New Studies Explore the Barriers Keeping Low-Income & Minority Students From Entering & Succeeding in College 10/21/2003
From: Carmon Cunningham of Jobs for the Future, 617-335-4839 (cell); 617-728-4446 (office); e-mail: ccunningham@jff.org; Marie Groak of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 206-709-3299; e-mail: media@gatesfoundation.org web: http://www.jff.org News Advisory: -- New Studies Explore the Barriers Keeping Low-Income & Minority Students From Entering & Succeeding in College; State Leaders, Experts To Call for More Early College High School Programs; Better Tracking of Students; Greater Accountability for Colleges The United States faces the daunting task of rebuilding a major pipeline that years of neglect have seriously damaged. This pipeline is not in a foreign land; it is in our education system that should be pumping millions of skilled workers into our economy every year but is instead gushing wasted human potential at an alarming rate. New research to be released by Jobs for the Future (JFF) on Thursday, October 23, will reveal exactly where the breaches in the pipeline are and what can be done to double the numbers of students entering and graduating from college. The recommendations will include a call for dramatically increasing the number of programs that allow high school students to earn college credit while in high school; down-sizing and human-izing high schools; requiring states to back up their calls for higher standards with more academic enrichment and support; and demanding that institutions of postsecondary education be more accountable for retention. Supporting these recommendations are several ground-breaking studies, including a comprehensive analysis of how the education delivery system actually works for young people. These studies examine the impact that our flawed feeder system from high school to college has for individuals and on state and local economies. In addition, JFF will present the findings of a new national public opinion survey of 1,000 Americans that explores perceptions of the challenges high school students encounter in trying to enter and succeed in college. The study also gauged opinions about how to ensure that more students succeed in high school and college. The reports will be released at the "Double the Numbers" conference, which is bringing more than 400 education leaders, public officials, and key policymakers together to explore strategies for advancing this important economic and civic issue in the national agenda. Conference sponsors include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. For a detailed agenda of conference topics, speakers and logistics go to http://www.jff.org. WHO: Governor Michael O. Leavitt, State of Utah -- Tom Vander Ark, executive director of education, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation -- Tammy Battaglino, senior principal, The Parthenon Group -- Susan Kannel, vice president, Lake Snell Perry & Associates -- Richard Kazis, senior vice president, Jobs for the Future Hilary Pennington, CEO, Jobs for the Future WHERE: The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel -- New Hampshire Room 1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. WHEN: Thursday, October 23, 1:30 p.m. |