International Students in the US

International Students in the US

Total foreign student numbers increased 8% in 2008/09; New enrollments up by 16%Largest percentage increase in international enrollments since 1980 India remained leading sending country, up 9%; China up by 21% USC top host university; California top host state; NYC top host city;Business and Management, Engineering remain top fields of study

WASHINGTON D.C., November 16, 2009 -- The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 8% to an all-time high of 671,616 in the 2008/09 academic year, according to the Open Doors report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This is the largest percentage increase in international student enrollments since 1980/81, and marks the third consecutive year of significant growth (with increases of 7% in 2007/08 and 3% in 2006/07). The total international student count exceeds by 14.5% the prior peak enrollment year (2002/03).

Open Doors 2009 data also show the number of “new” international students -- those enrolled for the first time at a U.S. college or university in fall 2008 – increasing by 16%, following two years of 10% increases. The largest growth was seen in undergraduate enrollments, which increased by 11%, compared to a 2% increase in graduate enrollments. This growth was driven largely by increases in undergraduate students from China.

The Open Doors 2009 data reports on enrollments in academic year 2008/09 based on a comprehensive survey of approximately 3,000 accredited U.S higher education institutions of all types and sizes, regarding international students at all levels of study. The findings do not reflect the full impact of the past year’s economic downturn, since decisions to come to the United States to study were made before the financial effects were fully felt in the sending countries.

To provide a “snapshot” look at what U.S. campuses are reporting in Fall 2009, IIE conducted an online survey, in cooperation with seven other higher education associations, asking if international enrollments for Fall 2009 have increased or decreased. This survey indicates a mixed picture for this Fall, with international enrollments varying according to different countries of origin and types and sizes of host institutions: 50% of responding campuses are continuing to see increases in international student enrollments (down from 57% who saw increases the previous year), while 24% reported declines, and 26% reported levels about the same as for the prior Fall. The campuses seeing declines noted varied effects of the current economic conditions and students’ concerns about the H1N1 virus, while those reporting increases cited increased recruitment efforts and the growing reputation and visibility of U.S. campuses abroad.

“I am delighted to see the large increase in the number of international students who are choosing to study in the United States,” said Judith A. McHale, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

“The all-time high number of international students who studied here in the 2008/09 academic year testifies to the quality and diversity for which American higher education is known around the world. The Department of State actively promotes the benefits of an American education. Our large network of more than 400 EducationUSA advising centers plays a key role in matching international students with a U.S. academic institution that’s just right for them. We strongly encourage international students to study in the United States, and are committed to helping them choose the American college or university that best meets their needs.”

According to Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education, “American higher education continues to be highly valued throughout the world. U.S. campuses offer unparalleled opportunities for creativity, flexibility, and cultural exchange. Students from all over the world contribute substantially to their host campuses and to the U.S. economy. Their active engagement in our classrooms provides U.S. students with valuable skills that will enable them to collaborate across political and cultural borders to address shared global challenges in the years ahead.”

Open Doors 2009 reports increases in foreign student enrollments from seven of the ten leading places of origin, and 19 of the top 25, with increases of more than 20% from four countries. India remains the leading place of origin for the eighth consecutive year, increasing by 9% to 103,260. Students from China, once again the second leading sender, increased 21% for a total of 98,510. South Korea, in third place, increased 9% to 75,065. Canada, the only non-Asian country in the top five, rose to fourth place with an increase of 2% to 29,697, surpassing Japan, now in fifth place after students declined for the fourth consecutive year, decreasing by 14% to 29,264. Taiwan remained in sixth place, with 28,065 students, a 3% decline.

The number of students from Mexico, the seventh-leading sender, remained flat this year, with a total of 14,850. Students from Turkey (#8) increased by 10% to 13,263, while Vietnam jumped into the ninth spot with a dramatic 46% increase to 12,823. Vietnam’s 2008/09 growth follows increases of 45% in 2007/08 and 31% in 2006/07, moving it into the top 10 this year from 20th place only two years ago.

Saudi Arabia, the tenth leading sender, increased by 28% to 12,661, consistent with its substantial investment in government funded scholarships.

