Month: March 2023

Stefaniak receives Regents’ Teaching Award in Online Learning

She is a nationally identified leader in her field of educational design and style and a revered teacher

Jill Stefaniak, affiliate professor in the section of workforce education and learning and educational technological innovation inside of the Mary Frances Early University of Schooling, has been awarded the 2023 Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award for On line Instructing. Stefaniak is a nationally acknowledged chief in her field of tutorial design and a respected teacher who results in significant on the internet discovering ordeals.

“Dr. Stefaniak’s contributions commence with direct influence on each of her pupils and lengthen to colleagues each inside and past the campuses of UGA,” explained S. Jack Hu, the university’s senior vice president for tutorial affairs and provost. “She is genuinely invested in creating an partaking on-line learning surroundings that results in material mastery by means of authentic software of the study course content. Her efficacy and excellence in on-line instruction are the factors she is really deserving of the Instructing Excellence Award for On the web Instructing.”

Stefaniak is recognised among her colleagues and pupils for her commitment to high quality on the internet instructing. She strategically types her courses to inspire her college students to attain their plans, and she incorporates provider-finding out initiatives, so her learners can utilize program articles to true-planet eventualities in their very own communities. On best of this, Stefaniak is recognised for her capabilities to interact with her college students to inspire interaction, collaboration and feedback. In a recent class evaluation, a person scholar wrote that “she promotes an atmosphere, even on line, the place you just want to soar in and take part.”

“Dr. Stefaniak is identified as an outstanding trainer,” claimed Lloyd Rieber, head of the Section of Occupation and Data Studies. “She strives to create a learner-centered ecosystem in which learners set their personal finding out objectives and reach them. All over the system, she supports her pupils to replicate on their finding out, notably on the uncertainties which are inherent in instructional structure follow.”

She is also regarded as a mentor and advisor who helps any college student operating on investigation or projects in educational layout. She fortunately guides any doctoral students implementing for systems in her field, and she also shares her expertise in online instruction with college students organizing to develop into educators themselves.

Stefaniak has been given numerous accolades for her study that focuses on layout methods to improve the qualified development of beginner educational designers. Her study has been posted in the prestigious journal, Educational Technological know-how Analysis and Enhancement, and a single of her papers was awarded the 2019 Excellent Design and Enhancement Paper by the Association for Training Communications and Engineering. Most recently, Stefaniak was awarded the 2022 Finest Paper from the American Schooling Analysis Association for her do the job, “Examination of Systemic Variables that Effect Educational Designers’ Procedures in Increased Schooling.”

Stefaniak applies her investigate throughout her instruction, and she teaches her graduate-degree students the worth of bridging analysis and follow. In her on-line State-of-the-art Tutorial Layout program, her pupils understand how to evaluate study article content to contemplate how distinctive contexts affect the implementation of instructional style.

She successfully works by using Good quality Matters Better Training expectations and the rules of Common Design for Discovering (UDL) to create her instruction and guide her students. These instructive procedures permit Stefaniak to develop a learner-centered ecosystem that is interactive, pertinent and supportive for her students in their long run work as educational designers.

In the expanding virtual earth, Stefaniak has labored intently with the Office of Online Discovering, and, in 2020, she acquired a Mastering Systems Grant to produce on the web resources for incoming university initially-yr students. Stefaniak was also a member of the 2019-2020 Support-Understanding Fellows cohort with the Office environment of Assistance-Studying exactly where she created a training course to engage graduate learners in furnishing effectiveness evaluations for non-profit organizations. In 2020, Stefaniak was picked to be a Chancellor’s Mastering Scholar by the College Process of Georgia, wherever she supports school in creating authentic digital mastering encounters for their pupils.

“I am honored and humbled to be the receiver of this award. When providing instruction on the internet poses its individual set of issues for instructors and learners, the alternatives to access a greater audience and learn from pupils who are geographically dispersed is genuinely worthwhile,” claimed Stefaniak. “As instructional designers, we are educated to aid mastering and improve effectiveness. I truly feel quite lucky that I get to do this on a daily at UGA operating with students who will be impacting schooling throughout all disciplines and industries.”

