By Alissa Paolella, Communications Manager

On March 6, Central State University stepped boldly into a new chapter with the inauguration of its 10th President, Dr. Morakinyo A.O. Kuti.  

The ceremony was a vibrant celebration filled with enthusiasm, highlighting the rich history of Central State, its unwavering dedication to academic excellence, and the bright future that awaits under Dr. Kuti’s visionary leadership. Excitement filled the air as the University community came together to embrace this momentous occasion and the possibilities that lie ahead. 

Dr. Kuti’s connection to Ohio’s only public Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and 1890 Land-Grant Institution dates to 1982, when he arrived on campus as an international student from Nigeria. His journey, as recounted by Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Amy Hobbs Harris in her introduction, was shaped by the relationships he built with faculty who saw his potential and guided him along his path. “One of my favorite stories is about his professor who always kept packets of snacks in her office,” Hobbs Harris shared. “He went for the snacks but stayed for the conversation. And it was through those conversations that he built a relationship that changed the course of his life.” 

This emphasis on personal connections and mentorship is a hallmark of Dr. Kuti’s leadership style. As Hobbs Harris noted, “Watching Dr. Kuti’s impressive curiosity, his care for others, and his commitment to this Institution is truly inspiring.” 

In his address, President Kuti laid out a bold vision for Central State, centered on transforming the University into a “Destination Learning Environment” — a place where students, faculty, and staff thrive in an environment that fosters success, innovation, and integrity. 

Dr. Kuti reflected on the University’s motto, “Veritas et Lux” (Truth and Light) and “Recta et Honor” (Straight and Honor), emphasizing that these values will serve as guiding principles in his leadership. “Truth requires us to pursue academic knowledge, while light brings clarity. Together, they illuminate the path to success,” he said. 

He also underscored CSU’s strategic importance as one of only four public 1890 Land-Grant Universities in the Midwest, serving a region with a population of 76 million people. While Central State welcomes students from across the U.S. and 15 foreign countries, Dr. Kuti emphasized that strengthening recruitment in Ohio and surrounding states is essential for the University’s growth. 

To enhance academic excellence, Dr. Kuti announced a comprehensive academic program review to ensure the University’s offerings align with student interests, regional workforce needs, and financial sustainability. He highlighted plans to launch CSU’s Allied Health programs, introducing stackable credentials and certificates that will prepare students for immediate employment in healthcare fields while they pursue their degrees. 

Additionally, the Institution is adapting to the evolving job market by integrating artificial intelligence literacy and digital skills training into the general education curriculum, ensuring graduates are prepared for careers in emerging industries. 

Beyond academics, President Kuti emphasized strengthening student engagement and leadership opportunities. This includes revitalizing Greek life — aiming to bring all nine Divine Nine organizations to campus within 18 months — and expanding student organizations, which now number 70. “The more connections students have to campus, the more likely they are to succeed,” he said. 

As a Land-Grant and Research University, CSU is committed to expanding its research capacity. Dr. Kuti announced the establishment of master’s programs in Humanities and Agricultural Sciences in 2026, with additional programs in Engineering Management and Computer Science to follow. 

The University’s faculty are already making significant strides in research. He highlighted the work of Dr. Sakthi Kumaran, who is using advanced technology such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to improve agricultural productivity. CSU’s Research and Demonstration Complex is also leading initiatives in bee genetics, specialty crops, and environmental stewardship. 

In recognition of Central State’s growing research impact, the University was recently designated as a Research College and University in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications — a milestone that underscores its expanding influence in the academic and scientific communities. 

Financial sustainability and operational excellence 

President Kuti reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the University’s financial stability through prudent resource allocation and strategic growth initiatives. He expressed gratitude to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Mike Duffey, and state education partners for their steadfast support in advancing Central State’s mission. 

A key component of his administration’s approach is the Marauder Ethos, a University-wide commitment to excellence in customer service, engagement, and continuous improvement. This initiative aims to ensure that every interaction within the CSU community is guided by three core principles: 

• Respectful engagement: Treating every individual with dignity and professionalism. 
• Responsiveness: Addressing needs efficiently and effectively. 
• Continuous improvement: Striving for excellence in all aspects of University operations. 

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By Rachel Besharat Mann, Wesleyan University and Gravity Goldberg, Wesleyan University

The U.S. educational landscape has been drastically transformed since the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered school campuses five years ago.