Other notable increases were seen in enrollments from Nepal (#11), up 30% to 11,581 students, Germany (#12), up 9% to 9,679, and Brazil (#13), up 16% to 8,767 students in the United States. Slight declines were seen in the numbers of students from Thailand (#14) and Indonesia (#17), -3.0% and -2.4% respectively. The United Kingdom (#15), Hong Kong (#16), France (#18) and Colombia (#19) showed increases of less then 5%. Nigeria was #20, with an increase of 1% to 6,256 and Kenya was #22, with a 1% increase.

According to Open Doors 2009, universities in California hosted the largest number of foreign students with 93,124, up 10%, followed by New York with 74,934, up 7%, and Texas with 58,188, up 12%.

The New York City metropolitan area continues to be the leading city for international students, with 59,322 enrolled in area schools, up 8%. The Los Angeles metropolitan area is in second place with 42,897 international students, up 11%.

For the eighth consecutive year, Open Doors reports that the University of Southern California hosted the largest number of international students, this year reporting 7,482. New York University held in second place with 6,761 international students, and Columbia University, also holding steady in third place, hosted 6,685. Rounding out the top five 2008/09 host institutions are University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (6,570 students) and Purdue University (6,136 students). Open Doors reports that 171 U.S. campuses each hosted more than 1,000 students.

Business and Management remains the most popular field of study for international students in the United States, increasing by 12% and comprising 21% percent of the total, followed by Engineering with an 11% increase and comprising 18% of the total.

Math and Computer Science also increased significantly in 2008/09, up 10% from the prior year. After a 15% increase in 2007/08, Intensive English Language showed a slight decline in popularity, decreasing by 1%.

International students contribute $17.8 billion to the U.S. economy, through their expenditures on tuition and living expenses, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Higher education is among the United States’ top service sector exports, as international students provide revenue to the U.S. economy and individual host states for living expenses, including room and board, books and supplies, transportation, health insurance, support for accompanying family members, and other miscellaneous items.

Open Doors 2009 reports that 65% of all international students receive the majority of their funds from personal and family sources.

When other sources of foreign funding are included, such as assistance from their home country governments or universities, 70% of all international students’ primary funding comes from sources outside of the United States.

# # #Highlights from Open Doors 2009: Note: Extensive data tables are available on IIE's website at http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p=150808.

Social networks could help community college students - USATODAY.com

Social networks could help community college students - USATODAY.com:

"Social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help community college students become more engaged in their academics, a report out today finds.

But while large numbers of students say they use such tools in their daily lives, many two-year colleges have yet to mine the potential of the technology.

'The uses of social-networking tools are clearly growing in frequency,' says Kay McClenney, director of the Texas-based Center for Community College Student Engagement, which released the report. But 'colleges are not taking advantage of that particular set of tools for making connections with students to the extent that they could.'"

Exercise balls get education rolling -- latimes.com

Exercise balls get education rolling -- latimes.com:

"Reporting from Chicago - Donna Yehl's fourth-grade students bob behind their desks, heads nodding up and down as if the children were on the deck of a ship.

But they aren't fidgeting.

The two dozen children in Yehl's Elgin, Ill., classroom read and write -- in fact, do all of their classwork -- perched on exercise balls."

Want to eliminate at-risk kids? Call them something else. - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Want to eliminate at-risk kids? Call them something else. - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"I sympathize with those who may not be comfortable with the latest plan to rid our schools of at-risk kids. Several educators across the country, including Alexandria city schools superintendent Morton Sherman, have decided not to call them that anymore. Henceforth they will be known as “at-promise” children.

“We use the term ‘at-promise’ in Alexandria City Public Schools to describe children who have the potential to achieve at a higher rate than they are currently achieving,” Sherman said in a July 23 op-ed for the Alexandria Gazette Packet. “Really, all children are at-promise, because we, as educators, have made a promise to each and every child that we will work toward higher achievement for all.”"

