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U.S. Debt Clock — 11/20/11 vs. 8/24/11

On 11/20/2011, in change, corporate / business world, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, disruption, economics, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, political science, real-world assignments, society, United States, by Daniel Christian

As of 11/20/11 (~2:00pm EST)

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As of 8/24/11:

usdebtclock.org

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From DSC:
With the increase in globalization — and from what I’ve seen happening in the financial systems (i.e. how what happens in Europe affects the financial systems in the U.S./Asia/other and vice versa) — it seems clear that we are all in this boat together.  If that’s true, what does that mean for:

  • Businesses and economies around the world?
  • The ability of families and individuals to afford the increasing cost of getting a degree?
  • Higher educational systems — and business models — around the world?
  • How do we resolve such massive problems?
  • What does all of this mean for how we should be educating our students?

 

Addendum on 11/21/11:

  • Debt committee: Why $1.2 trillion isn’t enough — from money.cnn.com by Jeanne Sahadi
    Excerpts:
    That’s because under the most likely scenario, reducing deficits by $1.2 trillion won’t stop the accumulated debt from growing faster than the economy.
    …
    Thus, to stabilize the debt, Congress would need to pass a debt-reduction plan worth $4 trillion to $6 trillion, budget experts say.
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Michigan universities, state lawmakers look for ways to bring down price of higher education [Knake]

On 11/14/2011, in cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, game-changing environment, higher education, legislatures / government / legal, Michigan, universities, by Daniel Christian

Michigan universities, state lawmakers look for ways to bring down price of higher education — from mlive.com by Lindsay Knake | The Saginaw News

Also:

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Academic Partnerships: Expanding access to public universities

On 10/10/2011, in accessibility / UDL, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, future of higher education, game-changing environment, innovation, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, new business models, online learning, reinvent, staying relevant, strategy, trends, by Daniel Christian

Academic Partnerships

Excerpt from their Value Proposition page:

The concept of a broad based, highly educated population began its journey to reality a 150 years ago, when Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act in 1862. The Act called for the establishment of “at least one College in every state upon a sure and perpetual foundation, accessible to all, but especially to the sons of toil” (emphasis DSC).

…

Despite the unprecedented success of America’s public university system that is the envy of the world, reduced state and federal funding, almost a trillion dollars in student loans, tuition soaring out of reach for middle class families, stunning demographic changes and declining preparedness for college-level work, today’s public higher education is at a crossroads. Our old ways of doing business are no longer sustainable and the promise of the Morrill Act is in peril (emphasis DSC).

 

Also see:

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White House makes grants to boost online learning [Carter]

On 09/27/2011, in community colleges, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, legislatures / government / legal, online learning, by Daniel Christian

White House makes grants to boost online learning — from eCampusNews.com by Denny Carter
Long-awaited federal grant money will be used in part to make free web-based courses more available in community colleges

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What are the pros and cons of the Common Core Standards?

On 09/23/2011, in 21st century, curriculum, education, education reform, expectations, K-12 related, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, policy, strategy, teachers, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
I haven’t had the chance to research this much, but I wanted to post several items re: the Common Core Standards. The jury is still out with me as to what I think about them. My initial concerns center around the ideas/curriculums and course offerings/assessment tools involved with the word “standards” — with implementing things that result in clear, consistent expectations. 

I have become increasingly hesitant towards words like “standards” and “expectations” — at least as these words are currently being used in this context. I’m not saying that the Common Core Standards will try to further pound round pegs into square holes — though that type of thing captures my hesitation here — as not everyone has the same gifts, abilities, and passions.  Much of the current K-12 systems focus so much on STEM-related items — at the expense of so much more that’s out there in the world today.

With that said, I like the idea of getting students prepared — as much as possible — for helping them hit the ground running later on in life when they will need to either go to college and/or get a job. I can see where if a student moves from one district/state to another, how it can be very helpful to have a shared foundation from which to develop the student’s current educational needs and plans.

Some items on this:

  • Common Core State Standards: A note to parents — from Core 4 All by Alan Matan
    By the way, I appreciate Alan’s statement in his posting that asserts:
    “The 21st century skills embedded in the Common Core will pave the way for students to think, reflect, analyze, influence, evaluate, and communicate.”
  • Implementing Common Core Standards — from Advancing the Teaching Profession by Susan Graham
  • CEP reports on progress of Common Core — from Educational Publishing
    Implementation of the Common Core Standards is proceeding with little resistance, but challenges remain in funding and guidance, according to a new study from the Center on Education Policy (CEP). CEP undertook the study to determine how far along each of the adopting states was in implementing the Common Core Standards and what their perceptions are of the standards.
  • CoreStandards.org

 

The Common Core Standards

 

From DSC:

What do you think? What are the pros and cons of implementing the Common Core Standards? From the teacher’s viewpoint? From the student’s viewpoint? From the administrator’s viewpoint? From the parent’s viewpoint?

