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Knowledge@Wharton High School Program
July 27, 2011The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business offers the Knowledge@Wharton High School website for high school students. The site offers articles, podcasts, and video to help improve business literacy of teenagers.
First-grade math foundation key to later success
July 27, 2011In U.S. Department of Education research, the level of math and science that a student completes in high school is the clearest predictor of a student’s success in college. 2010 ACT results indicate that all college-bound high school seniors had their lowest scores in math and science. A recent University of Missouri study notes, “beginning first-graders that understand numbers, the quantities those numbers represent, and low-level arithmetic will have better success in learning mathematics through the end of fifth-grade, and other studies suggest throughout the rest of their lives.”
Lead researcher, professor David Geary, also notes, “This study reinforces the idea that math knowledge is incremental, and without a good foundation, a student won’t do well because the math gets more complex.” The paper, “Cognitive Predictors of Achievement Growth in Mathematics: A Five Year Longitudinal Study,” will be published in the journal Developmental Psychology.
Parents should be particularly concerned with the 2009 NAEP Results (National Assessment of Education Progress), which indicate that most U.S. 4th– and 8th-graders are not proficient in math.
4th-grade performance by racial group:
- 50 percent of White students are below proficiency
- 79 percent of Hispanic students are below proficiency
- 85 percent of Black students are below proficiency
8th-grade performance by racial group:
- 57 percent of White students are below proficiency
- 83 percent of Hispanic students are below proficiency
- 88 percent of Black students are below proficiency
Forget “AYP.” You should be concerned with “ACP!”
July 27, 2011The Associated Press article, “Tougher Standards Mean More Schools ‘Failing’ indicates that many schools are not making “AYP” (Annual Yearly Progress) as measured by No Child Left Behind. Subsequently, many students find themselves attending schools that are considered “academically unacceptable” by the U.S. Department of Education. The article reports that the number of academically unacceptable schools is increasing substantially in many states:
- 135 schools in Louisiana
- 720 schools in New Mexico
- 7 out of 10 schools in North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District
- 6 out of 7 schools in North Carolina’s Wake County School District
- 4 out of 10 schools in Georgia
As opposed to increasing student achievement to the levels set by the No Child Left Behind legislation, states like Montana and South Dakota have decided to simply ignore the standards, viewing them as unrealistic.
While state departments of education and local school districts debate what are realistic and unrealistic levels of student achievement for their schools to pursue, many students and parents are fully aware that their schools are not good schools and that students are not being adequately prepared for college and careers. In fact, while schools are concerned with achieving “AYP” (Adequate Yearly Progress), parents and students should be more concerned with whether their schools are achieving “ACP” (Adequate College Preparation). Parents and students must pursue all available opportunities to ensure that students are learning what they need to know to be prepared for college and careers. Five easy steps to take are:
- If you attend a low-performing school, then ensure that you are in the most rigorous classes available in your school.
- Identify tutorial support at your church, the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, local fraternities and sororities, students in higher grades, and after school programs.
- Get as many test preparation books as you can, particularly for SAT/ACT subject-areas, i.e., math, science, reading, English, and writing, and for any high school graduation tests required in your state.
- Identify summer or after school enrichment programs in reading, math, and science. One such program would be the CDF Freedom Schools.
- Develop a study group and surround yourself with other high-performing students, particularly students who are fortunate to attend high-performing schools.
Financial aid for undocumented students
July 26, 2011
California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law, a bill that will allow undocumented college students in California to receive private financial aid for college. The California Dream Act is still being proposed that would allow such students to receive financial aid from public sources as well.
California is not the only state allowing undocumented students to live the dream: previously, the Illinois House passed its own version of the DREAM Act with bipartisan support. The Illinois bill will establish a private DREAM fund, which will grant scholarships to eligible DREAMers who graduate high school. It also mandates that high school counselors and educators be fully aware of educational opportunities available to these youth.
A study being published in the American Sociological Review finds that young adults who were brought to the United States as immigrants without the legal authority to reside in the country do pursue an education, but rarely are able to use that education to get good jobs. The study found that one of the first times many of these young adults felt the impact of their immigration status was when they applied to college — and realized that they could not seek financial aid. Just about half of those studied tried for some college education. But, without the legal right to work in the United States, very few reported the kind of economic advancement associated with higher education. The study was conducted by Roberto G. Gonzales, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration.
Despite this study, or perhaps because of the study, undocumented youth who are able to get a college education consider focusing on entrepreneurship so that they can start their own businesses or expand the businesses that their parents frequently start. This has been the strategy adopted by immigrant groups to the United States for years.
