Results from the National Assessment of Education Progress exam a civic examination administered by the U.S. Department of Education that tests students' knowledge of how laws are passed, what rights are constitutionally protected and other related issues reveal a crisis in civics education, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said in an interview with the The New York Times. Approximately 75 percent of high school seniors were unable to assess the global impact of American foreign policy or enumerate congressional powers granted by the Constitution, while less than half of eighth graders were able to identify the significance of the Bill of Rights. The results confirm that educational policy continues to concentrate on "developing the worker at the expense of developing the citizen," Charles Quigley, executive director of the Center for Civic Education, said in an interview with The Times. The civics exam, administered to approximately 27,000 students, reaffirmed a pre-existing achievement gap between white and black students, although the divide between the performance of Hispanic and non-Hispanic students narrowed, The Times reported.
Cornell University's endowment grew by 19.3 percent to $5.28 billion during fiscal year 2011, The Cornell Daily Sun reported on Thursday. Although the increase represents a significant rise from June 2010 when it stood at $4.4 billion the endowment is still significantly lower than its pre-recession peak of $5.8 billion. The consecutive years of double-digit endowment growth are attributable to the university's investment practices, interim Chief Investment Officer A.J. Edwards said in an interview with The Daily Sun. The 2011 fiscal year concludes on June 30 and the university will report its annual gross total this fall. The majority of peer institutions do not report quarterly numbers, The Daily Sun reported.
British lawmakers should examine the development of American private higher education institutions as they look to expand the number of such universities in Britain, according to a report compiled by the think tank Higher Educational Policy Institute. The report, released on Thursday, exposes inequities including different accreditation processes, degree-awarding powers and access to government funding and resources in the British higher education system that favor public universities at the expense of private institutions. Currently, only one private university in Britain, the University of Buckingham, and a handful of private colleges that cater to international students are granted formal accreditation, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. Although the report, "Private Providers in UK Higher Education: Some Policy Options Report," emphasizes the positive role of private institutions, it also warns that the role of such universities in the United States demonstrates the need for improved regulation and a reformed loan system.
