JUNE 2008

RECENT NEWS RELEASES

CPE executive committee approves contract for interim president

CPE presidential search committee narrows search firm proposals to 3

14 earn degrees through Project Graduate; 232 enroll

KnowHow2GOKy aims to improve college access, success

Dr. Richard Crofts to serve as CPE interim president

Council sets college tuition rates

Kentucky public colleges and universities increasing access and success for African Americans

UPCOMING EVENTS

Statewide Transfer Committee Meeting
July 24, 2008
1 p.m. (EDT)
CPE Offices, Meeting Room A

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COUNCIL NEWS

New CPE interim president begins work

Dr. Richard A. Crofts, of Palmetto, Fla., assumed duties as interim president of the Council on Postsecondary Education June 16. A 1962 Georgetown College graduate, Crofts holds a doctorate in history from Duke University and has served in multiple leadership positions in higher education administration, including most recently serving as interim commissioner of higher education in Mississippi. Crofts also has served in many capacities on university campuses, serving as vice president of academic affairs at Mankato State University, associate vice president for research and dean of the graduate school at East Tennessee State University and department chair and full professor at the University of Toledo. Crofts will serve as interim president while the Council conducts a national search for a permanent leader. He will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

Students cheer the launch of KnowHow2GOKy

Students and teachers from across the state joined state leaders on the steps of the State Capitol May 29 for a rally to launch KnowHow2GOKy, a multiyear, public service media outreach designed to encourage more Kentuckians to plan, enroll and succeed in college. The launch event, which featured performances by the Tates Creek Middle School Steppin’ Titans and the Berea Community High School cheerleaders, marked the beginning of TV and radio public service announcements, the launch of the KnowHow2GOKy Web site and the onset of a grassroots outreach across the state. Outreach ads and materials feature warrior-like characters—named Algebra II, Biology and Foreign Languages—to challenge middle school and high school students to take the "tough" classes they need to prepare and succeed in college. Funded primarily by public and private resources at the federal level and by federal funds through the GEAR UP Kentucky program, the outreach is modeled after the national KnowHow2Go initiative developed by the American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Ad Council. In addition to students, KnowHow2GoKY also targets their parents and mentors to stay involved in the student’s academic life and help them plan early for college. The national KnowHow2GO effort targets students in grades 8-12, but the Council expanded the Kentucky outreach to include other audiences essential to meeting the goals of Kentucky’s Double the Numbers plan--transfer students, adult learners and GED students and graduates.

Students already degrees through Project Graduate

Project Graduate teams at Kentucky’s public universities have helped 14 adults return to college to earn their bachelor’s degree this spring, according to preliminary data gathered by the Council on Postsecondary Education. Three more Project Graduate students will graduate this summer and 232 students have enrolled for summer or fall classes. Launched by the Council in November 2007, Project Graduate is a collaborative outreach effort with Kentucky’s eight public universities, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities. The program is designed to reach out to more than 11,000 Kentuckians identified by the CPE to have earned 90 or more credit hours from a public university, but no bachelor’s degree. Each participating college or university is offering incentives and services to former students to return and complete their degree. Incentives vary by institution but can include tuition assistance, application fee waivers, personal advising and simplified admissions paperwork. Response teams at each institution ensure those who respond and qualify can take advantage of incentives and quickly navigate the admissions process.

National report shows increase in high school graduation rate, spotlights Kentucky P-16 Council

Diplomas Count 2008, an annual report by Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center released in early June, showed that Kentucky's high school graduation rate has grown at more than double the national average in a recent five-year-period. Kentucky and New York tied for third nationally with an increase of 6.2 percent in high school diplomas awarded from 2001 to 2005; the national average was a gain of 2.6 percent. Not only is Kentucky’s graduation rate growing faster than other states, the rate itself has exceeded the national average. In 2005, Kentucky’s high school graduation rate was 71.5 percent, ranking 29th in the nation and exceeding the national average of 70.6 percent. Five years ago, Kentucky was 2.7 percent below the national average of 68 percent.

As part of this report, Education Week teamed up with the Education Commission of the States and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education to study P-16/20 councils as an emerging structure in many states for bridging the K-12 and postsecondary sectors. Kentucky was one of three states selected for a site visit by the research team, which conducted interviews of key education and legislative policymakers and attended the March P-16 Council meeting. Their findings on Kentucky are summarized in”For Kentucky’s P-16 Council, Quiet Influence Proves Best.” The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education expects to release a more comprehensive study of P-16/20 councils as a policy vehicle in late summer or early fall.

Kentucky’s Internet2 Initiative named "most innovative use of technology in education"

Kentucky's Internet2 Initiative was recognized as the "Most Innovative Use of Technology in Education" at the Commonwealth Office of Technology's third annual Kentucky Digital Summit. As part of the "Best of Kentucky" awards, Kentucky’s Internet2 initiative was chosen from nearly 50 possible nominees for making outstanding information technology contribution to the public sector. Internet2 is a national non-profit organization that operates a high bandwidth, high performance nationwide network dedicated to education and research. Applications that utilize the Internet2 Network offer interactive access to advanced content, information and resources -- such as remote instrumentation or high-speed video conferencing -- in a way not possible on today's commercial Internet. Kentucky’s Internet2 Initiative is a collaboration of numerous organizations. In addition to the Council and COT, the partners include Kentucky Education Cabinet, the Kentucky Department of Education, Educational Professional Standards Board, ConnectKentucky, the Center for Rural Development, Kentucky’s public colleges and universities, K-12 school districts, Windstream and AT&T.

University and college representatives prepare to handle crises on campus

Over 80 representatives from Kentucky colleges and universities, ranging from campus police to public relations officers, attended a June 12 workshop sponsored by the CPE to discuss strategies and best practices to communicate effectively during a crisis. Seven public universities, seven community and technical colleges, the KCTCS system office and 12 independent institutions participated in "Crisis Communications: The Ultimate Campus Challenge." Workshop facilitator Cindy Lawson, who handled crisis communications during the Texas A&M bonfire collapse, covered a range of issues and participants heard informative case studies showing how Kentucky campuses have handled crisis situations.

RESEARCH TOPICS IN EDUCATION

Diplomas Count 2008

This year’s edition of Diplomas Count, a report by Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, examines the status of state P-16 councils and whether they can help smooth the road for young people on their way to productive work and citizenship.

Partnerships for Public Purposes: Engaging Higher Education in Societal Challenges of the 21st Century

The focus of this essay from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education is the role of public policy and the focusing of institutional effort in meeting the nation’s growing need for higher education.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Facts Not Fiction: Setting the Record Straight

In collaboration with the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education, the College Board released this report detailing why false assumptions can lead to misinformed policy and practice that can be harmful to Asian American and Pacific Islander students.

The Growing Imbalance: Recent Trends in U.S. Postsecondary Education Finance

This report from the Delta Cost project focuses on the spending part of the college cost problem by promoting the regular use of aggregate measures of spending as part of postsecondary performance accountability.

Making Career/Technical Studies an Essential Part of High School Reform

This Southern Regional Education Board report highlights the important work being done in SREB states and work still needed to fully realize the potential of career/technical education in high school reform.