A SHIFT ON CLERY COMPLAINTS? The Trump administration appears to be cycling more quickly through complaints that colleges aren’t properly reporting and preventing crimes — including sexual violence — on campus. The letters the Education Department has sent back in recent weeks to those making the complaints also are much briefer than in the past, advocates say. “They reflect an expedited process, and the letters ... are much, much shorter,” said S. Daniel Carter, an expert in campus safety issues. “The Education Department has never previously issued letters like this, suggesting a major change in enforcement tactics.”
— Advocacy groups say they’ve received a flood of letters in recent weeks about complaints they’ve filed. At least a dozen letters were sent to two groups. The letters contain little information, they say, and are essentially form letters with a few specifics on the case at hand. They indicate that the department has found wrongdoing on the part of some schools, but don't detail what the school did or detail what actions the department plans to take to force them into compliance.
— The letters have left some unsatisfied. “It sort of just feels like the whole thing is smoke and mirrors. Things are meant to make you feel better,” one complainant, who says she was abused and stalked by another student at her school, told POLITICO. She said all she can tell from the letter the department sent her was that they found violations on the part of the school and are going to keep an eye on the university. “Words don’t really mean much to me,” she said.
— Clery complaints notoriously take a long time to resolve. Some, including a recent investigation that resulted in a $2.4 million fine against Pennsylvania State University, take five years or more. Carter said that typically no more than 10 final program review determination letters would be issued in any given year, and often it was far fewer than that. In 2016, only the Penn State review was released.
— A department spokeswoman denied changes in procedure, but did say the Federal Student Aid office is “working diligently to respond more quickly” to complaints. Carter said that’s not necessarily a bad thing: “The bottom line is the (Clery Act) review process is incredibly bureaucratic and time consuming … The concept is, it will get more institutions to comply with the Clery Act — which I think ultimately is the goal. The long duration it takes to resolve both Title IX and Clery cases is frustrating to everybody involved.” Read the full story here.
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THE DEVOS EFFECT: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is putting a tiny private school in Kansas City on the map — though maybe not in the way she hoped to do on her “Rethink School” tour this week. DeVos’ first stop today is at the Kansas City Academy, a sixth through 12th grade school of about 76 students with a “progressive” focus. Her stop has drawn plans to protest — from members of the community who the head of the school said likely didn’t know the school even existed before DeVos made plans to visit. “This is very strange for us,” said Kory Gallagher, who heads the school. “We tend to talk about our school as being the best-kept secret in Kansas City.”
— The school is something of an odd choice for a visit from the Trump administration. Gallagher said the Kansas City Academy educates a large number of LGBT students. It reportedly has a lifesize cutout of Michelle Obama in a white Grecian gown. “We are a very small private school with a progressive education mission and focus,” Gallagher said. “We really take acceptance and inclusion, celebrating diversity, dialoguing with those with whom we disagree — we take all of that seriously.” Gallagher said he suspects the department picked the academy because it has a fairly heavy arts education focus. DeVos’ tour is aimed at highlighting different approaches to education.
— “The Secretary is excited to visit Kansas City Academy tomorrow and looks forward to hearing from the students about why this school is a great fit for them,” an Education Department spokeswoman said. “Kansas City Academy is rethinking education, and the Secretary wants to highlight their unique program offerings for students who have the freedom and flexibility to follow their passions.”
— Critics see irony. “Since this school is essentially opposite everything DeVos stands for (many trans, non-binary students, diverse student body), it's kind of a mystery … Maybe some of us should give her a big Kansas City welcome?” one person wrote on Facebook, sparking a thread about protesting her visit. “The protesters … it’s been interesting observing their conversation where a lot will say, ‘I don’t really understand why she’s coming to this school,’” Gallagher said. He’s called in Kansas City police to help, just in case the protests are large or get out of hand. Still, he said, the attention is welcome: “The media coverage we’ve received has been very positive. It’s shedding a light on our school.”
— DeVos’ tour will continue with stops at: Gary Middle College/21st Century Charter School in Gary, Ind.; Hope Academy in Indianapolis; and an Eastern Hancock High School football game in Charlottesville, Ind.
** A message from AccessLex Institute: AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence® is committed to understanding the barriers that impede access to law school for historically underrepresented groups and improving access to law school for all; identifying actionable strategies and public policies to increase law school affordability; and strengthening the value of legal education. Learn more.http://politi.co/2wEFw42 **
DEMS WANT DEVOS TO RETHINK CFPB DECISION: Thirty-nine Democrats have signed a letter urging DeVos to reverse a decision to end operating agreements with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “Cooperation between the Department and CFPB is in the best interest of students, borrowers, and taxpayers and the Department’s decision to abandon this partnership is contrary to its stated mission to ‘ease the burden for borrowers,’” the letter, led by Sen. Sherrod Brown, ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee; Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member of the Senate HELP Committee; Rep. Maxine Waters, ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee; and Rep. Bobby Scott, ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, say. Read it here.