Proposed sex education change in Gwinnett County draws backlash

A panel of district health and fitness teachers and administrators have endorsed a new method identified as HealthSmart, which promotes abstinence but also explores matters these as consent, gender id and sexual orientation. Some mom and dad have questioned individuals lessons, together with illustrations in the textbooks employed by HealthSmart.

They discover the coursework inappropriate and alarming. The district insists that the curriculum is suitable, extensive and doesn’t eliminate sight of abstinence as a purpose.

Considering the fact that studying about the achievable swap to HealthSmart, dozens of dad and mom have proven up at Gwinnett college board meetings to express their disapproval. Identical debates more than sexual intercourse ed — and how much data ought to be offered to students — have raged in the course of metro Atlanta and the country. Thursday, the Gwinnett university board is scheduled to vote on no matter whether to environmentally friendly light the new program.

Assorted ways

In Gwinnett, HealthSmart would switch the Picking the Ideal curriculum, which has been taught for more than two many years. Even though Picking the Finest touches on many topics, its supporters say it in no way deviates from its abstinence concept. The sex ed system is used in 450 middle and substantial schools in Georgia, including 7 of the 10 greatest districts, in accordance to the corporation that formulated it.

But some Ga advocates and Gwinnett health and fitness educators believe Deciding upon the Very best is not inclusive and leaves out vital info about reducing challenges that appear with intercourse. More than fifty percent of all higher faculty seniors in the U.S. report remaining sexually lively.

The district is steadfast that abstinence is the greatest, safest alternative for college students, claimed Tasha Guadalupe, Gwinnett’s director of wellness and physical training. “But we’re also practical, and we recognize that not all pupils are likely to make healthful conclusions to stay clear of dangerous behaviors.”

She mentioned HealthSmart’s emphasis on creating selection-creating, intention-placing and refusal skills would be more helpful than the district’s present-day solution. If moms and dads aren’t relaxed with that, state plan makes it possible for mom and dad to choose their young children out of any intercourse schooling.

Neev Seedani, a junior at Duluth Higher University, hopes the university board will vote in favor of HealthSmart. He claimed he didn’t come across the details he received in sexual intercourse ed valuable. Other than abstinence, he stated, the concentrate was on the probabilities of contraceptives failing.

“With condoms, for illustration, we talked about the occasions they really do not get the job done,” he claimed. “If you explain to anyone info in a way where you aim on the detrimental, they’ll likely adhere to the damaging.”

Brenda Stoll, a retired nurse whose small children graduated from the district, believes in Picking out the Ideal. She was section of the committee that 1st adopted it in Gwinnett and later served on the point out committee that up to date Georgia overall health training benchmarks in 2021.

She explained the HealthSmart system as “sexual risk reduction,” while Deciding upon the Best is “sexual danger avoidance.”

She feels HealthSmart glosses in excess of risks that come with sexual intercourse and doesn’t have enough data about the shortcomings of condoms. “Choosing the Finest tends to make absolutely sure that the youngsters know — and the young children have the proper to know this — that if they use a condom or contraceptive, there are failure prospects and there are constraints,” Stoll mentioned.

Drawing controversy

Sex training is routinely a flashpoint in Georgia and close to the nation.

DeKalb County moms and dads had been productive in pushing out Choosing the Ideal about 15 yrs back in favor of the additional thorough Family members Lifetime and Sexual Overall health. Fulton’s exertion didn’t yield a new application, but the district supplemented Choosing the Greatest classes with additional resources. And, just five years in the past, Gwinnett mom and dad arrived up brief in their efforts to get administrators to undertake a a lot more sturdy sexual intercourse ed method.

There is a nationwide network of teams versus comprehensive intercourse schooling — called Quit CSE — ready to mobilize when the subject arises. They make alarming assertions that this sort of plans search for to sway small children from their parents’ values or spiritual beliefs even though pushing them to prematurely search for sexual satisfaction.

But there are also loads of groups advocating for extra sex ed in educational institutions, an issue they say is produced even far more urgent by final year’s Supreme Court selection to overturn the nation’s constitutional protections for abortion. When they, too, say parents ought to be chatting to their young children about these sensitive topics, they argue educational institutions have a accountability to educate college students about sexuality.

