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The ability to read, once limited to only an elite few, has become accessible to the masses, providing limitless opportunities in return.","_key":"dbb63e180f2a0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But there’s a troubling ","_key":"d9d3c4718ea20"},{"_key":"d9d3c4718ea21","_type":"span","marks":["d70e85f7dd04"],"text":"trend"},{"text":" in America’s education system, and one recent report reveals just how serious the situation has become.","_key":"d9d3c4718ea22","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"84f10cd88855","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.vice.com/en/article/us-literacy-dropped-substantially/","_key":"d70e85f7dd04"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"5d8e06b7fd3c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"“A large-scale international study”","_key":"536d81781bbf0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"14c264183867","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"National Center for Education Statistics Commissioner Peggy Carr is sounding the alarm after the results of a major survey found a staggering increase in illiteracy since 2017. According to the Survey of Adult Skills, the percentage of individuals around the world who rank at the lowest level of reading proficiency was 19% in 2017 and had","_key":"d359d281dff70"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" jumped to 28%","_key":"355b915e09ac"},{"_key":"00fab2436ab7","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by 2023."}]},{"_key":"ab4fd4f4ca35","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“It is larger than what we would normally see in an international assessment, particularly literacy, which is a fairly stable construct,” Carr explained.","_key":"74cd320343fb0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"7206a77a70240","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The survey collects data from Americans aged 16-74 and individuals 16-65 in other countries."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"921e663ef060"},{"style":"normal","_key":"3a539c383c19","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“It is designed to assess and compare adults’ skills in participating countries over ","_key":"631386b02f960"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"a broad range of abilities","_key":"13ff75997ba9","_type":"span"},{"_key":"026213aa9f86","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", from reading simple passages to complex problem-solving skills, and to collect information on an individual's skill use and background,” the agency explained."}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5baca5a44614","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"What it means for America","_key":"73ff41bf2b0a0","_type":"span"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"895ab08825500","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although the survey is described as “a large-scale international study of key "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"cognitive and workplace skills","_key":"af5936130f1c"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of adults,” Carr noted that there is plenty for U.S. educators to learn from the results.","_key":"393916670b96"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"acaf8f32324c"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For example, the study also identified a deficiency in skills like working with numbers and adaptive problem-solving.","_key":"6220f0b91e720"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"41dbafd9483c"},{"_key":"e493f4b5b51f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s worth noting that scoring low on the survey doesn’t mean a person is illiterate on an individual basis, but the cumulative impact of the global survey is clear evidence of a trend.","_key":"0503fb0066c60"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"befa22293d830","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As for what’s causing it, Carr acknowledged that “"},{"_key":"5b920e3f40ac","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"it is difficult to 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That’s why schools are making targeted pleas with parents to instill a healthier relationship with technology at home.","_key":"5a347ca9c249","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1},{"children":[{"text":"More than a distraction","_key":"4e2ed92463a20","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"00838d53d181","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"98b1121c37b3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The obvious reasons for limiting or banning the use of smartphones in school are obvious: they can help students cheat and disrupt the learning process. 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The cost is a lot less than a traditional four-year school and it can provide an opportunity to ","_key":"51d0060959980"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"knock out a few of those introductory courses","_key":"0d61e4f53e3d"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that can then be transferred to another university … at least in theory.","_key":"125c8a740bca"}]},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.npr.org/2024/08/21/nx-s1-4930527/community-college-affordable-bachelors-degree","_key":"f6d82f0a777c"}],"children":[{"text":"But in ","_key":"a3d88de8c5690","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["f6d82f0a777c"],"text":"practice","_key":"a3d88de8c5691"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", far fewer community college students actually make that leap than you might think. And there are a few major reasons why.","_key":"a3d88de8c5692"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a0b0ef1f4621"},{"children":[{"text":"Tyre’k’s Story","_key":"fe8ba8a70d030","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c6f3768d4a78","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although