STATES SPLIT ON PITCH TO MAKE STUDENTS PASS CIVICS TESTS:Since 2015, 17 states have passed legislation requiring students to pass the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization civic test to graduate, according to a report out today from the Education Commission of the States. The new effort comes as “ample evidence documents the poor state of American civic literacy,” according to the report. Despite that, during the same time frame, another 18 states shot down proposals to add the test to graduation requirements, according to the report.
— Per the report, “Defeat of the legislation primarily reflects a rejection of additional mandated high-stakes testing and concerns over the adequacy of the proposed test to ensure robust civic learning.” The test was not designed for high school and involves memorizing 100 civic facts. That “heightened anxieties that the requirement could drive teaching to the test and set low expectations for development of students’ civic competencies,” according to the report.
— More than a third of Americans can’t name any of the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment and only a quarter of Americans can name all three branches of government, according to the annual Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey, released this week.
WANTED ON CAMPUS: RURAL, LOW-INCOME WHITE AND CONSERVATIVE STUDENTS: Many colleges are stepping up efforts to recruit rural, low-income and white students — and some have gone so far as to target conservative students, as well — in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, according to a new survey by Inside Higher Ed and Gallup. According to the survey findings, admissions directors say higher education has an image problem with ramifications for enrollment patterns. The survey found that among public universities, 52 percent are stepping up efforts to recruit students from rural areas, 41 percent are seeking low-income white students and 9 percent are targeting conservative students.
SPORTS AND THE AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE: High school students attending traditional public schools have greater access to sports than their charter school peers, according to an audit from the Government Accountability Office. In the 2013-2014 school year, 91 percent of all high school students attending traditional public schools could join sports teams, compared to 49 percent of charter school students. The GAO also noted that charter school size did not affect sports offerings. In charter schools that did offer some sports, the GAO found fewer teams and spots per capita and lower participation. Traditional public school students participated in sports teams at a rate of 39 percent, compared to 19 percent for charter schools.
— Students in urban, high-poverty and high-minority schools also had fewer chances to take part in sports than their suburban and rural peers, according to the report. Ninety-one percent of students in suburban schools attended schools that offered sports, compared to 88 percent of students who attended urban schools.
— The report looked at boys and girls’ sports opportunities, finding equal options for both sexes, as required by Title IX. However, auditors found that among students playing sports, 57 percent are boys while 43 percent are girls.
HELPING HOUSTON: American Federation for Teachers President Randi Weingarten, along with Neil and Maria Bush of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, Kyle Zimmer of First Book and Houston Superintendent Richard Carranza, this morning are delivering brand-new books and basic necessities to areas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. They’ll distribute books to students of both W.S Holland Middle and Robinson Elementary schools. Students from the elementary school are being housed at the middle school after their school was damaged during the hurricane.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
— The Alabama State Board of Education has tapped Ed Richardson as interim state superintendent while board members search for someone to fill the vacancy. Richardson takes the helm after embattled Superintendent Michael Sentance resigned this week.
REPORT ROLL CALL
— Joint Economic Committee Democrats in a new report are calling for universally accessible, high-quality pre-K and programs that cover the entirety of parents’ working hours.
— The Center for American Progress is out with a new report on increasing diversity in the teaching workforce and raising the bar for entry into the profession.
— Last year, about 27 percent of adults reported having some kind of “non-degree credential,” or a postsecondary certificate, license or certification in some field of work, the National Center for Education Statistics finds in a new report.
SYLLABUS
— Judges delay a North Carolina law shifting control of the state’s schools: The Charlotte Observer.
— Tennessee attorney general backs charter schools in battle over student information: Chalkbeat.
— Poll finds most black Americans support paying college athletes, but most white Americans do not: The Washington Post.
— Los Angeles school district will provide $150 million in additional funding to 50 “high-needs” schools under settlement: EdSource.
— Ohio students improved in every subject last year, state’s education department says: The Associated Press.
— Tennessee sets new high school graduation record: The Tennessean.
— Lyft partners with the University of Texas at Austin to offer students free late-night rides: The Austin American-Statesman.
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** A message from AccessLex Institute: Improving access to legal education begins with improving education policy. AccessLex Institute advocates for policies that make legal education work better for students and society alike. Our policy experts routinely speak with lawmakers, policy advocates and other influencers on behalf of law students and in the interest of legal education. We also provide policy analysis, information dissemination and issue education to Member law schools and other graduate and professional school staff, and develop policy positions on key issues impacting access, affordability and value. AccessLex Institute supports:
Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act to strengthen graduate and professional education and to help students succeed;
Preserving the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program;
Improving access to comprehensive higher education data for stakeholders who need this information to make crucial decisions; and
Amending the current bankruptcy code to ease the discharge of student loans in bankruptcy proceedings.
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