A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Increasing Pathways to College and Careers

Today, more than ever before, higher education is the fault line between those who will prosper in the new economy and those who will not. To prepare our children for the world of personal and professional choices in the 21st century, we must open the doors of college to all Americans and make two years of college as universal as high school is today. Yet many students never receive a college education, some because they lack the preparation for college and others because they lack the financial resources. Numerous programs aim to make higher education affordable and accessible to all Americans. Community involvement is crucial to making these programs worthwhile. It is only with the help of school, college, and community and business efforts that all students can get on the pathway to college and promising careers.

Related facts:

70 percent of parents say they would like more information about which courses their child should take to be ready for college; 89 percent of parents want more information about how to pay for college, including the use of tax credits.
Over the next 10 years, 8 out of the 10 fastest growing jobs will require college education or long term training.
In 1995, 83 percent of high school graduates from high-income families, aged 18-24, were enrolled in college the October following high school; 56 percent from middle-income families, and only 34 percent from low-income families were enrolled at that time.
In the next decade, 75 percent of the current workforce will need significant retraining.
A student who receives a bachelor's or a higher degree will earn nearly $1 million more, in the course of a lifetime, than one who does not graduate from high school.
The lifetime difference in earnings between a student who does not graduate from high school and one who does is over $200,000.

Model programs:

Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams), in Houston, Texas, is a school-community partnership, established in 1993, to improve the instructional quality and school environment for at-risk children in Houston's inner city schools. Working with 24 schools in Houston and over 17,000 Hispanic and African American students, Project GRAD promotes high standards in math, reading and language arts, and uses comprehensive approaches--including tutoring, mentoring, counseling, and the arts--to improve the entire system so a child gets a solid, challenging education from kindergarten through high school.
Project GRAD also promises all ninth grade students a $1,000 per year college scholarship if they meet basic academic criteria. This incentive encourages parents and teachers to discuss college as a real objective for students, and offers students a reason to perform well academically.
Project GRAD has been highly successful. The rates of high school graduation and college enrollment have quadrupled in these Houston schools in the past three years, and student test scores have improved dramatically. The community now embraces college attendance as the rule, not the exception. For more information, contact Sharon Jacobson, Executive Director, Project GRAD, Houston, TX. (713) 757-5973; (713) 757-3144 (fax).
Walhalla High School, is an 850-student New American High School located in South Carolina near the Blue Ridge Mountains. With the help of the South Carolina Education Department, the Southern Regional Education Board and the Partnership for Academic and Career Education (a tech-prep consortium), Walhalla High initiated whole school reform and organized career clusters along a Tech Prep and College Prep continuum. Students can choose between the two programs or participate in both. The Tech Prep focus prepares students for entry into technical degree programs in college or for immediate entry into a chosen career. If a student is interested in a technical engineering field requiring a 4-year college degree, then he or she will take both College Prep classes and Tech Prep classes. Most importantly, students in Tech-Prep courses are not getting a lesser education--Honors, Tech Prep, and College Prep classes all have the same GPA value. An important component of this program is experience in the workplace. According to Walhalla's career specialist Rick Murphy, students often "have appropriate part-time jobs, enroll in formal, articulated apprenticeship programs, or get involved in a co-op, which is arranged and structured to fit the curriculum."
Walhalla High School's reform has been extremely successful. The most telling evidence of this is the fact that 100 percent of Walhalla students say they are going to continue their education. For further information, please contact: John Hostetler, Principal, Walhalla High School, 151 Razorback Lane, Wahalla, SC 29691, (864) 638-4582; (864) 638-4055 (fax).

America Goes Back to School Idea:

Start a "Think College Early" program at local middle schools to help students and their families prepare early for college. Provide information to students and parents on course requirements, necessary admission tests, financial planning and assistance, and the benefits of pursuing higher education.

Resources:

The U.S. Department of Education distributes several publications to assist students and their families prepare for college and promising careers. To request products related to any of these programs, call 1-877-4ED-Pubs. For additional information on these programs, call 1-800-USA-LEARN or visit the following Web sites:

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs)
Think College Early