Other resources for undocumented students:
- National Conference of State Legislator Overview: Undocumented Students
- National Conference of State Legislator listing of states with favorable tuition policies for undocumented students
- National Conference of State Legislator resource listing for undocumented students
- National Immigration Center: Facts about in-state tuition for undocumented students
- DREAM ACT Portal
- Investing in the American Dream by Roberto G. Gonzalez of the Immigration Policy Center
- White House facts on the Dream Act
- Advice from the College Board
- BigFuture Q and A
- Choose Your Future Resource Page for Undocumented Students
- Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling Guidance for Undocumented Students
- TAFSA (Texas Application For State Aid)
Middle College Program
July 26, 2011Prince George’s County Schools (MD) is offering ninth-graders an opportunity to earn both a high school diploma and a college degree (AA) through their “Middle College” program. Only 100 of the 980 ninth-graders who applied will be able to enter the program where they become full-time students at Prince George’s Community College while they are enrolled in high school. A number of school districts are offering such programs, however, there is usually a qualifying criteria, like grades, test scores, placement tests, or teacher recommendations. Students who want to explore such opportunities need to ensure that they are academically successful during elementary and middle school so that they make the cut. It also would help to avoid discipline infractions and to have great teacher recommendations.
ACT validity questioned
July 25, 2011A recent article in study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research questions the value of ACT scores in science and reading as being a valid predictor of college readiness. However, the study found the English and math scores as highly predictive of college success. Unfortunately, many college admissions officers admit to relying primarily on the ACT composite score in their admission decisions.
Students submitting their ACT scores to colleges should highlight their English and math scores, particularly if they are higher than their overall composite score. Students should also keep in mind that an increasing number of colleges are placing more weight on a student’s high school grades in college preparatory courses above a student’s SAT or ACT scores.
Advice for incoming college students
July 24, 2011The article in Inside Higher Ed offers sound advice for incoming college students:
- Register and schedule ASAP to best ensure that you get the classes that you want.
- Share your schedule with your employer to ensure a smooth school/work relationship.
- If your placement tests places you into developmental or remedial classes, ask for a retest and work hard to get a better score. It could save you thousands of dollars in tuition!
- Identify your books, go online and try to find them used. Another way to save thousands of dollars.
- If you are attending a community college, meet with the counselor to identify exactly the courses that you need to transfer later to a four-year college.
Read more… and share your tips.
An unequal education
July 23, 2011Former Washington Prep High School student, Candice Johnson, shares her experiences attending a high school with large numbers of intern teachers.
“I am a graduate of Washington Prep High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. My school is the kind of school the No Child Left Behind Act was supposed to ‘fix.’ It’s one of California’s lowest-performing schools. Forty percent of my freshman-year classmates didn’t graduate. The student body is also mostly low-income, and a majority of the students are African-American, like me, or Latino. There were only a handful of white students in the entire school of 2,000 when I graduated a year ago.”
Her article sheds light on the importance of parents and students of ensuring that students are learning what they need to know. There are clearly huge inequities between high- and low-performing, and oftentimes urban and suburban schools. Candice is one of millions of students attending schools where they are taught by new, inexperienced, and intern teachers. Worst, is when such teachers are teaching math and science, the two subjects that are the clearest predictor of college success. While the issue is being debated, parents and students need to ensure that students identify tutors, create study groups, and formulate their own plans to learn what they need in order to prepare for college.
Scholarships for Asian and Pacific Islander students
July 22, 2011Washington, D.C., July 14, 2011-The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), the nation’s largest nonprofit organization devoted solely to providing college scholarships for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), is awarding for the first-time ever $1.2 million in scholarships to more than 500 outstanding AAPI students for the 2011-12 academic school year. APIASF’s scholarships-ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 individually-are given to well deserving high school and college students with which many of whom are the first in their family to attend college.
APIASF manages two scholarship programs: The general APIASF Scholarship Program and the Gates Millennium Scholars Program/Asian Pacific Islander Americans funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. APIASF’s general scholarship is funded by many corporate, foundation, nonprofit, and individual supporters including the Coca-Cola Foundation, Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, Sodexo Foundation, United Health Foundation, USA Funds, Walmart Foundation, and Wells Fargo Foundation.
For details about APIASF’s scholarship programs or for more information about the 2011 APIASF College Completion Forum: Strengthening Institutions that Serve Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, visit APIASF’s Web site at www.apiasf.org. Also, follow APIASF on Facebook (www.facebook.com/apiasf) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/apiasf).
Grants to expand college access for Latino families
July 22, 2011The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) announced today that it is accepting applications for 10 grants of up to $25,000 each to help education and community organizations provide support for Latino and other families to earn college degrees. The grants are made possible with funding from MetLife Foundation, to expand the reach of the Family Literacy – Community College Partnership Initiative to communities and programs across the country.
“These grants will broaden the availability and targeted use of a recently developed comprehensive set of tools for local organizations, schools and community colleges,” said Sharon Darling, president & founder of NCFL. “Most importantly, they will help guide adults learning English, first-generation college students and their families toward achieving their goals of obtaining a degree and economic well-being.”
The tools are available for free at http://www.famlit.org/myfamilygoestocollege. The grants help community programs create innovative and practical uses of the online resources in order to maximize their success while learning from exemplary local efforts supporting educational transitions.
To learn more and fill out an application, visit http://www.famlit.org/NCFLgrants. The First Stage applications are due by midnight EDT on Aug. 22. Successful First Stage applicants will be notified during the week of Sep. 12 and invited to submit a full Second Stage application.