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Our top 10 education stories of 2015

Amy Scott Dec 30, 2015

As 2015 draws to a close, we took a look back at some of our most popular stories from the year. Below are the most-viewed stories from our education team and other contributors, as well as our special LearningCurve initiative, which looked at the ways technology is transforming education.

 Students work on laptops at a school in Philadelphia.

American students head to Germany for free college

Contributor Kirk Carapezza and the WGBH On Campus team travel to Cologne, Germany, to explore why more Americans are pursuing college degrees overseas.

The changing role of Advanced Placement classes

At some schools, AP classes have become more about college prep than college credit. But as one high school found out, just opening the gates to advanced courses isn’t enough.

With Common Core testing, you get what you pay for

A look at some of the costs behind developing new standardized tests. The price tag on a single multiple-choice question: around $1,000.

Fernando Rodriguez from George Washington High School in Chicago.

Helping low-income college students feel at home

After criticism from students, Vassar College in New York has tried to become a more inclusive campus. Inside the Transitions program for low-income, first-generation and veteran students. 

Zen and the art of coding

A profile of Shawnee, a 14-year-old student at the Wyoming Girls’ School, part of a series on education in the juvenile justice system.

 The surprising power of ninth grade

A focus on freshman year has helped Chicago boost its high school graduation rate. 

How one Chicago high school built a college culture

College access is part of everyone’s job at George Washington High School, in a neighborhood where less than 10 percent of adults have a four-year degree.

Adjunct faculty demonstrate for better conditions 

More than half of college classes are taught by temporary and part-time instructors. Activists organize a National Adjunct Walkout Day to protest their treatment. 

Comparing colleges by the economic value of their degrees

A new analysis by the Brookings Institution looks at the long-term career payoff of college.

Spending $100 million to break down AP class barriers

A new initiative aims to get more underrepresented students into AP and International Baccalaureate classes. 

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