Education Coverage | PBS NewsHour Podcast | PBS

College: 'The Best Rehearsal Spaces We Have for Democracy'

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:45:00 EDT

In "College: What it Was, Is, and Should Be," Columbia University professor Andrew Delbanco presents a biting defense of a traditional four-year college experience with a liberal arts education -- as opposed to a pre-professional training experience increasingly popular in a tough economy. Jeffrey Brown hosts the conversation.

Helping High School Youth Learn by Doing

Mon, 21 May 2012 18:25:00 EDT

Since 1994, YouthBuild has trained 110,000 high school dropouts around the country to put up houses for their community and think critically in the classroom while earning their GEDs or diplomas. As part of the American Graduate series, Paul Solman reports on a program designed to keep kids learning inside and outside of class.

Boosting Reading Skills: Will 'Common Core' Experiment Pay Off?

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:34:00 EDT

Called the "Common Core," a new set of state guidelines spell out what young students are expected to learn and what books they're expected to read. Forty five states and the District of Colombia have already adopted the standards. Learning Matters' John Merrow reports on the design and the aim of the new guidelines.

Holocaust Survivor: Hatred, Tyranny Continue 'Every Single Day'

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:45:00 EDT

After surviving the Holocaust, Gerda Weissmann Klein emigrated to the United States where she has championed the values of immigrants and citizenship. Klein speaks with Judy Woodruff about her horrifying years in Nazi captivity and how the experience has inspired her work.

California Community Colleges Face Dilemmas Amid Tighter Budgets

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:35:00 EDT

With 2.6 million students, California's community colleges make up the largest higher educational system in the country. Spencer Michels reports on the system's efforts to reshape its future as budget problems have forced the state to cut back support and tuition hikes have sparked student protests.

On Stage, Chicago Students Tackle Immigration, Poverty, Race

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:40:00 EDT

Students at the Albany Park Theatre Project in Chicago research, write and perform plays about their own communities, tackling tough issues like immigration, poverty and race while learning about theater in an area where extracurricular activities are few and far between. Jeffrey Brown reports.

Engaging Students With Learning Differences Early On

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:24:00 EDT

Students with learning differences are twice as likely as their peers to drop out of high school, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Betty Ann Bowser visited an elementary school that practices early intervention -- engaging students with technology and art to improve their chances of earning a diploma.

Condoleezza Rice: Education Could Be 'Greatest National Security Challenge'

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:44:00 EDT

A new Council on Foreign Relations report spelled out the need for more science, history and foreign languages in U.S. schools -- and linked education to national security interests. Jeffrey Brown discusses the report with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.

Colorado Students Begin to Learn Financial Discipline

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:40:00 EDT

A Colorado law that went into effect last year requires schools to teach public school students about financial responsibility -- from drawing coins and bills to deducting purchases from their classroom bank accounts. Correspondent Tom Bearden reports.

Oakland Program Aims to Pique Girls' Interest in Science, Tech Careers

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:39:00 EDT

As part of the NewsHour's American Graduate series, correspondent Spencer Michels reports on Techbridge, an after-school program based in Oakland, Calif., that shows hundreds of female students a path to pursuing careers in science and technology, while also trying to minimize the chances of them dropping out of school.

Driver's License Incentives Used in Some States to Keep Teens in School

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:33:00 EDT

A growing number of state legislatures are using driving privileges as an incentive to keep students from dropping out of high school. States' laws vary, but the general premise is the same: If a student wants to stay on the road, he or she must stay in school. Hari Sreenivasan reports.

Report: Minority Students Face Harsher Discipline

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:17:00 EDT

Black and Hispanic students are more likely to be suspended than white students, according to a report released Tuesday by the Education Department's Office of Civil Rights. Jeffrey Brown discusses the disparities with Christopher Edley Jr. of the University of California, Berkeley and the Fordham Institute's Chester Finn Jr.

New York Arts Program Brings 'Harmony' to Low-Income Students

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:42:00 EDT

Serving mostly low-income children in New York City, an innovative music education program called Harmony provides free instruments and daily music lessons to children in third through sixth grades. Correspondent John Merrow reports on an arts program changing lives in public schools, based on a system developed in Venezuela.

Online Public Schools Gain Popularity, but Quality Questions Persist

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:21:00 EDT

Full-time public cyber schools are now an option in 30 states, allowing some 250,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade to press buttons to raise their hands and message their teachers. John Tulenko of Learning Matters Television reports from Pennsylvania where the demand for online charter schools is high.

California Photographer Captures Young Faces of Juvenile Detention

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:40:00 EDT

Photographer and University of California, Santa Barbara professor Richard Ross has spent five years documenting juvenile detention facilities throughout the nation. In his own words, Ross explains what he's seen. This report is part of NewsHour's American Graduate series on the U.S. dropout crisis.

Gang Member-Turned-Ph.D. Mentors Youth on the Fringes

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:28:00 EDT

Victor Rios says he has lived two lifetimes. In his first, he was a gang member, juvenile delinquent and high school dropout. Now, he's a sociology professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who tries to help adolescents avoid the same mistakes he made and get second chances like he did. Ray Suarez reports.