College Opportunity News

Volume 4, Issue 6, February 20, 2009

In this issue:

1)		California's New Budget Executive Director Michele Siqueiros reflects on how the state budget will impact higher education. << Learn more
2)		The Grades Are In - 2008 Report Outlines California's Educational Report Card By every major marker, Californians experience vastly different educational opportunities and outcomes depending on where they grow up and on their race and ethnicity. The new study by IHELP at Sacramento State is a follow-up to the December 2008 Measuring Up report that graded all 50 states on higher education performance. Join us for a briefing in Sacramento on Feb. 26th. << Learn more
3)		Early Commitment to College Launches "Save Me a Spot in College Week" with the Support of the Citi Foundation Thousands of California students will be participating in events held in Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco School Districts. << Learn more
4)		Save Me A Spot In College Scholarship Contest Update - Join us as a Judge! CCO is seeking partners, allies, and supporters to volunteer as judges and help us award over $125,000 in scholarships statewide. The contest deadline is March 15th. << Learn more
5)		California Forward Aims to Transform California's State Government A new and timely partner is identifying citizen-driven solutions to provide better representation, smarter budgeting and fiscal management, and high quality public services so all Californians have the opportunity to be safe, healthy, and prosperous in the global economy. << Learn more
6)		Students at Middle College High School at San Joaquin Delta College Become 2009 Youth Ambassadors CCO trains a new class of future college students to be Youth Ambassadors for college opportunity. << Learn more

California's New Budget
Executive Director Michele Siqueiros reflects on how the state budget will impact higher education.
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Our state leaders faced a difficult task this year in closing a $42 billion dollar deficit. We applaud the leadership of our policymakers during these difficult times to resolve this crisis with a balanced approach that did not rely exclusively on cuts. We are especially encouraged that the approved budget maintained Cal Grant funding -- California's primary source for providing student aid. According to The Institute for College Access and Success, Cal Grants helped over 300,000 students pay for college last year.

The budget does include cuts to higher education causing both the UC Board of Regents and the CSU Trustees to announce that they would be forced to limit enrollment this fall by over 2,300 seats in the UC and over 10,000 in the CSU. For the state’s Community Colleges, who have a mandate of open enrollment and already operate with lean budgets, further cuts will significantly increase class size, reduce course offerings, and reduce or eliminate important services that support student success.

Early numbers from the Community College Chancellor's Office indicate that across California 130,000 additional students have enrolled in community college since last school year. With rising unemployment and job insecurity during this recession, a growing number of Californians will turn to their local community college. This will include students turned away from the UC and CSU, those who seek a more affordable college education, and those who hope to retrain and improve their skills to become more marketable in tough economic times.

In spite of, and indeed because of, the economic challenges that will continue to face our state and its higher education institutions, we need a budget that accounts for California's future well-being and meets the workforce demands of industries that require more educated workers. We need a budget that ensures a spot in college for all students who seek one and produces a growing number of adults who receive a postsecondary credential or degree. We must prepare for the wave of baby boomer retirements that will be hitting our state and create a workforce that can step in and move California forward in the 21st century economy.

In the days and months to come, we will be calling on you to join us in supporting solutions to ensure that we invest in our future now. To learn how you can be involved contact us at info@collegecampaign.org.

The Grades Are In - 2008 Report Outlines California's Educational Report Card
By every major marker, Californians experience vastly different educational opportunities and outcomes depending on where they grow up and on their race and ethnicity. The new study by IHELP at Sacramento State is a follow-up to the December 2008 Measuring Up report that graded all 50 states on higher education performance. Join us for a briefing in Sacramento on Feb. 26th.
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A new study by the Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy (IHELP) at Sacramento State University called, The Grades Are In - 2008, takes an up-close look at California’s downward slide in higher education performance. The report finds that California lags behind many other states in educational attainment and economic competitiveness, primarily because of huge disparities by region and race. Despite these challenges, policymakers and higher education leaders can play an important role in enhancing the state’s prospects by adopting policies and supporting budget priorities aimed at educating future generations to meet the demands of our 21st Century workforce.

In December 2008, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education released its report card, Measuring Up, grading the 50 states on five major categories in higher education: preparation, affordability, participation, completion and social benefits. The Grades Are In - 2008 is an in-depth follow-up to California's performance in Measuring Up.

On February 12, CCO officially released the report over a conference call that included Dr. Nancy Shulock and Colleen Moore of IHELP, CCO Executive Director Michele Siqueiros, Pat Callan of the National Center for Public Policy & Higher education, and Assembly Member Anthony Portantino. CCO was proud to have over a hundred other higher education leaders from across the state attend the phone briefing.

Read the news about The Grades Are In - 2008:

Los Angeles Times
Sacramento Bee
La Opinion
KCBS Bay Area

Click on the links below to:

To hear more about The Grades Are In - 2008, please join us at the Capitol on Thursday, February 26, 2009.

Sacramento Policy Briefing & Practices with Promise Recognition
Co-hosted by Assemblymembers Anthony Portantino & Julia Brownley

Thursday, February 26, 2009
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Old Capitol Room 126

Please RSVP to Minerva Perez at minerva@collegecampaign.org.

