The hottest Student outcomes Substack posts right now

Blurring high school, college, and career can give students real work experience, college courses, and employer-valued credentials before they graduate, making schooling more directly relevant to careers.
Using metrics like cost per graduate or return on investment lets policymakers compare programs and see which models produce more graduates for the money, guiding funding and design decisions.
Dollar-focused metrics miss important non-monetary benefits—like lifelong enrichment from arts—and overlook the value of creativity and combining skills, so education should also cultivate personal growth and skill-stacking.

Colleges, especially elite ones like Harvard, have been criticized for not being open to conservative ideas and for having a biased hiring process. Many believe they aren't likely to change on their own.
There's a call for breaking up large universities into smaller entities to focus on research and education more effectively. This might help reduce their political activism and improve academic standards.
New societal trends are shifting the way people view knowledge and expertise, often valuing common sense over traditional authority. This can create a space for new types of knowledge systems to emerge.

Focus on student outcomes, not inputs when it comes to policy and education.
Consider learner mobility and credit transfer between educational institutions.
Encourage continuous improvement by focusing on outcomes and empowering individuals in education.

The importance of making higher education accessible to everyone, not just the privileged few
The need for a shift in the grading system to focus more on mastery-based learning
Concerns and potential changes regarding regulations in higher education and outside partnerships

Colleges are focusing on building resilience as a proactive approach to mental health challenges.
Schools should integrate habits of success like agency and perseverance with academic knowledge.
Higher education is facing disruptive changes due to unsustainable financial trajectories and declining demographics.

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Getting a big donation, like $5 billion, could really change a college, but it's important to spend it wisely to attract better students and improve the school's reputation.
Most of what makes a great school is who the students are when they enroll, rather than just what the school offers. If top students come to a school, it might do better overall.
Money can help improve things like faculty and resources, but it won't fix everything. A big influx of cash could cause changes that might not have the desired effect on the school's identity.