about institutions that overburden students with debt and take advantage of taxpayer-supported financial aid while failing to prepare students for the workforce.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Januray 13, 2012.
The Journal of School Health published first-ever national standards for sexuality education in public schools. The standards seek to guide schools in providing a developmentally appropriate comprehensive sex education program. The National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K–12 were developed by medical and public health professionals, teachers, sexuality educators, and young people over a two-year process to improve often inconsistent or underemphasized sexual health education programs nationwide.
AAUW supports comprehensive sexuality education programs that firmly separate church and state, are medically accurate and age appropriate, and provide choice in determining one’s reproductive life. AAUW’s advocacy for a woman’s right to safe, accessible, and comprehensive reproductive health care and information is an integral part of the organization’s effort to gain equity for women in education, at work, and in all aspects of their lives.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Januray 13, 2012.
Bullying and sexual harassment have, unfortunately, made big headlines in recent months. After several tragic suicides, new initiatives aimed at preventing bullying and harassment, and AAUW's ground-breaking report on sexual harassment in school, the public and the media are finally paying attention to the critical issue of bullying. Now is the time to pass strong, meaningful anti-bullying and harassment legislation.
Take action: Ask your senators to cosponsor the Student Non-Discrimination Act (S. 555)!
All students deserve a safe and nurturing environment in which to pursue their educational goals. Yet currently, there is no federal law that explicitly protects students on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) would do just that. SNDA, which is modeled after other civil rights laws such as Title IX, would protect students from various forms of bullying and harassment, such as sex stereotyping and bullying based on their actual or perceived gender identity, and would give students the ability to enforce protection from discrimination and harassment. AAUW believes it is past time for such a law.
To send a message asking your senators to cosponsor SNDA, visit AAUW Two-Minute Activist.
- from AAUW's Action Network for December 16, 2011.
A new study has found that, upon graduation, two-fifths of high school students are not prepared for traditional college or for career training. The study, “The Underserved Third: How Our Educational Structures Populate an Educational Underclass,” from researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Arizona, indicates that “one-third of high school students complete the modern college-preparatory track, and another one-quarter graduate from career-preparatory programs. The remaining high school population, an estimated 40 percent, do neither.” The researchers report that this unprepared group is “a virtual underclass of students,” many of whom finish high school with a transcript full of general education courses and few prospects for success either in traditional college or in professional training.
AAUW advocates providing students with education, training, and support for success in the work force, including nontraditional occupations. Furthermore, AAUW actively works to strengthen educational programs, including "vocational education, to improve postsecondary education access, career development and earning potential."
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 16, 2011.
In the last 20 years, the amount of debt that college students have had to take on to pay for their education has skyrocketed. In 1990, public college debt averaged $9,798, while private debt averaged $15,054; today, average student debt tops $25,000. This graphic shows the expansion in student loan debt from 1990 to 2011. Many of those seeking to understand the motivations of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators consider the troubling and growing burden of college loans debt as a major contributing factor.
AAUW strongly believes that quality public education is the foundation of a democratic society and that education should be adequately and equitably funded. Increasing access to higher education for traditional and nontraditional students is imperative to helping women obtain financial security and economic independence. Even in these difficult economic times, AAUW believes it is critical to invest in higher education, which is the most direct route to innovation, job creation, and long-term economic self-sufficiency.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 16, 2011.
Department of Education data on education tax benefits revealed that 29 percent of low-income, dependent undergraduates received education tax benefits at a lower rate than wealthier students. Additionally, unlike other income groups, low-income tax benefit recipients received more in federal grant aid and veterans benefits than they did in tax benefits. The data showed that nearly half of all 2007-08 undergraduates received an education tax benefit, which reduced average college expenses by about $700 that academic year.
In other higher education news, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and a congressional subcommittee have said this week that college education costs too much and that innovative solutions are needed. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s higher education subcommittee held a hearing that focused on trends in college pricing and efforts to make college more affordable, including three-year degree programs. The subcommittee plans to do more research on the subject.
AAUW supports a strong system of public education that promotes gender fairness, equity, and diversity and advocates increased access to higher education for women and other disadvantaged populations.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 2, 2011.
The Department of Education looked at more than 13,000 school districts across the country and found that nearly half of all high-poverty schools, including schools that get Title I money, were at least 10 percent below the average school in their district in terms of state and local aid. Congress has recently put forth a few bills – including reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – to try to make sure that poor schools do not get shortchanged.
AAUW believes in quality public education and advocates for bias-free education as well as adequate and equitable funding for its implementation. Furthermore, AAUW remains committed to ensuring strong academic principles and closing the achievement gap for all children and believes that the federal government has a critical role to play in attaining these goals.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 2, 2011.
New guidance today from the Departments of Justice and Education explains that educators may consider the race of students in plans to promote diversity and, for kindergarten through 12th-grade education, to reduce racial isolation. The guidance said that Supreme Court decisions have provided educational institutions with the flexibility to do this and noted that students benefit in diverse classrooms. In addition, the guidance provides specific examples of how schools can promote diversity or reduce racial isolation.
AAUW supports programs that establish equal opportunity for women and minorities and improve gender, racial, and ethnic diversity in educational institutions and in the workplace.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 2, 2011.
The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, a program that uses federal tax dollars on private school vouchers for some students in the District of Columbia, saw a 60 percent increase in its enrollment this year. This year the program received $13.7 million in federal funding, the first new influx since Congress halted funding in 2009. Overall 1,615 elementary, middle, and high school students from D.C.’s poorest families are currently enrolled in the Opportunity Scholarship Program.
AAUW believes that the country should provide an excellent education for all children, not private school vouchers for a few.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 2, 2011.
A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that staff at for-profit schools violated school policies on cheating, plagiarism, grading standards, and exit loan counseling about repayment options. Undercover GAO agents attended classes at 12-for profit schools to gather the data. The report was requested to explore the online learning environment at for-profit colleges following the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s year-long investigation of the industry, which documented high dropout rates for students at for-profit schools.
AAUW believes increasing access to higher education for traditional and nontraditional students is imperative to helping women obtain financial security and economic independence. AAUW, however, remains concerned about institutions that overburden students with debt and take advantage of taxpayer-supported financial aid while failing to prepare students for the workforce.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 2, 2011.
Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender Equity in Education (2008) presents a comprehensive look at girls’ educational achievement during the past 35 years, paying special attention to the relationship between girls’ and boys’ progress. Analyses of results from national standardized tests, such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the SAT and ACT college entrance examinations, as well as other measures of educational achievement, provide an overall picture of trends in gender equity from elementary school to college and beyond.