Stop the Spread of Math Anxiety

iStock

Educators have long-known that math anxiety can affect student performance, but the underlying source of that apprehension may surprise you.

“Math anxiety can develop in the very early grades, often because of the negative messages about math that children pick up from the adults in their lives,” according to Karyn Lewis, a senior researcher at Education Northwest. “…Research shows that teachers unintentionally transmit their own attitudes about math to their students. This means teachers who have math anxiety can pass it on to their students, which can impact students’ math performance.”

Continue reading Stop the Spread of Math Anxiety

How the Eagles Prepared Me for College Counseling

iStock

Full disclosure: I’m a Philadelphia Eagles fan.

No, not that kind.

I’m the respectful, stoic kind that wears my green gear with pride, only cursing division rivals under my breath when occasion demands. I cheer or cringe with every down, every week, even from two time zones away. For although Denver is my home, my hometown lies just outside Philly. The Eagles are my home team.

After witnessing an Eagles season filled with inspiring moments, generous athletes, and spirited end zone celebrations, we find ourselves here. Days away from what has eluded us for over half a century. Again.

It was during this most recent season that I recognized the parallels between my life as an Eagles fan and my career. Those same qualities intrinsic to Eagles fandom have, in fact, equipped me for college counseling.

Continue reading How the Eagles Prepared Me for College Counseling

ICYMI: NACAC Urges Trump and Congress to Find Common Ground on Immigration

iStock

In a statement released Friday, NACAC urged Congress and the White House “to find common ground and move forward with policies that support DREAMers and promote student mobility across borders.”

Talks are expected to continue this week as policymakers from both sides of the aisle unpack the president’s immigration plan and craft their own proposals.

Continue reading ICYMI: NACAC Urges Trump and Congress to Find Common Ground on Immigration

ACT to Launch Free Test Prep Tool

Free test prep materials will soon be available online for students preparing to take the ACT.

The Iowa-based testing company announced this week that it would launch ACT Academy in the spring. The platform will include video lessons, interactive practice questions, full-length practice tests, and educational games.

Each student will receive a personalized study plan based on their scores from the ACT test, the PreACT, ACT practice tests, or diagnostics completed within the ACT Academy platform.

Continue reading ACT to Launch Free Test Prep Tool

College Admission Takes Center Stage

iStock

There is nothing like the college admission process to bring out the drama.

Abigail Henkin, a recent graduate of Chicago’s Lane Tech College Prep, thinks so anyway.

Her play, Decision Day, likens selecting a college to a dating game. The play beat out more than 500 submissions to be featured in the 31st annual Young Playwrights Festival in Chicago.

Continue reading College Admission Takes Center Stage

Now Available: #FormYourFuture FAFSA Tracker

Getting more students to complete the FAFSA is a crucial step in expanding college access and a new online tool makes it easier than ever for states and communities to monitor their progress.

The #FormYourFuture FAFSA Tracker, launched on Monday, tracks and ranks states’ progress toward getting 100 percent of their high school seniors to file for federal financial aid.

The interactive online dashboard, which is updated weekly, also includes city-specific data.

Users can chart their week-by-week progress, see how their community compares to other states and cities, and even check how this year’s completion rates stack up against data from last year. Continue reading Now Available: #FormYourFuture FAFSA Tracker

Video: The Forgotten College-Ready Students

A new video from Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce highlights a vexing problem.

Every year, 500,000 students who graduated in the top half of their high school class fail to complete a college degree.

“Most of these students go to college, but drop out,” the video narrator explains. “So they get all the debt and none of the benefits a degree confers.”

The short animated film highlights the consequences for both students and the American economy.

Continue reading Video: The Forgotten College-Ready Students