Pittsburgh-area students design human-centered AI models to tackle education issues
Diego Jofre Lieva remembers some of the language barriers he faced when he came to West Allegheny High School from Chile at the end of his freshman year. “We took language assessments, and a lot of my peers really struggled,” said Jofre Lieva, now a senior at West Allegheny. “I...
Proposed Mt. Lebanon School District budget calls for 3.5% tax increase
Mt. Lebanon School District’s proposed budget calls for a 3.5% tax increase for property owners. The $129.2 million proposed spending plan maintains all district services and programs, and has no furloughs, said Patricia Connolly, the district’s director of operations. The proposal increases the district’s millage rate from 30.95 mills to...
Slippery Rock University senior wins state system’s highest academic award
Abigaile Becker, a 19-year-old Slippery Rock University student graduating in May, has won the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s top academic award. The PASSHE Board of Governors on Thursday will honor Becker with the Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence, and award her $2,500. Named after founding Board...
Pittsburgh Public Schools eyes proactive discipline approach for students with special needs
The Pittsburgh Public Schools needs — and plans to — improve discipline and behavior procedures, enrollment, educational placements and state assessment outcomes for its special education students. Patti Camper, assistant superintendent for students with exceptionalities, briefed the school board Tuesday on a plan that aims to improve educational outcomes and...
Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders pitch board on ‘Future-Ready Facilities Plan’ to improve equity
Pittsburgh Public Schools officials on Tuesday presented more information on the impacts its proposed Future-Ready Facilities Plan will have on school instruction, staffing and finances. The plan calls for the closure of nine buildings and 12 schools, reconfigures grade structures at some district buildings and phases out nearly all elementary-level...
Pitt to offer online Infant Mental Health certificate
A new University of Pittsburgh academic program aims to address the mental health, growth and development needs of infants and toddlers amid a shortage of qualified, working professionals. Pitt has launched a new, online graduate certificate in Infant Mental Health. The 12-credit program kicks off this fall, said Robert Gallen,...
Hampshire College, progressive liberal arts school in Massachusetts, closing later this year
AMHERST, Mass. — Hampshire College, which includes award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns among its alumni, announced on Tuesday that it was closing later this year. The school’s Board of Trustees voted to close after the fall semester over what its president and the board described as “increasingly complex” financial pressure....
Research Expo at Penn State New Ken shows students resilient as ever
Solar energy is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy sources — but it has some limitations, reports Penn State New Kensington student Kaleb Schaffer. Schaffer, and three of his peers, have explored how solar power systems can sustain themselves given factors like extreme weather, temperature changes and materials degrading over...
Millions in the U.S. never finished college. With targeted help, reenrollments are ticking up
WASHINGTON — After several deaths in her family and an eviction that left her homeless, Jevona Anderson’s life began to unravel. By 2025, Anderson — then 59 and nearing completion of her bachelor’s degree — was failing classes and falling behind on bills. Eventually, she dropped out, joining a growing...
Los Angeles schools avoid a strike as a last-minute deal is reached with staff
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles schools avoided a strike that would have impacted nearly 400,000 students in Southern California as the school district and the union representing support staff reached a tentative deal early Tuesday. Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union announced on social media that it won...
New contract includes interior cameras, GPS tracking for West Mifflin school buses
West Mifflin Area School District’s new transportation contract calls for a new and modernized bus fleet with enhanced safety technology, district officials say. The district entered into a 5-year contract with Krise Transportation for student transportation, said Mireille Mobley, West Mifflin spokeswoman. Krise will replace Sun Coach Lines, West Mifflin’s...
German educators begin weeklong tour of Pa. public schools at North Hills High School
A group of German educators began a weeklong tour of public schools across Pennsylvania at North Hills High School in Ross on April 13. The seven-member group, which included teachers, principals and administrators, were also visiting North Allegheny that day and expected to visit Penn Trafford the next before making...
