Understanding & Supporting High-Achievers

Students participate in a robotics competition as part of the EDGE program at Loudoun County Public Schools, which receives support from the Foundation.

December 20, 2019 – Here’s what we’re reading this week about the issues affecting high-achieving students. Articles discuss how to provide enriched learning experiences in K-12, and higher ed is adapting to enrollment changes and the diverse needs of students.

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Elementary & Secondary Education:

  • “Effective talent-development programs train teachers to work as talent scouts, spotting children who may not have the motivation or support they need to excel academically in traditional classrooms,” states Education Week in an article featuring a unique partnership between Baltimore City Public Schools and the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.
  • Should high-achieving students attend separate schools or classrooms? The Century Foundation looks for answers in education research.

 

Higher Education:

  • A moving story in The Chronicle of Higher Education demonstrates the significant impact that college fairs and school counselors can have for supporting college access in rural areas.
  • CNN describes newly-approved changes to simplify the FAFSA, which include eliminating 20 questions and allowing automatic updates on income information from IRS data.
  • New data shows that fewer students are enrolling in college, with an 11% decrease in college enrollment since 2011. NPR discusses how institutions are grappling with enrollment changes, and notes that adults re-entering higher education may fill some of those gaps.

 

Cooke Foundation Highlights:

  • An article in the New York Daily News highlights the story of Lizbeth Garcia, a senior from the Bronx who was accepted to her dream college after a school-wide push to get more students to apply early. The story cites our “True Merit” research showing that high-achieving students with financial need apply early decision less often than their more advantaged peers.
  • On LinkedIn, Executive Director Seppy Basili continues to share lessons learned from Cooke Foundation grantees serving students in rural areas. Follow Basili on LinkedIn or read our “Small Town, Big Talent” report for the full findings.

 

Social Media Spotlight:

Photo header: Students participate in a robotics competition as part of the EDGE program at Loudoun County Public Schools, which receives support from the Foundation.