Report says performance of Arizona's charter schools is mixed - washingtonpost.com

Report says performance of Arizona's charter schools is mixed - washingtonpost.com:

"SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Here, where suburb meets desert, students are clambering amid the cacti to dig soil samples and take notes on flora and fauna. In an old movie complex in nearby Chandler, others are dissecting a Renaissance tract on human nature. On a South Phoenix campus with a National Football League connection, still others are learning how to pass a basket of bread and help a lady into her chair.

These are just three charter schools among a multitude in the most wide-open public education market in America."

Arizona's flourishing charter school movement underscores the popular appeal of unfettered school choice and the creativity of some educational entrepreneurs. But the state also offers a cautionary lesson as President Obama pushes to dismantle barriers to charter schools elsewhere: It is difficult to promote quantity and quality at the same time.

Under a 1994 law that strongly favors charter schools, 500 of them operate in this state, teaching more than 100,000 students. Those totals account for a quarter of Arizona's public schools and a tenth of its public school enrollment, giving charters a larger market share here than in any other state.

On school aides’ last day, Klein addresses union | GothamSchools

On school aides’ last day, Klein addresses union GothamSchools:

"On the last day of work for over 500 school aides, Chancellor Joel Klein delivered a speech at the aides’ union headquarters that made no mention of the layoffs.

Speaking at District Council 37’s Quality of Work Life Employee Recognition Ceremony this morning, Klein said that “this is a tough time,” and the work school aides do is more necessary than ever before. Then he reminded the aides that “it’s not how much you get, but how much you give.”

“I’m here today to call on all of you to make sure you and all of your colleagues continue the work you’re doing. Our children will depend upon it,” he said."

Academy for Young Writers' students looking for storied internships in the city

Academy for Young Writers' students looking for storied internships in the city:

"Passing state Regents exams is about to pay off for several dozen Brooklyn middle school kids - and possible future colleagues of mine - with your help.

About 40 seniors from the Academy for Young Writers in Williamsburg will skip school for two weeks in January.

If enough positions can be found, they will spend those weeks at unpaid internships at businesses around the city.

The two-week job is an extension of Academy's founder and Principal Carolyn Yaffe's education philosophy.

'We are an exhibition-based- on-instruction school,' Yaffe said. 'It is important that students see how what they are doing in the classroom is connected to the world outside the classroom.'"

Regents want teaching improved -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY:1706:

Regents want teaching improved -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY:1706::

"ALBANY -- The state Board of Regents is considering innovations to improve teaching."

The policy-making board will consider new requirements for incoming teachers to demonstrate knowledge of a subject and classroom skills that can be linked to effective instruction.
In addition to performance-based assessments for new teachers, the board will consider assessments for teachers who are two years in the job. It could also take longer for teachers to earn a master's degree.

The board is considering a pilot program of alternatives to colleges for training future teachers. The new options could include museums and cultural institutions.
Regents also want to draw more teachers now employed in the sciences and increase the ranks of highly skilled teachers in poor urban districts, where fewer work.

"Nothing makes more difference than an outstanding teacher," David Steiner said when he was named state education commissioner. He is the former dean of Hunter College School of Education at the City University of New York.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=866201&category=region#ixzz0X21GiFZY

Parents applaud governor on her 'rainy day' reversal | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

Parents applaud governor on her 'rainy day' reversal HonoluluAdvertiser.com The Honolulu Advertiser:

"Parents of some Hawai'i public school students yesterday praised Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to tap into the state's 'rainy day' fund and end teacher furlough days from January through 2011."

"This is the rainy day," said Celia Molina, a mother of a first-grader at Kalei'opu'u Elementary School in Waipahu. "We wish that we didn't need to use it, but given the circumstances and the dire need, this is an appropriate use."

It's a position some parents said Lingle should have held before Hawai'i's estimated 189,783 students lost three instructional days — so far — to furloughs.

Allison Mikuni's daughter attends Kahala Elementary School, and Mikuni said she believes that "No one looked at furloughs from the long-term social costs and implication of not educating your future. They were only looking at the fiscal situation, as a dollar-and-cents issue. I appreciate the fact that the governor looked at what has happened and is making the changes as needed."

