Education

Owen Chilcoat hacking his tablet. "I am just messing around ... trying to break it," he says.

Education

Hacking Real Things Becomes Child's Play At This Camp

8:56am August 14, 2013

by Steve Henn

Armed with technology know-how, teens and preteens are learning to hack everyday items and find bugs for major tech giants. Their work can pay off, with companies offering rewards for fixes.

Queue Listen Now

Ala. School District Cancels Bus Service, Igniting Controversy

6:03pm August 12, 2013

by Dan Carsen

The decision by a suburban Birmingham school district to eliminate its busing program has erupted into a controversy over race and class. Officials in the Hoover school district say they were forced to drop the buses because of a severe budget shortfall. Many community members believe the decision was designed to force out the growing numbers of minority and low-income students who are lowering average test scores in Hoover schools.

Queue Listen Now

Common Core Curriculum Brings Big Shifts To Math Instruction

6:56pm August 08, 2013

by Cory Turner

With the implementation of the new Common Core standards, parents across the country will notice a few changes in their kids' math homework.

Queue Listen Now

A researcher at Johns Hopkins University says there are serious setbacks for children without summer educational opportunities, known as the "summer slide."

Missed Summer Learning Spells Out Long-Term Struggles

7:52pm August 04, 2013

by NPR Staff

While children attending academically enriching summer camps can improve their education over the summer, kids without the same opportunities might stagnate. Little slips can compound over time, research shows, widening the achievement gap later in life.

Queue Listen Now

At 18, Gabrielle Turnquest is the youngest person in the history of the English legal system to be admitted to the bar.

Education

U.S. Teen Is Youngest Ever To Pass Britain's Bar Exams

6:38pm August 04, 2013

by NPR Staff

An 18-year-old from Florida is the youngest person to be admitted to the bar in the United Kingdom.

Queue Listen Now

Senate Passes Student Loan Legislation To Lower Interest Rates

9:31am July 25, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

After much drama, the Senate finally voted on a student loan bill that would tie the borrower's rate to the 10-year Treasury note on Wednesday. The proposal is a bipartisan compromise and similar both to a House plan and one offered by President Obama.

Queue Listen Now

The latest study says kids learn better in charter schools than in public schools. But even charter school supporters question the study and its methods of research.

The Charter School Vs. Public School Debate Continues

8:00pm July 16, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

The charter school movement turns 21 this year and the latest study shows kids in most charter schools are doing as well or better in reading and math than their counterparts in traditional public schools. But now, leading charter school supporters are questioning that study.

Queue Listen Now

New Housing Project In Philadelphia Aims To Attract Teachers

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Elizabeth Fiedler

Budget cuts and layoffs are hitting teachers in Philadelphia. But the city and a local developer are hoping to offer some relief: a housing project designed for them. At a similar project in Baltimore, having fellow teachers as neighbors brings support and camaraderie after a tough day at work.

Queue Listen Now

Congress Called On To Reverse Student Loan Rate Increase

2:02pm July 08, 2013

Rates on federally subsidized Stafford loans, which help low and middle-income college students, doubled on July 1. There is now pressure for a deal to undo the increase. NPR's David Greene talks to Matthew Chingos, a fellow at the Brookings Institution's Brown Center on Education Policy.

Queue Listen Now

Advocates for Common Core standards say it will be harder for states to hide their failing schools.

Education Reform Movement Learns Lesson From Old Standards

10:08am July 05, 2013

by Cory Turner

Under the No Child Left Behind law, states saw low test scores and the lowering of score standards. Advocates for the more rigorous Common Core standards say it will be harder for states to hide their failing schools.

Queue Listen Now