I look forward to learning more about them and to hearing others’ perspectives on them.

 

 

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Public school choice pushed in Michigan [Cavanagh]

On 09/21/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, education, education reform, education technology, K-12 related, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, Michigan, more voice more choice more control, online learning, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Public school choice pushed in Michigan — from EdWeek.org by Sean Cavanagh

Excerpt:

At a time when many states are adopting controversial measures to launch or expand private school vouchers, Republicans in Michigan are taking a different direction, moving ahead with a plan that would greatly expand the menu of public school choices for students and parents.

GOP lawmakers, who control both state legislative chambers, have introduced a series of proposals that would give students more freedom to attend schools outside their districts, increase options for taking college classes while in high school, and encourage the growth of charter schools and online education offerings. (emphasis DSC)

Many of those proposals mirror the stated priorities of first-term Gov. Rick Synder, a Republican, who earlier this year called for establishing “open access to a quality education without boundaries.” He described the idea as an “any time, any place, any way, any pace” model. (emphasis DSC)

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Digital Promise — new nonprofit corp with some interesting goals

On 09/20/2011, in 21st century, education reform, education technology, emerging technologies, innovation, K-12 related, legislatures / government / legal, research, United States, by Daniel Christian

The Digital Promise - September 2011

Excerpt:

Digital Promise is an independent 501(c)(3), created through Section 802 of the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, authorizing a nonprofit corporation known as the National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies (Digital Promise). According to the statute, Digital Promise’s purpose is “to support a comprehensive research and development program to harness the increasing capacity of advanced information and digital technologies to improve all levels of learning and education, formal and informal, in order to provide Americans with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy.”

Also see:

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A visualization of the United States debt [Comment from DSC: With global ramifications]

On 08/24/2011, in budgets, business, business side of he, change, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, economics, funding / grants, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, political science, society, staying relevant, student-related, trends, United States, visualizing information, by Daniel Christian

A visualization of the United States Debt — from usdebt.kleptocracy.us

From DSC:
Though this is the U.S. debt, the ramifications of this affect the entire globe. I believe my cousin, Mr. Stephen Gibson, is correct when he says that we may well be heading towards a “Global Reset.”

 

usdebt.kleptocracy.us

 

 

http://usdebt.kleptocracy.us/

 

Also see:

usdebtclock.org

— as of 8/24/11 around noon

 

Addendums later on 8/24/11 from Academic Impressions:

 

First day of sessionMPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson

Just what are states pledging for higher ed these days?

  • Fidelity® study finds significant shifts over 5-yr period in how families tackle rising college costs
    Fifth Annual College Savings Indicator Study finds parents projected to meet only 16% of college costs, despite improved savings habits
    BOSTON – Fidelity Investments®, a leader in helping families save for college, today announced the results of its fifth annual College Savings Indicator study, which found significant shifts in savings behavior from 2007 to 2011, with more families: 1) starting to save in the preschool years despite financial pressures, 2) seeking guidance and saving for college using a dedicated account, such as a tax-advantaged 529 college savings plan, and 3) making shared sacrifices to achieve their college savings goals.

    The study features the College Savings Indicator, a calculation of the percentage of projected college costs the typical American family is on track to cover, based on its current and expected savings. After four consecutive years of decline, the Indicator held steady to the prior year at 16 percent, down from 24 percent in 2007, when Fidelity first launched the study. While overall preparedness has declined, a larger percentage of parents — more than two-thirds (67 percent) — have begun saving for college costs, compared with 58 percent five years ago.

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The trouble with trillions [NPR; Weeks]

On 08/23/2011, in business side of he, change, economics, funding / grants, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, society, trends, United States, by Daniel Christian

Excerpt:

The news this summer is teeming with trillions. The national debt is more than $14 trillion. In a recent report, the credit rating agency Moody’s says the 1,600-plus U.S.-based companies it rates harbored some $1.2 trillion in cash at the end of 2010. The newly minted congressional supercommittee is charged with finding ways to pare the federal deficit by at least $1.2 trillion in the next decade.

