Education

The state constitution says it’s Washington’s “paramount duty to make ample provisions for the education of all children,” but is it failing to do that? This afternoon, the state Supreme Court will consider arguments on both sides.

The Washington State Board for Community and Technical colleges voted Thursday to raise tuition by an average of 12 percent next year. That's the maximum the Legislature allowed in the state budget.

The University of Washington’s highly-ranked school of nursing is plagued with low-morale, internal strife and a lack of trust between faculty and the department head, according to a new report.

The report by the Seattle consulting firm MacDonald Boyd and Associates attributed the deep divisions largely to choices made over budget cuts.  The state has slashed funding for University of Washington by more than 50-percent in the past 3 years. (Follow the link to the consultant's report)

The Richland School Board, taking into consideration mixed recommendations from the district's Instructional Materials Committee, voted to remove "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie from highschool reading lists.

Seattle University has accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference in 2012. The WAC announced the move Tuesday following a board of directors meeting in Park City, Utah.

Washington high school students continue to do well on statewide tests in reading and writing, but only about half are passing the science assessment.

Of this year's tenth graders, more than 81 percent passed the reading test on their first try and nearly 84 percent passed the writing test. Results from math tests will be released in August. The passage rates are above 90 percent for this year's seniors, who have had multiple chances to pass.

The Regents of Washington State University have approved a sixteen percent increase in in-state undergraduate tuition on the same day that Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law legislation giving Washington state’s four-year universities authority to set their own tuition.

This fall, college students could face bigger tuition hikes than Washington has seen in nearly a decade. That’s after two years of double digit increases.

Under a bill signed by Governor Chris Gregoire, state colleges get to set their own rates. They’re also expected to help students who can’t afford to pay more.