News from ASCA
ASCA Weekly Wrapup
A roundup of the week's education-related headlines
Friday, Jan. 15, 2010
Study: Youth Now Have More Mental Health Issues
The Associated Press
A new study has found that five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues as youth of the same age who were studied in the Great Depression era. The findings, culled from responses to a popular psychological questionnaire used as far back as 1938, confirm what counselors on campuses nationwide have long suspected as more students struggle with the stresses of school and life in general. Read more.
U.S. Education Secretary Duncan Urges Change for NCAA, NBA
The Washington Post
In a speech made during the NCAA Convention in Atlanta, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, a former co-captain of the Harvard basketball team, said the NCAA should ban teams with low graduation rates from postseason play and suspend coaches who run afoul of the rules. In a telephone interview, Duncan later added that "some of this insanity we are seeing around the country" stains college athletics. Read more.
Schools Get 'Career Coaches'
Southwest Times Record
This week Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe honored 43 "career coaches," including a couple of celebrity University of Arkansas graduates, who will soon be offering guidance to high school students in some of the state's most economically challenged counties. Former Arkansas Razorback and professional football player Marcus Monk and Furonda Brasfield, who recently appeared on the reality TV show America's Top Model, are among those who are completing their training program and later this month will head off to their new jobs. Monk and Brasfield both said they hope to show students that work and education can lead to success. Read more.
Randolph Schools Reeling from Earthquake and Its effect on Students' Families
The Patriot Ledger
When Randolph High School students filled their backpacks the last few mornings, many of them tucked in the Haitian flag. Some students could be found crying in the hallways. Others put on a brave face and kept cell phones close, sharing text messages and waiting for news from family. One out of every six students at Randolph High School is from Haiti or of Haitian descent. District-wide, one out of every seven students has roots in the country, which was devastated by a massive earthquake on Tuesday. Most students have not heard from their family members. Read more.
As School Exit Tests Prove Tough, States Ease Standards
The New York Times
A law adopting statewide high school exams for graduation took effect in Pennsylvania on Saturday, with the goal of ensuring that students leaving high school are prepared for college and the workplace. But critics say the requirement has been so watered down that it is unlikely to have major impact. The situation in Pennsylvania mirrors what has happened in many of the 26 states that have adopted high school exit exams. As deadlines approached for schools to start making passage of the exams a requirement for graduation, and practice tests indicated that large numbers of students would fail, many states softened standards, delayed the requirement or added alternative paths to a diploma. Read more.
Business, Community Leaders Share Tips for Success with Students
Denverpost.com
To find the secret of success, Judy Zerafa went to the source - 35 of the nation's most successful community and business leaders.  Zerafa asked each of them just one question: "What do you think you know, that nobody else knows, that allowed you to succeed to the degree for which you have been honored?" From that exercise, Zerafa distilled seven keys to success and created the Go For It! Institute to teach children and adults that academic achievement and personal success are tied to self-confidence. Read more.
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