After years of enduring standardized tests, from elementary school (it starts in 3^rd grade in New York) all the way through high school and then college entrance exams, most students breathe a sigh of relief at the lack of standardized testing at the undergraduate level. Unless you’re going to grad school or entering a credentialed profession, your college admission is a chance to say goodbye to those dreaded, broad-stroke assessments.

Not so fast.

If you thought all those standardized tests were just a means of torturing you and comparing you to your peers, well, that’s only part of it. Test scores are also used to determine the quality of the public school you’re attending. As such, test scores can make or break a school, giving governing bodies reasons to close underperforming schools and empowering choosy parents with facts and figures to determine how well a school’s students are presumably performing.

When it comes to college, however, we have data about the scores required for entrance, letting us know how selective a school is, but no concrete data to reveal student outcomes. All that might be changing.

National assessments – yes, even standardized tests – are gaining traction at the college level, with more than 1,000 colleges using at least one of these methods, reports The New York Times. For example, since 2004, Texas has required its state colleges to administer standardized tests and make the outcomes public. It’s a move to increase transparency and give consumers a way to compare colleges more effectively.

The federal government has not yet mandated standardized testing for colleges, but the prospect is not far off.

It makes sense on some level – if you’re going to make such a hefty investment in a college education, you might want concrete evidence of a return on that investment, such as a significant increase in knowledge and skills. Simply put, you want the most bang for your buck.

Currently, the Voluntary System of Accountability, an alliance of more than 300 state colleges, has approved three competing standardized tests for colleges: the ETS Proficiency Profile; the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency, produced by ACT; and the Collegiate Learning Assessment, from the Council for Aid to Education.

The goal of these collegiate assessments is not merely to measure performance, but improvement, especially in key areas like critical thinking and problem-solving.

However, selective colleges say it’s difficult for students to show marked improvement on standardized tests when they’re starting with high aptitude and critical thinking skills from the get-go.

And standardized tests are imperfect measurements in themselves, especially given that not all schools are reporting the data, nor are they using the same tests at the same time and in the same way.

If the higher-ups in higher ed ever do come to a consensus about how to measure learning at the college level, students could be looking at four more years of test prep and Scantron forms. Just what you always wanted.

–Robyn Tellefsen

If you’re applying to college, you’re probably already aware that admissions officers can peep your Facebook profile. Any information that’s been made public on the Internet is, well, public information. Many of us are cognizant of that fact and have blocked our profiles and posts from public consumption. But what if a school asks permission to become part of your friend network – or worse, asks for your password to tool around Facebook as if it were you?

No, this isn’t a fictional scenario from George Orwell’s “1984;” it’s a 2012 reality. News and blog sites have been lit up these last few weeks with reports of employers asking job candidates to reveal their social media logins. The public outcry has been loud and clear, with senators, representatives, and Facebook itself decrying the practice as an invasion of privacy. Though House Republicans blocked an amendment to a reform act of the Federal Communications Commission, Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer (NY) and Richard Blumenthal (CT) are pushing for a federal investigation as to whether the practice of employers demanding usernames and passwords is a violation of the Stored Communications Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

While this storm is brewing, we’ve got to wonder how all this Big Brother-esque spying will affect college admissions. The fact is, student athletes are already prone to social media policing. Many schools are requiring athletic prospects to “friend” a coach, granting the school access to friends-only information. At the University of North Carolina, for instance, at least one coach or administrator is responsible for having access to and regularly monitoring the content of team members’ social networking sites and postings. So even when you’re in, the scrutiny goes on.

Colleges may also enlist the help of social media monitoring companies like UDiligence and Varsity Monitor to automate the time-consuming task of digging up your dirt. Programs like these offer a “reputation scoreboard” to coaches and send “threat level” warnings about individual athletes to compliance officers.

While Facebook has taken a firm stance on password-sharing (it’s a no-no), the company has yet to take a position on collegiate social media monitoring. Will this kind of monitoring spread past the athletic department? Word is, it already has.

According to Kaplan Test Prep’s most recent annual surveys (check out the infographic), 20% of college admissions officers, 27% of business school admissions officers, and 41% of law school admissions officers said they have Googled an applicant to learn more about them, while 24% of college admissions officers, 22% of business school admissions officers, and 37% of law school admissions officers have checked out an applicant on Facebook or other social networking site. And the results haven’t been pretty. As it turns out, 12% of college admissions officers, 14% of business school admissions officers, and 32% of law school admissions officers who researched an applicant online said they discovered something that negatively impacted an applicant’s admissions chances.

On the other hand, some colleges, like Kenyon College, explicitly forbid looking beyond what prospective students submit in their applications. Eastern Washington University went so far as blogging about the fact that it will never use Facebook, Twitter, or Google to learn more about applicants.

But it seems that these schools are few and far between.

So what’s a prospective college student to do? Consider using Facebook to your advantage in the admissions process. If colleges are looking – and so many of them are – an online presence that showcases your strengths and achievements may actually boost your admission bid.

–Robyn Tellefsen

We all want to be supportive of our friends and encourage them to pursue and earn their college degrees.

Now some students can get paid for doing that!

Online schools Ashworth College and James Madison High School are paying students and graduates $50 for every friend they refer who enrolls in their programs. The friends have to be in a class for a minimum of 30 days for the students to get the cash.

Refer a friend programs that offer cash are offered by stores, restaurants, credit card companies, banks, attractions, and even college saving plans. We’re not seeing many colleges getting in on the act, though.

Ashworth College and James Madison High School (the for-profit schools are owned by the same company) are encouraging students and graduates to invite their friends via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail or direct mail. The school set the limit at earning $100 per year.

Ashworth College officials say the refer a friend marketing program is a way is seeks to introduce people to online education as an affordable alternative. Ashworth College and James Madison High School, both accredited schools, online high school diploma programs, more than 115 online college degrees, and online certificate programs.

We all can use a little extra cash, and for you, the program offers another way you can have a stake in your friends’ education.

One of my kids’ favorite storybook characters is Lilly, the heroine of such clever tales as “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes. Amid all her antics, we learn that Lilly, a spirited young mouse, wants to be a teacher when she grows up – but only on the days when she doesn’t want to be a dancer, surgeon, ambulance driver, diva, pilot, hairdresser, or scuba diver.

Today, on Look Up at the Sky Day (I kid you not!), Lilly’s shoot-for-the-stars aspirations remind me of all the fun things people dream about becoming before they get old and crotchety. From princesses and superheroes to ballerinas and professional baseball players, kids let their imaginations run wild when answering the question of what they want to be when they grow up.

These days, my kindergartner says she wants to be an astronaut and an artist. (Or maybe she’ll be a writer like her mama – she’s already got the alliteration down pat!) I don’t think she quite understands what these careers entail, but she loves her science and art classes in school, and she’s always drawing and coloring. The earnings potential for artsy types isn’t so bad – according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2011, artists earned a median annual salary of $58,040. And according to NASA, an astronaut can earn anywhere from $64,724 to $141,715 a year, depending on academic achievements and experience. The salary differential speaks for itself, but I think I’ll leave my daughter’s career decisions up to her. She’s only 6, after all.

My second grader is dead set on becoming a meteorologist. He watches The Weather Channel, clips weather forecasts out of newspapers, and reads books about weather phenomena religiously. He also likes to invent his own forecasts for all different parts of the world, and abbreviations like “precip,” “temp,” and “t-storm” are sprinkled throughout his everyday conversations. This may seem like strange behavior for a soon-to-be 8-year-old, but I think he’s on track to a career as a future Bill Evans (my son’s favorite weatherman). He already knows he’ll have to take lots of science and math classes in high school and college. What he doesn’t know is that the salary forecast is pretty good – in 2011, meteorologists pulled in an annual salary of about $89,790, reports the BLS.

As for my own childhood dreams, actress and singer were pretty high on the list, and ballerina, doctor, and lawyer were in there at some point, too. I didn’t recognize my penchant for writing until college and beyond, though I should have – I used to write pretend newspaper articles in my backyard, and I’ve got stacks of personal journals revealing a lifetime of small moments.

So I will encourage my kids to follow their dreams, but I will also tell them that we don’t always end up living out our childhood fantasies. Sometimes we do something even better.

–Robyn Tellefsen

Certificate programs are becoming more in demand by college graduates and job seekers. They’re seeing the value of a certificate program as more than another piece of paper to frame and put on the wall.

Instead, earning a professional certificate can lead to job offers, promotions, and salary increases.

Continuing education certificate programs offer you the opportunity to study in a specific area, either related to your existing job or in a field you are exploring. To earn a continuing education certificate from a college or university, you have to complete a number of required courses and electives. Most can be earned in one to two years.

No matter your profession, you’re likely to find a school offering a certificate for you and courses taught by professionals with real-world knowledge. There are certificate programs in everything from health care to law to management to nonprofits to technology.

Mary Walshok, dean of UC San Diego Extension, and co-author of the book Closing America’s Job Gap says:

“Unlike the 1950s through 1970s, when schools of continuing education and extension services were more like second-chance universities for adults who didn’t have the opportunity to get a college degree, these programs today are hubs of education and training providing the practice oriented credentials which combined with a solid liberal arts degree make for globally competitive careers.”

The University of California San Diego reports a 19 percent increase in students enrolling in certificate programs. In 2011, 3,841 students entered continuing education certificate programs at UC San Diego, compared to 3,217 during 2010. UC San Diego Extension offers 102 certificates, and for most of them, the entire program costs $1,875-$3,200.

The majority – about 85 percent – of students already hold a college degree. And employers are paying for the extra schooling, so it’s an option to inquire about if you’re currently employed.

Here are 10 areas where UC San Diego are seeing more students enrolling in certificate programs – and they reflect trends in other schools, too:

• Lactation consultant
• Biostatistics
• Paralegal studies
• Data mining
• Lean Six Sigma
• Leadership and management
• Fundraising and development
• Copyediting
• College counseling
• Reading instruction from research to practice

We’re seeing schools grow their certificate programs, too.

Lake Michigan College in South Haven, Mich., recently approved two new one-year Certificate of Achievement programs in logistics and energy production technology/line worker.

New certificates at UC San Diego include graphic design, in vitro diagnostics, career advising, mobile applications development, mobile device programming, and video and imaging technologies, clinical trials administration in Latin America, and global service entrepreneurship.

College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, N.Y., is offering career-focused certificate programs – a Pharmacy Technician Certificate Program and Medical Assistant Administration Program.

As you’re looking at college programs, you may be able to transition to a new job or more rewarding position by adding a professional certificate to your resume.

In honor of National Organize Your Home Office Day today (we’re not joking, click here), we decided it’s time to blow away the dust bunnies that have accumulated over the winter months and clean up. There’s just something refreshing and rejuvenating about studying in a clutter-free environment, don’t you think? When you’re schooling from a home office – however makeshift it may be – it’s critical to ensure your space is comfortable and well-organized. Check out our picks for fun products to aid you in the quest to spring clean your school space.

Make Memorable Memos
Ditch the Post-its and catch the wave of the future with Native Union’s “Play,” a fun, vibrant video memo pad. Use the Play to record up to three minutes of messages, like your ongoing to-do list or reminders about assignment deadlines. Featuring a 2.5 inch LCD screen and 40-day battery life, the Play can stick to any surface and help you keep your desk clutter free. Available in black, blue, green, pink, purple, red, and white. ($59.99, nativeunion.com)

Stay in Tune with Nature
If you simply must have paper notes adorning your walls, at least you can keep them neat, tidy, and au naturel with this whimsical Bird Corkboard. See Jane Work offers a variety of cute and stylish office supplies that can breathe life into your workspace. You’re sure to study with a smile when this bulletin board catches your eye! ($12.00, seejanework.com)

Go Green for Lighting
In all your spring cleaning efforts, don’t neglect the consideration of energy-efficient lighting. SYLVANIA’s DOT-it Dimmable is the perfect solution for shining light in the dark corners of your desk or on the spring semester books in your bookshelf. DOT-it Dimmable sticks to almost any surface and offers three levels of bright, white LED light that’s easy on the eyes – and the wallet. ($9.99, sylvaniaonlinestore.com)

Digitize Your Content
If paper clutter is killing your school sanity, tame the monster with NeatDesk. This high-speed, ultra-cool desktop scanner and digital filing system can help you archive your old term papers, tests, and projects for future reference; manage your finances by scanning receipts and student loan information to maintain a budget; develop and maintain a career database by scanning letters of recommendation, portfolio work, transcripts, and awards; and more. ($399.95, neat.com)

Trick Out Your iPad
You take your iPad everywhere you go, but when you’re ready to park it in your home office, you want it to function like a sturdy desktop computer. Enter RTA Products’ 2COOL 2C-TCK02C iPad case, a trendy, ergonomic case that comes with an adjustable stand and a built-in silicone, spill-proof, dust-proof Bluetooth keyboard. Never worry about coffee spills again! Available in black, red, pink, and white. ($49.99, wayfair.com)

