In Middle School, ‘You’re Trying to Build a Parachute as You’re Falling’
The director Bo Burnham discusses his new movie, Eighth Grade, and how kids cobble together their identities, on the internet and off.
Lotteries May Be the Fairest Way to Fix Elite-College Admissions
Proposals to institute a random-selection process have reemerged in response to a lawsuit alleging that Harvard penalizes Asian American applicants.
Emails From Trump Education Official Reveal Ties to For-Profit Colleges
A former for-profit lobbyist turned department staffer scheduled meetings to discuss two regulations overseeing these institutions—rules that are now being rolled back.
What Rereading Childhood Books Teaches Adults About Themselves
Whether they delight or disappoint, old books provide touchstones for tracking personal growth.
Here’s How Colleges Are Spending Money From the Koch Foundation
As part of a transparency effort following ethical controversies, the organization shared its newest grant agreement with The Atlantic.
Conservative High Schoolers Want to ‘Own the Libs’
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and others preached civility at a conference for young Republicans. But the teen attendees connected more with Trump-rally-style raucousness.
Private Schools Are Becoming More Elite
The decline of Catholic schools is making independent education less accessible to middle- and lower-class students.
Are Universities Training Socially Minded Programmers?
Four Stanford engineers started a club for students interested in using their skills for social good. But then came job-recruiting season.
An Enormous Study of the Genes Related to Staying in School
Researchers have found 1,271 gene variants associated with years of formal education. That’s important, but not for the obvious reasons.
Can Richard Carranza Integrate the Most Segregated School System in the Country?
A new chancellor is talking a big game about making New York City’s schools more equal—but that’s the easy part.
White College Graduates Are Doing Great With Their Parents' Money
Higher education alone can't bridge the wealth gap that separates black Americans from their white peers.
Target's Coupon Fix for Cash-Strapped Teachers
The retailer’s new back-to-school discount says a lot about the state of education funding in the United States.
The Private-School Persuasion of the Supreme Court
Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s latest nominee for the bench, graduated from a Catholic high school. So did four of the current Justices.
Yet Another Way Student Debt Keeps People from Buying Homes
The financial constraints of major student loans make it harder for hundreds of thousands of Americans to buy their first homes. But so does a small technicality—one that the Federal Housing Administration could fix.
Students in Detroit Are Suing the State Because They Weren’t Taught to Read
A federal judge has concluded that the Constitution doesn't require schools to promote students’ literacy.
The Problem With Generalizing About ‘America’s Schools’
It’s an abstraction that has obscured the true workings of the country’s education system for decades.
The Era of Affirmative Action May Not Last Much Longer
Two pieces of recent news signal a future in which America’s colleges and universities are even whiter than they are today.
Code Now. Pay Tuition Later.
Coding schools are offering free classes in exchange for a percentage of future income. But at what cost?
The Rise of College ‘Grade Forgiveness’
Universities are letting students take classes over again—a consequence of the pressure schools feel to ensure their “customers” are satisfied.
Should America’s Universities Stop Taking So Many International Students?
Critics say the country’s higher-education institutions should focus on ensuring more Americans get four-year degrees, but college presidents highlight the benefits of global diversity on campus.