Education

The U.S. history and geography scores of eighth-graders decreased between 2014 and 2018, according to results from The Nation's Report Card released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). There was no change in eighth-graders' civics average score.

New data described in the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's Completing College State Report shows a rise in the overall college completion rate in 43 out of the 45 states, for which data are available over the last five cohort years (2009-2013), and a narrowing of the top-to-bottom state completion rate gaps. Only Alabama and New Hampshire saw declines.

Education is often touted as the great equalizer that enables minorities from lower-income backgrounds to compete for a piece of the American Dream. Anecdotal accounts of Black or Hispanic children, from marginalized communities, “pulling themselves up by their bootstraps” and achieving great success find their way into impassioned speeches from teachers to preachers, politicians to business leaders.

In 2018, 13.6% of counties had a statistically significant increase in median household income compared with 2007, the year before the most recent recession, while 5.5% had a statistically significant decrease, according to data released by the Census Bureau.

Far be it from some sort of over-arching, existential, or politically-charged claim, the statement that “all marketing is cultural” is demonstrably true and inescapable. Whereas traditional schools of thought may have held that marketing is detached from human nature or consumer interaction, marketing actually constitutes a form of communication which is inseparable from its means of creation and from its audience. In this sense, all marketing certainly is cultural; marketing (especially integrated marketing) is a form of communication; all communication is informed by culture; and cultural aspects inform both the creation of and receptivity to marketing communication.  By Chloe Lane / Florisa State University

There are millions of youths playing soccer in the United States. So why is the men’s national team so terrible?

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has announced 24 fellows have been selected for its Inaugural Presidential Leadership Academy, La Academia de Liderazgo. The program is designed to increase Hispanic representation in presidential positions in higher education.