Education

An energy company announced a proposal to build a waste management facility next to a school. So these three students turned to podcasting to get to the bottom of what was happening.

At least 13 U.S. universities have shut down their Confucius Institutes, which are funded by China's government. Critics say the program could be used to recruit spies or steal university research.

Oklahoma is one of almost 20 states that require third-graders to show reading proficiency before going to fourth grade. That means higher expectations for younger kids, like kindergartners.

Almost 20 states have passed laws requiring third-graders who aren't proficient in reading to repeat the grade. The policy started in Florida 17 years ago.

Researchers say preschool can give kids from low-income families a boost. Those benefits don't always make it through the transition to kindergarten, but there's a lot parents can do to help.

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Greg Fenves, president of The University of Texas at Austin, about a new program to cover full tuition for students from families making under $65,000 a year.

New research finds automation widening the gap between urban and rural areas and dramatically affecting people who didn't go to college or didn't finish high school.

Amazon plans to invest $700 million to train a third of its U.S. workforce for higher-skilled jobs. The company acknowledged that workers could use their new skills to seek jobs outside Amazon.

Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta is defending a plea deal he oversaw nearly a dozen years ago as a U.S. attorney in Florida. Also, a major teachers' union is suing the U.S. Department of Education.

The governing board voted to offer full tuition scholarships to in-state undergraduates whose families make $65,000 or less a year. They also extended financial assistance to middle class students.

It could boost the economy, but experts say that not all plans to wipe out student debt increase racial and economic equity.