OPEN DATA HERE TO HELP: Obama administration officials are trying to rally open data fans to the education cause. They're encouraging developers to dive into data, teachers to share stories, and everyone to build apps. Start here at the Data Education Community for an overview. Specific projects (like "Kayak for Colleges" and "Angry Loans," like Mint.com for managing college finances) were among the ones brainstormed. (Here's a quick downloadable summary). The White House produced a writeup of its Education Data Jam here, and has pledged a follow-up event in October. It's also encouraging educators and entrepreneurs to form clusters of innovation.
