What We’re Reading: Week of November 1, 2021
Happy November! This week, we took a look at articles covering computer science in high school classrooms, burnout among high schoolers and their counselors, workforce development efforts in community colleges, and more. Thanks for reading with us!
COVID-19
OPINION: Let’s build from Covid-related innovation instead of going backward, Hechinger Report
We can — and must — address inequities that have long burdened students, writes Girls Who Code CEO Tarika Barrett.
Equity
More Than Half of High Schools Now Offer Computer Science, But Inequities Persist, EdWeek
Access to computer science courses in high schools has jumped significantly over the past three years—from 35 percent to 51 percent, concludes a new study by the nonprofit Code.org. But access to those courses still remains uneven in many places.
Higher Education
PROOF POINTS: Many young adults choose work over college, report shows, Hechinger Report
The number of undergraduate students is expected to drop 3.2 percent in the 2021-22 academic year after plunging 3.4 percent during the 2020-21 pandemic year, according to preliminary data released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center on Oct. 26, 2021. That adds up to 6.5 percent fewer undergraduate students now than there were in the fall of 2019 before the pandemic.
Policy
Where Higher Education Funding Stands in Latest Social Spending Bill, Diverse Education
This week, Congress will likely decide on a $1.5 trillion social spending bill, cut down from an earlier $3.5 trillion deal. The most recent version includes about $40 billion in higher education funding, an amount much lower than first proposed and without a tuition-free community college plan.
Student Supports
High School Students and Counselors Are Burned Out, Inside Higher Ed
Frustrations have not disappeared at schools that are open but changed by the pandemic.
Learning Policy Institute outlines strategies to improve equity through restorative justice practices, K-12 Dive
As school leaders work to move away from exclusionary disciplinary policies and toward restorative approaches focused on relationship-building, a Learning Policy Institute report illustrates strategies both informal, like the use of shared vocabulary, and formal, like restorative circles and conferences.
Workforce Development
Corporations, Community Colleges Partner on Cybersecurity Training, Inside Higher Ed
Corporations are increasingly partnering with community colleges to support cybersecurity education and training. The effort is meant to diversify and increase the ranks of the cybersecurity workforce.
Helping Community Colleges Fill Workforce Gaps, Inside Higher Ed
Short-term Pell Grants and funding for career and technical education infrastructure could go a long way in helping community colleges address the workforce needs of small businesses in their communities, leaders say.