there are countless examples of students who","_key":"2bf43608a85d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" become disillusioned by the process","_key":"d587a7602b77"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of navigating a transfer from community college to a university, let’s take a look at one twentysomthing’s experience.","_key":"b7dbc3cefa5e"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5b85f0b09272","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_key":"15d2404aeb130","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Tyre’k Swanigan’s goal was to attend Indiana University, but he opted to start his secondary education at the community college level. It started off smoothly enough, but when he heard from a recruiter at his chosen university, he received the disappointing news that"},{"text":" many of the credits he’d already earned","_key":"54702930ed82","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" wouldn’t transfer.","_key":"c04a44a2e7ac"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fa79b0e7d095","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ultimately, he decided to withdraw from community college like so many of his like-minded peers.","_key":"dd6657e0b21a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8b03a0d1690f"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"5f3f89ee7d4c0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Change of plans"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"31acc40f86ad"},{"_key":"110b8ea66e91","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Studies show that a whopping 83% of individuals who enroll in community college plan to transfer. In reality, however, a paltry ","_key":"9db7b6c1e88e0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"13% of those students earn a degree","_key":"6d9185ffc9d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" from a four-year college within eight years.","_key":"9c702bbf22e0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"78cc3046d0fd","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And Tyre’k’s experience is all too familiar, says University of Southern California professor Huriya Jabbar, who blamed the “bureaucratic hurdles” and “opaque transfer policies” that make it difficult for many students to navigate the shift from community college to a four-year institution.","_key":"6fe1567dde990"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"516c9892eca3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Some states are trying to make it easier through legislation — but in the meantime, if you’re considering community college, make sure you","_key":"70b13b43e7b70"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" know what you’re getting into","_key":"3c5661b5554c"},{"_key":"92a973c33310","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" before you enroll."}]}],"_createdAt":"2024-08-22T20:54:37Z","summary":"The reality is often a lot more complicated than the dream.","id":"3o5xQqWQ","_rev":"ssz7pA5rMgsLNeAKFQMwsI","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_id":"e0c43049-d348-4600-b23a-9328d45ee4d4","category":"education","_type":"story","slug":"/story/2024/08/why-so-many-community-college-students-never-transfer-to-a-fouryear-university","_updatedAt":"2024-08-22T20:54:37Z","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2024-08-23","title":"Why So Many Community College Students Never Transfer To A Four-Year University"},{"summary":"There's currently a hodgepodge of restrictions in place across the country.","body":[{"_key":"2aaa883ce0b1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"cad2206f7c700","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As a society, devices have become a central component of daily life. Many of you are reading this newsletter right now on your smartphones."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f4b7a58be1ee","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.axios.com/2024/07/05/schools-ban-phones-social-media-desantis-newsom","_key":"595adac27816"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But there are some serious ","_key":"23c2a30ed6850"},{"marks":["595adac27816"],"text":"concerns","_key":"23c2a30ed6851","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" about when and where it is appropriate to use them … and one of the most prominent examples of this debate is in the classroom.","_key":"23c2a30ed6852"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What schools are doing","_key":"c3b76fbc104b0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7066273c638c"},{"_key":"4b5ba005c055","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Efforts to reduce distractions, cheating, and cyberbullying among students have led many districts across the U.S. to impose strict bans on cell phones inside schools. With communities largely deciding how to handle the issue, however, there is ","_key":"30f261a6cd150"},{"text":"no clear consensus","_key":"b1f6d7cb904f","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" on which strategy is most effective — and there are even some compelling arguments for allowing students to keep their phones with them in class.","_key":"648471537305"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So let’s take a look at some ways administrators are responding:","_key":"1ffca4ed917a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"688caa5c0b94"},{"style":"normal","_key":"b8fad1666f89","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Florida and Indiana led the way with","_key":"30a136caeb140"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" statewide restrictions ","_key":"410e86cf93f7"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"on phone use in schools.","_key":"07afb904eae0"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"140b96f3adaf","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Two of the nation’s","_key":"9248bd81608c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" largest districts","_key":"35f012aa33ff"},{"_key":"3257d8394083","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" — Los Angeles and New York City — are pursuing bans."