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Four Districts Lead State in Helping Middle School Students Achieve College Dreams
(Statewide, March 16, 2009) This week thousands of students across California signed the “Save Me a Spot in College” pledge as a part of the new Early Commitment to College Program (ECC). These students pledged to work hard, stay in school, and take the steps they need to make it to college. The State of California promises to uphold its end of the bargain – to make sure there is a spot in college and financial aid available when they get there.
Regional and Racial/Ethnic Disparities May Prevent California from Competing Globally says 'The Grades Are In - 2008'
(Sacramento, February 12, 2009) — A new study by the Sacramento State Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy (IHELP) makes this message clear: your chances of competing in the global economy can depend on where in California you live and who you are. By every major marker, Californians experience vastly different educational opportunities and outcomes depending on where they grow up and on their race and ethnicity.
Early College Commitment Program To Launch in Los Angeles
(Los Angeles, December 1, 2008) — Students in California will be encouraged to think about college early with the passage this fall of the Early Commitment to College bill championed by State Senator Jack Scott. The program will teach students and their parents early, beginning in the sixth grade, how to go to college and how to pay for it.
Budget Cuts to Higher Education
(Los Angeles, November 21, 2008) — Both the UC Board of Regents and the CSU Trustees met this week to announce the impact that the new budget proposal will have on their universities. CSU may need to turn away 10,000 qualified students and possibly increase fees in order to maintain the quality of education they offer. The UC Regents have said that they will not increase fees, but that means cutting millions of dollars out of existing programs and wages.
This new mid-year budget proposal includes over $65 million in proposed mid-year cuts to the UC system and $66 million in proposed mid-year cuts to the CSU system. This comes on the heels of cuts that were included in the 2008-09 State Budget that went into effect this past September.
Innovative Programs Clear Student Paths To College Success
(Los Angeles, November 19, 2008) — Educators are taking enormous initiative to improve college access and success, according to a report released today by the Campaign for College Opportunity which highlights fifteen 'Practices with Promise.' These programs are making a difference for students today and show promise for the state's future. As California's policymakers and education leaders improve educational and economic competitiveness, they may look to the themes and the lessons learned from these working solutions.
State Leaders, Over 300 Students Converge at Capitol -
'Prepare Students Now to Avoid Future Budget Woes'
(Sacramento, August 6, 2008) — The 'education pipeline' that carries students from secondary school through college is broken say business and education leaders. California will not have enough students graduating with 2-year and 4-year college degrees to meet workforce demand over the next 15 to 20 years. Download 9 local student profiles in PDF here (or see main page to download individually: San Diego, Santa Ana, Compton Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Modesto, Salinas, Bieber).
Over 300 middle and high school students along with education advocates and key state leaders are converging in Sacramento to urge lawmakers to pass SB 890 Early Commitment to College.
Winners in the "Save Me a Spot in College" scholarship contest which drew over 12,000 entries this year will be honored.
Proposed Budget Cuts Hit Higher Education Hard –Cumulative impact of past and present cuts imperils the state's economic future
(Sacramento, April 16, 2008) — Higher education in California would suffer a second major blow in less than six years if the state adopts the sweeping cuts proposed in this year's budget. The University of California, the California State University, and the state's Community College system have not yet recovered from cuts that stemmed from the dot.com crash earlier this decade, according to a revealing new study meant to aid lawmakers and the public as they grapple with balancing the state's budget.
California Slips to 48th in Nation for College-Going - Education Advocates Ring in Schwarzenegger’s ‘Year of Education’ to Spotlight Promising Practices and Urge Passage of SB 890 Early Commitment to College
(Sacramento, January 8, 2008) — California has slipped from 40th to 48th in the nation in the percentage of high school students who go directly to college, including both 2-year and 4-year colleges. Less than 44% of the state’s high school graduates attend college within a year compared with rates as high as almost 70% in the top ranked states, according to the newest rankings from The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS).
As the State Legislature reconvenes and Governor Schwarzenegger prepares to give his state-of-the-state address, these education advocates are converging in Sacramento to urge California’s lawmakers to pass SB 890 Early Commitment to College. The program has a relatively low price-tag, $125,000 a year, according to the California Department of Education, because it builds on existing programs.
Shortages of Skilled Workers Hit Health Care Industry - As California’s Population Ages, Health Care Faces “Double Whammy” of Retiring College-Educated Workers and Growing Demand for Care
(Oakland, November 5, 2007) — While all industries are projected to show major shortages of college-educated workers in California by 2020, an important new study finds that these shortages have already reached the health care sector.
Further, health care will soon be hit by the ‘double whammy’ of California’s aging population – older residents will need substantially more care as they age while a generation of highly skilled Baby Boomers retires from health care jobs. In some hospital systems, occupations such as Clinical Laboratory Scientists have an average age well over 50.
Innovative Programs Clear Student Paths to College Success - New Report Highlights Strategies to Prepare a Highly Educated Workforce to Meet the Increasing Demands of California’s Economy
(Oakland, October 20, 2007) — Educators are taking enormous initiative to improve college access and success, according to a report released today by the Campaign for College Opportunity which highlights fifteen ‘Practices with Promise’. These programs are making a difference for students today and show promise for the state’s future. As California’s policymakers and education leaders improve educational and economic competitiveness, they may look to the themes and the lessons learned from these working solutions.
Swell Builds for Early College Commitment Bill; Rally, Bipartisan Support & Economic Forecast Behind Momentum
(Sacramento, May 31, 2007) — A swell of support is building among students, business leaders and legislators from both sides fo the aisle for a bill up for a key vote today that would help supply the college-educated workers that experts say the state's economy desperately needs.
