The Supreme Court's Monday ruling on affirmative action in Fisher v. Texas may lead to an increased number of law suits against universities, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The ruling said that the lower courts should have placed stricter scrutiny on the University of Texas at Austin's race-conscious admissions policy. Various legal scholars, academics and activists have predicted that the decision whose opinions spanned a combined total of 41 pages will lead to the invalidation of previously unchallenged admissions policies. Some universities have already begun to explore the possibilities and effects of adopting race-neutral policies, such as Texas's practice of accepting the top ten percent of high school seniors statewide. Other analysts, however, believe it is too soon to tell what the ruling's impact will be.
The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that married same-sex couples are entitled to federal benefits in an opinion that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, The New York Times reported. The court decided not to rule on a case regarding Proposition 8 by finding that the appelant did not have the proper standing to bring it before the court. By passing on the case, the court effectively allowed same-sex marriage in California, deferring to a trial court victory for gay rights advocates. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in the 5-4 decision and said that DOMA violated same-sex couples' Fifth Amendment protections. Justice Antonio Scalia read his blistering DOMA dissent from the bench and suggested that the majority accused same-sex marriage opponents of being "enem[ies] of human decency," The Times reported.
A report released Thursday, titled "The Nation's Report Card: Trends in Academic Progress 2012," revealed that students have changed in five significant ways over the past 40 years, according to CNN. The report studies children's reading and math abilities at ages nine, 13 and 17, regardless of their grade level. Nine- and 13-year olds today score higher than members of their age group in the 1970s, though performance levels among 17-year-olds have held relatively constant over time. Among students who read books for pleasure, those who do so almost every day report higher test scores at all ages. Additionally, gender gaps in subjects are closing, with girls' math scores and boys' reading scores both improving. The report also discovered that black and Hispanic students have each made gains on white students in both math and reading scores.