“We should care about the conclusions (learners) are producing not just although they are in the classroom, but into adulthood,” Keri Hill, vice president of applications and instruction at the Ga Campaign for Adolescent Electric power and Likely. The firm assists districts put into action comprehensive sexual intercourse instruction.

“We want to make positive that we’re giving them info to make the most effective selections during their life, and when we’re restricting the info, that is not delivering them the best,” Hill stated.

District surveys about the proposed curriculum drew sharp detrimental responses.

But some in Gwinnett discover Deciding upon the Greatest seriously missing.

Seedani said HealthSmart lessons that address gender identification could be in particular worthwhile.

“There’s a good deal of hatred toward LGBTQ+ people today, and this hatred is brought on by a deficiency of comprehension,” Seedani mentioned in an interview. He reported lessons about gender and sexuality would assistance pupils “explore their very own identity” even though also helping all college students better comprehend and relate to each individual other.

Picking the Ideal program’s lack of dialogue on gender and sexuality make it inherently exclusionary, mentioned Gwinnett parent Elizabeth Wagner.

“For students on the rainbow, it is an illustration that they’re not viewed, not respected,” she claimed.

Credit history: Screenshot Courtesy of Gwinnett County Community Educational facilities

Credit score: Screenshot Courtesy of Gwinnett County General public Schools

Kanzelmeyer said he would not be cozy with lessons about gender id in a school classroom. He stated he does not have an situation with men and women expressing on their own, but doesn’t want his young ones studying about it in school.

Statistical aid

Two Gwinnett university board associates seem unconvinced that the sex instruction curriculum need to modify.

Mary Kay Murphy pointed to the surveys about HealthSmart in which far more than 90{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of participants voted from its implementation. Even so, she feels additional moms and dads really should have responded. The survey with the most members drew 678 responses.

Vice Chair Steven Knudsen stated neighborhood assist and community health and fitness facts confirmed the district shouldn’t alter what it is doing now.

Gwinnett described reduce teenager pregnancy premiums than the condition regular from 2001 to 2021, according to state health and fitness information.

Metro Atlanta counties, together with the relaxation of Georgia, all mirror the craze of lowering rates of teenager being pregnant. From 1991 to 2020, the price dropped by 75{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db}, in accordance to the Section of Wellness and Human Companies. Specialists attribute the drop to teens being fewer sexually lively than they after were being and to extra prevalent use of contraceptives, like intrauterine units.

Check outSexually transmitted ailments surging in Ga

Ga Section of Community Overall health information, from 2001-2021, displays Gwinnett has had reduce prices of sexually transmitted health conditions amid residents ages 15-19 than the state typical. When compared with Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties, Gwinnett has continually had the cheapest teenager STD level, about 2{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db}.

Hill, the GCAPP government, said that, even though Gwinnett’s numbers can be found as a beneficial, she thinks that introducing a thorough sexual intercourse ed program can support get being pregnant and STD prices lower.

Guadalupe explained there’s no study that displays Picking the Most effective influences these trends.

Murphy and Knudsen stated they would be in favor of delaying the choice on a new wellness curriculum to let for more local community involvement and study on different possibilities.

“We’ve had astounding quantities for 20 a long time,” Knudsen explained, referring to figures about teenager wellbeing in the county. He stated district personnel and the board must contemplate the “actual authentic existence ramifications” of their selection.

By the quantities

Here’s a snapshot of teenage sexual action, by percentage:

57{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} – Significant college seniors nationwide who say they’ve had sexual intercourse

3{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} – Ga adolescents who noted possessing a sexually transmitted disease

75{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} – the decline from 1991 to 2020 in teen pregnancies

Resources: Georgia Office of Public Overall health, Guttmacher Institute, U.S. Department of Wellbeing & Human Companies.

YVC teacher education program to take pause on new students | News

YAKIMA, Wash. – Yakima Valley College or university will not acknowledge a new cohort of instructing training students in 2023, as the faculty declared it will take the 12 months to examine the system to boost students’ instruction. 

This improve will only have an effect on the Bachelor of Used Science in Instructor Education and learning diploma.

