2014年6月12日星期四

Yahoo! News: Education News

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Education News


Condom Use Drops Among US Teens

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 12:26 PM PDT

The recent decline follows a period of rising condom use — between 1991 and 2003, the percentage of high school students who used a condom during their last sexual encounter increased from 46 percent to 63 percent. The drop in teen condom use "shows the need for continued efforts from parents, schools and communities" to educate teens about condom use, said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC. But in what Frieden called encouraging news, the percentage of teens who are currently sexually active (had sex in the last three months) has declined in the last few decades: from 38 percent in 1991 to 34 percent in 2013. "We still think it's too high, but at least the trend is going in the right direction," Frieden said at a news conference today (June 12).

U.S. teenagers smoke less, but texting while driving a concern: CDC

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 12:23 PM PDT

By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - Fewer U.S. teenagers are smoking cigarettes, fighting or having sex, but texting while driving is prevalent among high school students, according to a survey released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. In 2013, 15.7 percent of teenagers reported smoking cigarettes, the lowest rate recorded since the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey began in 1991, the CDC said. Health officials said they were encouraged by the drop in teen smoking but worried that the growing popularity of electronic cigarettes could offset gains made by anti-smoking campaigns. In the 1991 survey, 27.5 percent of high school students said they smoked cigarettes.

U.S. states greet new fiscal year with modest spending growth

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 06:47 AM PDT

Most U.S. states will start their new fiscal year next month with budgets that provide some breathing room both for spending and revenues, according to a semi-annual report released by the National Association of State Budget Officers on Thursday. At the same time, revenues are forecast to rise 3.2 percent, according to NASBO. "For many states, this has presented an opportunity to accelerate fiscal progress," NASBO said. "Governors in most states are proposing to increase spending in fiscal 2015 by more than the current rate of inflation, bolstering core services such as K-12 education and higher education." In general, though, spending proposals "have been put forth with caution," NASBO said, as it warned that "growth in personal income tax collections in fiscal 2015 may be hampered by stagnant wages." States are considering cutting taxes and fees by $2.5 billion next fiscal year, although more than half of governors have proposed leaving taxes untouched.

New Government Data Sheds Light on Online Learners

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 06:00 AM PDT

Despite speculation that online education is rapidly changing the face of higher education, a new set of government data shows students might not be embracing virtual learning at the pace previously estimated. About 5.4 million students, or one in four, took at least one distance education course during the fall of 2012, according to data released earlier this month by the National Center for Education Statistics. And 74 percent of students were not enrolled in any distance education courses at all. The National Center for Education Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education, collected data from institutions eligible for Title IV financial aid.

How Do Colleges Set Tuition?

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 03:31 AM PDT

Of all the rituals associated with college, one that takes place mainly behind closed doors is the process of deciding what annual tuition will be. Though it may seem to some people paying the bill that this consists of a bow-tied version of Montgomery Burns picking a number between three and 10 out of a hat and raising the price by that much each year, in fact it involves many people from several departments analyzing, over a period of several months, a range of data from sources both internal and external. One illuminating fact that emerged in researching it is that although increases in "tuition" grab the bulk of the headlines around the cost of college, the price students pay to attend college sometimes goes down on average, year-over-year. In the academic year now ending, the average tuition for in-state students at public universities was $8,893, according to the College Board, but the price paid was just over a third of that—$3,120.

Pennsylvania school stabbing suspect enters not guilty plea

Posted: 11 Jun 2014 06:15 PM PDT

Flowers are seen outside the Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, PennsylvaniaAlex Hribal of Murrysville, Pennsylvania, is being charged as an adult for an attack that left several Franklin Regional High School students in critical condition. Hribal is accused of entering the school wielding two kitchen knives, stabbing students and staff in his wake. His lawyer, Patrick Thomassey, said he requested a jury trial but did not disclose a legal strategy.


California teacher tenure ruling: Not as earthshaking as it seems?

Posted: 11 Jun 2014 05:50 PM PDT

Teachers unions say the decision will result in a revolving door of teachers that will irreparably harm schools, and promise a years long legal fight. The ruling, which would strike down teacher tenure, for one, would give schools more flexibility in times of layoffs. "Both sides are overstating the implications for the positive and the negative," says Gary Painter, an education policy expert at the University of Southern California's Lusk Center for Real Estate in Los Angeles. The lawsuit, Vergara v. California, was filed by students who claimed that they were being deprived of a good education.

Can America Really Fire Its Way to Better Teachers?

Posted: 11 Jun 2014 05:11 PM PDT

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 17:11:01 PDT
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