Afternoon announcements: More educators using rap to teach

First, the New York Times reported that several educators have joined forces to start an initiative to use hip-hop to teach science in the classroom. Now, a rapper known as 2 Pi is busting rhymes in classrooms to educate students on mathematics. Washington Post

Increasing number of states and districts are foregoing graduation tests in lieu of college readiness exams. The newest state to add its name to the list is Ohio. The state will replace the Ohio Graduation Test with a nationally standardized college readiness exam, such as the ACT, and 10 subject-area exams. Education Week

Many first-generation and low-income students don’t receive the information on college, the financial aid process and other elements of postsecondary education they need to succeed. College Summit, a national nonprofit whose mission is to raise the number of low-income students who attend college, aims to change that by providing informational sessions to low-income students. LA Times 

A new study finds that when teachers receive salary raises at larger amounts earlier in their career, their students exhibit better performance. A “front-loaded salary” was shown to improve student performance across multiple grade levels. Huffington Post

Bright students who struggle with learning disabilities are often misunderstood. Many times these students are mistaken as careless or lazy. Is this issue a blind spot for some educators? Washington Post