Students and local community associates have been worried that this transfer would spell the finish of the training education plan solely, but YVC has no programs of ending the program.

“We’re just getting a pause on accepting a new cohort of college students and then we will be accepting a new cohort for the fall of 2024,” mentioned YVC’s Dustin Wunderlich.

Considerations sparked when pupils learned that some professors would not be returning to the school for the Tumble 2023 semester.

YVC defined that people instructors had been underneath a “specific school” tag and their contracts would not be renewed. 

At the Board of Trustee’s meeting, learners, faculty, and unions representing educators spoke through general public comment about the deficiency of interaction from the college concerning the contracts.

“1 of the factors that Dr. Kaminski spoke about throughout the assembly was like ‘oh perfectly we have, here is the reason and here is the reason,'” explained American Federation of Instructors Yakima Faculty President, Rachel Dorn. “Very well basically what we are inquiring for is that, but we’d like it to be created down, and we might like it to be right before the matter happens.”


Yakima Valley Higher education sees 15{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} enrollment raise

Dorn expressed that the board answered several queries she had prepared for the assembly before she could query them herself. This is despite AFT currently being in frequent conversation with YVC around the concerns at hand.

AFT advocated for instructors under the “exclusive school” tag, stating they deserved a honest possibility to retain their positions at the faculty. AFT argued that YVC did not observe a process in its hiring process, which includes not submitting positions exactly where they say they are.

Vice President for Instruction and Student Providers, Dr. Jennifer Ernst, introduced to the board their choosing system, which incorporates a varied employing panel that presents its recommendation to the college.

Dr. Ernst suggests she is operating with AFT and other unions at the college to ensure that workforce are staying handled quite and effectively.

“I am fully commited to operating with men and women to make absolutely sure that this is a seriously great location to operate,” stated Dr. Ernst.

YVC options to use the 2023 educational year to obtain qualitative and quantitative information about the educating instruction software. This will contain emphasis teams and student placement to discover regions that YVC can make improvements to student instruction.

The college options to acknowledge programs for the training instruction plan in February 2024 and settle for a new cohort of pupils for the Tumble 2024 semester.

Maryland School Report Card 2022: Baltimore City and County’s poor performance

In the to start with community universities report card due to the fact the pandemic, Baltimore Town and county have been in the vicinity of the bottom of the efficiency checklist, and a closer glance at state data will help describe why educational facilities in the two districts did so inadequately.

The Maryland Condition Division of Education considers a number of elements, like condition exam scores, obtain to a effectively-rounded curriculum, and graduation charges, to tally how perfectly every single school performed in the 2021-22 faculty calendar year.

On the Maryland College Report Card’s five-star scale, just one- and two-star rated colleges are regarded beneath normal. Baltimore City experienced 112 schools, or 75{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of its schools, rated beneath typical and the county experienced 38, or 23{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db}. Anne Arundel County, the district with the third-maximum range of small-undertaking universities in the location, had only 6 universities with one- or two-star rankings.

Serious absenteeism, English learning proficiency and vulnerable students’ check scores performed a job in the final results. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Metropolis pupils skipped too considerably faculty

Chronic absenteeism, when learners pass up at minimum 10{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of faculty days, was a enormous situation for Baltimore Metropolis colleges for the duration of the pandemic, and Theresa Jones, main accomplishment and accountability officer, stated it has not subsided. Out of the 15 factors metropolis schools could generate for excellent attendance towards their scores, elementary colleges gained 1.5 details, middle educational institutions attained a few points and substantial educational facilities acquired a person level.

Attendance is value 15{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of the district’s all round quality and is the greatest weighted metric.

2. English learners manufactured gradual development

Extra than 11{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of Baltimore Town learners have been English learners past calendar year, indicating English was not their initially language and they were not still proficient speakers. In Baltimore County, individuals college students created up extra than 9{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of the inhabitants.

The condition report cards for the two the metropolis and county confirmed lots of of these students weren’t generating enough development towards understanding English.

Of the 10 details a district can make for English learners’ development, the city’s elementary educational facilities earned 5.3 factors. Middle schools earned 2.1 details and substantial educational facilities received 3.7.

