Like it or not…

  1. Despite the push for tech skills in our K-12 schools, what’s really in demand by employers are so-called soft skills. These include oral and written communication skills, attention to detail, problem-solving, empathy and organization.
  2. The number of perfect ACT scores has more than doubled since 2015 and was six times higher in 2018. Meanwhile, in 2010, one of every 2,600 students achieved scoring perfection; in 2018, that figure stood at one in 500!
  3. The College Board plans to help colleges “see” applicants’ SAT scores in a fairer light by “scoring high schools and neighborhoods by level of disadvantage.” 150 colleges/universities will test the Board’s “Environmental Context Dashboard” come the fall.
  4. Democrat presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar and two of her Senate colleagues have introduced the “Promoting Readiness in Education to Prevent Additional Remediation and Expense Act.” Also known as the PREPARE Act, its intent is “to better align high school graduation requirements for credit-bearing post-secondary coursework and provide resources to schools to strengthen their remedial programs and improve outcomes.”
  5. Speaking of college, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is now launching a new higher education initiative to determine if college is worth the cost or not.