Education Strategy

Over the summer, many families in Tennessee eagerly applied their children for enrollment in Tennessee’s Virtual Academy. Online education courses are provided through K 12 Inc., and both the Virtual Academy and education officials are pleased with the response to the virtual academy. While many students have enrolled successfully, some are finding the application process challenging. According to an article in Education Week, parents who have applied for Tennessee’s Virtual Academy worry that their students will not be able to enroll in the online program.

According to the article, many of the students’ applications are tied up in a backlog of paperwork. This leaves many parents frustrated. Education officials and K 12 Inc.’s representatives believe that the slow application process can be attributed to the newness of the Virtual Academy.

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Not one and the same In an article in USA TODAY, Richard Whitmire writes that data indicate we should stop lumping blacks and Hispanics together as students of color, both in terms of how we measure progress and in terms of policy, since the groups have different education needs. Whitmire cites several sets of college-readiness data: Between 2002 and 2011, the percentage of black students taking the ACT who met all readiness benchmarks rose from 3 percent to 4 percent. Among Hispanic students, it rose from 8 percent to 11 percent. In 2010, black students made up 14.6 percent of high school graduates, but only 8.6 percent of AP test-takers. By contrast, Hispanics made up 17 percent of graduates and 16 percent of test-takers.

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Sports

• 05-10-12 Orlando Sentinel – Five teams that will surprise in 2012: WSU

• 05-09-12 Chicago Tribune – Path to Pullman
• 05-08-12 Tri-City Herald – WSU beats Portland in Pasco

Blogs

• 05-09-12 Bleacher Report – Mike Leach: WSU’s new coach is the gift that keeps on giving

Here’s a look at some of the storylines from today’s WHL Bantam Draft.

-The most direct impact on college hockey came early when Prince George moved up a couple spots in the first round by putting together a package that sent Michigan Tech recruit Jujhar Khaira’s rights to Everett. Prince George seemed to have no chance at signing Khaira, and with Everett getting him in a trade, they have to think their odds are less-than-zero. Khaira was ranked 74th among NA skaters by NHL Central Scouting for this year’s draft, and was invited to the NHL Draft Combine today, so he’d be a pretty big recruit for Michigan Tech. Khaira has a reputation as being pretty academic-minded, but there’s always a chance he could be swayed after he is drafted by an NHL team.

-The second overall pick in the draft was forward Jansen Harkins of the North Shore Winter Club.

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