Students who are also parents face more challenges getting through college, but support for these students is getting an upgrade at Bowie State University.

Bowie State is one of eight Historically Black or Tribal Colleges and Universities to receive grant funding from the Aspen Institute to help improve outcomes for student parents. Research suggests that 22% of college students are also raising kids.

College gets more complex as these parents maintain access to child care and make time for school, studying and, often, work. Erica Hernandez, an assistant professor of psychology at Bowie State, said navigating these complexities can create obstacles to finishing their degree.

"Student parents are at risk to have lower graduation rates than their non-parenting peers, even though their GPA is the same or higher than students without children," she said. "It's just a matter of completing educational goals."

The $75,000 grant will go toward expanding access to child care, improving academic supports, and increasing opportunities for students with kids to participate in campus life.

Perhaps the greatest challenge for student parents is finding and paying for child care. Hernandez said the university is working to help them on both fronts.

"In our county, in Prince George's County, Maryland, infant child-care especially costs more than college tuition," she said. "So, helping students not only find child care - because it's very difficult to find those infant spots - but also to find subsidies to help pay for that child care."

She said some students may qualify for the Maryland Child Care scholarship. The university has also received a federal grant from the Department of Education to add to the state subsidy, to cover any shortfall.

Hernandez said Bowie State is expanding campus social outlets for student parents.

"We have recently started a Student Parent Association, which is a student organization or club for students who have children, so that they can connect with each other socially," she said. "They have events, and I think it's been a really great step forward so that their voices can be heard on our campus."

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

As educators across Massachusetts prepare to administer high-stakes tests for students this spring, new polling shows the public supports changes to the often stressful graduation requirement.

Seventy-four percent of poll respondents support a policy in which students would still take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests, but wouldn't need a passing grade to graduate.

Massachusetts Teachers Association vice president Deb McCarthy said the tests fail to reflect the depth and diversity of students' intelligence and learning styles.

"The score," said McCarthy, "is simply a measure of who is a good test taker."

McCarthy said recently introduced legislation - entitled the Thrive Act - would allow school districts to use coursework to determine a student's mastery of English, math, and science as required by state standards - rather than a one-time standardized test.

Massachusetts is one of only eight states requiring high school students to pass a test to receive their diploma.

Educators say standardized tests are especially difficult for students with Individualized Education Plans, English language learners, and students from low-income communities.

McCarthy said removing the pressure of high-stakes testing would improve outcomes for historically disenfranchised students.

"The research shows us that there's a direct correlation between the test scores and the ZIP codes," said McCarthy, "and it really is an opportunity gap, not an achievement gap."

The Thrive Act would also eliminate the state's power to take over underperforming schools, which tend to be located in some of the poorest communities with lower MCAS scores.

Backers of the legislation say it would give students, parents, and educators a greater say in how their schools are run.

A grant is helping student parents at a college in northwestern Montana.

The Aspen Institute has announced Blackfeet Community College and seven other institutes around the country have joined the Black and Native Family Futures Fund.

Linda Sue Racine is a counselor and the coordinator of the $75,000 grant at the school. She said COVID-19 hit the Blackfeet Reservation hard and many students are grieving.

"To be able to get good grades and all that you need to have some peace in your life," said Racine. "And I always feel that if we're not well mentally and emotionally and physically, then we're not going to be able to succeed."

The grant comes with technical assistance to implement programs as well. Blackfeet Community College is setting up the Native Student Parent Program, which will help young mothers with child care, food and transportation.

Racine said elders also are helping with the program. She said workshops for the young mothers include making traditional outfits for their kids.

"We just don't want our people to lose their cultural and their traditional way of life," said Racine. "So it's very important that we integrate it in everything we do."

The eight institutions that received funding are Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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Georgia's Fiscal Year 2024 budget could bring a $2,000 salary boost for teachers, addressing the alarming educator shortage.

Educators say low wages, scarce mental-health resources for students, and a challenging work environment contribute to high turnover and retention issues in the state.

Claire Suggs, senior education policy analyst with the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, underlined the challenges.

"We have shortages in special education, in math and in science, but a lot of our rural school districts have struggled for a long time across fields," Suggs explained. "It's just harder for these small communities to attract and keep educators."

In 2021, Georgia's new teachers earned roughly $27,000 annually, with seasoned educators reaching $54,000 after 35 years, according to the Southern Regional Education Board. The budget seeks to address the challenges educators face in repaying student loans and the need for competitive wages, building on a recent $5,000 pay hike.

The increase also aims to lower turnover and attract skilled teachers to public schools. Nevertheless, Suggs emphasized the salary growth is just a piece of a more comprehensive solution.

"We just need to think about the working conditions of teachers and all the folks in schools serving students and how we support them and continue to provide pathways for them to thrive as professionals," Suggs urged.

Ultimately, the proposed teacher pay raise, combined with other efforts including a bill allowing retired teachers to come back to the classroom, signifies a focus on expanding the educator workforce. The decision now rests with lawmakers in the state Senate, where the budget could undergo more changes.


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