Education – PBS NewsHour

In a pilot project announced this summer, the Department of Education will partner with dozens of colleges to provide higher education to prisoners who can't afford to pay; eligible inmates will be able to apply for federal grants under the experimental trial. Hari Sreenivasan explores what both advocates and critics are saying.

On college campuses, Latino males are perhaps the most underrepresented group. These men are often expected to provide for their families, which can mean a choice between getting an education and getting a job. Hari Sreenivasan reports as part of our Rethinking College series on one program that’s trying to combat the issue by creating mentorship opportunities.

At Paul Quinn College, where once there was a football field, now there’s an organic farm. It’s not just a symbol of renewal for this once-struggling historically black college in Dallas; it’s where students work to pay tuition. As part of our Rethinking College series, Hari Sreenivasan explores how students learn to understand the expectations of a career while gaining a liberal arts education.

In Boston public schools, 3, 4 and 5-year-olds are getting their first introduction to math. Before they walk through the kindergarten door, the “Building Blocks” curriculum is designed to encourage very young children to think and talk about math concepts throughout the days, by providing lessons through innovative games. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports.

Georgetown University is taking an unprecedented step to respond to and apologize for its ties to slavery. The university will give special preference to applicants who are descendants of Georgetown’s slaves, plans to rename a building in honor of one of the slaves and will create an institute to study slavery. For greater context, Hari Sreenivasan speaks with the MIT’s Craig Steven Wilder.

It’s back-to-school season, but these students have taken their brainstorming outside the classroom to solve pressing, real-life problems. Visit a competition where teams of student inventors pitch their entrepreneurial ideas to guests posing as investors, who vote on the best startup ideas. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports from Portland, Oregon.

Teaching is extremely difficult in urban school districts. In Chicago, for example, the city is confronting one of the worst budget crises in years, and keeping good teachers is a persistent struggle. But an intensive training program nearby is using innovative techniques that anticipate the challenges teachers will face in such demanding, diverse classrooms. Education Week's Lisa Stark reports.

Corporal punishment is still used in 21 states' public schools. Proponents say the method can motivate children to behave, but research suggests otherwise. Trey Clayton, for instance, was paddled repeatedly in school as a teenager, ultimately suffering a broken jaw and dropping out. Jeffrey Brown sits down with Education Week's Sarah Sparks for our weekly education segment, “Making the Grade.”

Just in time for the start of school, a federal judge in Texas has blocked the Obama administration's directive regarding transgender bathrooms and locker rooms. That rule said that students should be able to choose the facilities that match their gender identity. William Brangham talks with Education Week’s Evie Blad about how schools are responding.

Science tells us that critical brain development in children begins well before kindergarten, so their care and education prior to starting school matter. But the very foundation of effective early education -- child care providers -- often struggle to earn a living wage. In fact, nearly half of these teachers require some sort of federal support to make ends meet. Hari Sreenivasan reports.

Karen Ritter, an assistant principal at a high school just outside of Chicago, wanted to see her school through a student’s eyes. So she decided to follow 9th grader Alan Garcia, who came to her asking to be switched out of the many remedial classes in which he is enrolled, hoping to get a clear view of his experience in the classroom. Special correspondent John Tulenko of Education Week reports.

Algebra is a core subject for U.S. high school students. But should it be? Author Andrew Hacker believes we should reconsider how math is taught: only 5 percent of the American workforce actually uses math beyond arithmetic, though higher-level classes are widely required. But Hacker’s proposal to focus math instruction in a real-world context has drawn criticism from the education community.

Fifty years ago today, a former Marine and engineering student opened fire from atop the clock tower at University of Texas, Austin. Charles Whitman killed more than a dozen and wounded many more. William Brangham speaks with Gregory Fenves, president of University of Texas at Austin, about a new memorial, as well as Texas’ new campus concealed carry law.

Blurb: The 2016 election mudslinging from “crooked” Hillary Clinton and “dangerously incoherent” Donald Trump has even piqued the interest of teens — and made teaching high school civics that much more difficult. So it’s time to get creative, which one 12th grade government teacher has done with his ‘scandals, lies and incivility’ curriculum. Education Week’s Lisa Stark reports for the NewsHour.

As kindergarten and pre-k have become more academically rigorous, some worry that the very youngest students may be missing out on crucial development through abundant playtime. But other educators believe setting high expectations for achievement helps kids, especially low-income students, excel. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports.