Category Archives: Progress

Earlier this year, LinkedIn co-founder and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman issued a warning mixed with amazement about AI. "There is literally magic happening," said Hoffman, speaking to technology executives across sectors of the economy.

Some of that magic is becoming more apparent in creative spaces, like the visual arts, and the idea of "generative technology" has captured the attention of Silicon Valley. AI has even recently won awards at art exhibitions.

But Hoffman's message was squarely aimed at executives.

"AI will transform all industries," Hoffman told the members of the CNBC Technology Executive Council. "So everyone has to be thinking about it, not just in data science."

The rapid advances being made by Copilot AI, the automated code writing tool from the GitHub open source subsidiary of Microsoft, were an example Hoffman, who is on the Microsoft board, directly cited as a signal that all firms better be prepared for AI in their world. Even if not making big investments today in AI, business leaders must understand the pace of improvement in artificial intelligence and the applications that are coming or they will be "sacrificing the future," he said.

"100,000 developers took 35% of the coding suggestions from Copilot," Hoffman said. "That's a 35% increase in productivity, and off last year's model. ... Across everything we are doing, we will have amplifying tools, it will get there over the next three to 10 years, a baseline for everything we are doing," he added.

Copilot has already added another 5% to the 35% cited by Hoffman. GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke recently told us that Copilot is now handling up to 40% of coding among programmers using the AI in the beta testing period over the past year. Put another way, for every 100 lines of code, 40 are being written by the AI, with total project time cut by up to 55%.

Copilot, trained on massive amounts of open source code, monitors the code being written by a developer and works as an assistant, taking the input from the developer and making suggestions about the next line of code, often multi-line coding suggestions, often "boilerplate" code that is needed but is a waste of time for a human to recreate. We all have some experience with this form of AI now, in places like our email, with both Microsoft and Google mail programs suggesting the next few words we might want to type.

AI can be logical about what may come next in a string of text. But Dohmke said, "It can't do more, it can't capture the meaning of what you want to say."

Whether a company is a supermarket working on checkout technology or a banking company working on customer experience in an app, they are all effectively becoming software companies, all building software, and once a C-suite has developers it needs to be looking at developer productivity and how to continuously improve it.

That's where the 40 lines of code come in. "After a year of Copilot, about 40% of code was written by the AI where Copilot was enabled," Dohmke said. "And if you show that number to executives, it's mind-blowing to them. ... doing the math on how much they are spending on developers."

With the projects being completed in less than half the time, a logical conclusion is that there will be less work to do for humans. But Dohmke says another way of looking at the software developer job is that they do many more high-value tasks than just rewrite code that already exists in the world. "The definition of 'higher value' work is to take away the boiler-plate menial work writing things already done over and over again," he said.

The goal of Copilot is to help developers "stay in the flow" when they are on the task of coding. That's because some of the time spent writing code is really spent looking for existing code to plug in from browsers, "snippets from someone else," Dohmke said. And that can lead coders to get distracted. "Eventually they are back in editor mode and copy and paste a solution, but have to remember what they were working on," he said. "It's like a surfer on a wave in the water and they need to find the next wave. Copilot is keeping them in the editing environment, in the creative environment and suggesting ideas," Dohmke said. "And if the idea doesn't work, you can reject it, or find the closest one and can always edit," he added.

The GitHub CEO expects more of those Copilot code suggestions to be taken in the next five years, up to 80%. Unlike a lot going on in the computer field, Dohmke said of that forecast, "It's not an exact science ... but we think it will tremendously grow."

After being in the market for a year, he said new models are getting better fast. As developers reject some code suggestions from Copilot, the AI learns. And as more developers adopt Copilot it gets smarter by interacting with developers similar to a new coworker, learning from what is accepted or rejected. New models of the AI don't come out every day, but every time a new model is available, "we might have a leap," he said.

But the AI is still far short of replacing humans. "Copilot today can't do 100% of the task," Dohmke said. "It's not sentient. It can't create itself without user input."

With Copilot still in private beta testing among individual developers 400,000 developer signed up to use the AI in the first months it was available and hundreds of thousands of more developers since GitHub has not announced any enterprise clients, but it expects to begin naming business customers before the end of the year. There is no enterprise pricing information being disclosed yet, but in the beta test Copilot pricing has been set at a flat rate per developer $10 per individual per month or $100 annually, often expensed by developers on company cards. "And you can imagine what they earn per month so it's a marginal cost," Dohmke said. "If you look at the 40% and think of the productivity improvement, and take 40% of opex spend on developers, the $10 is not a relevant cost. ... I have 1,000 developers and it's way more money than 1000 x 10," he said.

The GitHub CEO sees what is taking place now with AI as the next logical phase of the productivity advances in a coding world he has been a part of since the late 1980s. That was a time when coding was emerging out of the punch card phase, and there was no internet, and coders like Dohmke had to buy books and magazines, and join computer clubs to gain information. "I had to wait to meet someone to ask questions," he recalled.

That was the first phase of developer productivity, and then came the internet, and now open source, allowing developers to find other developers on the internet who had already "developed the wheel," he said.

Now, whether the coding task is related to payment processing or a social media login, most companies whether startups or established enterprises put in open source code. "There is a huge dependency tree of open source that already exists," Dohmke said.

It's not uncommon for up to 90% of code on mobile phone apps to be pulled from the internet and open source platforms like GitHub. In a coding era of "whatever else is already available," that's not what will differentiate a developer or app.

"AI is just the third wave of this," Dohmke said. "From punch cards to building everything ourselves to open source, to now withina lot of code, AI writing more," he said. "With 40%, soon enough if AI spreads across industries, the innovation on the phone will be created with the help of AI and the developer."

Today, and into the foreseeable future, Copilot remains a technology that is trained on code, and is making proposals based on looking things up in a library of code. It is not inventing any new algorithms, but at the current pace of progress, eventually, "it is entirely possible that with help of a developer it will create new ideas of source code,," Dohmke said.

But even that still requires a human touch. "Copilot is getting closer, but it will always need developers to create innovation," he said.

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Microsoft's GitHub Copilot AI is making rapid progress. Here's how its human leader thinks about it - CNBC

It was a cause for celebration Thursday night in Wilmerding.

The significant progress being made in the adaptive reuse of the Westinghouse Air Brake Co. (WABCO) general offices inside the majestic Castle was enough to inspire a big reveal.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony heralded a moment those behind the project have long been looking forward to.

The public was invited to tour the first two floors of the stately Romanesque/Renaissance Revival building that the Turtle Creek Valley Arts and Westinghouse Arts Academy will soon be using. Turtle Creek Valley Arts is subletting most of the property to the Westinghouse Arts Academy, but is retaining use of the building during non-school hours.

Much needed headway has been made in the restoration effort, a need that was obvious to anyone who attended the ceremony just under a year ago to celebrate the beginning of the Castles refurbishing. There were ceilings and walls down, and only a major effort to secure the building prevented rain from pouring in.

A lot has changed since last November floors have been cleaned and new carpeting laid new lights and ceilings are also in place.

The ground floor has become a cafeteria and classrooms, and there are plans for a small art gallery.

One floor above, disrepair has given way to dance studios. There are also areas for digital arts and esports, and classrooms where ceramics, culinary arts and other skills will be taught.

Its almost miraculous what has happened in the last year, said Bill Pricener, president of the Westinghouse Arts Academy board of trustees. Even when I went downstairs into the cafeteria just a few minutes ago, the last time I was here three months ago it was like a war zone. It is miraculous what theyve done to transform this place.

Developer Joe Lawrence, who has led the project to preserve and repurpose the Castle, said there was more work to do than was expected.

It was very emotional and heartwarming for me to see so many people here from the community, so many people enthusiastic about the building and its history, telling me stories of people who used to work here, Lawrence said.

One of the former Westinghouse employees taking advantage of the opportunity to tour the place where she worked for many years was Elaine Henigan, who was employed by the company from 1966 to 1981. She was the first woman to work in the companys foundry and said it was good to see the Castle coming back to life after years of neglect and deterioration.

Im delighted. I guess I always felt bad that the air brake company abandoned this building some years ago, Henigan said. I thought it was really sad. I know the history of George Westinghouse, and it just broke my heart that this castle, which used to be his home, was going to fall apart.

That is no longer a concern as plans call for restoration work to expand to all four floors over the next few years.

Oh my god, this building is not just important to this community, but its important to the world as a whole, said Richard Fosbrink, Westinghouse Arts Academy CEO. Important historical events happened here so this is a structure that could not be replaced if it had been allowed to fall apart. So, it being saved is a huge event for us.

Fosbrink told a gathering of at least a couple hundred people that the structure has stood here through good times and bad times, just like this community. To me it is a testament to the resilience of the community as a whole that we are reopening this building.

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Ribbon cutting reveals progress in adaptive reuse of Westinghouse Castle - TribLIVE

BOSTON - His family says it is nothing short of a miracle that Massachusetts corrections officer Matthew Tidman is now out of a coma and making steady progress. "He has gotten to the point of full-on conversations, he's walking around, getting his strength back and his memory recall is excellent," said his older brother Nick Tidman.

The memory of a near death on August 31 when an inmate at MCI-Shirley came from behind and beat Tidman in the head with a metal pole from a piece of exercise equipment as he oversaw prisoners in the weight room.

"He has this will and drive within him and he knows how to get things done, push himself to the limit and he's currently doing it," said his brother.

Nick Tidman says these have been stressful weeks for the family, not knowing if his brother on life support would pull through. There's also anger that an inmate serving time for murder out of Virginia, with a lengthy disciplinary record, had been transferred to the facility in the first place.

"It is anger absolutely at this point. Why was he there and why was he allowed to be in that location in the facility," he said.

The case has now prompted the Department of Corrections to remove all free weights from medium and maximum security prisons and modify other equipment to prevent them from being used as weapons.

Corrections officers are also looking to state lawmakers to establish better protections for them. "It's unfortunate over the years we've seen so many reforms in favor of inmates, this is what we're left to deal with," said Kevin Flanagan with the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union.

His brother says Matthew Tidman, on the job for nearly 10 years, was passionate about his work and even wants to return. But for now, he's making progress.

"He's gone from baby steps to leaps and bounds. He's been transferred to a rehabilitation facility and is making insane progress," Nick Tidman said.

The inmate, Ray Booth, has been indicted in the case and faces several charges including intent to murder.

Emmy award-winning Beth Germano is a general assignment reporter for WBZ-TV News. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Germano has been a New England-based reporter for more than 15 years. She joined WBZ-TV as a freelance reporter in 1996 after reporting for several local television stations including WCVB-TV, New England Cable News, Monitor Cable Channel, WLVI-TV, and WGBH-TV.

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Corrections officer attacked by inmate is making progress in recovery - CBS Boston

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JASPER Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 were a pair of early-season barometers for Jasper volleyball.

The Wildcats (21-12) hosted Castle, followed by Evansville North two days later on the Jasper hardwood.

The Wildcats dropped both of these matches, 3-1 and 3-2, respectively.

In Sectional 16, the Cats are amidst their revenge tour on the same court.

On Thursday, the Cats fell behind 1-0 to North in the opener and didn't flinch. They rallied off three successive set wins.

They did it convincingly the Huskies didn't eclipse 20 points after the opener.

"I think this group has had exponential growth from the beginning of the year until now, skill-wise and on the mental side," said fourth-year coach Jennifer Hopf.

The Wildcats continued the surge in form with a pair of 25-12 wins and 25-19 against Evansville Harrison in the first of their two matches to decide the championship on Saturday.

"A lot of what we've been focusing on later on in the season, the postseason, is our mental toughness," Hopf said. "Making sure that we can stay at the same level of play that we would like to, that we can stay or are capable of staying at."

With Castle knocking off Evansville Reitz 3-1, the stars have aligned for a renewal of the Cats-Castle rivalry with hardware up for grabs at 7 p.m.

"Castle's a very beatable team," Hopf said. "I think for us, our skill level is there, 100%. I do not doubt that. I think for us it will be more of the mental side for preparing to stay up here the entire time and knowing that we are going to make mistakes, but then bouncing back from that."

In the previous title bout, the Knights swept the Cats.

Jasper has won 38 titles, including six straight to move up to Class 4A in 2017. The Cats have been knocking on the door in the early stages of competing in the largest class.

The Knights have ousted the Cats from the postseason at this stage in four of the past five postseasons.

The Knights have been a fixture getting out of this bracket. Since 1993, they've dropped one sectional match against Reitz in 2020.

Castle holds the state record across all classes for consecutive sectional plaques with 26 and has earned 27 of the past 28.

The Cats haven't let off the gas from the program's recent emergence. Not this year, despite returning just three varsity full-timers from the runner-up squad.

Junior Paige Giesler, senior Bailey Lents and junior Ava Englert logged a lot of time on the court, while sophomore Carlee Rogers played limited sets last year.

As Jasper seeks its inaugural 4A crown, Hopf said avoiding five-point lulls is paramount.

"I have all the confidence in our team that today is our day," Hopf said. "We can do that."

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Cats progress to revenge championship tilt with "nemesis" Castle - The Herald

The cement-concrete-construction value chain has seen positive momentum on lowering emissions

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking the first time what has been referred to as a "hard to abate emissions sector" has come together to call for a unified approach toward decarbonization, the Portland Cement Association's (PCA) Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality celebrates one year of progress.

With the demand for infrastructure never greater, it's vital for the built environment to advance in a fashion that is sustainable and climate adapted. This need spotlights the importance of the progress PCA representing America's cement manufacturers -- has made on its efforts to reduce emissions.The U.S. cement industry's ambitious plan incorporates the entire cement-concrete-construction value chain, vital for producing lasting change.

"I'm proud that our industry is taking this on," said Mike Ireland, President and CEO of PCA. "Together we've made progress on a bold yet achievable pathway to carbon neutrality. We are creating a win-win scenario to meet demand for durable infrastructure that also has a low carbon footprint, which will result in a more sustainable and resilient world for the next generation."

Notable achievements in the past year across the value chain include:

"Through this Roadmap, we are creating a built environment that is durable and also sustainable," said Ron Henley, President, GCC of America and Chairman of PCA. "We are demonstrating that the cement and concrete industry can address climate change, reduce greenhouse gases, and eliminate barriers that are restricting environmental progress."

The industry is pushing innovation and calling on stakeholders for more collaboration. As legislators and regulators have a role to play in the Roadmap, PCA is working with Congress and federal agencies to maximize the benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, both of which provide significant funding for the clean technologies the cement industry requires to reduce emissions.

PCA is also advocating for the modernization of existing legislation such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to accelerate cement and concrete's path to carbon neutrality, and ensure concrete made with cement remains the sustainable building material of choice.

"Everything we do is thanks to concrete all of our schools, roads, airports and hospitals have their foundations in concrete," said Filiberto Ruiz, President and CEO, Votorantim Cimentos North America and Vice Chairman of PCA. "If consumers demand low-carbon cement and concrete, we can accelerate research and production."

PCA's comprehensive approach will allow for the industry to continue aligning with private partners, government, industry and technology leaders on solutions, regulations and policy changes, empowering the industry and others to realize this shared societal mission.

View the cement industry's full Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality here.

For more information on cement and concrete click here, and to explore the Shaped by Concrete campaign, visit http://www.shapedbyconcrete.com.

The Portland Cement Association (PCA), founded in 1916, is the premier policy, research, education, and market intelligence organization serving America's cement manufacturers. PCA members represent the majority of U.S. cement production capacity, having facilities across the country. The association promotes safety, sustainability, and innovation in all aspects of construction, fosters continuous improvement in cement manufacturing and distribution, promoting economic growth and sound infrastructure investment. For more information, visit http://www.cement.org.

Media Contact: Remi Braden,[emailprotected], 202-235-4163

SOURCE Portland Cement Association

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PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION MARKS ONE YEAR OF PROGRESS ON ROADMAP TO CARBON NEUTRALITY - PR Newswire

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October 13, 2022 8:28 am ET

ByShahira Amin

Organizers are racing against time to finalize preparations for the 2022 United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), better known as COP27, which convenes in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh from November 6 to 18. More than 35,000 participants and leaders have registered for the eventthe worlds largest annual gathering on climate action.

But skeptics are questioning Egypts leadership of the climate talks, citing human rights concerns and unideal environmental policies. Others are doubtful about the choice of Sharm el Sheikh as the host city. They argue that the holiday resort may not be the most suitable venue for a global conference of this magnitude and scale, given the logistical, organizational, and managerial challenges of hosting such a gathering.

Nevertheless, the opportunity to host COP27 has incentivized Cairo to take steps forward in regard to climate adaptation and human rights, even if a lot more needs to be done to show that authorities are serious about political and environmental reforms. Meanwhile, continued financial and moral support from the United States and other development partnersand further scrutiny of human rights violations committedwould ensure theres no backtracking on the countrys progress in the past year.

Egypt as a host

In anticipation of the convention, Sharm el Sheikh has gotten a facelift: hotels have undergone renovation; a new bridge (for easy access to the conference center) and solar power stations have been constructed; and even electric car charging points are being installed to cater to the new fleet of nearly three hundred gas and electric buses, which will ferry guests to and from the conference center through tree-lined streets.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who is also President Designate of COP27, hopes the discussions will yield (tangible) results that meet peoples aspirations. In his opening remarks at the Arab Regional Forum to Finance Climate Action hosted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) in Beirut in mid-September, Shoukry urged COP27 delegates to turn pledges into partnerships that create real success stories in tackling climate change.

Egypts leadership is looking to the rich, industrialized countries mainly responsible for climate change to foot the bill for anticipated climate disasters that will wreak havoc in developing countries. Securing finance for developing countries climate adaptation efforts would allow Egypt to position itself as Africas leaderon climate actiona vote of confidence Cairo badly needs as the populous North African country grapples with high inflation, a growing budget deficit, and a shortage in foreign currency reserves that some analysts warn may spark a new uprising.

But COP27 has been shrouded in controversy among environmental campaigners and rights groups. For one, Egypt started off on the wrong footing by choosing Coca-Colaone of the worlds leading plastic polluters, according to Break Free From Plasticto sponsor the climate summit. The decision raised eyebrows among activists and commentators, who called it a greenwashing exercise.

The selection of Egypt as host has put the country under renewed international scrutiny, drawing attention to its environmental policies that some critics lament are not a model to showcase.

Egypts heavy reliance on hydrocarbon-based fossil fuels continues to be a bone of contention with climate activists, who accuse the country of dragging its feet on reducing its carbon emissions. Egypts first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)a voluntary plan definingthe countrys commitment to lower its emissionswas submitted in 2020more thana year after Egypt ratified the Paris Climate Agreementand has been slammed by some activists and commentators as too general and void of clear plans to reduce its greenhouse gasemissions (an updated NDC with significant improvements was submitted in July, showing commitment by Egypt to cut its emissions by 33 percent by 2030).

The government has also come under fire for its systematic destruction of green spaces; particularly, the cutting of trees in some of Cairos public parks to make room for parking spots and cafeterias in the name of development.This has occurred despite protests by activists on social media and warnings by environmentalists that, even in best case scenarios, rising sea levels will inundate parts of Alexandria, Port Said, and Nile Delta areas closest to the Mediterranean, potentially displacing millions of people and causing severe water shortages and massive food security challenges.

Human rights at COP

Critics also accuse the Egyptian government of a lack of transparency and of keeping citizens in the dark about the inevitable consequences of climate change. Environmental activists have been among those targeted in the ongoing security crackdown on dissent since 2014. Ahmed Amasha, an environmental rights defender, was arrested in 2017 and reportedly raped and electrocuted while in prison. He was released in 2019 only to be re-arrested the following year and continues to languish behind bars.

Meanwhile, independent civil society organizations critical of the government complain that they have been shut out of the COP27 summit, owing to what they describe as a selective registration process that filtered them out to ensure that only pro-government non-governmental organizations could apply. The move is meant to curb protests, including peaceful demonstrations, traditionally staged at previous climate summits. Authorities have said that they would only allow pre-registered protests to take place and that they would be confined to a designated protest area.

Not surprisingly, Egypts dismal human rights record and the leaderships iron-fist rule is the biggest concernfor those opposing Egypts hosting of the climate talks. Rights groups argue that the imprisonment of tens of thousands of political prisoners, enforced disappearances, and torture in prisons, as well as the dwindling space for freedom of expression and freedom of speech, do not make for a conducive atmosphere in which to hold the summit. Amid theunprecedentedcrackdown on human rights and civil society, the Working Group on Egypt, a bipartisan group of foreign affairs experts and other rights organizations, have urged the Joe Biden administration not tolend its support to the COP27 hosts so as not to whitewash the regimes repressive policies.

To the dismay of the rights groups, Biden has turned a deaf ear to the calls. The American president is among ninety heads of state that have confirmed their attendance. John Kerry, the USSpecial Presidential Envoy on Climate, who has visited Egypt twice this year, has been coordinating with the president designate of COP27 to iron out last-minute details of an agreementto be announced during the conferenceto support Egypts National Nexus of Water, Food and Energy (NWFE), an initiative launched in September to promote green projects and climate-friendly schemes.

While the planned deal may come as a disappointment to the activists who had hoped Biden would live up to his election promise of No more blank checks for Egypts dictator, the Biden administration has not entirely turned a blind eye to the Egyptian regimes rights abuses. In mid-September, the United States announced it would withhold $130 million in military aid to Egypt over its failure to fulfill improved human rights conditions. A remaining $270 million was allowed to go through owing to what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described as progress made by Cairo on political detainees.

Indeed, theres been a noticeable easing of the security crackdown in recent months, with hundreds of political prisoners released ahead of COP27. The releases were overseen by a presidential pardon committee, reactivated in April on directives from President Sisi. While rights activists dismiss the move as merely cosmetic and say that the number of those released is but a drop in the ocean compared to the tens of thousands languishing behind bars, it is still a welcome step in the right direction. It also shows that Bidens carrot-and-stick approach vis-a-vis its Middle Eastern ally may be bearing fruit.

Progress being made

Egypt has also made progress towards mitigating and adapting to climate change by constructing desalination plants and flood prevention infrastructure and increasing solar and wind energy capacity. It is also the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to issue green bonds to finance green projects.While Egypt has yet to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, it has made marked progress in diversifying its energy sources; the construction of wind and solar farms in strategic locations across Egypt is catalyzing the countrys transition to clean energy. Furthermore, there are plans to increase renewable power capacity by 68 percent or 4 GW in the next five years and to 13.7 GW by 2030.

To achieve its ambitious goal, Egypt has signed several agreements with international development partners, including a Mediterranean Hydrogen Partnership launched with the European Union in April to promote investments in renewable energy generation. The new partnership also focuses on the strengthening and extension of electricity grids, including trans-Mediterranean interconnectors and the production of renewables and low-carbon hydrogen.

While the Biden administrations approachusing a combination of reward and punishmentappears to be working, Cairo needs to keep the momentum going and show that it is actually committed to continuing the progress made so far. To do this, it needs to speed up its green transition, taking steady and concrete steps to lower its emissions and shift towards renewables; thus, fulfilling the pledges spelt out in its updated NDC and National Climate Strategy. Moreover, Cairo needs to free all political detainees, many of whom are imprisoned for nothing more than exercising their right to free speech and free expression. By doing so, it can expect to reap the rewards of its serious efforts: greater support from the international community and prosperity and stability for Egypt and all Egyptians.

Shahira Aminis a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Councils Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and an independent journalist based in Cairo. A former contributor to CNNs Inside Africa, Amin has been covering the development in post-revolution Egypt for several outlets including Index on Censorship and Al-Monitor. Follow her on Twitter@sherryamin13.

Image: A worker cleans solar cells on a rooftop of a hotel in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, the first to operate a solar-powered plant in a bid to turn to clean energy as the city prepares to host the upcoming COP27 summit in November, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, June 4, 2022. Picture taken June 4, 2022. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

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Egypt has made some progress on human rights and the environment in preparation for COP27. But there's still more to be done. - Atlantic Council

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. The early progress reporting period during fall 2022 saw record high University Park and World Campus instructor participation and continued strong participation among Commonwealth Campuses.

As the Starfish mid-semester progress reporting period continues through Wednesday, Oct. 12, here is a look at some of the numbers from the fall 2022 early progress reporting period, Sept. 6-14.

Commonwealth Campus instructors continued their strong participation numbers with a 64% completion rate, though this rate was lower than in fall 2021. Instructors at World Campus had an all-time high 54% completion rate.

Michael Doncheski, chief academic officer at Penn State Mont Alto, said Starfish progress reports are part of the campus multipronged approach to proactive outreach. During his 26 years at the campus, Mont Alto has always encouraged instructors to check in with students during the first weeks of classes. He said the campus now works to promote Starfish progress reporting and cultivate a culture of commitment to follow up on tracking items.

We recognize that while students should reach out for help when needed, not all of them do, Doncheski said. We are always looking for indications that students need help so that we can be proactive in reaching out. The EPR (early progress reports) and MPR (mid-semester progress reports) are excellent tools for us: completed at critical times when outreach can make a huge difference, completed by the folks most likely to be aware of students facing challenges, and dealt with by all of us.

The University Park campus showed a 25% completion rate, a record high and well above the 18% completion rate in 2019. The early progress reporting period saw a total of 20,012 flags and 115,356 kudos raised University-wide for a total of 135,368 tracking items. Across all of Penn State, there was a 43% completion rate.

Unlike contacting a student or even their adviser through email or Canvas, raising a flag in Starfish helps to activate a broad network of services, known as the Starfish Success Network. Instructors can raise flags if they believe a student is not being successful in a course or has another barrier, such as access to technology or transportation. A kudo is another option for instructors and can be used to let students know that they are seen and that they are on the right track in a given course.

Laura Sapelly, instructor of history and womens, gender and sexuality studies at Penn State World Campus, said she uses Starfish to connect students with their advisers if she believes they are struggling in her courses.

I find this holds me, the student and the adviser accountable, Sapelly said. We can gather all of the facts and if necessary, have a discussion to see what the best choice a student should take regarding the course.

She said that often, after a Starfish communication, the student will have a heart-to-heart with their adviser and come to a decision about what to do regarding the course. That could mean more time given for an assignment, or the realization the student has taken on too much or is struggling with a personal issue.

I also make clear in these communications that I want the best for them, and I do not want them to fail! Sapelly said. It doesn't always work, but I would say eight times out of 10 students do respond positively, even if they have to drop the course. They understand that their instructor and adviser care about them. It makes a difference.

Even though just two of the seven tracking items on Starfish progress reports are kudos, they account for 85% of all tracked items. Kudos can reinforce to students that they belong at Penn State and that their efforts havent gone unnoticed.

David Smith, associate dean for advising and executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies, said, Wed like to think that good grades alone would convince students that they belong here. At the same time, we know that students with the same grades in the same class can have very different outcomes in terms of degree completion. Kudos are a way to let students know that someone is aware of them as an individual and cares enough to notice the value theyre already bringing to the classroom.

Although instructors may not think much about the downstream impact of raising kudos for students who are already doing well, academic advisers see firsthand how important this simple intervention can be, said Janet Schulenberg, senior director for curriculum and technology in the Division of Undergraduate Studies.

A first-generation advisee of mine was feeling like they didn't belong here, especially in a STEM area, Schulenberg said. Receiving unsolicited positive feedback from their biology instructor helped the student commit more fully to pursuing a college degree and a science-focused major.

The Division of Undergraduate Studies is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.

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Starfish early progress reports by the numbers - Pennsylvania State University

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) Justin Fields was breathing a little easier this week.

The Chicago quarterback finally showed signs of progress by delivering his best performance this season, and the Bears staged a big comeback, only to come up short in the closing minutes.

They hope those promising steps continue when they host the struggling Washington Commanders in a Thursday night matchup.

Fields set career highs in completion rate (71.4 percent) and passer rating (118.8) in a 29-22 loss at Minnesota on Sunday.

The former Ohio State star was 15 of 21 for a season-best 208 yards and a touchdown.

Fields credited the teams yoga instructor for helping him incorporate breathing exercises the past week or two that he said aided him in staying calm during the game.

I think just doing that automatically keeps me more calm in the pocket and really just during the game, he said. I dont even like doing pregame speeches because I feel like Im so much calmer than everybody else. When the defensive guys are all juiced up ready to go, I just try to stay chill the whole time.

It was an encouraging step for Fields, who ranks at or near the bottom among starting quarterbacks in just about every important passing category. He helped the Bears (2-3) rally from 18 down against Minnesota to grab a 22-21 lead and had them driving after a late touchdown run by Kirk Cousins that put the Vikings back on top.

That last-gasp effort ended when Ihmir Smith-Marsette failed to get out of bounds and was stripped by cornerback Cameron Dantzler Sr. at the Minnesota 39 after a 15-yard reception.

The Commanders (1-4) come in with four straight losses since holding on to beat Jacksonville in their season opener. Tennessee beat them 21-17 last week.

I feel good about what we have, coach Ron Rivera said. Its just now a matter of putting it together.

ON THE CALL

There might be a few people tuning in just to hear Al Michaels on the broadcast.

The famed play-by-play announcer had social media buzzing during last Thursdays Colts-Broncos yawner that featured seven field goals, a dozen punts, 25 third down stops, four interceptions and six fumbles with none recovered by the defense.

Indianapolis prevailed 12-9 in overtime in Denver. Michaels, however, might have been the games top performer with zingers such as this:

This is the type of game youd have as the fifth regional on CBS on Sunday.

And this:

Its first-and-goal. Words I thought I would never speak tonight.

STILL THE STARTER

Even though he threw an interception with 6 seconds left just outside the end zone to seal the Commanders 21-17 loss to Tennessee, Carson Wentz is still unquestionably their starter.

Rivera, who got into some hot water for saying quarterback was the reason his team was behind the NFC East rivals in rebuilding, has shown zero indication hed even consider benching Wentz, who has thrown 10 touchdowns and six picks this season.

I think our quarterback has done some good things, Rivera said. We chose him because we believe in him. We chose him because we looked at what we felt were things that pointed toward him.

Wentz showed up on the injury report this week with a shoulder issue that he and Rivera downplayed.

SECONDARY HELP

The Bears figure to have their best coverage defender back with cornerback Jaylon Johnson expected to return after missing three games because of a quad injury. Johnson, who had a forced fumble and four tackles through the first two games, would have been a full participant had Chicago practiced Monday and Tuesday.

Itll be a great opportunity to show the world what he can do, too, on Thursday Night Football, linebacker Roquan Smith said. A lot of people dont respect him so I think itll be a great opportunity for him to show that. Im rooting him on. I know hes gonna make some big plays coming back.

RETURN TO SOLDIER FIELD

Rivera, a linebacker on the Bears 1985 champions and the defensive coordinator on their 2006 Super Bowl team, said he was past coaching in Chicago. He did it three times already with Carolina.

Its Commanders left tackle Charles Lenos first game back since the team he played his first seven seasons with cut him in May 2021.

I dont know what Im going to feel, I dont know what Im going to expect, but I know it will be something, Leno said.

HARRY DEBUT

Receiver NKeal Harry could make his Bears debut after being activated from injured reserve. Acquired from New England in July, the 2019 first-round pick suffered an ankle injury in training camp that required surgery. Harry never developed into the playmaker Patriots coach Bill Belichick hoped he would become.

___

More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Fields, Bears try to build on progress when Commanders visit - The Associated Press - en Espaol

MINNEAPOLIS -- Michigan head mens basketball Juwan Howard, more known for his scoring and rebounding during his playing career, started off his Big Ten media day press conference on Wednesday with an assist.

After replacing Michigan womens players at a particular dais inside Target Center, Howard noticed a purse on one of the seats.

Lailaaa, he called out to sophomore guard Laila Phelia. She was shocked to see shed left it and thrilled to have it back.

Howard, meanwhile, was skeptical about following an insightful, charismatic trio of players.

Im boring as hell, he said with a laugh.

Far from it. Howard gave his thoughts on a variety of topics on Wednesday. Here are some of the highlights:

European vacation

The Wolverines went to France and Greece in August, playing three (well, 2.5) exhibition games against professional competition in addition to sightseeing.

Howard previewed the trip but has not yet spoken publicly since until Wednesday.

I thought it was a great trip for us, he said. It came at a perfect time. We have a team that pretty much only has one returning starter. (Were) bringing in five new freshmen and two transfers that have never played with these guys before. This is a perfect time for us to get a chance to get away and get to learn and know one another, and grow together.

Michigan lost its first game in Paris, won its next in Athens, and led at halftime of its final game, in Mykonos, Greece, before it was cut short due to the opponent being shorthanded.

The games were helpful, though perhaps not as much as the 10 extra practices that came with it. Howard said he learned more about his team over that time.

But what happened off the basketball court was just as important, Howard said. The NCAA allows programs to take such trips every four years.

I wish we could do that every year, Howard said. I wish we could. Its some of the best experience ever as a team, getting a chance to see the world and learn and grow.

NIL update

The last time Howard spoke with the media, a couple of months ago, he was critical of Michigans approach to name, image, and likeness (NIL).

Could we be more proactive with NIL and be more forward-thinking? Yes, he said then. And I say we -- Im including myself, our athletic department, and Michigan as a whole. We can do better.

Howard was asked on Wednesday if hed seen improvements.

Yes, I have seen some progress with the athletic department, he said. Its still growing, but I love the direction where were going.

Santa is coming to town

Michigans new president, Santa Ono, officially starts his term on Thursday. Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier this week he is excited for Onos arrival. So too is Howard.

Howard and Ono and communicated but have not yet met in person.

Im looking forward to it, Howard said. Im also looking forward to Santa joining in and being our president. From what Ive been told and from what Ive seen from afar, hes a true Michigan man and he also enjoys sports as well. Hes also competitive. He wants to win, he wants to see championship banner in Crisler again, and he wants to be a part of that. He wants to see a championship in football and many other sports.

Howard also praised Onos predecessor, Mary Sue Coleman, who filled in after Mark Schlissel was fired in January. Coleman had been Michigans president from 2002 to 2014.

Gotta give up the flowers to president Mary Sue Coleman for what shes donetwice, being our president, Howard said. I really admire and respect her and thank her for being one of the best leaders our university has witnessed.

This years squad

Michigan returns potential preseason All-American center Hunter Dickinson, a junior, but lost the rest of the starters from last years Sweet 16 team.

Terrance Williams II, a junior forward, is back, as is sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin. Michigan added graduate transfers Jaelin Llewellyn, a point guard from Princeton, and wing Joey Baker from Duke, to go along with a freshman class ranked No. 11 in the country.

Howard said that the period in the spring when his roster was in flux -- due to NBA departures and transfers -- was uncomfortable. But he felt the end result was positive, especially given the addition of the two grad transfers,

Those two were perfect two, he said. They have been seamless with their transition. Great guys, fun to coach, want to be coached, too -- thats the key.

Howard likes what hes seen so far from this group.

Overall I feel our team is connected, not just on the court but for the part that matters most to me, off the court, Howard said. They enjoy hanging out together, they communicate well with one another.

Michigan was picked to finish third in the Big Ten, behind first-place Indiana and Illinois, in a preseason media poll. Of course, the Wolverines were picked first last season and ended up eighth.

Everyone has their predictions and opinion, Howard said. Were just going to keep forging ahead and keep growing and keep trying to get better game by game and practice by practice. Hopefully we have some good health, because health plays a large role in your teams success. Im really looking forward to our chances.

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Juwan Howard on Michigans NIL progress, Europe trip, and preseason predictions - MLive.com

In summary

Californias community colleges arent on track to reach ambitious goals of closing the gaps in graduation rates between racial and ethnic groups. Its central office leaders doubt theyll reach those goals, including new ones laid out by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In 2017, barely a half-year into his tenure as chancellor of the countrys largest system of higher education, Eloy Ortiz Oakley threw down the gauntlet. Under his leadership, the California Community Colleges unveiled a series of unprecedented academic goals dubbed the Vision for Success.

If met, the achievements would catapult Californias moribund community college system to new heights, leading to thousands more students annually earning degrees, certificates and transferring to universities.

The deadline to meet most of those goals came and went last month.

The verdict? The system has virtually no shot of reaching its most audacious academic goals of narrowing by 40% the graduation rate gap among its Black, Latino and white students in five years. Nor is the system on track to narrow the graduation-rate gaps across regions, such as between the Bay Area and the poorer Inland Empire.

While the number of students graduating after three years has inched upward for all regions and almost all demographic groups the regions and groups that were already completing degrees and certificates at higher levels have continued to grow their rates. With even progress across the board, the groups already behind cant catch up unless community colleges graduate them at faster rates. For this reason, its unlikely that the graduation rates will narrow to remove the so-called equity gap among regions and demographic groups.

Were not going to close the equity gaps.

The goals were improbable, but not impossible, Oakley told CalMatters, who retired as the systems chancellor this summer and now leads the College Futures Foundation. (The group supports CalMatters financially but has no influence over the newsrooms coverage).

Still, I think the first five years of Vision for Success goals certainly, you can point to the fact that were not going to close it to 40%, Oakley said.

Even less likely? Gov. Gavin Newsoms more aspirational goals. In a roadmap published this year thats guiding his administrations funding priorities for community colleges, Newsom expects the system to close all equity gaps by 2026 along racial, ethnic and economic lines as well as between students with and without disabilities.

Were not going to close the equity gaps, said Pamela Haynes, president of the Board of Governors, the body that oversees the central office of Californias community college system. At least not by 2026.

Im Black, Im female, and I went through a community college and I went through a UC system it took me 14 years to do it, Haynes said in an interview. I stopped out to have children, I stopped out for a number of reasons, so I know what it takes to go to school.

But even if the system could reach those equity-gap goals, the formula to measure student graduation rates changed last year. That means the California Community Colleges are knowingly using an outdated, less accurate way of tracking data as a way of assessing its progress.

Data under the new way of calculating how many students are graduating after three years is dispiriting.

Your guide to the 2022 general election in California

Under the Vision for Success approach, the rates ranged from 18% for Latino students to 40% for Asian students among those who started in 2016-17.

But under the updated approach, the three-year graduation rates ranged from 7% to 16%, depending on the demographic group.

The new way is arguably more accurate and fairer, because it captures a larger slice of students who enroll at Californias community colleges. The previous approach excluded thousands of students who didnt take at least the equivalent of two courses in their first three years of school and attempted a math and English course resulting in an artificially high graduation rate.

Now, the systems graduation rate is based on any student who attempted a course.

As a consequence, the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges is publishing two widely divergent graduation rates, but is using the outdated method with the higher numbers the one published in the Vision for Success as its accountability metric.

Moreover, the public has limited insight into how colleges are doing according to that metric used in the Vision for Success. Unlike the newer way of calculating graduation rates, which allows the public to compare graduation rates of different colleges and regions through an internet tool, no such public dashboard exists for the Vision for Success accountability data.

The system says it cant do much about that, though. Its central office has been understaffed, said Haynes, and doesnt have the bandwidth to build another data dashboard, especially one based on a graduation rate methodology that is likely on its way out.

We will get a new system thats going to be better, but where you change it in the process is critically important, Haynes said.

With two more cohorts or incoming groups of students to track the system is beholden to the outdated Vision for Success calculations until the students who started in fall 2020 finish within three years. In other words, the public wont know how close the system came to reaching its equity-gap goals, set in 2017 and looking ahead to 2022, until that final data is published in spring 2024. Oakley, the chancellor who set the goals together with the board, will have been gone for two years.

The Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges is publishing two widely divergent graduation rates, but is using the outdated method with the higher numbers as its accountability metric.

The community college system need not wait that long to know how well its doing, said Davis Jenkins, a scholar on community colleges at the Columbia University-affiliated Community College Research Center.

Jenkins and his scholarly peers are advocates of early momentum data, a cluster of indicators about how much a student accomplishes in the first year of studies, such as taking several courses aligned with ones major and completing math and English courses needed to transfer to a public university. Some research says this early momentum data can predict whether that student ultimately graduates with a degree or certificate.

For many students, theres no momentum. About 30% of new community college students dont come back for a second term of study. Long before the COVID-19 pandemic led to a hemorrhaging of student enrollment, Californias community colleges were already losing roughly 100,000 enrolled students annually, a Chancellors Office official told leaders last month. Compelling those students to stay with improved academic offerings and more financial aid can further boost the systems completion goals.

So can degrees and credentials of economic value.

Jenkins points to data his colleague compiled showing many California community college degrees and certificates lead to unimpressive wages. Jenkins wants to see graduation rates not just of any credential, but of degrees and certificates of economic value or that are transferable to a Cal State or UC. He was particularly incredulous of the 53,000 long-term liberal arts certificates California Community Colleges awarded to students in 2019-20 about 17% of all degrees and certificates issued that year, according to federal data.

What the hell is that? he asked. No one knows. Ive been in the business for 40 years.

The topsy-turvey nature of community college data is no accident. While so-called four-year colleges and universities principally issue only one kind of undergraduate certificate of completion, the bachelors degree, community colleges serve multiple purposes that dont always overlap.

Some students attend community colleges to earn enough credits to transfer to a university en route to a bachelors. Others are in it for just an associate degree or a shorter-term certificate. Still others enroll in community colleges to take one class without plans to pursue a credential.

That makes community college students far more varied than those enrolled at the University of California, Cal State University or private colleges. It also means capturing the progress of community college students who are much more likely to work and come from poorer families is far more challenging than simply determining how many students earned a bachelors in four or six years.

But Californias community colleges needed accountability, Oakley and Haynes said. While imperfect, the Vision for Success was the first time the chancellors office articulated a clear set of goals a way to hold up a mirror to the system, Oakley said.

Setting system wide accountability goals for the California Community Colleges is unusual. Unlike the centralized University of California and California State University, the community college system is more of a confederation. Its 115 physical community colleges are largely governed locally by publicly elected trustees from 72 districts not unlike K-12 school boards. Accountability for the community colleges occurred locally, not system wide, Oakley said.

Whether individual colleges share in the Visions excitement depends on whom one asks, said Larry Galizio, president of the group that represents local community college presidents and trustees, the Community College League of California. He said some college leaders view the Vision document as encroaching and dictating what campuses have to do.

The structure of the system is such that theres always going to be a tension between the statewide perspective and the locals, Galizio said, who cited campus police reform as another friction point.

Haynes and Oakley are optimistic new laws will lead to a narrowing of the gaps in graduation rates over time. Those include a new requirement that colleges enroll most students in math and English courses required to transfer to a Cal State or UC.

Last year the Legislature and Newsom approved an expansion of the Cal Grant, the states main financial aid tool, to reach another estimated 133,000 community college students. More students may also receive the grant in two years if the state has the money to afford the expansion.

Between the governors call for closing equity gaps and other aspirations to improve the academic results at the system, Californias community colleges have their work cut out for them.

The bar has moved higher, said Interim Chancellor Daisy Gonzales at a board meeting in August. We thought we had goals; the governor is asking us to do more.

CalMatters is a nonprofit newsroom and your tax-deductible donations help us keep bringing you and every Californian essential, nonpartisan information.

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'We're not going to close the equity gaps': Despite progress, California Community Colleges won't reach Newsom's aspirational goals - CalMatters