Access to high-quality teachers and curriculum developed by teachers is shrinking, for example. Likewise, there has been a loss of emotional support for students and a decline in the school use of technology and social media.

As education scholars focused on literacy practices in schools, here are five ways we believe the COVID-19 pandemic – and the rapid shift to remote learning and back – has transformed education:

1. Teachers are leaving, and those staying are stressed

At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, 82% of U.S. public schools had teaching vacancies.

Schools have tried to adapt by expanding class sizes and hiring substitute teachers. They have also increased use of video conferencing to Zoom teachers into classrooms.

Teacher retention has been a problem for at least a decade. But after the pandemic, there was an increase in the number of teachers who considered leaving the profession earlier than expected.

When teachers leave, often in the middle of the school year, it can require their colleagues to step in and cover extra classes. This means teachers who stay are overworked and possibly not teaching in their area of certification.

This, in turn, leads to burnout. It also increases the likelihood that students will not have highly qualified teachers in some hard-to-fill positions like physical science and English.

2. Increase in scripted curriculum

As of fall 2024, 40 states and Washington had passed science of reading laws, which mandate evidence-based reading instruction rooted in phonics and other foundational skills.

While the laws don’t necessarily lead to scripted curriculum, most states have chosen to mandate reading programs that require teachers to adhere to strict pacing. They also instruct teachers not to deviate from the teachers’ manual.

Many of these reading programs came under scrutiny by curricular evaluators from New York University in 2022. They found the most common elementary reading programs were culturally destructive or culturally insufficient – meaning they reinforce stereotypes and portray people of color in inferior and destructive ways that reinforce stereotypes.

This leaves teachers to try to navigate the mandated curriculum alongside the needs of their students, many of whom are culturally and linguistically diverse. They either have to ignore the mandated script or ignore their students. Neither method allows teachers to be effective.

When teachers are positioned as implementers of curriculum instead of professionals who can be trusted to make decisions, it can lead to student disengagement and a lack of student responsiveness.

This form of de-professionalization is a leading cause of teacher shortages. Teachers are most effective, research shows, when they feel a sense of agency, something that is undermined by scripted teaching.

3. Improvements in teen mental health, but there’s more to do

Many of the narratives surrounding adolescent mental health, particularly since the pandemic, paint a doomscape of mindless social media use and isolation.

However, data published in 2024 shows improvements in teen reports of persistent sadness and hopelessness. Though the trend is promising in terms of mental health, in-school incidences of violence and bullying rose in 2021-22, and many teens report feeling unsafe at school.

Other reports have shown an increase in feelings of loneliness and isolation among teens since the pandemic.

4. Crackdown on students’ technology use in schools

COVID-19 prompted schools to make an abrupt switch to educational technology, and many schools have kept many of these policies in place.

For example, Google Classroom and other learning management systems are commonly used in many schools, particularly in middle school and high school.

These platforms can help parents engage with their children’s coursework. That facilitates conversations and parental awareness.

But this reliance on screens has also come under fire for privacy issues – the sharing of personal information and sensitive photos – and increasing screen time.

And with academia’s use of technology on the rise, cellphone usage has also increased among U.S. teens, garnering support for school cellphone bans.

But banning these devices in schools may not help teens, as smartphone use is nearly universal in the U.S. Teens need support from educators to support them as they learn to navigate the complex digital world safely, efficiently and with balance.

In light of data surrounding adolescent mental health and online isolation – and the potential for connection through digital spaces – it’s also important that teens are aware of positive support networks that are available online.

Though these spaces can provide social supports, it is important for teens to understand the strengths and limitations of technology and receive authentic guidance from adults that a technology ban may prohibit.

5. Students and adults need social emotional support

Students returned to in-person schooling with a mix of skill levels and with a variety of social and emotional needs.

Social and emotional learning includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relational skills and decision-making.

These skills are vital for academic success and social relationships.

Teachers reported higher student needs for social and emotional learning after they returned to in-person instruction.

While some of this social and emotional teaching came under fire from lawmakers and parents, this was due to confusion about what it actually entailed. These skills do not constitute a set of values or beliefs that parents may not agree with. Rather, they allow students to self-regulate and navigate social situations by explicitly teaching students about feelings and behaviors.