}]},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"In Gorham, Maine, a plan allowing kids to “","_key":"72d185cee6170","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"police themselves","_key":"b85f288c3e45"},{"marks":[],"text":"” has been effective.","_key":"c24f777075ef","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f7d6699acdf7","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"No matter what tactic a district uses, there’s widespread agreement that there must be some 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","_key":"0a4da25563170"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Nearly 80% ","_key":"4a2933dc0e2f"},{"_key":"6bba39792b79","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"of respondents said parental involvement is insufficient when it comes to holding students accountable for misbehavior at school."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3614ad338664","markDefs":[]}],"id":"xqyURZGK","_createdAt":"2024-04-08T22:53:53Z","visibility":"true","summary":"Educators are dealing with a lot both in and out of the classroom these days.","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"}},{"body":[{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/your-money/paying-for-college/100k-college-cost-vanderbilt.html","_key":"2a7c5047336c","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Massive debt for college graduates is nothing new, but the constantly rising cost of tuition has accelerated in recent years. 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And of course, most colleges have much less expensive (though maybe not easily affordable) tuition costs.","_key":"c4649bab0daa0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"069d2fd89742"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In-state tuition to the average public college is","_key":"e842887f70d90"},{"_key":"5e1290546fb5","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" just over $24,000"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" per year.","_key":"018608fda9d0"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"65e4da917d97"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"318a56f4ccfc","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The annual cost of a private university","_key":"3ecaa8e886020"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" tops $56,000","_key":"3db164b7162d"},{"text":".","_key":"47e9a2c378af","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"31% of public and 18% of private college students","_key":"34e20fcd97260"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" qualify for free tuition and fees.","_key":"c03a35fb3dc7"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"57c986b94864","listItem":"bullet"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"But students and parents alike are increasingly aware of the soaring costs, even if they don’t fully understand why college has gotten so expensive.","_key":"31ca5023afdb0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"739d1d67bdd7"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8270d1293d33","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Figuring out the actual value","_key":"767a32fbf57f0"}]},{"_key":"56b772e029f0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Many Gen Zers are foregoing four-year college altogether … but for those who decide to take that route, it’s important to understand what that tuition money really buys.","_key":"1834ee9fe2f70"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"2345f513abe1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In the case of Vanderbilt, more than half goes to","_key":"0d2be0b162820"},{"_key":"cc163ec16864","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" faculty and staff salaries and benefits"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". The cost of keeping up with regulations also takes up a big chunk of that incoming revenue.","_key":"832fbfe8d2cb"}],"_type":"block"}],"slug":"/story/2024/04/sixfigure-college-tuition-is-very-nearly-a-reality-but-why","summary":"The cost of a four-year university education has been soaring for decades.","image":{"asset":{"source":{"name":"Floridas 20Th Congressional District GIF by GIPHY News","id":"eOXqAez4rR8Kf0xu9f","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/news-floridas-20th-congressional-district-omari-hardy-eOXqAez4rR8Kf0xu9f"},"_id":"image-c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826-480x294-gif","_updatedAt":"2024-04-06T00:18:11Z","originalFilename":"4f0a5d36-fbe3-4d4e-9689-6e5f24b896b7.gif","extension":"gif","uploadId":"7JuxzEsepOPg38RNjhhnqBPjGg85CN90","mimeType":"image/gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826-480x294.gif","assetId":"c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826","_createdAt":"2024-04-06T00:18:11Z","metadata":{"blurHash":"VWK8@%{i*}Rj9G=xRkRkxaM|kCWVR*s:s:aeWBbHoyxa","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":12.44,"background":"#dc0433","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":12.44,"background":"#dc0433","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":3.1,"background":"#46322e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.42,"background":"#917764"},"lightVibrant":{"population":0.09,"background":"#eb8aa3","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#8c0610","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":10.66},"lightMuted":{"population":0.32,"background":"#ccb798","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.6326530612244898,"height":294,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480},"isOpaque":true},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826-480x294.gif","size":1466631,"_rev":"E2tO8XATxmuiKf4BP1iAYm","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826"},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0},"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9452054794520547,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy"},"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_id":"b15c0c12-730f-4732-a7b7-d3559ed41ac0","_updatedAt":"2024-04-06T00:20:21Z","_type":"story","publishDate":"2024-04-06","_createdAt":"2024-04-06T00:20:21Z","visibility":"true","title":"Six-Figure