How to Recognize Student Loan Scams, and Protect Yourself
The Hechinger Report outlines how borrowers can identify and avoid student‑loan scams that promise debt reduction for a fee. It details red‑flag behaviors such as requests for passwords, high‑pressure enrollment tactics, and guarantees of forgiveness that no legitimate firm can make. The guide also explains steps to take if a borrower falls victim, including contacting the Department of Education, revoking authorizations, and reporting to the FTC and CFPB. Finally, it notes the recent court ruling that ended the SAVE income‑driven repayment plan, forcing 7.5 million borrowers to switch to another option.
The Future of AI in the Classroom
Education leaders gathered at AERA, NCME and ASU+GSV conferences to weigh AI’s promise and pitfalls in classrooms. Speakers highlighted that enthusiastic users often fail to catch AI‑generated errors, while skeptics are better at spotting flaws, and that bias testing remains...
Early Intervention Services for Young Children Boost Later Test Scores
A joint Columbia University and NYC Health Department study of more than 200,000 children born between 1994 and 1998 found that early intervention services delivered before age three boost academic performance. Roughly 13,000 children who received occupational, physical or speech...
Delaying Kindergarten May Have Limited Benefit
A new NWEA analysis of 3 million students found that children who start kindergarten a year later—often called redshirting—show a modest 20‑30% of a school‑year boost in reading and math during early grades. The advantage, however, vanishes by third grade, leaving...
The Heat Is On: As Climate Change Threatens Student Athlete Safety, States Try to Adapt
Climate change is driving extreme heat events that threaten the health of student athletes, with more than 9,000 high‑school athletes treated for heat illness annually and a record nine deaths in 2021. Because the United States lacks a national heat‑safety...
The AI ‘Hivemind’: Why so Many Student Essays Sound Alike
Professor Bruce Maxwell noticed that student essays in his online computer‑vision class sounded eerily similar, prompting a deeper investigation. A research team led by former student Liwei Jiang tested over 70 large language models—including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Qwen and...
Green Schools = Big Savings
A new Building Power Resource Center report shows school districts nationwide cutting utility bills by installing solar panels, geothermal systems, and other efficiency upgrades. Kentucky schools saved over $2 million, Rhode Island districts trim $60,000 annually, and Colorado’s middle school reduced...
IPads in Kindergarten, YouTube Videos at Snack Time: Parents Are Pushing Back on Screens in the Early Grades
Parents across the United States are confronting school districts that provide iPads and YouTube access to kindergarteners, often for entertainment rather than instruction. Surveys show 81% of elementary teachers report device use beginning in kindergarten, and many districts have maintained...