Kevin’s blog

Expert analysis and the latest news from award-winning journalist Kevin Richert.

How U.S. News and World Report grades Idaho’s colleges and universities

The magazine’s detailed scoring system is weighted heavily on student outcomes, such as graduation rates; faculty resources; and “expert opinion,” which gauges a school’s reputation by considering other rankings and ratings.

Superintendent Ybarra’s schedule: Sept. 9-13

Among the items on this week’s schedule: a meeting of Gov. Brad Little’s K-12 task force.

Wall Street Journal: College of Idaho tops state’s rankings

The Journal ranked 801 colleges and universities nationally and the C of I came in at No. 360.

Reclaim Idaho launches education funding initiative

The driving force behind Medicaid expansion wants the state to increase income taxes, bolstering K-12 budgets by more than $170 million a year.

Attention seniors: College ‘direct admissions’ paperwork is on the way

All Idaho high school seniors are pre-approved for some or all of the state’s two- and four-year colleges and universities. And they can start applying, for free, on Oct. 1.

Superintendent Ybarra’s schedule: Sept. 3-4

The state superintendent’s weekly schedule lists only two events — lasting a total of one hour.

Statesman: Federal judge sides with cheerleaders in civil rights lawsuit

The Burley High School students proved that they were dismissed from the cheerleading team for reserving the right to file a grievance against the school district, a federal judge ruled in July.

Study: Outbreaks can make some immunization critics rethink their opinion

“Some people base their vaccine decision-making to a considerable degree on whether or not a given disease occurs in close vicinity to their community,” said Florian Justwan, a University of Idaho assistant professor of political science.