…

Trillion. It’s the new black — tres chic, tres cher. The higher-water mark. If you’re not talking trillions, you’re talking chump change. All of a sudden we are tossing the term around like we understand it.

 

From DSC:
As always with my Learning Ecosystems blog, see the tags and categories that I referenced here as to how I think this item is especially relevant.

 

 

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The high cost of low graduation rates [Schneider and Yin]

On 08/22/2011, in budgets, business, economics, higher education, legislatures / government / legal, research, society, United States, by Daniel Christian

The high cost of low graduation rates — from air.org by Mark Schneider and Lu (Michelle) Yin
How much does dropping out of college really cost?

 

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Spotlight on poverty and opportunity

On 08/17/2011, in leadership, legislatures / government / legal, policy, society, sociology, by Daniel Christian

 

Addendum on 8/18/11:

 

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Closing the loop in education technology [Nagel]

On 08/10/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, budgets, change, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, education reform, education technology, game-changing environment, K-12 related, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, policy, United States, using teams, by Daniel Christian

Closing the loop in education technology — from The Journal by David Nagel

Excerpt:

K-12 education isn’t using technology effectively and isn’t investing nearly enough in IT infrastructure to enable next-generation learning. That’s the conclusion of a new report, “Unleashing the Potential of Technology in Education,” which called for a greater financial commitment to education technology and the adoption of a holistic, “closed loop” approach to its implementation.

See also:

Unleashing the Power of Technology in Education - Report from the BCG in August 2011

 From DSC:

We may continue to be disappointed in our overall results — even if we do bump up our ed tech infrastructure/investments — if we continue to use the same models/ways of doing things. That is, I wish we would move more towards a team-based approach and stop trying to load up our teachers’ and professors’ plates with tasks that they probably don’t have the time, interest, or training to do.  Graphically speaking:

 

 

 

 

So…use teams to create and deliver the content — and allow for online tutoring from a team of specialists in each discipline. Like the healthcare-related billboard I kept driving by the other day said: “A team of specialists at every step.”

 

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Higher ed in Michigan: A couple of budgetary-related items

On 08/07/2011, in budgets, business side of he, colleges, community colleges, game-changing environment, higher education, legislatures / government / legal, Michigan, student-related, trends, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

New ‘net price calculators’ required by law may bring sticker shock to families planning for college — from Michigan (USA)/mlive.com and Flint Journal by Beata Mostafavi

University tuition hits an ugly milestone; how can college be affordable again? — from Michigan (USA)/mlive.com by Peter Luke

Also see:

 

 

 

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Debt to degree: A new way of measuring college success [Carey & Dillon]

On 08/06/2011, in accreditation, assessment, budgets, business side of he, colleges, community colleges, higher education, legislatures / government / legal, society, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

Debt to degree: A new way of measuring college success — from educationsector.org by Kevin Carey and Erin Dillon

Excerpt:

The American higher education system is plagued by two chronic problems: dropouts and debt. Barely half of the students who start college get a degree within six years, and graduation rates at less-selective colleges often hover at 25 percent or less. At the same time, student loan debt is at an all-time high, recently passing credit card debt in total volume.1 Loan default rates have risen sharply in recent years, consigning a growing number of students to years of financial misery. In combination, drop-outs and debt are a major threat to the nation’s ability to help students become productive, well-educated citizens.

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Fixing Debt [Kiley]

On 07/29/2011, in budgets, business side of he, higher education, legislatures / government / legal, by Daniel Christian

Fixing Debt — from InsideHigherEd.com by Kevin Kiley

Excerpt:

Colleges and universities don’t like uncertainty, and right now they’re facing a lot of it. No one knows how long it will take the economy to recover to pre-recession levels. The government’s sovereign credit rating, once ironclad, is under review for potential downgrade. And people aren’t even sure if, in less than a week’s time, the government will be able to pay its bills. Nobody knows what the national fiscal picture means for higher education. The current drama in Washington over the debt ceiling has only exacerbated several years’ worth of economic uncertainty that led colleges and universities to convert variable-rate debt — a potentially volatile form of borrowing in which the interest rate can change weekly depending on the market — to fixed-rate debt. They purchased the variable-rate debt in droves because of historically low interest rates; shifting to fixed-rate debt will come at a price. But doing so provides somewhat more stability, no matter what happens in Washington — even if the worst unfolds and the government defaults, one of several factors that could send variable rates soaring.

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