Lingle announced yesterday that she wants to end teacher furloughs starting in January by tapping into the state's rainy day fund and converting noninstructional days to classroom days.

Will Peru's next president come from Sonoma County? | PressDemocrat.com | The Press Democrat | Santa Rosa, CA

Will Peru's next president come from Sonoma County? PressDemocrat.com The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, CA:

"An as-yet unannounced candidate for president in Peru’s 2011 election — an Amazon tribal native educated at Stanford and Oxford universities — already has a campaign base in western Sonoma County.
If that scenario seems mind-boggling, you’d have to consider the resume of the candidate, 39-year-old Miguel Hilario-Manenima, who speared giant catfish in the Ucayali River as a boy, got an education in Sonoma County and is now completing his Ph.D. in anthropological sciences at Stanford.
From hunting with a blow gun in the jungle as a Shipibo-Konibo tribesman to handling cell phones, computers and honing a doctoral dissertation, Hilario-Manenima’s life spans cultures and continents."

Coaches and Parents: New Podcast Offers Youth Sports Advice from Football Great Tony Dorsett

Coaches and Parents: New Podcast Offers Youth Sports Advice from Football Great Tony Dorsett:

"Boston, MA (PRWEB) November 16, 2009 –- According to the Institute for Sport Coaching, fewer than 10 percent of the 2.5 million American volunteer coaches, and fewer than one-third of interscholastic coaches have had any type of coaching education. As these coaches and parents turn to the Internet to seek youth sports coaching advice, it’s easy to find drills and sample practices, but more challenging to find effective resources for teaching the more emotional components and values of youth sports. To fill this need, football icon Tony Dorsett discusses the life lessons he learned through sports in the third installment of Liberty Mutual's Responsible Sports Podcast Series released today at ResponsibleSports.com."

Eli Broad expands plans for his Westside museum -- latimes.com

Eli Broad expands plans for his Westside museum -- latimes.com:

"Art collector and philanthropist Eli Broad has nearly doubled the size of the museum he intends to build on the Westside for his 2,000-piece collection of contemporary art, and the cities of Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are vying to be its home.

Broad said Saturday that he isn't playing two municipalities against each other -- and he said a third city is in the running that he declined to name. He said he hopes to accelerate the process of building the headquarters for his Broad Art Foundation by talking to several cities."

Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China - Yahoo! News

Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China - Yahoo! News:

"All true - and all, for the most part, beside the point. After decades of investment in an educational system that reaches the remotest peasant villages, the literacy rate in China is now over 90%. (The U.S.'s is 86%.) And in urban China, in particular, students don't just learn to read. They learn math. They learn science. As William McCahill, a former deputy chief of mission in the U.S. embassy in Beijing, says, 'Fundamentally, they are getting the basics right, particularly in math and science. We need to do the same. Their kids are often ahead of ours.' (See pictures of China on the wild side.)

What the Chinese can teach are verities, home truths that have started to make a comeback in the U.S. but that could still use a push. The Chinese understand that there is no substitute for putting in the hours and doing the work. And more than anything else, the kids in China do lots of work. In the U.S., according to a 2007 survey by the Department of Education, 37% of 10th-graders in 2002 spent more than 10 hours on homework each week. That's not bad; in fact, it's much better than it used to be (in 1980 a mere 7% of kids did that much work at home each week). But Chinese students, according to a 2006 report by the Asia Society, spend twice as many hours doing homework as do their U.S. peers."

The American Spectator : No Education Silver Bullets

The American Spectator : No Education Silver Bullets:

"The Latino teens graduating from the Animo Leadership High School just outside Los Angeles probably aren't familiar with the arguments for expanding Head Start and pre-kindergarten programs offered by advocates such as Nobel Laureate James Heckman. And the Latino middle-schoolers being prepared for high school and college success by the KIPP Summit Academy in the working class San Francisco suburb of San Lorenzo aren't up to speed on attempt to link academic achievement and immigration trends offered the Manhattan Institute's Heather Mac Donald and other immigration restrictionists."

