Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Beyond High School

Wall Street Crisis Hits Higher Education

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:46:27 -0500

Schools and colleges across the nation are scrambling to develop new plans to pay their bills after an investment fund that serves about 1,000 colleges and private schools partially froze withdrawals

CAP Event, "College-Ready Students, Student-Ready Colleges"

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:36:16 -0500

On August 12th, 2008, the Center for American Progress presented, "College-Ready Students, Student-Ready Colleges: Enhancing Degree Completion Through Student Empowerment and Systems Change," an event focusing on the issues surrounding higher education. At the event, speakers discussed rising costs, the need for more federal involvement, and agreed on an overall need for change in higher education.

A“Ticket to Work” for Transitioning Youth – and Those Working With Them

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:12:55 -0600

If you work with teens with disabilities, you’ll want to know about the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work (TTW) program. Its Youth Transition portion offers funds for organizations that help students receiving Social Security disability benefits find employment. Is it right for you? Melody Goodspeed, Youth Transition Specialist for TTW answers some common questions about the funding.

World of Opportunity Welcomes All Comers

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:55:01 -0500

Low-income students who drop out—or are pushed out—of school without a high school diploma face long odds in their search for a path to a successful and stable adult life. In Birmingham, Ala., a former public school teacher is waging a fierce campaign to give such students a second chance. Gin Phillips reports on the World of Opportunity School.

A New Take On School-to-Career Connections: MUSE

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:47:14 -0500

It's a question that pops out during a ride in the car, at the dinner table, through a recently-slammed door after a fight about finishing up homework: "What good is all this stuff I'm learning in school going to do me in the real world?" Programs that make a strong, direct connection between school learning and future career options can be powerfully motivating for students, even those who eventually choose a different path. Gayle Hargreaves reports on one such program that introduces teens to museum careers.

Keeping Our Edge: Americans Speak on Education and Competitiveness

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:41:04 -0500

CFK Reports From: Keeping Our Edge: Americans Speak on Education and Competitiveness
Event: Briefing
Organized By: Educational Testing Service
Where/When: Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill; June 21, 2006

In this briefing, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) presented the results of its sixth annual nationwide poll of the public's views on the role of education reform in supporting American competitiveness.

Sticker Shock: Student Loans Get Pricier

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:39:29 -0500

College students (and their parents) need to brace themselves: interest rates on federally-subsidized student loans will go up dramatically this summer. Student aid has also been cut. Connect for Kids' Martha Pitts spoke to David Smith of Mobilize.org about the changes, and about the Mobilize.org campaign to raise awareness.

Making Good on a Promise: Supporting the Educational Goals of Dropouts

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:36:42 -0500

This Jobs for the Future report looks at whether our society makes good on its promise of a second chance for young people who have dropped out of high school. Among the myths shattered by the research review: dropping out is not just a problem of the poor, but socioeconomic status—not race—is a key indicator for dropping out.

Inventing Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:35:01 -0500

Schools wherein Hispanic students make up at least 25 percent of undergraduate enrollment account for only about 6 percent of colleges and universities in the United States, but they enroll almost half of Latino college students. This new report by Excelencia in Education offers background, history, and context, and examines what it means that a small (albeit growing) number of schools teaches so many of our nation's Latino students. Short fact sheets are also available.

The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High School Through College

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 07:29:58 -0600

Efforts to boost college degree rates need to start in high school. As this Department of Education report reminds us, the academic rigor of high school classes is the strongest indicator of whether a student will complete a postsecondary degree. The report also examines factors in college that make a difference to college graduation rates—including continuous enrollment, earning more than 20 credits in the first 12 months and, interestingly, studying math.

By the Numbers: State Goals for Increasing Postsecondary Attainment

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:34:10 -0500

Are state officials putting their money—and their measurements—where their mouths are when it comes to boosting postsecondary education among residents? This 50-state survey from Jobs for the Future finds that fewer than half of states specify measurable goals for increasing the proportion of their population with a postsecondary degree. Even those that do may not be doing enough to reach out to the public, and in particular under-represented populations, to promote an agenda of increased education, and to connect people to programs to make it possible to enroll and finish. The report concludes with concrete policy goals for states.

CWA 6th Annual Youth Conference

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 14:55:56 -0600

Start: Jan 17 2006 - 9:00am

End: Jan 19 2006 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT+4

The California Workforce Alliance (CWA) will hold its 6th annual youth conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County.

Updated College Readiness for All Toolbox

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 13:26:56 -0600

This Toolbox provides strategies, tools, and resources for increasing college readiness for all students. The revisions include new tools for reaching and informing key opinion leaders and community members, as well as resources to help policymakers and others make policy changes that advance college preparation, enrollment, and completion for underserved students.

Link between High School Reform and College Access and Success

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:29:59 -0500

A new report from the American Youth Policy Forum and the Pathways to College Network updates a 2002 study examining how well school reform models address known predictors of college-going behavior. The report makes seven recommendations to help high school change efforts improve their impact on the college access and success of underserved students' among them: implementing a rigorous core curriculum, creating a system to identify and support academically unprepared high school freshman, and better aligning K-12 curricula with college requirements.

2005 National Survey of Student Engagement

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:32:05 -0500

What do 237,000 first-year and senior year students at 528 four-year colleges and universities have to say for themselves? When it comes to their level of academic challenge, collaborative learning, faculty interaction, and other aspects of the education experience, the picture is mixed. Three in 10 first-year students do just enough work to get by, and two-fifths of students spend no time on co-curricular activities. Still, a majority of students (54% first-years, 63% seniors) say they often discuss ideas from readings or classes with others outside of class, and one-fifth of all seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member.