One area where students may need support is with cognitive flexibility, or the ability to adapt to current situations and keep an open mind. Classroom instruction that engages students in varied tasks and authentic teaching strategies rooted in real-life scenarios can strengthen this ability in students.

Besides allowing students to be engaged members of a school community, cognitive flexibility is important because it supports the skill development that is part of many state English language arts and social studies standards.

Social and emotional learning and cognitive flexibility are key components that allow students to learn.

Due to vague or confusing state policies, many schools have stopped teaching social and emotional learning skills, or minimized their use.

This, coupled with teacher stress and burnout, means that both adults and children in schools are often not getting their social and emotional needs met.

Message of mistrust

While we described five shifts since the start of the pandemic, the overall trend in K-12 schools is one of mistrust.

We feel that the message – from districts, state legislators and parents – is that teachers cannot be trusted to make choices.

This represents a massive shift. During the initial phase of the COVID-19 lockdown, teachers were revered and thanked for their service.

We believe in teacher autonomy and professionalism, and we hope this list can help Americans reflect on the direction of the past five years. If society wants a different outcome in the next five years, it starts with trust.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Rachel Besharat Mann, Wesleyan University and Gravity Goldberg, Wesleyan University

Read more:

• America is becoming a nation of homebodies
• Long COVID puzzle pieces are falling into place – the picture is unsettling
• Anti-LGBTQ+ policies harm the health of not only LGBTQ+ people, but all Americans

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Feature Image: Students sit in pop-up tents during wind ensemble class at Wenatchee High School on Feb. 26, 2021 in Wenatchee, Wash.. David Ryder/Getty Images

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Kareem Moncree-Moffett, PhD

Kareem Moncree-Moffett, PhD, says she is excited to start her term as President of the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education. Moncree-Moffett has been working with the board since 2022 and was elected board president earlier this month.

Moncree-Moffett has a doctorate degree in Educating Urban African American Students and has worked with multiple educational programs and non-profits in the past. She said she plans to promote understanding between members of the school board.

“My main goal this particular year is to reconnect the board members to each other,” said Moncree-Moffett. “so that we can increase student outcomes and community awareness, and engage the community about what’s going on within the district.”

She said she decided to run for the board presidency because she wanted to connect the community to the school board.

“I want the community to know what’s going on,” said Moncree-Moffett. “I want them to stay aware and informed and engaged.

Moncree-Moffett said she believes the board can work together to accomplish goals despite their differences. Coming projects within the school district reflect this, she added.

“We’ve got cosmetology coming, entrepreneurship coming, some career tech options that are coming for our students that they are asking for,” said Moncree-Moffett. She also plans to increase partnerships and community engagement.

Moncree-Moffett’s message to the community is: “Stay aware, stay aware, stay curious, and stay engaged.”

Her term as board president ends Dec. 31.

Feature Image: Kareem Moncree-Moffett, PhD. Photo provided by Cincinnati Public Schools

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By Joe Wessels, Media Relations Associate, Cincinnati Public Schools

The Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education voted for new cabinet positions for 2025 at its Jan. 6 meeting. Members elected board president, vice president and committee members.

Elected were Dr. Kareem Moncree-Moffett, president, and Eve, Bolton, vice president. Both are former teachers.

President Moncree-Moffett said, “I am deeply honored to serve Cincinnati Public Schools’ students, families and taxpayers. As we embark on this new year, I am committed to fostering an environment where every student can thrive, every family feels valued and supported, and every taxpayer sees the impact of their investment in our schools. Together, we will continue to build a brighter future for our community through education.

“Together, we will confront the coming year’s challenges with determination, creativity and a shared commitment to success. By working collaboratively, we will overcome obstacles, seize opportunities and ensure a year of growth, resilience and progress for everyone in our community.”

She also commended Bolton’s work as the board president this past year.

Bolton said, “I am genuinely excited about the future of our district and deeply honored to step into the role of vice president. This opportunity allows me to contribute to our shared vision of excellence, equity and innovation. I look forward to supporting our students, families and community in meaningful ways. I am eager to lead openly, work closely with the board and serve with dedication to focus on the goals of CPS and the success of our students and increase value for the taxpayers.”

Bolton expressed appreciation of Board Member Mary Wineberg’s past service as vice president.

Superintendent Shauna Murphy said, “Effective guidance and teamwork are crucial to supporting the success of our students. As we work to advance student success through the Growth Plan, I am eager to collaborate with President Moffett, Vice President Bolton, our newly appointed committee chairpersons and the entire Board.”