Write Smart
You may be a techie to the max, but you still use pens and pencils for some school tasks, right? Rather than sorting through a junk drawer to find the proper writing implements, reach for Hipcycle’s fabulously unique pen and pencil holders, like the Chopstick Pen Cup. Hipcycle is dedicated to the growing upcycling trend in green design – taking something that would otherwise be thrown away and transforming it into something of greater use and value. ($10.00, hipcycle.com)

Clear the Desk
No review of home office products would be complete without a nod to Martha Stewart, the queen of beautiful (and practical) spaces. Martha’s Stack+Fit desk accessories can help you eliminate desktop clutter and get organized in style. Mix and match drawers and trays, organizers, stackable inboxes and more to fit your own space and storage needs for your school supplies. (Prices vary, staples.com)

Don’t Stop Now…
If you’re inspired to go further in your quest for home office organization, take a look at Smart Office Organizing: Simple Strategies for Bringing Order to Your Workspace by Sandra Felton (The Organizer Lady) and Marsha Sims (president of Miami-based Sort-It-Out, Inc.). The book can help you assess the mess, create an action plan, and maintain an organized office so you can stay on top of your schoolwork. ($13.99, bakerpublishinggroup.com)

–Robyn Tellefsen

Which college degrees provide better job security?

A new study from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce implies that your degree choice can have a big impact on keeping a job. According to the findings, risk of unemployment for recent graduates varies considerably depending on their major.

You can check out the full report, Hard Times, College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings: Not All College Degrees Are Created Equal, but here are some of the takeaways we’ve gleaned from it:

- Specializing is great, but develop skills that can be applicable in a number of ways. Case in point: The highest unemployment rate in the study was for architecture graduates (13.9 percent), a direct reflection of the struggling real estate market, and there’s little work outside of that industry. On the other hand, those with financial or computer expertise can transfer those skills to work for most any corporation or organization.

- Now might be a good time to get that advanced degree you’ve been mulling over. The overall unemployment rate for people with graduate degrees is just 3 percent.

- Look for ties to strong industries. Recent graduates in Engineering, the Sciences, Education, or Healthcare are tied to stable or growing sectors, and therefore, offer opportunities with the most staying power (with just a 5.4% unemployment rate).

On the bright side, any degree is still better than not having one at all. Recent bachelor’s degree earners have an 8.9 percent unemployment rate, while job seekers with just a high school diploma are at 22.9 percent, and high school dropouts are at 31.5 percent.

-Dawn Papandrea

When searching for a community college, you want to select a school that cares about students being successful with the coursework and after graduation, in finding well-paying jobs.

The Aspen Institute

Part of your research should include the honors that schools have received, and here’s a new one we wanted to bring to your attention. The Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence was launched in 2011, and as more people look to commercial colleges for affordability and convenience, it is great to see these schools receiving the spotlight.

The award recognized community colleges with strong results in student learning, completion, equity, and post-college employment and earnings.

The winner was … Florida’s Valencia College. The Orlando school has some pretty impressive numbers, with more than half of its full-time students either graduating or transferring within three years of entering college. And 30 percent of the students who enter Valencia transfer to a four-year college.

Here’s an incredible story from the writeup about Valencia College that shows how the school (which received a $600,000 award) has been a source for local employers, helping connect students with job openings.

“Jim Lipscomb, a Northrop Grumman manager in Orlando, used to spend half the year on the road, looking for workers qualified to help make laser sights for military hardware. Competition was fierce—a good candidate had five or ten job offers to choose from—and those he hired often left Florida in months, homesick for Texas or Idaho or Iowa.

Now, Lipscomb doesn’t need to leave town. Over the last several years, he has hired nearly every laser technician who has come out of Valencia, which created a program in response to growing industry demand. Valencia is doing its part to fill a national shortage of laser technicians while linking local residents to well-paying jobs for local residents.”

Here are the nine finalists for the Aspen Prize, which also are partnering with businesses and creating innovative programs for their community college students. You can read each of the finalists’ stories, too, to see what those schools are doing to stand out.

