Kentucky education commissioner Terry Holliday is incentivizing districts to raise their high school dropout age from 16 to 18 by promising the first 57 that do a $10,000 state grant. Holliday’s actions align with a years-long pursuit by state lawmakers to raise Kentucky’s legal dropout age to 18. The Courier-Journal
New research sheds light on how effective online learning is. The large-scale Columbia study found that online instruction improved student achievement in sex, drugs, and health studies. The findings indicate that with the often taboo nature of the subjects, students are more comfortable sharing and asking questions outside of a traditional classroom. The Hechinger Report
In feel good news of the day, a 7th-grade journalism prodigy interviewed First Lady Michelle Obama for the cover story for Sports Illustrated Kids. She has interviewed celebrities and athletes in the past. She said Ms. Obama is the easiest interview she’s ever had. Indy Star
President Obama’s education budget proposal would invest heavily in pre-kindergarten and put money into transforming high schools, among other things. Politics K-12