SB 890 — A New Deal for Middle Schoolers: Study Hard and We'll Save You a Spot in College
(Sacramento, Feb. 27, 2007) — Study hard and graduate from high school, and California will save you a spot in college. That’s the bargain offered to middle school students in SB 890, new legislation unveiled today by State Senator Jack Scott (D-Pasadena), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, who pledged to champion its passage this year. An accompanying report, “Early College Commitment,” outlines the positive benefits of the proposal for students, schools and the state.
College-Going Rate in California Trends Down, Study Finds
(Oakland, Oct. 19, 2006) - Rates of college enrollment directly after high school have declined over the last decade for every ethnic group, despite some recent improvements in preparation of K-12 students for college, according to a new study by researchers at Sacramento State University and released today with the Campaign for College Opportunity (CCO).
At Stake: California's Economic Competitiveness
(Sacramento, April 26, 2006) — California industry will soon demand significantly more workers with high levels of education, and the state's leaders must find a way to meet this surging demand or risk losing the state's competitive edge, according to a new economic study released today by the California Business Roundtable and the Campaign for College Opportunity. The study, "Keeping California’s Edge: The Growing Demand for Highly Educated Workers," finds that by the year 2022, one in three new California jobs generated will require an Associate Degree, Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Only about one in four jobs in the state today have such a requirement.
New Study Finds that Boosting College Going Will Yield Triple Returns for California Taxpayers
(Oakland, Nov. 30, 2005) – For every dollar that California invests in educating more college students, the state will receive three dollars in net return, according to a new landmark study conducted by UC Berkeley researchers Henry Brady, Michael Hout and Jon Stiles. The study, called “Return on Investment: Educational Choices and Demographic Change in California’s Future,” includes a detailed analysis of the costs and benefits to California taxpayers of increasing the number of students attending college and completing a degree. Each step of the analysis uses powerful demographic and economic methods, that, when put together, produce the most sophisticated picture ever produced on why and how higher education matters for California.
O’Connell Announces Launch of “Save Me a Spot in College” Contest $50,000 in Scholarships to be Given Away to 6th to 12th Graders
(Sacramento, Oct. 11, 2005) – Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’ Connell, joined the Campaign for College Opportunity (CCO) today to announce the launch of the “Save Me a Spot in College” scholarship contest for middle school and high school students. The contest includes categories for written word, poster and TV ad in an effort to engage young Californians as a voice for the need for college access for the growing number of young people in the state.
California Can Solve Shortage of College Graduates
Sacramento, June 22, 2005) - A recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California shows that one of the greatest threats facing the California economy is the projected shortage of college-educated workers. Today, researchers from Sacramento State University released two major new studies pointing to solutions - one providing a comprehensive analysis of California higher education performance by region and race and a second suggesting options for financing enrollment growth in community colleges and universities in California to meet the demands of the booming 18- to 24-year-old population. (Also available for download, "fast facts" about "Variations on a Theme" and "Shared Solutions.")
Californians Give Frontline Testimony on College-Access Crisis, Propose Solutions, In New Statewide "Listening Tour" Report
(Oakland and Los Angeles, May 11, 2005)- In response to California's looming college-access crisis, the Campaign for College Opportunity released a new report documenting the results of an unprecedented five-month, statewide "listening tour" to hear what Californians had to say about the challenges facing higher education and to get their ideas for solutions. (Also available for download, the executive summary and report. )
As Legislature Convenes and Budget is Released, Poll Finds That California Voters Believe Lack of College Access is a Serious Problem
(Oakland and Los Angeles, Jan. 4, 2005) - A new statewide poll conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates found that 66 % of likely voters believe that the state should continue its promise of providing a college education to all who are eligible and motivated to seek it. The poll also found that voters are aware of funding cuts to higher education in recent years and 71% expect an increase in the number of Californians likely to seek college in the coming years. (Also available for download, the executive summary and a presentation of the poll findings.)
The Campaign for College Opportunity Launches New Website -www.www.collegecampaign.org
(Oakland and Los Angeles, Nov. 30, 2004) - The Campaign for College Opportunity has launched a new website (http://www.www.collegecampaign.org) to get the word out on the growing problem of college access in California. The Campaign, a nonprofit organization devoted to ensuring that the next generation of Californians has the chance to go to college as promised by the 1960 Master Plan of Higher Education, was co-founded by the California Business Roundtable, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Community College League of California.
Report: Latinos Less Likely To Attend College in California, Even Though the State's Economic Future Depends On Them
(Sacramento, Oct. 15, 2004) California will not be able to maintain its high-technology, knowledge-based economy without improving the rates of high school graduation, college attendance and degree attainment among Latinos, according to a new report released by the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy (IHELP), in conjunction with a new nonprofit organization, the Campaign for College Opportunity (CCO).
California Has Slipped in Providing College Opportunities to Youth
(San Jose, CA, and Washington, D.C., Sept. 15, 2004) The chances of young people in California going to college have dropped by 9% in the last decade, according to a report card on higher education released by two California-based organizations, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and the Campaign for College Opportunity (CCO).
New Report: There is No Quick Fix for California's College Crisis
(San Francisco, June 15, 2004) - A new report released today by The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education reveals that the crisis in California's public colleges is deeper, more severe, and longer-term than previously expected. According to the report, "Ensuring Access with Quality to California Community Colleges," without a significant new statewide commitment to public colleges, the state's promise of extending college opportunity to all adults who could benefit will be broken for the foreseeable future.
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