Claudio Sanchez

Degree-granting institutions are responding to austere budgets by catapulting themselves into the world of online education. But some professors point to low online completion rates as evidence that these "massive open online courses" do a disservice to students.

On April 26, 1983, a panel appointed by President Ronald Reagan released an ominous report that painted a dire picture of the U.S. education system. Thirty years later, many educators point to the report as the catalyst for divides that still split education reformers.

The former superintendent of the Texas school district was sentenced to three years in prison for rigging standardized test scores. Other employees could still face charges for helping him carry out his scheme. Now, local and state education officials are blaming each other for letting it go on so long.

Most public schools are unlikely to feel the effects of the sequester before September. But educators and administrators nationwide are worried they may be forced to cut Head Start enrollment, after-school programs, reading coaches and even teachers when those budget reductions hit.

Mexican-American preschoolers start school way behind their white counterparts. Their poor language and pre-literacy skills put them at a huge disadvantage academically. But new research is showing that their social skills are fully developed and robust by the time they start school and are indistinguishable from their white peers. Experts believe the new findings have promising implications.

A major storm system is causing havoc for travelers trying to get home from their holiday destinations. Powerful winds and blizzard conditions have hit parts of the U.S.

Parents in Adelanto have used a "parent-trigger" law for the first time to shut down and take over an elementary school. It's a revolt led by parents who say Desert Trails has failed their children, but others say it's not the school's fault.

Online college courses are attracting hundreds of thousands of students, and that's forcing colleges and policymakers to rethink higher education. The online courses may pose a serious challenge to the way institutions deliver a college education.

The state's school board wants to measure progress in math and reading differently for students based on race and ethnicity. Supporters say the new passing rates take into account students' different starting points. Critics charge the mandates are "backwards-looking."

Many Americans feel like paying for college seems out of reach. How big is the issue in the presidential campaign? The candidates have offered what boils down to this choice: Either the government spends more to help families pay for college or it spends less to save taxpayers money.