W. Kent Barnds’ Post

Edit to add: I'm curious to see if this announcement spurs any colleges/universities to, at least temporarily, break up with their May 1 deadline... 🤔 This announcement from the DoE is unacceptable... how they've dropped the ball so thoroughly on this is beyond comprehension, and the ones who are going to pay for their lack of care/concern/organization/listening-to-people-who-work-in-higher-education are students and families. I cannot begin to imagine the amount of extra stress this is putting on families, not to mention financial aid and enrollment professionals. #highereducation #fafsa #collegeadmissions #financialaid

New research by Rucker Johnson finds that Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funding increases significantly improved academic achievement of students in California, and shows that increased school funding—used well—can be a game-changer for students. This is the first comprehensive study of LCFF impacts on student outcomes across all grades, including impacts on math and reading achievement, grade repetition, high school graduation rates, college readiness, and suspensions and expulsions. It also investigates which uses of funding are most strongly associated with improved student outcomes. The analysis resulted in five key findings: 1. LCFF improved students’ math and reading achievement, with positive and significant effects in every grade assessed and for every school that experienced this new infusion of state funds. 2. LCFF reduced the probability of grade repetition, particularly during elementary school. 3. LCFF increased the likelihood of high school graduation and college readiness.  4. LCFF decreased suspensions and expulsions. The impacts for Black students are striking and are the most pronounced. 5. LCFF-induced investments in instructional inputs were associated with improved student achievement. Increases in instructional expenditures appear to be the input associated with the largest consistent boost in student performance. #SchoolFunding #CAEdu #LCFF #LCFF10Years

Congratulations West Los Angeles College! West Los Angeles College is one of two inaugural winners of the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Equity Awards, presented by CAEL and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education established to highlight and promulgate proven strategies for making CPL more accessible and commonplace among underserved adult learner populations. The CPL Equity Rising Star awardees included Lehman College in New York and West Los Angeles College. At West Los Angeles College, where improvements were driven in particular by greater use of CPL among Latino/a students, CPL usage increased 600% in the two-year period ending in June 2023 over the previous three years. With this award, West Los Angeles College has demonstrated its commitment to prioritizing equitable outcomes by helping traditionally marginalized students earn credit for their prior learning and training which helps them finish faster at lower costs. West Los Angeles College saw a seven-fold increase in CPL credit-earning with a narrowing of the gender gap, and an increase in CPL credit among Latino/a students. Click here to read more: https://lnkd.in/gQFkW8wk #WestLosAngelesCollege #CPL #EquityAwards #AdultLearners #LatinoStudents #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #EducationalEquity #CreditForPriorLearning #CPLAwards #19Strong

If you're not connected to the world of higher education right now, the current FAFSA debacle might be flying under your radar with everything else that's happening in our world. Maybe you heard a little buzz about the website crashing and blocking people out, or how people worked for hours on New Year's Eve to submit their information. Maybe you didn't. While the changes to the FAFSA were designed to streamline and increase access, the rollout is doing exactly the opposite. Here's something to know: It's a big deal and is going to impact college admissions, hitting low-income and first-generation students especially hard. Because of course it is. And now the Department of Education has pushed things back even further (to March!). Because of course they have. What does this mean? In short, it means that Colleges will not have access to the data needed to put together need-based financial aid packages until (at the earliest) March. What does this REALLY mean? In terms of impact? "Moving the ISIR submission date back is likely the most consequential and destructive of the setbacks, especially for low-income and first-generation applicants who depend on timely financial aid offers to make college decisions." Of course there's still time, and financial aid teams are ready to move at an insane pace to get offer letters out to students so they have time to weigh their options. But it's shaping up to be a challenging year for students and institutions. Here's to hoping things smooth out... Colleges won't receive student FAFSA information until March (insidehighered.com)

