"When the day came to administer the first test I had designed," writes Brandon Lewis, "my heart sank."

AP has managed to dodge the partisan pitfalls that have felled other ambitious curricular efforts—so far, write Chester E. Finn Jr. and Andrew E. Scanlan.

Here's a handy glossary on terms like project-based learning, competency-based learning, and standards-based grading.

The arts, geography, economics, and foreign languages will lose their place in the testing line-up as the National Assessment of Educational Progress is being streamlined to cut costs.

As the two big groups of states craft common-assessment systems, experts warn that the smallest details could undermine their work.

The collection and use of data about just how prepared individual children are to enter kindergarten can be a ticklish proposition.

Penn State New Kensington will honor its fall 2023 and spring 2024 graduates on May 6 with an in-person ceremony at 10 a.m. The ceremony will also be livestreamed. Adis Juklo, alumnus and current meteorologist at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, will serve as the event’s keynote speaker.

Robert Howard and John DeRiggi inducted to the New Kensington Athletics Hall of Fame on April 17. 

Kevin Snider, who became chancellor of the New Kensington campus in 2008, will leave behind a legacy of innovation, fostering partnerships and community development when he retires from Penn State on Dec. 31.

Sarah Stein, a Penn State College of the Liberal Arts student with three majors, completed an internship with Amazon as one of 28 Liberal Arts students in the Chapel Executive Internship Program this summer.

Dr. Mary Catherine Santos, pediatric surgeon and professor of surgery and pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine, is among an elite group of surgeon educators to be inducted membership into the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators in 2024.

Three Penn Staters were selected as finalists for the prestigious and competitive Rhodes Scholarship. Anshuta Beeram, Nate Carey and Kueyoung Kim will participate in final interviews on Nov. 15 and 16. 

Pamela Pologruto has received the F.A. Davis Award for Outstanding Physical Therapist Assistant Educator. The American Physical Therapy Association recognized her achievement with this national award, only given to one recipient annually, at their honors and awards reception ceremony in Kansas City, Missouri.

Eric Wicklund, co-author of "Through a Convict’s Eyes: An Overlooked View of the Criminal Justice System," will visit Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus at 12:15 p.m. on Oct. 29 to discuss his insights on criminal rehabilitation. He will be joined by his co-author, Lavarr McBride, who has worked in the criminal justice field for 39 years and serves as a professor of criminal justice at Penn State Fayette.

Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus will host 24 basketball games inside its Community Center Main Arena between Nov. 5, 2024, and Feb. 11, 2025.

Students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre are invited to take part in the annual Mental Health Awareness Day, set for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 18. The event is designed to promote mental health awareness and self-care, reduce stigma, and provide students with an opportunity to engage in self-care activities. 

Students who meet transfer requirements at Lehigh Carbon Community College are guaranteed admission to Penn State Hazleton, Lehigh Valley, Schuylkill and Wilkes-Barre.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre has received a donation from the Pennsylvania Land Surveyors’ Foundation, enabling the program to purchase additional equipment.

Theresa Tarves, interim associate dean for library and information services and professor of legal research, and Rebecca Mattson, interim director of the Law Library and professor of legal research, were invited to speak at the American Association of Law Libraries Annual Meeting held in Chicago, Illinois, from July 21 through July 23.

Penn State Law in University Park welcomed 131 first-year juris doctor students to the Lewis Katz Building on Aug. 21-22 for J.D. Orientation.

The Penn State Law Minority Mentor Program held its 10th annual kickoff reception on Sept. 6 at Toftrees Golf Resort in State College.

The Emily Dickinson Lecture featuring acclaimed poet Ilya Kaminsky will now take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, in Paterno Library's Foster Auditorium.  The event — rescheduled from an earlier date — is free and open to the public.

The Penn State Berks theatre department will present “8 at Eight” — a collection of eight light-hearted, eight-minute plays at 8 p.m. Nov. 13-16 in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium.

The Woskob Family Gallery will host “Hands-on History: The Experience of Braiding a Lost Inca Rope” from Nov. 15-17, where participants will learn ancient braiding techniques and contribute to the reconstruction of a centuries-old Incan rope. The workshop will be open to the public each day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and participants are encouraged to dedicate at least one hour to the workshop.

Enacting sustainability practices continues to be a key initiative for organizations, according to a new report from the Penn State Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication. The report reveal ways companies can build stronger, more authentic connections with audiences by taking control of their sustainability messaging to shape effective strategies and drive behavior change across all levels of business.

A documentary by a Penn State faculty filmmaker won an award in Canada and will screen Nov. 24 in Finland.

Two social media efforts created by CommAgency for clients at Penn State were recognized with Education Digital Marketing Awards.

A Penn State faculty member who previously served as a senior editor and newsroom manager during a four-decade career at several major daily news organizations was named as the recipient of the 2024 Richard J. Levine Journalism Champion Award, presented by the Dow Jones News Fund.

Julie Miller, the manager of internships in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, offers valuable insights and support for students.

Seven productions by Penn State communications students — several television shows, one audio event, a podcast and a short video — earned top-three finishes in the nationwide competition conducted by the College Media Association.

A film that some Penn State film production students scrambled to shoot while part of a weeklong stay in Amsterdam last spring has blossomed into an award-winning effort.

A rejection from an au pair organisation in the U.S. made it possible for Carolina from Argentina to grow in relationship with Jesus.

Like in the Parable of the Sower, many people play an important role in Andrea’s life as she as she comes to faith in Christ.

OM Argentina offers workshops for children and mothers and gives free psychological help in a tough neighbourhood in Córdoba.

Over 100 young people, coaches and supporters hear the Word of God at a volleyball and football tournament held in conjunction with local churches.

The healing of her son, and one worker’s patient witness, leads an Argentine women to repent and accept Christ as her Saviour.

Becci shares the stories of two men in a prison in Buenos Aires. Both of them admitted their sins and accepted Jesus as their Saviour.

OM Argentina now has their own football field to hold sports classes for children in an underprivileged area of Córdoba.

A workshop by the OM team in Córdoba, Argentina gave 25 women new insights on coping with poverty and domestic violence.

God prepared the team in Argentina for OM Latin America’s new focus on mobilisation, even before they knew what it was.

The Penn State DuBois Office of Student Engagement will welcome students and members of the public to Hiller Auditorium on Thursday, Oct. 3, to hear from leadership speaker Tom Krieglstein.

The Penn State DuBois Information Sciences and Technology program has significantly enhanced its technological resources through a new partnership with Penn State Information Technology leadership and IT Infrastructure. This collaboration will expand hands-on learning opportunities for students, while saving the campus tens of thousands of dollars in equipment costs.

The Penn State DuBois men’s basketball team started the 2024-25 season on a high note, winning its first two games over the weekend in strong showings against Bucks County Community College and Central Penn at Penn State Mont Alto.

What kind of person does God call to the Arabian Peninsula?

A single woman tells what it's like to serve God in the Arabian Peninsula.

OM worker in the Arabian Peninsula reflects on his friendship with a local.

Encouragement and honesty help a local believer persevere through difficult times.

By striking up a conversation at the garage, worker finds a car mechanic open to talking about prayer and fasting.