Jones claimed some of English learners enter college with out a official education and learning, and that it normally takes a lot of function to get them on keep track of academically, on major of enhancing their language proficiency.

The county’s elementary faculties snagged 7.5 points in the proficiency group. On the other hand, the center universities only acquired 2.7 details and high schools acquired 2.9.

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In a March 8 information to the school neighborhood, Baltimore County Superintendent Darryl Williams, who is leaving the district following this college year, mentioned that the report card presents insight but is a “limited snapshot” of the system’s progress.

“We have taken rapid and strategic steps to tackle discovering gaps and have re-energized our initiatives to slender accomplishment gaps across the district,” his concept read.

3. Susceptible learners had lower take a look at scores

Town and county students’ inadequate efficiency on a point out evaluation experienced a destructive influence on the report card final results. There had been a few teams who scored most affordable in both of those districts: students with disabilities, English learners and reduced-money college students. The groups make up 88{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} the city’s populace and 58{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of the county’s, however some learners could overlap concerning groups.

These pupils had been also viewed as the most susceptible all through the pandemic. The transition to online discovering created for an ineffective discovering surroundings for people who depended on in-man or woman guidance.

In the town, only 13{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of all large university college students were proficient in math, in accordance to Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Method take a look at scores. That variety receives decreased amid center and elementary learners, and it hardly breaks 7{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} between lower-revenue college students. Only 5{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of learners with disabilities were being proficient. The greatest proportion of English learners proficient in math came from elementary students, at 5.3{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db}.

English learners did far better in English Language Arts, nevertheless only 10.4{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of the high schoolers have been proficient. That amount is reduce among the substantial college learners with disabilities, at 6.5{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db}.

In general, 42{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of the city’s substantial schoolers were being proficient in English. Small-revenue superior schoolers obtained 34.9{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} proficiency.

In the county, the figures in both of those math and English Language Arts are a little bit higher. Equally elementary and significant university pupils ended up 28{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} proficient in math. Only 10.4{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of center schoolers were proficient.

But, like the town, the quantities fall off amongst susceptible pupil groups. Less than 5{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of center schoolers with disabilities ended up proficient in math. Substantial schoolers in the exact same team did not do a lot greater. Less than 5{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of middle and substantial university English learners have been proficient in math, and the same goes for reduced-income center college students.

Extra large university learners with disabilities were proficient on English checks than in 2019, but that range was only 15.3{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} previous yr. And 10{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of English learners in higher university were being proficient, nevertheless the elementary learners doubled that score.

kristen.griffith@thebaltimorebanner.com

Biden administration gutting online education with new ‘harmful’ guidance, warn experts, lawmakers

The Biden administration will now be able to crack down on private companies that contract with colleges and universities to help the schools run their online education programs, raising alarm bells among experts and lawmakers who warned the federal government could stifle remote learning for students.

The Education Department issued guidance last month saying online program managers (OPMs), which are outside contractors that recruit students for and operate schools’ online academic programs, are officially considered third-party servicers, or entities involved with the administration of “any aspect” of an institution’s federal student financial aid.

As a result, these companies can be subjected to stricter federal oversight in a manner that, critics argue, will hurt not only the schools and contractors, but also ultimately the students they serve.

One of the most prominent critics of the department’s new guidance is Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

President Biden with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, right, on Aug. 24, 2022 in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.

President Biden with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, right, on Aug. 24, 2022 in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

GOP SENATORS ACCUSE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF ALLOWING ‘TAXPAYER-FUNDED ANTISEMITISM’ ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

“The growth of technology and its applications in providing students with a well-rounded education is exciting and should be commended,” Foxx told Fox News Digital. “More options for students mean more opportunities for success. For the department to conflate access to online education with rising federal student loan debt diminishes that fact and ultimately hurts the partnerships between institutions, innovators, and the students they serve.”

“The department seems to be more interested in controlling the actions of private companies and creating unnecessary headaches for institutions than it is ensuring students have every tool to succeed academically,” Foxx continued. “I urge the Biden administration to reverse course on this harmful guidance.”

