Category:Education
Resetting Online Education: ED’s New Online Education Reporting Rule
In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (“ED”) released a final rule including provisions on reporting requirements for online and distance education. Supporters of the rule argue its implementation will enhance transparency and accountability for institutions of higher education. Conversely, critics of the rule raise concerns about the financial burdens associated with implementing the reporting requirements. Nevertheless, the ED claims the goal of the regulation is to collect the data necessary to assess the quality and effectiveness of distance education.
Turning the Page on Censorship: The American School Book Ban Controversy
Across the United States, waves of book bans are reshaping student’s access to literature. Libraries have been transformed from quiet places to explore new topics into battlegrounds for parents and policymakers to impose their ideological beliefs. During the 2023 – 2024 school year, the United States saw book ban numbers triple from the year prior. The most frequently attacked books were those written by minorities and those providing representation for marginalized students. These important materials address pressing issues, such as racism, gender inequality, identity formation, and the effects of personal trauma. Book bans do a great disservice to the next generation, robbing them of opportunities to explore new ideas and develop crucial critical thinking skills.
Bringing FERPA Up to Grade
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was enacted in 1974 to protect the privacy of student education records. While FERPA provides essential privacy safeguards, it also includes provisions that allow certain student information to be shared with third parties, particularly under the guise of “directory information.” With the increasing concerns surrounding personal data in the digital age, many argue that FERPA’s exceptions undermine its original intent. In an era where other U.S. privacy laws are tightening restrictions on the sharing of personal information, FERPA’s provisions are lagging, leaving students vulnerable to privacy breaches that would be impermissible in other contexts.