This week, ITT dominated headlines as increasing regulatory pressure placed the for-profit on the cusp of joining the likes of Corinthian Colleges and other defunct institutions in the space.

Also in higher ed, badges are becoming increasingly important to the millennial college experience as stackable credentials become more prevalent. And dramatic cuts in state appropriations, a lack of industrial development in several states and high rates of poverty have public institutions in the South among the fastest-shrinking in the nation.

Meanwhile in K-12, we took a look at where it makes the most sense for mindfulness fits best in schools.

Be sure to check out our discussion of workforce development visions with three higher ed leaders and more in this week's most-read posts from Education Dive!

• Badges are essential to millennial college experience: Receiving and displaying earned credentials are growing more important to today's students.
• Ed Dept deals severe blow to ITT's survival: The latest round of federal intervention against the for-profit mainstay may be too much for the institution to survive.
• In California, the spiral continues for ITT: The state levied additional sanctions against the for-profit juggernaut, bringing the company one step closer to full closure. 
• Higher ed's outlook is bleakest in the South: College education cuts, achievement and job prospects are worse in the South than in any other geographic area in the nation. 
• Higher ed leaders discuss vision behind workforce development: Executives from Tuskegee University, Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin Extension discuss the value and demands of pairing academic programs with workforce preparation to meet local and regional industry needs.
• Where mindfulness education fits in schools: Researchers are collecting data about a range of student outcomes in 16 Chicago schools that have implemented a suite of mindfulness techniques for elementary schoolers.

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