• Lake Area Technical Institute (South Dakota)

• Miami Dade College (Florida)

• Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

• Mott Community College (Michigan)

• Northeast Iowa Community College-Calmar

• Santa Barbara City College (California)

• Southwest Texas Junior College

• Valencia College (Florida)

• Walla Walla Community College (Washington)

• West Kentucky Community and Technical College

Former Secretary of Education Richard Riley, who co-chaired the jury that selected the winners, made these comments in connection with the award:”Community colleges for too long have been under-appreciated. By 2018, more than 60 percent of American jobs will require some kind of post-secondary qualification, and community colleges are uniquely poised to answer the needs of both employers and students looking for economic security.”

If you’re attending any of these schools or planning on starting there soon, definitely check out how you can benefit from their initiatives that are worthy of the spotlight!

-Lori Johnston

This is an exciting time to be in school, as there are more opportunities and ways to learn. For 2012, you’ll see a continuation of trends and some new efforts that point the way for how students will be learning from community colleges, two-year and four-year public and private universities, and for-profit online schools in the future.

Education in emerging markets
Businesses are thinking globally, and so are colleges and universities. From the growth in study abroad programs to graduate education, more U.S. universities are expanding with overseas programs. In 2012, for example, Harvard Business School will have four executive education programs in India.

Sciences will stand out even more
The national STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) initiative is seeking to boost students’ knowledge in public schools. At the college level, schools are working to prepare students with the math and science skills to get hired in high-demand fields such as engineering and technology.

Campuses get more social
Tweeting, sharing content, “likes” on Facebook … it’s all part of how colleges and universities are going to continue interacting with their students, and students interacting with each other and their professors.

Online learning gets more tools
Online learning continues to evolve, and one trend that students will see is how learning management systems like Blackboard and OpenClass will integrate more social media. Cloud computing also will become more of a factor, making it easier for you to access reading material or the paper you’re working on from anywhere. That’s going to make it easier for you to collaborate with other students and share content, which can help you succeed in your classes.

Campuses get greener
Colleges and universities realize that they need to train students to fill the exploding number of high-paying green jobs. Community colleges, for example, are working to update their curriculum so that its students will contribute to the green economy and sustainability movement.

Let us know some of the trends you’re seeing in education in 2012!

Happy New Year!

-Lori Johnston

My 5-year-old son’s letter to Santa this year includes Legos, Green Lantern and Batman action figures, and something to play Angry Birds with (instead of always asking for my iPhone). For him, my wish for Santa is that he continues to learn to spell, read, and develop a strong work ethic in kindergarten through his future school years.

If adult learners made a list for Santa, there’s six things we think would be great wishes for Santa (and we’d give him extra cookies and coffee to keep him caffeinated on Christmas Eve, too!).

1. Faster Internet access
Whether you’re taking online classes or trying to do online research, there’s nothing more frustrating for an adult learner than being bogged down by a slow Internet connection. Or worse, when there’s no Internet at all, due to tech problems in your home, office, or a coffee shop, or storm outages.

2. A tablet
The high-tech movement is evident in education. A tablet can be easier to tote than a laptop if you’re going to class or work, and there’s the option to sync information between computers and tablets, and a ton of apps that can help with taking notes and test prep. iPads and other tablets are pricey, so no being naughty this year – you want to be on Santa’s good side. Tablets and e-readers like the Kindle and Nook also can make it more affordable to buy digital textbooks, newspapers, magazines, and other required reading for school.

3. Peace in the house
Peace on earth is a big wish, but some peace and quiet in your home is necessary as you’re studying for tests or finishing up assignments on deadline. If that seems impossible, maybe Santa can help provide a babysitter for those times when you need to be secluded and studying, away from the kids.

4. Time
Santa’s the ultimate multi-tasker, placing presents under trees around the world in the span of one night. Adult students have the same tough task – trying to fit in studying, working, caring for family, and other activities – in their schedule. The gift of time would be incredible. As you enter 2012, you could take another look at your schedule to see ways you can pare down activities or prioritize so that school doesn’t suffer from the lack of time in your life.

5. Instant knowledge
Being able to master tough concepts in your subject area and quickly grasp the information you need in required classes leading up to your major would be incredible. Until those abilities are possible, adult learners will need to continue to prioritize time to study do required reading, work ahead on projects, and ask plenty of questions to ace the class.

6. A frame
For your diploma, of course!

Happy and merry holidays to all!

-Lori Johnston