#052 - "I wish school had taught me that"

50CAN's 'State of Educational Opportunity' report has arrived and it does not disappoint

Author

OpenEd Daily
October 14, 2024

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đź’ˇ THOUGHT

The Hidden Curriculum

The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now (50CAN) has released its annual report, "The State of Educational Opportunity in America." This survey of 20,000 parents across all 50 states offers way more insight than we can cram into a single newsletter. Still, we wanted to share one particular finding: students who excel academically are far more likely to participate in extracurricular activities.

Which way does the causation run? Do high achievers get more opportunities? Or do those who participate in extracurriculars find themselves more engaged with their studies?

Either way, it's time we stopped thinking of art, sports, and community service as "extras."

In the real world, there are no extracurriculars. There's just life.

đź“Š TREND

The Gap Between School and Life

"I wish school had taught me that."

How many times have you heard (or felt) this? The 50CAN report also discusses the widening gap between what schools teach and what life demands:

  • 59% of families want more college prep programs.

  • 66% desire career readiness courses.

  • Only 32% feel confident their kids are prepared for the workforce. (We’d like to know what the other 68% are doing differently!)

From tutoring to summer programs, families are seeking more than schools currently offer.

🛠️ TOOL

Explore Your State's Education Landscape

If you’re interested in more state-specific data in your state from the report:

  1. Visit the 50CAN report website

  2. Scroll down to "Download by State"

  3. Select your state from the dropdown menu

Take a few minutes to explore your state's data. Tell us what stands out to you!

(WORD) OF THE DAY

Pareidolia (pair-i-DOH-lee-uh)

From the Greek para- ("beside" or "beyond") and eidĹŤlon ("image" or "form"), pareidolia is the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern.

Okay… but that’s clearly a horse, right? (Ed, is that you?)

That’s all for today!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)