Educators wary of federal grants - Local - Modbee.com

Educators wary of federal grants - Local - Modbee.com:

"President Barack Obama is trying to overhaul public education by offering states billions of dollars in stimulus money if they improve student assessments, teacher effectiveness, collection and use of data, and support for struggling schools.

Called Race to the Top, the program provides $4.35 billion in federal stimulus money to public schools if they meet certain requirements, such as linking teacher pay to students' test scores.

The changes are drawing support from politicians — including Gov. Schwarzenegger and State Superintendent Jack O'Connell — and ire from educators, especially teacher unions."

MissionTimesCourier.com | Mission Times Courier | San Diego news, Local community news

MissionTimesCourier.com Mission Times Courier San Diego news, Local community news:

"WHEN THEY CUT…WE ALL BLEED

(Mission Times Courier, San Diego, Ca) - Associated Students (AS) is organizing a student march and rally at San Diego State University (SDSU) on Monday, November 16th from 11:50 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is being held as a protest of the State of California’s cuts to higher education with the goal of sending a strong message to the state legislature.

The slogan for the rally is “WHEN THEY CUT…WE ALL BLEED”. AS believes that students must unite and demand that their voices be heard. At the rally, AS will help facilitate this by setting up an “AS Advocacy Tent” that will give students the opportunity to register to vote, learn about and sign postcards in support of Assembly Bill 656, and by writing letters to legislators."

San Jose Unified's chief nurse sees swine flu vaccines as an education matter - San Jose Mercury News

San Jose Unified's chief nurse sees swine flu vaccines as an education matter - San Jose Mercury News:

"Melinda Landau ran her hands over the white Styrofoam cooler as though it were a treasure chest.

'Do you know what this is?' the chief nurse of San Jose Unified School District asked. 'Our first 300 doses.'

The contents of the container — the scarce and coveted H1N1 vaccine—are ready to be administered Tuesday to the students of Lowell Elementary School in downtown San Jose, the first to partake in an ambitious districtwide program intended to protect its 32,000 students against swine flu."

State cuts give private colleges an edge -- latimes.com

State cuts give private colleges an edge -- latimes.com:

"Thousands of other students might have jumped at the chance to attend UCLA, but not Michael Rodriguez. He passed up his UC acceptance last year in order to attend California Lutheran University, a less well-known but more intimate private campus in Thousand Oaks.

Rodriguez, who is happy with his choice, said one reason for the decision was a financial aid program Cal Lutheran established specifically to lure students who had been admitted to several top UC campuses. A math and physics major from San Fernando, Rodriguez also said he wanted a more personal setting with small classes and hoped to avoid the overcrowding and other problems state budget cuts are causing at UC schools."

Courts caught in state's budget mess - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com

Courts caught in state's budget mess - Capitol and California - Fresnobee.com:

"When the state assumed full financial responsibility for the court system a decade ago, it was billed as a way of relieving pressure on county finances.

However, much like the state's shouldering the financial burden for schools, judicial centralization has created unintended consequences. In both cases, hitherto independent systems have found that shifting financial responsibility to Sacramento puts them in competition with other sectors of the state budget for increasingly limited dollars.

That's why the California Teachers Association and other school interests created an Education Coalition that wages constant war in political and legal arenas to protect its share of the state budget. And that's why judges now find themselves in the Capitol's political maelstrom – and even squabbling among themselves – as the governor and legislators whack court funds to deal with a deepening budget crisis."

Higher education collapse: Dream now a nightmare - The Reporter

Higher education collapse: Dream now a nightmare - The Reporter:

"Whatever happened to the great California dream -- the promise of a good, affordable education for every qualified, committed student? The dream that in 1960 was hammered into policy as the California Master Plan for Higher Education?

It was a farsighted document that argued that the future economic well-being of California depended upon a well-educated work force that would encourage business investment in the state, as well as drawing smart people. The list of benefits was long and, as it turned out, prophetic.

That dream is now fading. As state funds to colleges and universities have been slashed, classes and programs have been eliminated, faculty and staff have been laid off or required to take furlough days, and student fees have been raised. Even if students can afford their education, they are no longer sure they will be able to get the classes they need in a timely manner."