The changes in board leadership take effect immediately.

CPS’ Board of Education is now structured as below:

• President: Kareem Moncree-Moffett.
• Vice President: Eve Bolton.
• Budget, finance and growth committee: Bolton, Brandon Craig, Jim Crosset and Moncree-Moffett.
• Policy and equity committee: Ben Lindy, Kendra Mapp and Mary Wineberg.
• Cincinnati Recreation Commission designee: Bolton.
• City Council Joint Meeting liaison: Moncree-Moffett.
• Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) Cabinet: Board of Trustees/Southwest (SW) region executive committee: Crosset; Diversity and equity committee:  Moncree-Moffett; Legislative liaison: Moncree-Moffett; Urban School District advisory network: Open to all board members; OSBA Capital Conference and planning committee; Bolton; Student achievement liaison: Mapp; OSBA Black Caucus: Wineberg.
  Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA): Wineberg.
• Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC) designees: Bolton and Crosset.
• Business Advisory Council designee: Crosset.
• Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition: Moncree-Moffett.
• Council of the Great City Schools designees: Craig and Mapp.
• Federal Legislative Advisory Group (FLAG) for the First Congressional District designee: Bolton
• Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding Legal Steering Committee designee: Eve Bolton.
• Innovation Council: Crosset.

For more information about the CPS Board of Education, visit www.cps-k12.org/Board

The Cincinnati City School District, also known as Cincinnati Public Schools, serves about 36,000 students in more than 66 schools spread across southwest Ohio. For more information, visit www.cps-k12.org

Feature Image: Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education. From left are Jim Crosset, Board President Kareem Moncree-Moffett, PhD, Mary Wineberg, Board Board Vice President Eve Bolton, Brandon Craig, Kendra Mapp and Ben Lindy. Photo provided

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By Shelana Martin, Program Director

What is Breakthrough Cincinnati?

Breakthrough Cincinnati is a tuition-free summer and year-round program committed to energizing underrepresented students to enter college with confidence while inspiring the next generation of educators. Our summer program engages middle-school (rising 6th- 9th grade) students for 5 weeks, while monthly year-round academic enrichment, tutoring, and community events engage our scholars outside of the summer program.  Breakthrough Cincinnati exists to support education, equity, and economic change in our community.

This fun program is filled with new experiences, a supportive community, and academic enrichment for students. Breakthrough Cincinnati 2025 summer will run from June 30th – August 1st at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Country Day School.  Transportation, food, and all supplies are all included. 

What types of students are we looking for?

Applications are now open for students currently in 5th – 6th grades!

The deadline for New Student Applications is March 14th, 2025.

Breakthrough Cincinnati invites rising 5th & 6th graders to apply for our program.  We encourage students who ascribe to at least two of the following identities to apply: First Generation College Bound, Single Parent Household, Low-Income, Person of Color, English Language Learner.

Visit our website at www.breakthroughcincinnati.org or email us at applystudent@breakthroughcincinnati.org.

Feature Image: BTC students at Cincinnati Zoo in 2022. Photo provided

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By Sheneka Williams, Michigan State University; Darren Dubose, Michigan State University, and Kimberly Clarida, Michigan State University

Much has been written about the potential consequences of getting rid of the Department of Education, one of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promises.

Little of the discussion that we’ve seen has focused on the impact on rural schools, which often depend more than urban ones on federal funding.

In fact, rural education often can seem like an afterthought to policymakers and scholars, who tend to design reforms aimed at urban and suburban areas, even though 20% of the nation’s students are educated in rural schools.

This lack of rural research and focus has perpetuated many myths and misconceptions about rural education that overlook the strengths and opportunities for students who attend rural schools.

As scholars who study rural education, we compiled a list of three facts about rural education accompanied by the myths that would help policymakers better design programs to support rural students.

1. Rural communities are becoming more diverse

There’s a myth that rural communities are overwhelmingly white. While it’s true that most rural counties are majority white, these communities are becoming increasingly diverse.

The share of people of color in rural communities climbed from 20% in 2010 to 24% in 2020, according to U.S. Census data. In addition, people of color make up a majority of residents in 10% of rural counties.

