Education

Only 16 % of American high school seniors are proficient in math and interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Even when students pursue a college degree in a STEM-related field, only about half end up working in a related career.

When a student is identified as gifted, they are often given access to resources to help them flourish. Things like accelerated classes, individualized learning plans, and academically rigorous instruction.

But critics of gifted and talented programs argue that they reinforce race and class opportunity gaps. That may be because students of color are underrepresented in gifted programs relative to white students.

If you plan on sending your kid to full-time day care or preschool, you better start saving.

That's because the average cost of child care in the U.S. now tops the average cost of in-state college tuition, according to a new report from the think tank New America.

Research shows black students receive harsher discipline than their white counterparts. They are more likely to be suspended and expelled from school, putting them at higher risk of falling into the school-to-prison pipeline.

I know, I know. School just started and here we are already talking about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The FAFSA application period used to start January 1. But for the 2017-2018 academic year, it launches three months sooner on October 1, 2016. 

Here are some things you need to know if you decide to sit down at the computer this weekend to start your application:

The White House released a summary last week detailing why trauma-informed schools are essential to student success.

Specifically, it focused on the educational barriers girls face when they’ve survived traumatic experiences like abuse, neglect and homelessness, and the need to rethink discipline policies to provide them with support.

Finishing college and obtaining a degree is challenging. Debt, work and other responsibilities often stand in the way. The path to college graduation can be particularly difficult for students who also have kids.

Nearly 5 million college students are parents of dependent children, according to the Institute of Women's Policy Research (IWPR). That's 26% of all college undergraduates.

And almost half of them are single mothers, 89% of whom are low-income.

How many kids are in a typical classroom in Michigan?

That’s a tough question to answer. And believe me, we’ve tried. 

But a new report from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan gives a clearer picture of class sizes in Michigan’s public schools.

There's a growing debate about the long-term effects of harsh school punishments, like suspensions, expulsions, and school arrests

Figuring out all the different pots of money that go into paying for special education is complicated, but you know what’s even more complicated? Figuring out how much special education in Michigan actually costs. And if we don't know that, we don't know whether we're spending too much or too little on special ed. 

It’s so complicated even the people who specialize in school finance can’t figure it out.