OPMs have long been the target of congressional Democrats and consumer groups, which believe the companies can, through their contractual arrangements, drive up the price of higher education and draw students to low-value academic programs.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, for example, has raised “concerns about the impact of OPM partnerships on rising student debt loads.”

Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal echoed that sentiment in a statement when the department released its new guidance.

A girl participating in online education training class with teacher and other students using laptop at home.

A girl participating in online education training class with teacher and other students using laptop at home. (iStock)

NEW ONLINE PLATFORM HELPS CONNECT PARENTS WITH TEACHERS OF THEIR CHOICE

“Online education has the potential to meet the needs of many students and lower costs,” he said. “But we are concerned about the growth in loan debt and want to ensure students get value for their money.”

However, many colleges and universities do not have the in-house funding and expertise to develop the online programs they need and need outside help, according to experts familiar with the issue.

OPMs are not the only ones affected by the Education Department’s rules, which critics argue will have a broader negative impact than government officials may realize.

Local police departments helping to compile and analyze campus crime statistics and hospitals providing clinical experiences and “the related educational programing for nurses and other medical professionals” are among the outside entities helping schools through contractual agreements that are being considered third-party servicers, according to the American Council on Education.

The council recently wrote a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, outlining some of the problems it had with the department’s guidance.

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., Aug. 8, 2022. 

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., Aug. 8, 2022.  (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

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“The broadened definition of a [third-party servicer] appears to cover entities that are beyond the common understanding of that term,” the letter states. “Our hope, if given appropriate time to comment, is to provide the department with a fuller picture of the variety of important institutional arrangements that exist so it may better understand the guidance’s impact … We believe the department would benefit from a deeper understanding of the potential that the guidance could trigger an unintended disruption of services to students currently provided by institutions through these entities.”

The letter was co-signed by 46 other higher education interest groups and associations, including accreditors.

Other experts see the department’s actions as not merely misguided but intentional overreach.

“The Department of Education’s crusade against for-profit colleges is now ensnaring a wide range of service providers,” Adam Kissel, visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “This is a classic case of overregulation by overzealous bureaucrats. Every new rule or interpretation like this makes it harder for colleges to serve their students.”

Whatever the department’s motivation, what is clear is the new guidance will present a host of new hurdles for both schools and companies.

A woman working form home with a laptop.

A woman working form home with a laptop. (iStock)

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One challenge, according to legal experts, is that third-party servicers are legally required to sign a contract with their educational partner to be “jointly and severally liable” to the Education Department for any federal violations.

“Third-party OPMs have been able to hide behind really crafty language in their contracts that keeps them from being responsible for any violations,” Stephanie Hall, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, told Inside Higher Ed. “It places all the responsibility on the institution.”

Critics have countered that, beyond creating a major new legal hurdle to overcome, the liability requirements could hurt smaller companies, which unlike bigger players, may be unwilling or unable to indemnify their campus partners. Duane Morris, a law firm that works with colleges, has also noted that while a purpose of the guidance may be to hold OPMs liable, the reverse would also hold true; the school would be liable for any violation committed by the third-party servicer.

Another challenge is that third-party servicers are subject to regular audits, which would require these companies to make all their contracts available to federal regulators.

As a result, OPMs and educational institutions will need to take the extra time and effort to carefully redo all their contracts, and some may not even want to continue their partnerships, according to Tony Guida, an attorney at Duane Morris who focuses on education issues.

A tour group makes a stop at the Sterling Memorial Library on the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, June 12, 2015.

A tour group makes a stop at the Sterling Memorial Library on the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, June 12, 2015. (Photographer: Craig Warga/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS LAUNCH PROTESTS AFTER SCHOOL AXES MAJORS LIKE MATH, ENGLISH, RELIGIOUS STUDIES

“OPMs will have to be much more intentional about services they provide,” Guida told Fox News Digital. “With more liability, some companies won’t want to take the risk.”

All these changes would be disruptive to the service of providing online education, critics argue, and have a downstream negative effect on student learning and the quality of higher education.

However, in a statement to Fox New Digital, the Education Department defended its guidance, arguing its simply meant to ensure all parties are complying with federal law.