This is because while white people are leaving, people of color are moving in. From 2010 to 2020, over 2 million white people left rural communities, while more than 2 million people of color took their place. The number of rural people who identified as multiracial doubled to nearly 4 million over the same period, and all rural communities except those in Arizona saw an increase in their Latino population.

While the Black population in rural America shrank somewhat during the 2010s, it remains the case that the largest concentration of Black people outside of cities is in the rural South. In fact, 81% of Black people who don’t live in cities live in the South, a legacy of slavery and how generations of Africans were forcefully taken to work the land as free labor.

Without truly understanding who resides in these communities, educators and policymakers cannot adequately address students’ needs. Failure to do so widens opportunity gaps for rural students, particularly those who reside in the South.

2. Rural educators know how to succeed

Another myth is that rural communities lack the knowledge or resources to succeed in educating their youth.

As such, policymakers often fail to include rural communities’ cultural capital when they develop textbooks, teacher training plans and education policies. By cultural capital, we mean the knowledge, skills, education and advantages that people inherit and use to achieve success in society.

One glaring example is that rural communities are rarely represented in teaching materials and curricula, which frequently ignore their local knowledge, traditions and values. This creates a gap in students’ ability to see themselves in jobs and positions outside of their personal contexts. And it hampers teachers’ ability to leverage student strengths when teachers are unprepared to connect with their backgrounds.

State and federal education funding is another example of rural students’ cultural capital being overlooked. Too often, funding policies penalize rural schools for their smaller sizes by supporting the closure and consolidation of schools and overlooking their need for more money to account for lower revenue from local and property taxes. This results in a disruption of rural communities’ strong social cohesion and abandoned buildings that reduce economic opportunities.

Community initiatives and local programs provide important resources that larger urban districts might take for granted.

A new grant initiative at Michigan State University that all three of us are involved with aims to help change this. Focused on helping teachers better engage high school physics and chemistry students, the program is collaborating with two historically Black colleges and univerities in the rural South to provide rural students with access to more advanced science courses. By working with Alabama A&M University and Winston-Salem State University, it helps ensure local communities’ cultural capital are part of the program. It also seeks to pull together community partnerships to advance science access and learning in the South.

By redesigning policies to take advantage of rural cultural capital, communities and policymakers could unlock untapped potential within rural schools and enhance educational outcomes for all students regardless of where they live. We believe such policies could foster stronger connections between rural K-12 public schools and their surrounding communities, creating more relevant and engaging learning experiences for students.

3. Rural students are high achievers

A third myth is that rural students underachieve. As a result, their academic success is too often overlooked by researchers and educators.

In reality, students in rural areas meet the same measures of success as in urban ones – especially in the early years. For example, math and reading scores are higher in rural than nonrural schools before the third grade, according to the Center for School and Student Progress. After that, the higher scores begin to fade due to summer learning loss. After schools close over the summer, rural students are generally left with few formal summer learning opportunities, compared with those in more urban areas. There is a strong need for more state and federal money to increase access to summer learning opportunities.

Despite this widespread learning loss, graduation rates among rural students are higher than those of nonrural students.

But once again, policymakers fail these students, who have college-going rates that are lower than in urban areas.

Some of the most common factors contributing to this trend include limited access to transportation, the distance between students’ hometowns and colleges and universities, and lower awareness of financial aid opportunities. In addition, students in the rural South have less access than other students to advanced science courses like physics and chemistry, which can block postsecondary opportunities.

We believe debunking these and other myths and recognizing the diverse strengths of rural communities would help ensure that all students across the nation, including those in rural areas, can attain long-term educational and economic success.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Sheneka Williams, Michigan State University; Darren Dubose, Michigan State University, and Kimberly Clarida, Michigan State University

Read more:

• Why natural disasters hit harder in rural school districts
• Rural students’ access to Wi-Fi is in jeopardy as pandemic-era resources recede
• 3 things that influence college graduates from rural areas to return to their communities

Sheneka Williams receives funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

Darren Dubose and Kimberly Clarida do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Feature Image: Students in rural areas achieve just as much as their peers elsewhere. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images

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The private and in-schooling tutoring market in the United States has grown substantially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

It helps that the U.S. Education Department has been offering US$220 million of funding since 2022 to help schools build tutoring programs to assist with pandemic-related learning losses.

Meanwhile, certain school districts have invested in opt-in programs, in which students log into a tutoring service through their school system’s online platform.

