March 2008

Pathways to College Network Partners Meeting
On March 20, the Pathways to College Network gathered in Washington, DC for its annual Partners Meeting. Over 40 individuals representing partner organizations and funders met to review recent Pathways work and discuss strategies to launch its new national initiatives to increase access and success for underserved students. Partners talked extensively about the two multi-year projects where the Network would lead national efforts to:

• Increase the number of states or local entities that establish early financial aid commitment programs for underserved students, and
• Promote academic and social support strategies that align with increased standards for academic rigor.

Participants discussed how the Network can engage partners and the kinds of activities needed in the areas of research, policy, and practice. A panel of funders from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Lumina Foundation for Education explored their perspectives on “Shaping Collaboration through Strategic Grant Making.” Pathways subcommittees will continue to explore all of these areas in order to help shape these initiatives.

Founding Director of the Pathways to College Network Honored
At Pathways’ Partners Meeting, Dr. Ann S. Coles, founding Director of the Pathways to College Network, was presented with an award recognizing her efforts in forging the Pathways partnership and for her pioneering leadership in the sphere of college access. Partners from a variety of organizations shared their gratitude and personal recollections of Dr. Coles’ numerous efforts to help underserved students achieve postsecondary success.

Pathways Reconstitutes Subcommittees
The Pathways to College Network has reconstituted its subcommittees into four areas with Co-chairs. Each subcommittee has a charge to help guide its work. For more information about subcommittee Co-chairs and members and the charges, use the links below:

• Policy
• Practice
• Research
• Strategic Communications

Pathways Publishes Two New College Access Marketing Briefs
To further strengthen Pathways’ college access marketing (CAM) initiative, the network has commissioned two new briefs. The first, Developing Original Campaign Materials, discusses the various issues organizations should consider when creating materials, including licensing and future use issues. The second, Using Materials from Other Organizations, helps CAM practitioners understand the rights and permissions needed in order to use materials from other campaigns.
[Read Developing Original Campaign Materials]
[Read Using Material from Other Organizations]

TERI hosts National Summit of College Planning Centers
Representatives from 18 college planning centers across the U.S. participated in the first National Summit of College Planning Centers held February 28-29, 2008 in Boston. TERI organized and hosted the Summit, which provided the opportunity for college planning center directors to learn from each other’s experiences, review how changes in the external environment over the last decade have affected service delivery, and support and brainstorm models for centers of the future. Topics discussed included services provided, outreach and marketing strategies, organizational structures, partnerships, funding models, and measuring impact. In addition, Monica Martinez, Vice President for Education Strategy at KnowledgeWorks Foundation, presented The 2006-2016 Map of Future Forces Affecting Education prepared for the Foundation by the Institute for the Future.

Lost in Transition: Building a Better Path from School to College and Careers
This report by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) summarizes the conclusions of 15 state education forums, identifies key barriers and policy issues, and recommends a number of key actions for states to take to improve student transitions from high school to postsecondary studies and careers. Increasing collaboration among school districts and postsecondary education is identified as a key strategy to implement new ways of learning that blend academic and technical studies and create rich opportunities to provide integrated learning experiences.
[Read the report]

A Good Start: Two-Year Effects of a Freshmen Learning Community Program at Kingsborough Community College
In the latest report in a series, MDRC presents results the Opening Doors Learning Communities program in a large urban college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. The program placed freshmen, most of whom failed one or more of the skills assessment tests, into groups of up to 25 who took three classes together during their first semester; it also provided enhanced counseling and tutoring as well as a voucher for textbooks. The report focuses on the program’s implementation and its effects on students up to two years after they entered the study.
[Read the report]

Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates by State and Race/Ethnicity 1992-2022
Pathways partner, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), has released the latest projections of high school graduates. Knocking at the College Door provides actual data on high school graduates from public and nonpublic schools; the public sector data are also disaggregated by race/ethnicity. The report clearly indicates that the nation and many states are facing a new era as the numbers graduating and the racial/ethnic composition of high school graduating classes are changing dramatically.
[Read the report]

Closing the Expectations Gap, 2008
Achieve, Inc.’s recent report, Closing the Expectations Gap, 2008 is the latest of its annual 50-state progress report on the alignment of high school policies with the demands of college and careers. Findings indicate that states have made the most progress in aligning academic standards and raising graduation requirements, but they have moved more slowly on putting complementary tests, data, and accountability systems into place. “In addition to raising graduation requirements, states have also achieved significant progress in making academic standards rigorous enough in English and mathematics so that they reflect the expectations of colleges and employers. Nineteen states now report that their high school standards are aligned with college and workplace expectations, and 26 more are in the process of aligning standards or plan to do so. In comparison, far fewer states have developed college and career-ready testing systems or moved to hold high schools accountable for the readiness of their students.”
[Read the report]