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.

The PARCC and Smarter Balanced assessments have evolved since they were launched in 2015. Here's a guide to understanding them now.

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

The U.S. Department of Education sees two specific challenges potentially undermining the quality of the international assessment program, writes Mark Schneider.

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.

Jacob Guerrini, a junior electro-mechanical engineering technology student at the New Kensington campus, was named the 2024 Berger Scholarship recipient.

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

Penn State campuses across Pennsylvania were sites of celebration and recognition May 3-5 as the University awarded more than 14,000 degrees during 2024 spring commencement ceremonies held statewide. Revisit the excitement of commencement with this gallery of photos from Penn State's Commonwealth Campuses.

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 14 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.   

Penn State has announced the recipients of the inaugural Presidential Public Impact Research Awards, a new program designed to support faculty and students who are working on research projects that directly benefit communities.

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.

Five Penn State Commonwealth Campus leaders will be retiring from the University in the coming weeks and months, Penn State Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses and Executive Chancellor Margo DelliCarpini has announced.

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 13 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.   

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 14 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.  

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 14 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.   

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 15 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.   

Penn State students are experiencing a transformative way of learning thanks to a collaboration between Teaching and Learning with Technology Media Commons and Maker Commons, part of University Libraries, and College of the Liberal Arts faculty in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Together, they have developed project-based assignments that incorporate hands-on maker technologies, giving students a unique opportunity to enhance their technical and creative skills while promoting social justice and community values.

Erin Kitt-Lewis, associate director of education for the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing’s Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, has been named a 2024 Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing by the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence. 

Penn State World Campus will accept credits from certain courses offered by the Community College of the Air Force that can be transferred toward a bachelor of science in organizational leadership. The degree is offered online through Penn State World Campus by the School of Labor and Employment Relations in the College of the Liberal Arts.

The Biology and Ecology Student Research Showcase, hosted by the Biology Graduate Student Association and Ecology Graduate Student Organization on Nov. 1, featured poster and podium presentations from nearly 30 graduate and undergraduate students.

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.

The science major in the Penn State Eberly College of Science has been renamed integrative science as part of a modern refresh to reflect its interdisciplinary nature.

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. 

The Eberly Family Special Collections Library at Penn State University Libraries has announced that the application period for 2025-26 research grants is now open. Awards are available to support travel and research expenses while utilizing the Eberly Family Special Collections Library at Penn State’s University Park campus. The application deadline is Dec. 10.

Jennifer Jewell, teaching professor in the physical therapist assistant program at Penn State Shenango; Pamela Pologruto, teaching professor of physical therapist assistant at Penn State Fayette; Laura Cruz, research professor at Penn State's Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence; and faculty members from Penn State Lehigh Valley presented at the 2024 Lilly Conference in Austin, Texas.

Roger Myers, recent graduate of Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, has accepted an internship with Walt Disney World Resort.

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.

Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus is dedicating September to raising awareness about suicide prevention through a series of events and activities. This initiative follows the official proclamation by the Fayette County Commissioners, recognizing September as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month.

As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 13 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University.   

At seven of Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses, campus gardens and farms help to connect students with nature. Programs aimed at sustainable food practices and mental well-being help to create an environment for growth and joy within the community. 

Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus will host the 52nd annual Shakespeare Festival on Oct. 22-23. This event will feature an 80-minute production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" by The Linny Fowler WillPower Tour, followed by a Q&A session with the cast. The festival, free and open to the public, will be held in the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium, located in the Community Center.

At seven of Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses, campus gardens and farms help to connect students with nature. Programs aimed at sustainable food practices and mental well-being help to create an environment for growth and joy within the community. 

Penn State Fayette students are invited to meet Estelle Belko, student aid coordinator, from 9-10 a.m. on Oct. 16 inside the Williams Building Student Success Center.

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.

Virtual reality goggles with a choice of soothing environments or guided meditations, a color-changing bubble wall, a prayer area, Zen garden and massage chair: These are all options provided by Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s Counseling Services to help students relax and stay calm.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s Friedman Art Gallery is preparing to open a new exhibit. “Photography of Protest” by photographer Michael Mirabito will open on Oct. 31 and continue until Dec. 3. The gallery is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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. 

Penn State Wilkes-Barre is hosting an open house for prospective students and their families from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 19.

They first met in kindergarten, and now they’re in college together. Caleb Balas, Nikolas Kistner and Alexis McGrady were educated at Hanover Area schools throughout elementary, middle and high school. Coming from a graduating class of 111 students, they frequently saw each other throughout school. Since they each made their college choice individually, they didn’t know they would continue to see each other at Penn State Wilkes-Barre — and all three said it’s nice seeing familiar faces.

High school students interested in science, technology, engineering, the arts or mathematics (STEAM) are invited to a day of hands-on STEAM activities at Penn State Wilkes-Barre at no cost. “Exploring STEAM Careers” will be held at the campus on Nov. 6. Sessions will be held in the areas of chemistry, engineering, information technology, mathematics and surveying engineering.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre will host a popular community craft show coordinated by Arts at Hayfield on Nov. 3.

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 held its first Surveying Career Summit on Oct. 16, providing high school students interested in surveying engineering with the opportunity to visit the campus and learn more about their field of interest.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre was selected as “Best College Campus” in a local media group’s annual readers’ choice awards program.

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

Penn State Wilkes-Barre will host a ceremony on Veterans Day to honor the bravery and dedication of our nation’s service members on Nov. 11 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. The event will also serve as a rededication for the Daniel S. Walko Memorial, which honors a fallen service member who was a campus alumnus.