These four articles from The Conversation’s archives explore the effectiveness of tutoring programs in the U.S. and the advantages it has created for students from affluent families.

1. The value of in-class tutoring

Susanna Loeb, executive director of the National Student Support Accelerator, explained that the growth in spending on private tutoring is largely driven by wealthy families. This has contributed to wider educational gaps between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Loeb wrote that high-impact in-class tutoring is the most accessible and effective option. She added that it works best when it’s embedded in schools during the day, where a consistent tutoring session takes place for at least 30 minutes at a time and at a minimum of three days a week.

“The most effective way for parents to get free tutoring for their children is through their school,” Loeb wrote. “Students who attend tutoring as part of their regular school education either during or immediately before or after school are shown to have higher attendance rates, which leads to better outcomes, such as stronger math and reading achievement.”

Read more:
Does tutoring work? An education economist examines the evidence on whether it’s effective

2. The importance of setting goals

Surani Joshua, Arizona State University Ph.D. candidate in math education, examined the factors parents should consider before hiring a tutor.

Joshua wrote that parents must first identify what they want their child to get from tutoring. She added that learning should be placed above performance and will occur at its own pace.

The Ph.D. candidate added that effective tutoring involves students actively being involved in the process and not just sitting silently while the tutor speaks.

“Students learn the most when they make a mistake and recognize that they made one,” Joshua wrote. “A good tutor will not intervene to prevent the mistake, but rather allows the mistake to happen and then helps the student to identify and fix it. This approach teaches skills the student can use when the tutor is no longer there.”

Read more:
5 things to consider before you hire a tutor for your child

3. Advantages for affluent students

Pawan Dhingra, Amherst College professor of Sociology and American Studies, wrote that he’s concerned that intensive after-school tutoring has provided advantages to children of affluent families.

Dhingra, who interviewed more than 100 Asian American and white families with children in elementary or middle school whose kids attend after-school tutoring centers, wrote that he’s seeing a growing number of families feeling pressured to ensure their kids learn enough to be above their grade level.

“The students who take classes outside of school ‘make other kids feel bad, because they’re brighter, more capable, and they do more, and they can do it faster,’ a Boston-area elementary school principal told me,” Dhingra wrote.

Read more:
Tutoring kids who don’t need it is a booming business in affluent areas where parents want to stack the deck

4. Using ChatGPT as a tutor

Anne Trumbore, chief digital learning officer at the University of Virginia, explained how ChatGPT can help students excel academically. The new artificial intelligence-powered chatbot with advanced conversational abilities has collected data on a wide range of educational topics and can pass graduate school exams.

Trumbore, who studies how computers can be used to help people learn, wrote that advanced chatbots can be used to encourage students to learn more deeply.

“By 2007, early AI chatbots provided tutoring by talking students through their answers to questions,” Trumbore wrote. “Research showed these chatbots supported learning outcomes similar to the effects of human tutors.”

Read more:
ChatGPT could be an effective and affordable tutor

This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.

Feature Image: The private tutoring market has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

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Contributed

A partnership between the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), Central State University in Ohio (CSU) and local mental health agencies has been formed to address the growing mental health needs of K-12 students in the region.  

The new initiative, the Cincinnati Mental Health, Education, and Successful Urban Relationship Expansion in the Schools (MEASURES) program, will work to expand the behavioral health workforce and create inclusive, supportive environments for students from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. 

The MEASURES program — funded by a three-year, $3.75 million grant from the Department of Education — aims to address critical gaps in the mental health and educational landscape by providing tuition stipends for UC graduate students majoring in school and mental health counseling, school psychology and social work. UC partnered with CSU to create a pipeline for CSU students to address the diversification of the school-based behavioral health workforce.   

Training students in these disciplines, program administrators say, is crucial to supporting students in high-need schools, especially those in diverse communities within CPS, where there is an increasing demand for mental health services. 

“The need for mental health services in our schools is at an all-time high, and we must ensure we have a workforce capable of meeting the unique challenges facing students today,” says the grant’s co-author Amanda La Guardia, an associate professor in UC’s School of Human Services.  

“This is a strategic approach to preparing future professionals who will be equipped to create culturally inclusive, identity-safe environments in our schools, fostering the mental well-being of all students,” says Dana Harley, co-author and UC professor of social work.     