Point Park University raises tuition
Point Park University students will pay about 3% more in tuition next academic year. Tuition for a full-time undergraduate student in Point Park’s schools of education, business, communication or arts and sciences will be $20,130 per semester, or $40,260 per year, in the 2026-27 school year. That’s an increase from...
Program between Chatham, West Allegheny to give students immersive reality college credits
West Allegheny High School students will trade the books for virtual reality headsets as part of a new collaboration with Chatham University. Chatham and West Allegheny will launch a dual enrollment program in virtual reality and immersive design fields next fall. The West Allegheny School District serves Findlay, North Fayette...
Seton Hill, Point Park, CCAC to bolster initiatives to help parents earn degrees
It’s difficult for someone with a child at home to enter or return to college. Tuition costs seemingly keep increasing. Reliable child care is tricky to lock down. And navigating a work-life-family-school balance is a challenging juggling act. “The burden has become on the side of the colleges — in...
Colleges attract nontraditional students given upcoming enrollment cliffVideo
Jessica Wheeler isn’t joking when she says she’s old enough to be the mother of her fellow students at Pennsylvania Western University’s California campus. Her daughter, Alivia, is also a student at PennWest California. Jessica, 43, graduates in May with a bachelor’s degree in secondary English education. Alivia, 20, is...
Pittsburgh students tour NFL Draft stage build, explore careers in trades
Pittsburgh-area high school students studying carpentry will get to learn more about the trade on the city’s biggest stage. Students from seven area high schools or career technology centers plan a visit Wednesday to the city’s North Shore to get a tour of the stage building and preparations for the...
New Carnegie Mellon program pairs start-up entrepreneurs with investors
Founders of fledgling tech startups at Carnegie Mellon University are getting a glimpse inside the minds of venture capitalists and a shot at $240 million in potential investments. The university’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship recently launched its Deep Tech Venture-Ready Program, a six-month course in wooing venture capitalists followed by...
Bible stories would be part of a new Texas public schools reading list drawing attention
Biblical stories like Jonah and the whale would be required reading for Texas public schools students under proposals that are putting the state at the center of another contentious wrangling over the role of religion in classrooms. Religious leaders, teachers, parents and students spent hours Tuesday before the state education...
Dating choices or draft picks — the cognitive science behind either is similar, CMU professors say
The human behavior and decision-making aspects behind a person’s dating life doesn’t stray too differently from the choices that coaches and general managers make when selecting a player in the NFL Draft. “You date someone and you make a choice to commit to this person, or keep looking,” said Cleotilde...
State College named best college town in America by USA Today
State College — home to Penn State University — was named the best college town in America by USA Today readers. Just over 100 miles east of Pittsburgh, the borough of about 41,000 residents stands out, readers say, for its blend of small-town feel and big-campus energy. The report, part...
Brashear physical education class a learning opportunity for future teachers and students with special needsVideo
A new, collaborative physical education class at Brashear High School is proving beneficial to all students involved. Its first mission is giving Brashear students with intellectual disabilities a sense of belonging and inclusion through sport, said Brashear health teacher Christine Wolski. But the class is also a learning experience for...
Western Pa. educators rope historic Artemis II mission into classrooms
Penn-Trafford High School science teacher Ryan Tucek has spent years studying the lunar exploration of the 1970s. But, just like his students, NASA’s Artemis II is the first space mission Tucek has witnessed himself. Artemis II launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., last week, beginning a...
Yough School Board seeks to fill vacancy left by director’s resignation
The Yough School Board is looking for someone to fill a vacancy left by a former member who resigned last week. Gregg Nogy resigned April 1, said board President Linda Knor. Nogy served on the board for multiple terms, Knor said. She declined to disclose the reason for his resignation....
Pitt students track Artemis II spacecraft in worldwide NASA test
A 4 a.m. test Thursday put University of Pittsburgh engineering students and the school’s ham radio club on a global stage. Pitt was one of eight educational institutions worldwide selected by NASA to study the Artemis II mission and track the Orion spacecraft. “The big win is the student experience,...