“The updated third-party servicer guidance is intended to provide much needed clarity and transparency on existing requirements regarding companies that work with colleges around the administration of federal student aid,” a department spokesperson said. “It will help ensure these companies are in compliance with federal rules and regulations so that students can make the best possible decisions about their education.”

“The department is seeking public comment on this guidance, and we will carefully review all comments received,” the spokesperson added. “In the meantime, we will work with colleges to ensure the requirements are clear and that they have ample time to meet reporting deadlines.”

The Department of Education Building.

The Department of Education Building. (iStock)

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Perhaps most importantly, however, these voices argue expanding who falls under the umbrella of third-party servicers also increases the control of the federal government.

“If you’re a regulated entity, the Education Department has broad investigative powers over you,” said Guida. “They can request documents, other things of that nature that would make operating much more difficult. And if third-party servicers don’t comply, this guidance could be weaponized against them.”

Supporters of the department’s guidance counter that the current situation is too opaque.

“That will provide important transparency into what’s going on,” Robert Shireman, senior fellow at the Century Foundation, told Inside Higher Ed. “The Department of Education and then the rest of us will learn more about the contracts that institutions have, and there will be greater scrutiny and accountability for the OPM contractors if they are involved in recruiting students.”

A key issue for the Education Department and those critical of OPMs is how these companies share revenue with academic institutions. In many cases, the company receives a share of the schools’ tuition revenue. However, contractors are increasingly moving away from the revenue-sharing model, instead charging fixed fees for specific services. Some observers claim these companies are having the effect of increasing school tuition rates and profiting from it.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, April 27, 2022.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, April 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

RANDI WEINGARTEN CLAIMS CHILDREN ‘DO BETTER IN SCHOOLS UNDER TEACHERS UNIONS’

However, others see such arguments — and the department’s new guidance — as ultimately an effort to combat efforts to profit in the education space.

“With the new guidance released last month, the Biden administration seems to be following in the footsteps of President Obama in trying to extinguish private sector, profit seeking participation in higher education,” Beth Akers, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital. “There seems to be an attitude that there is no place for profit seeking in higher education. It’s a nice idea to think that all service providers in education should be motivated by benevolence, but profit is what often motivates major innovation — something desperately needed in higher education.”

“Higher education,” continued Akers, “is a realm that has been remarkably stagnant. Instead of trying to stamp out profit seeking and the innovation that would come with it, the Department of Education should focus instead on ousting poorly performing institutions and programs of study from the federal dole by cutting off student aid (loans and grants) from colleges whose graduates fail to out-earn workers with just a high school diploma.”

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The department initially gave colleges and universities until May 1 to report details of their agreements to the government and 30 days to submit comments on the changes. Following widespread outcry, however, the department said that in response to “confusion,” the guidance would not take effect until Sept. 1, rather than immediately as of last month. It also pushed back the end date of the public comment period through March 29.

“This seems to be a solution in search of a problem rather than the other way around. The department hasn’t identified what harm it’s trying to prevent,” said Guida. “It appears to be a broad regulatory grab.”

Aaron Kliegman is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital. 

Exercise in Europe: Which countries do the most and least physical activity?

We all know that regular physical activity in the kind of work out or sports is essential for improving actual physical and mental well being. Among the other gains, it supports cognitive functioning and perfectly-being. 

However, the prevalence of insufficient physical exercise remains high in Europe. Almost 50 percent of EU people (45 for each cent) report that they never workout or participate in sports activities.

A joint report by the Globe Health Corporation (WHO) and the Organisation for Financial Co-procedure and Growth (OECD) implies that rising actual physical exercise could avoid 1000’s of premature fatalities in the EU and help you save billions of euros in health care investing annually.

But which nations are the most and minimum physically energetic in Europe? What are the major reasons blocking individuals from performing exercises extra frequently? How do age, gender, and training impact physical exercise and sports participation? What is the economic burden of insufficient bodily action? And how has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced people’s exercise routines?

The in depth Eurobarometer study on sporting activities participation and physical action in the EU Member States and the joint WHO-OECD report titled ‘Step up! Tackling the burden of insufficient bodily activity in Europe’ tackle all these queries.