The program will focus on four key goals: 

1. Recruitment and support: Identify, recruit, select and financially support 45 students (9 per year) from diverse backgrounds to enter the MEASURES program. Students will focus on school counseling, school-based mental health counseling, school psychology and school social work disciplines, addressing the critical shortage of school-based mental health providers in K-12 education. 
2. Career education: Provide local education agencies with mental health career education, particularly for high-need K-12 secondary populations, encouraging students to explore careers in behavioral health. 
3. Inclusive practices: Prepare mental health providers to use evidence-based methods to implement inclusive practices and create culturally and linguistically responsive, identity-safe environments for students. 
4. Strengthening partnerships: Foster a stronger multidisciplinary collaboration between the partners to cultivate a diverse mental health workforce that reflects the needs of students in urban schools. 

“Through this collaboration, the MEASURES program is set to make a lasting impact on both the mental health field and K-12 education, ensuring a future generation of mental health providers who are not only skilled but also dedicated to promoting equity and inclusivity in schools,” says La Guardia. 

Feature Image: Photo by Liza Summer from Pexels

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By Susan Nobblitt

Home-Based Child Care (HBCC) serves most children in North Carolina for early education. HBCC is childcare provided in a home, rather than in an institutional or outdoor setting. We focus on care that specifically takes place in the provider’s home and where the care is provided by individuals who are not the legal guardians of the child being cared for. North Carolina families rely on HBCCs either by choice or necessity. It is estimated that 64% of North Carolina children are in home-based child care outside of the formal licensing system statewide. Amidst the growing conversation about the need to sustain child care, 85% of all closures of North Carolina child care businesses since February 2020 have been licensed home-based child care businesses. Home-Based childcare is essential because it meets the unique needs of certain families whose special requirements are not met in other care settings. HBCC services are often preferred by rural communities, families working nontraditional hours, families with babies and toddlers, Black and Latinx families, and families of children with special needs.

As we uncover the lessons from years past, MDC offers a three-piece series that examines the social and political history of domestic work in America, specifically in the Southern states, and factors that have led to the current crisis. Despite the critical infrastructure that childcare has long provided in our country, childcare providers have been continuously undervalued economically and in policy decisions that have shaped our nation. Through this series, we identify key roadblocks to meaningful system change and highlight how we can continue the legacy of care workers’ resistance by advocating for decision-makers to support the vital role of this work in our communities.

1. “Still undervalued and underfunded: The invisible child care workforce” explores the roots of low wages and chronic undervaluing of childcare providers in the U.S. We demonstrate the need for policy change and investment to correct the course towards a nation where quality childcare is accessible, affordable, and valued as essential to our society.
2. “The evolution of child care from a collective good to an inequitable ‘choice’ model” considers the evolution of child care in the U.S. from a collective good with limited government intervention to a highly institutionalized and individualized model of childcare. We show how opportunities for transformative policy change in childcare are undermined by a false dichotomy that pits collective responsibility against family choice, and how we must intentionally combat this in future efforts.
3. “Racial divisions prevent us from winning child care change” examines how longstanding racial divides have hindered transformational change within the childcare sector. We argue that only through unifying racial lines exposure to different perspectives, willingness to sit in discomfort, seeking to understand, and ultimately to collaborate — will we finally be successful in transforming the early education system to meet the needs of all children, families, and providers.

MDC is grateful to the National Domestic Workers Alliance for its History of Domestic Work and Worker Organizing timeline and to the National Women’s Law Center for “Undervalued: A Brief History of Women’s Care Work and Child Care Policy in the United States.” Both are referenced throughout our series and also undergird MDC’s North Carolina Child Care Timeline. We want to express our gratitude to the participants in our programs, specifically to the Home-Based Child Care (HBCC) Community of Practice members and HBCC Haven providers; their lived experience and work in their communities have greatly informed this analysis.

Working alongside our partners, we envision a childcare system where:

1. All home-based childcare providers, whether licensed or license-exempt, are recognized, valued, and supported as a critical part of our childcare system now and in the future.
2. HBCC providers are fully funded, economically whole, and equipped with the resources and education they desire.
3. Policies at both the state and local levels are equitable, inclusive, and supportive of the care they provide.
4. Children receive the safe, affirming, affordable, and trusted care they deserve and enter kindergarten ready to succeed.

Change is possible.