College Tuition Is Very Nearly A Reality — But Why?","id":"HTGuyLPh","_rev":"E2tO8XATxmuiKf4BP1iCkm","category":"education"},{"visibility":"true","publishDate":"2024-03-19","title":"Four Years Later: Assessing The Damage Of COVID School Shutdowns","id":"CqfRqXCa","slug":"/story/2024/03/four-years-later-assessing-the-damage-of-covid-school-shutdowns","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s now been four years since COVID-19 was declared a worldwide pandemic. And whether that seems like yesterday or you can’t seem to remember a time before the lock downs, it’s obvious that there have been ","_key":"4d7c60b0b61a0"},{"text":"some incredible repercussions","_key":"42e953a77caf","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" not just from the disease but also the measures taken in an effort to slow its spread.","_key":"76d22bf578ed"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"95661a737819"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/upshot/pandemic-school-closures-data.html","_key":"765ac9360003"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Perhaps no group has sustained more pronounced long-term ","_key":"09316b81e49a0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["765ac9360003"],"text":"damage","_key":"09316b81e49a1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" than students … and we’re just now starting to recognize the magnitude of those widespread school closures.","_key":"09316b81e49a2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0760863fb5bf"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"2c916e51b3ad0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Beyond the headlines"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3eb9a9561ce1"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There have been countless reports about learning loss and mental health issues associated with the ","_key":"d7275dd6b73b0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"abrupt shift to remote learning","_key":"5149748979e4"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". 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The Hidden Issue Behind Many Students’ Poor Math Performance","_id":"25c710ec-e179-4a66-b44b-057ce57f99eb","id":"9JFUwnVl","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"summary":"Experts say awareness and training are the keys to addressing the problem.","_updatedAt":"2023-10-19T03:20:47Z","publishDate":"2023-10-19","category":"education","_createdAt":"2023-10-18T19:49:39Z","visibility":"true","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"It’s one of the idiomatic ","_key":"40db933b1b330","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"“3 R’s” of education","_key":"83172564d0eb"},{"text":", but too often students who struggle with “‘rithmatic” are deprived of the tools that would help them reach their full 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undiagnosed.","_key":"2ae0601e0c100"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"61366b7f8d48","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"“Mom, am I stupid?”","_key":"2b395bfbecc20"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"271747396321","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The mother of one third-grade student recalled the tough road that led to realizing that her daughter was struggling with dyscalculia. The 9-year-old had demonstrated difficulty counting, telling time, and completing other tasks in the past and her mother sought tutoring — but it didn’t seem to help.","_key":"d084155c593c0"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“We hit a point where she was asking me, ‘Mom, am I stupid?” said Laura Jackson.","_key":"8273aee09ecb0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a8b1ba7c14cf"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a3ae2f38729d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Eventually, a friend told her about the disorder and she realized ","_key":"7d7697ffb1160","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"that’s what was holding her daughter back.","_key":"2ccd97d39eb1"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"For many other parents, however, there’s little if any support available, in large part because of a lack of clinical research. But experts are now trying to increase awareness and promote methods to help address this common — but often overlooked — problem.","_key":"806179e445d60","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c9403d18d464"}],"slug":"/story/2023/10/confronting-the-hidden-issue-behind-many-students-poor-math-performance"},{"_updatedAt":"2023-10-10T22:11:40Z","slug":"/story/2023/10/exploring-why-and-how-the-defense-department-does-education-so-well","summary":"Many pandemic-era problems don't seem to apply to these schools.","body":[{"_key":"b0a3b3fcd133","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When you think of where the Pentagon excels, you might think of military training or the procurement of state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.","_key":"2c8d49ea60490"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"text":"A less obvious but nonetheless correct ","_key":"4f97b93771c00","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["e75706fe2674"],"text":"answer","_key":"4f97b93771c01"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" would be education.","_key":"4f97b93771c02"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1d3a9fa0701c","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/us/schools-pandemic-defense-department.html","_key":"e75706fe2674"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Outpacing private and public schools","_key":"fb05609651360"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b1828777335f","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"f65d27430a6d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Educating