In 2016, a lot more than a person in three (35.4 for each cent) grownups in the 27 EU Member States have been insufficiently energetic, in accordance to the WHO dataset. This assorted from 19 for each cent in Finland to 46 for every cent in Portugal. 

Insufficient bodily activity was notably widespread in some southern European international locations and less regular in Nordic nations. The lowest fee was 18 for every cent in Russia.

The Eurobarometer survey, performed in April-May perhaps 2022, supplies very fresh new info on sports activities and actual physical action in the EU.

When EU residents ended up requested how frequently they exercised or participated in athletics, just about 50 percent (45 per cent) reported that they never did. Virtually a single in 5 (17 for each cent) explained they seldom exercised or played sporting activities.

Near to a third of the respondents (32 per cent) did so with some regularity, while only 6 for every cent did so consistently.

Exercise indicates any variety of actual physical action that persons do in a sporting context or athletics-connected environment, such as swimming, training in a sports activities centre or a sporting activities club, or working in a park.

Portugal has the optimum price of these who ‘never’ exercise or play sporting activities at 75 per cent. 

The Nordic nations around the world have the cheapest values at just 8 for every cent in Finland, followed by Sweden (12 per cent) and Denmark (20 for each cent). This level is 32 for every cent in Germany and 45 for every cent in France.

Woman, more mature, significantly less educated, or poorer? Significantly less exercise

The study reveals that gender, age, education, and economic standing are linked to workout in the EU. 

Gals and more mature people are considerably less probable to take part in normal sports or training, as perfectly as men and women from lessen socio-financial teams.

Guys are additional very likely than girls to exercising or participate in sports activities with some regularity: 40 for every cent of them say they ‘never’ physical exercise or engage in athletics, in contrast to 49 per cent of women of all ages.

Men and women aged 15-24 years are the most possible to workout or engage in sporting activities with some regularity (54 for each cent). This proportion decreases with age, down from 42 for every cent amid people aged 25-39 several years to 32 for every cent in the team aged 40-54 and 21 per cent between people aged 55 and around.

Even though 31 for each cent of those who continued their education to the age of 20 or past documented they under no circumstances exercised, this arrived at 74 for each cent between those people who left faculty at age 15 or before.

Motivators for work out and sports activities participation

Far more than fifty percent of Europeans (54 for every cent) say they interact in sporting activities or actual physical action to make improvements to their overall health, much forward of any other reason.

All around four in 10 engaged in sports or other physical activities to improve exercise (43 for each cent) or to take it easy (39 for each cent).

At minimum a quarter of respondents claimed that their inspiration was to have enjoyable (27 per cent), to increase actual physical general performance (27 for every cent), or to management their excess weight (25 for every cent).

Why do not Europeans workout more?

Lack of time is by far the principal element protecting against people today throughout the EU from participating in athletics far more often.

Though 41 for every cent reported they did not take part in athletics a lot more frequently due to not getting time, a quarter (25 per cent) said that they lacked commitment or ended up not interested.

How did COVID influence the frequency of sporting activities participation and work out?

A third of respondents (34 for each cent) said they continued to be bodily lively, which include athletics participation, but with fewer frequency, all through COVID-19. 

Nearly a person in five (18 per cent) stopped getting physically energetic for the duration of the pandemic.

A 3rd of individuals (34 for each cent) reported that they have been bodily lively at the identical amount through COVID-19 as right before.

The financial burden of inadequate bodily exercise

The OECD estimates that raising physical activity can preserve getting electric power parity (PPP) of €7.7 billion per yr in health care expenditures if all people had been to do at minimum 150 minutes of physical activity for each week.

A substantial element of the load takes place in international locations with substantial populations and substantial health care expenditure concentrations, these as Germany (€2.1 billion), Italy (€1.3 billion), and France (€1.1 billion).

The WHO and OECD report discovered that if every person were to satisfy the WHO’s advised degree of 150 minutes of reasonable-depth physical action for every 7 days, it would:

• Avoid more than 10,000 premature (people today aged 30 to 70 several years) deaths per yr.

• Boost the lifestyle expectancy of men and women who are now insufficiently energetic by 7.5 months and that of the overall inhabitants by approximately 2 months.