This event will include a recognition by the Campaign for College Opportunity and policymakers for the 2008 Practices with Promise and a presentation by researcher Dr. Nancy Shulock on The Grades are In - 2008. The 2008 Practices with Promise report highlights programs that are taking enormous initiative to improve college access and success in our colleges and universities.

Copies of both reports and executive summaries may be found on our website at www.collegecampaign.org.

Early Commitment to College Launches "Save Me a Spot in College Week" with the Support of the Citi Foundation
Thousands of California students will be participating in events held in Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco School Districts. back to top>>

Early Commitment to College (ECC) will launch in the first four school districts in California: Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco School Districts. During the week of March 16th, thousands of students throughout California will sign their "Save Me a Spot in College" pledges and make a promise to themselves and their families to prepare, attend, and eventually graduate from college.

The events will include Superintendent Jack O'Connell as well as legislators, higher education leaders, and community leaders. Hundreds of dollars in scholarships will be awarded at these events. Over 20 more school districts will launch the ECC program in Fall 2009. The program is run out of the California Department of Education (CDE) in collaboration with higher education and financial aid agencies and is voluntary for California school districts.

ECC creates a new tool for California school districts to motivate and support young people in middle school and high school to achieve academically, finish high school, and pursue career technical or degree programs in community college or university. The bill that created Early Commitment to College, SB 890, enjoyed broad-based bipartisan support and was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger in September 2008.

To learn how your school district can be eligible for the ECC program, please contact Jessie Ryan at jessie@collegecampaign.org.

We would like to thank the Citi Foundation, All Student Loan, and others that provided support for these events.

Save Me A Spot In College Scholarship Contest Update - Join us as a Judge!
CCO is seeking partners, allies, and supporters to volunteer as judges and help us award over $125,000 in scholarships statewide. The contest deadline is March 15th. back to top>>

CCO is currently looking to allies and partners to volunteer as judges for the Save Me a Spot in College Contest. As a judge, you will help us award more than $125,000 in college scholarships to hundreds of students across California.

Middle and high school students throughout California are answering the question, “Why should California leaders save me and my peers a spot in college?” Over 2,000 written word, poster, and TV ad entries have already been submitted and we anticipate thousands more before the March 15th deadline!

With this wonderful response from students we rely on the generosity of hundreds of volunteers to help us review written word entries. A batch of approximately 30 (or fewer) entries are mailed out to each judge in the written word category which includes poems, letters, and short essays. No entry is more than 400 words, and you can receive your batch of entries by email.

If you have any questions, or are interested in participating, please contact Stephanie Romero-Crockett at stephanie@collegecampaign.org.

The Save Me A Spot in College scholarship contest is made possible through a significant grant by the College Access Foundation.

California Forward Aims to Transform California's State Government
A new and timely partner is identifying citizen-driven solutions to provide better representation, smarter budgeting and fiscal management, and high quality public services so all Californians have the opportunity to be safe, healthy, and prosperous in the global economy. back to top>>

In recent decades, California’s fiscal system has evolved in ways that have frustrated the ability of state and local agencies to provide high quality services and respond to complex problems. The fiscal system does not suffer from a single ailment, and many of its infirmities are the consequences of previous efforts to “fix” the system or respond to the imperative of the moment.

The gap between revenues and spending is a symptom of this dysfunction. Given the size and complexity of the issues, strategic and incremental changes are more likely to succeed. A first step is to improve the state’s budget process – the central venue for fiscal choices that then ripple though the thousands of public agencies statewide.

California Forward's goal is to generate a positive discussion about the need for fiscal reform during 2009. For more information on this and other California Forward projects please visit their web site at www.caforward.org.

Students at Middle College High School at San Joaquin Delta College Become 2009 Youth Ambassadors
CCO trains a new class of future college students to be Youth Ambassadors for college opportunity. back to top>>

On January 27th, the Campaign for College Opportunity trained over 65 ninth graders from Middle College High School at San Joaquin Delta College to be Youth Ambassadors for college opportunity.

Teacher Joann Solari grabs the attention of her students at the Youth Ambassadors training in January.

Located in Stockton, Middle College High School is a dual enrollment program -- students earn college credit while also enrolled in high school. When they graduate, they will have two years of college completed.

Middle College High students are prepared for their own futures, but they realize that they must act as leaders to their peers and help them along the way. As a result of the training, these students will be going out to various middle and high schools in the area and giving their own presentations on college readiness.

The students at Middle College High School are committed to leading the fight for college access and recognize that wanting to go is not always enough. Getting to college requires information and support.

"I am disappointed to learn that colleges are turning down many qualified students because there is not enough room," remarked one student. "Growing up, I always believed that if you worked hard, performed well and were driven to succeed that you would be able to go to college."

Their teacher, Joann Solari, is helping her students to get the information and help they need as well as supporting them as Youth Ambassadors.

We would like to thank the Walter S. Johnson Foundation for their support of the Youth Ambassador Program.

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