the children of American men and women in uniform is a task that the Defense Department doesn’t take lightly … and that fact is ","_key":"91541b3433a40","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"evident in the results","_key":"91541b3433a41","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that such schools regularly achieve.","_key":"91541b3433a42"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c0bcd4d646d5","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Take Faith Middle School in Fort Moore, Georgia, for example. Principal Amy Dilmar is well aware that education took a big blow during COVID-19, which resulted in learning loss across the board due to school closures and related factors.","_key":"4b5f414d37590"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Nevertheless, ","_key":"3ed81d1c5eb40"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"she has seen test scores soar","_key":"3ed81d1c5eb41","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in direct contradiction to the trends seen elsewhere in the nation’s education system. And she’s not alone.","_key":"3ed81d1c5eb42"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1dbe01e782b3"},{"style":"normal","_key":"2636e99d06df","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"f2fd444b4c560","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Schools operated by the DOD ranked "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"higher than all other jurisdictions","_key":"f2fd444b4c561"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in math and reading scores registered in the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam.","_key":"f2fd444b4c562"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"cfd502e54da8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0124d8d61f720","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Furthermore, the racial and income-based disparities that have been persistent in other types of education don’t seem to be as prevalent in these schools."}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What are they doing right?","_key":"d507ac41fee10"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"af40baf73eb0","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"As Harvard University’s Martin West explained: “If the Department of Defense schools were a state, ","_key":"a523310ed11d0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"we would all be traveling there","_key":"a523310ed11d1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to figure out what’s going on.”","_key":"a523310ed11d2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"151042f61e0a"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But the secret to this success might not be easy to replicate nationwide. Experts believe that these schools are ","_key":"c2026b42877c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"shielded from certain issues","_key":"c2026b42877c1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that negatively impact traditional schools due to ample funding and the natural diversity of the military.","_key":"c2026b42877c2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4861f6621273","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Additionally, since the Defense Department makes decisions based on a central departmental standard, ","_key":"7ddd75de2b5e0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"it isn’t easily swayed","_key":"7ddd75de2b5e1"},{"text":" by school boards, cultural debates, and politics.","_key":"7ddd75de2b5e2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4f9a5793daca","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"And since students are the kids of military personnel, each family has a home, healthcare, and at least one stable income.","_key":"06dc0c713d120","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ead9b2f124a1","markDefs":[]}],"category":"education","image":{"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"},"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.875,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"_updatedAt":"2023-10-10T22:10:53Z","originalFilename":"b00a64bd-35be-4742-801c-a59e0f53b6a6.gif","assetId":"e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c","_id":"image-e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c-480x270-gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c","source":{"name":"Revise English GIF by Reuben Armstrong","id":"KDYB0cH4HW8xc3VIAx","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/marches-marchesschool-marchesacademy-KDYB0cH4HW8xc3VIAx"},"size":1666650,"extension":"gif","_rev":"CMb7wrJRucKlhj6d9HYQp6","mimeType":"image/gif","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c-480x270.gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c-480x270.gif","_createdAt":"2023-10-10T22:10:53Z","metadata":{"blurHash":"MQJ7,R.SRnt8og_NtRs,f,jYo#tRoft6ax","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"background":"#d49c2f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.04},"dominant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.4,"background":"#37291f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#37291f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.4},"muted":{"population":4.82,"background":"#917855","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":4.06,"background":"#ccb06e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.92,"background":"#693d20","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.02,"background":"#d4c3af","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true},"uploadId":"9LBIG9u2usyyffhRWTTUiAouyljbLonU"}},"_createdAt":"2023-10-10T22:11:40Z","_id":"dc292833-5675-4534-9452-3f406e9ace8a","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_type":"story","_rev":"4WYc4ZxftysheRL4psWn6q","title":"Exploring Why (And How) The Defense Department Does Education So Well","id":"bl9KdOa2","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2023-10-11"}]