Susan Nobblitt is a program manager with MDC, an organization that equips Southerners with tools to challenge systemic inequities and build equitable and inclusive communities in the South. Susan leads the design and facilitation of MDC’s Home-Based Child Care Community of Practice and provides critical support to other educational equity projects.

MDC, a nonprofit organization based in Durham, North Carolina, advances equitable systems change in the Southern United States. Our educational equity team supports home-based childcare providers who work to transform systems that created the current childcare crisis.

Feature Image: Provided

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By Josephine McKenrick, Director/Marketing & Communications, Cincinnati Country Day School

     Uniquely positioned to further the mission of both Cincinnati Country Day School and Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), Angela Barber-Joiner, the school’s director of belonging and wellbeing, was one of ten women of color across the country selected for the 2024 ROX Dr. Patty Diversity Fellowship.

    According to the ROX website, the Dr. Patty Diversity Fellowship was established to amplify the vision and legacy of Dr. Patricia Cunningham, who was a trailblazing advocate for social change, representation, and equity. In championing her legacy, this prestigious fellowship increases access to ROX’s robust, evidence-based Program for Girls and provides leadership opportunities for diverse female educators and school mental health professionals. 

     “As a Black woman, Angela brings an essential perspective to our school’s leadership team, providing representation for students who might not otherwise see themselves reflected in positions of authority,” says Alexis Nordrum, Middle School psychologist.  “Her commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident in all aspects of her work. Angela has been a tireless advocate for expanding opportunities for our students to engage with diverse perspectives and experiences. She is passionate about ensuring that every student feels seen, valued, and supported, which is why I am confident she will use the Dr. Patty Diversity Fellowship to further enrich our school community and empower the next generation of girls.” 

    Country Day has implemented the ROX program each year since 2019 thanks to Alexis Nordrum, who introduced the program to the school. During the 20-week evidence-based program, seventh-grade girls participate in activities and conversations with the goal of equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to succeed in relationships, academics and life.

    “Angela’s deep understanding of the emotional and psychological needs of students, especially young girls, has been instrumental in enhancing the effectiveness of the ROX program at our school,” says Alexis. “She approaches each interaction with empathy, insight, and a genuine desire to empower the girls to overcome the challenges they face. Her dedication to fostering a sense of belonging and resilience in our students has been inspiring to witness.”

    Founded in 2011, ROX is now implemented in nearly 40 states with more than 7,500 girls annually, with a steadfast mission of creating generations of confident girls who are in control of their own relationships, experiences, decisions, and futures.

    “At ROX we use data to inform our programming, our decisions, and our investments,” says Dr. Lisa Hinkelman, founder and CEO of ROX. “Data shows that diverse women are under recognized in educational leadership and that girls want and need advocates, role models, and mentors who look like them. The Dr. Patty Diversity Fellowship program is working to address the disparities and increase the opportunities.”

    As a member of the 2024 fellowship cohort, Angela attended training in Columbus to become a ROX facilitator and engages in monthly meetings that provide leadership and professional development.

    “It was really powerful to do this training with nine other women of color,” says Angela. “We shared our stories, opened up about our experiences, and reflected on the challenges we faced as young girls. Those conversations fuel my passion—thinking about what we needed back then and realizing how we now have the power to create that impact for the girls in our schools today. I feel a responsibility to fight for every woman because I truly believe that empowered women empower women. I want to see and embrace their strength, to know how powerful and capable they are, now and always.”

    The fellows will now deliver the school-based ROX Program for Girls at their schools while continuing their fellowship experience through 2026.  “When girls in ROX have a Dr. Patty Fellow as their facilitator, they experience the impact of a ‘real life’ role model who looks like them – one who continually shows up for them, believes in them, and invests in them,” says Leah Borden, senior advisor to the Dr. Patty Diversity Fellowship. “This profoundly increases their connection to school and their sense of belonging in their educational environment.”

    “I think ROX aligns directly with our mission of creating leaders,” says Angela. “Many times, a girl is viewed as being bossy when she speaks up; but no, she’s just being a leader, and we all lead differently. When I think about my role, I think about how a program like ROX allows me to learn more about how to help girls become leaders and what they need to be equipped with to lead. We need to be intentional about empowering girls to be leaders, and not only face but also conquer a world that has not been built for them.”

Feature Image: The 2024 ROX Dr. Patty Diversity Fellowship. Angela Barber-Joiner of Cincinnati Country Day School is at far left. Photo provided

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