Afternoon announcements: High school students capture a portrait of America in the 21st century

How will the government pay for President Obama’s expanded early education efforts? The details remain to be announced, but it’s inspiring that he has placed education at the center of his strategy to improve the nation’s economy. Education Week

Downtown College Prep, a school in San Jose, California, works to graduate disadvantaged students from high school and college. The school has added college as a “second language,” spending time and resources preparing low-income, first generation students to succeed and complete college. They recently released a college success report with findings on what influences students to complete their degree work. We published a related blog post today, “I am the first.” Downtown College Prep

The number of students across the U.S. who are taking Advanced Placement courses is continuously growing, but it’s not equitable across race and socioeconomic status. A new report by the College Board finds that opportunities to take these advanced courses are uneven across the states. USA Today

ProPublica, an interactive, innovative news site focused on social media and interaction, has unveiled a new online tool that allows you to see opportunity gaps in different schools. The new version allows you to see information on a school’s Advanced Placement exam passing rate, among other things. This Week in Education

The New York Times has launched a campaign to document what America looks like in 2013 – by and from high school students. The interactive project calls for high school students to create a 21st century portrait of America using their cameras. New York Times