In 2024, FAFSA stands for Frustrating Application for Financial Stress and Anxiety. With ongoing concerns hovering around the value of a college degree, the last thing these institutions needed was another hiccup. The delays in the financial aid process threaten to hurt enrollment. is it too late for a Kickstarter campaign? This spring, high school seniors who should be basking in college acceptances are instead facing a cloud of uncertainty. Financial aid offers, typically received by May 1st, are still missing for many thanks to the FAFSA overhaul that didn't take. With fall classes just two months away, these students are left scrambling to decide on a college without a clear picture of how they'll afford it. The FAFSA debacle throws another wrench into colleges' struggles. Not only are enrollment decisions delayed for months, raising the specter of significantly lower student populations, but these delays come at a time when the value proposition of a traditional degree is already under scrutiny due to rising tuition costs and declining job prospects. To make matters worse, colleges now face even stiffer competition from alternative education paths like vocational training and trade certifications. Steep enrollment declines, as projected, could shutter many smaller colleges or force significant staff cuts. While school counselors may be preaching patience, the reality is many students are running out of time on a decision that's likely to have lifelong implications. The same can also be said for the very institutions meant to change their lives https://lnkd.in/gBjFN2hs #education #college #students #financialaid #degree #studentloans #unitedstates

No question, these are fascinating times for most colleges and universities. And while the month of March often brings a mood of uncertainty and madness during a normal March season, this year things are even more exacerbated by the FAFSA delay and the impact it is having not only on prospective students and families along with current students and families, but also on the personnel in financial aid and admission offices. Adding the continuous concern and consternation that is lingering in the minds of higher education leaders who already know about the decline in the number of prospective students, questions about affordability, and the need to convey the inherent value of attending college, it means March is full of unsolicited mental and emotional madness. As we have noted previously about the changing landscape facing private higher education (and public, too), these are definitely changing times. Movement is a necessity today for all colleges and universities. Continuous change and improvement while also consistently retaining your core identity should foster future success and diffuse the March madness that is permeating so much of higher education today. Best wishes to spring forward in more ways than one! #highereducationleadership #highered #collegesanduniversities #enrollmentmanagement #admissions #financialaid #FAFSA https://lnkd.in/g-6ZtH98

[Infographic] Aiming for Academic and Economic Heights in Kentucky. Read more here: https://t2m.co/Mufx4eD. By Brian Wallace #edtechreview #21stcenturyteaching #21stcenturyeducation #onlineeducation #digitaleducation #highereducation

This panel will be a fascinating look into higher education, recommend for students and faculty alike. #ucsc, #ucla

Once again the state of Illinois has gone berserk! The proposal to fund public higher education universities skips over the K-12 pipeline that fails to produce high school graduates academically prepared for entry into college and ready for the rigors of a college curriculum. To think any Illinois college, regardless of the money, can can make-up for the past 18 years of student and school failure is living in a world of fantasy. The data does not support even the greatest optimist. 1. More than one-third of Illinois students were chronically absent and truant in the last reporting cycle. 2. Chroncially absent rates: Black students 42.1%; 34.5% Hispanic students; Students identifed as low income 38.2%. 3. Proficiency rates for English, language arts: White students 44.9%; Hispanic students 22.2%; Black students 16.1%. 4. Proficiency rates for math: White students 35.6%; Hispanic students 14.3%; Black students 8%. 5. 35% of thrid through eigth grade students can read at grade level and 27% at grade level in math. Illinois is the champion for education equity means equal results for all and a free pass into college and dump the education gap problem on to the public universities.

While the excitement of college acceptance awaits, many students find themselves hitting pause on their applications. This delay can be caused by several factors. It's important to remember that these delays are understandable, but proactive steps can help: prioritize applications with approaching deadlines, communicate with teachers or testing services for missing materials, and seek guidance from counselors or college advisors. Remember, financial aid options are available, and focusing on a few top choices initially can be manageable. Don't let fear or logistical hurdles hold you back from pursuing your future education! #collegeapplicants #highschoolSeniors #collegecounselor #edtechplatform #collegeapplication #fafsa #scholarship #commonapp #hbcu #collegefair #collegeadmission #collegeapps #collegeessay #UprootedAcademy