With increasingly soaring costs of higher education the Iowa Senate has passed legislation to hold tuition constant for the next school year at their public universities.

Effective teaching is the cornerstone of student achievement in our classrooms. Around the country the call has gone out to strengthen standards for teacher preparation in colleges and universities. Delaware’s legislature has responded, enacting a bill on Thursday that, if signed by Gov. Jack Markell, will raise the bar to qualify for admission to a state teacher education program. Markell praised the passage of Senate Bill 51 in a press release.

More than 6.7 million college students took at least one online course during the 2011-12 school year, making online classes the fastest growing segment in higher education. But while students across the country seem to be rapidly embracing online education, federal and state laws have some catching up to do. States have adopted numerous approaches to authorizing and regulating online higher education over the past two decades. This confusion has limited student access and created an inconsistent regulatory process for institutions seeking approvals to operate in multiple states.

Pam Goins, director of The Council of State Governments’ Center for Innovation and Transformation in Education, will join other education experts in a webinar discussion on how state policymakers can support deeper learning in their schools April 29. The webinar, sponsored by the National Association of State Boards of Education, will explore policies that can help students not only master academic content, but also critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and communication skills. The goal of deeper learning is to ensure students can meet the demands of the 21st century work force.

Historically, community colleges have served as an entry point to higher education for many students, particularly nontraditional older students as well as those from low-income households. Community colleges provide general education courses that often, but not always, are transferable to public four-year colleges and universities. For students who persist, the outcome at community colleges has traditionally been a two-year associate degree. Over the past 20 years, however, the line in the sand separating two- and four-year postsecondary institutions has begun to erode. Twenty states have begun meeting the demand for more bachelor’s degrees by giving community colleges an expanded role and allowing them to offer four-year degrees. 

Tim Weldon, education policy analyst, and I had the opportunity to meet with Lt. Governor Garcia, state legislators, department of education officials and postsecondary education leaders to discuss innovative state action through policymaking.

Stateline Midwest ~ January 2013

State support for the nation’s public research universities declined by 20 percent between 2002 and 2010, a period in which enrollment increased by 13 percent.

The result has been steep tuition hikes, fewer resources for science and engineering programs, and shrinking budgets for research and development, according to a report by the National Science Board, the governing body of the National Science Foundation.

Democrats in the New York Assembly are solidly behind a bill that would give illegal immigrants access to the state’s college financial aid programs, The New York Times reports.  If adopted, Assembly Bill 2597 would make New York the fourth state to enact the so-called Dream Act. Texas, New Mexico and Maryland have similar statutes offering financial aid to illegal immigrants who satisfy certain conditions. New York’s illegal immigrants have been allowed to pay in-state tuition at state universities in New York since 2002.