Students in the D.C. school voucher program generally did no better on reading and math tests after two years than public school peers, a U.S. Education Department report said. The findings mirror those in previous studies of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. It has awarded scholarships to 1,903 children from low-income families, granting up to $7,500 a year for tuition and other fees at participating schools.

While a majority of colleges and universities throughout the United States require either the SAT or the ACT standardized tests for admission, a few schools are lessening their impact -- or jettisoning the exams altogether -- in favor of a greater emphasis on factors such as high school transcripts and personal interviews.

Many universities have an online presence, but San Jose State University is doing something different by setting up a virtual campus in Second Life, the popular virtual world. Instead of offering the usual webcast courses, or podcasts, the school has set up a virtual university in Second Life that spreads across 16 digital acres filled with buildings designed for students in the Library Sciences Department.