VP Ann B. Wright

A group of community college leaders from Arkansas gathered one afternoon last February in Little Rock to share insights, ideas and innovative practices. Ed Franklin of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges, Jim Purcell from the Arkansas Department of Education and members of the College Board staff joined representatives from nine of the 22 two-year colleges in the state for a rich conversation.

Steve Handel, senior director for community college initiatives at the College Board, started off the dialogue with information and updates related to the report produced by the National Commission on Community Colleges, which generated lively conversation related to national issues, as well as work that is specific to Arkansas. Topics like the collaboration of the institutions, the adaptability to serve the students and the communities, and innovative programs designed specifically for Arkansas were threaded throughout this conversation. Representatives of the institutions also discussed the incredible network in place throughout the state to serve low-income students. A conversation with Tom Rudin, senior vice president for advocacy and government relations at the College Board, revealed a request for ongoing economic support, recognition of collaborative opportunities and attention to the quick responses required of community colleges in terms of programming and funding. This meeting was an excellent first step in learning more about how to best serve the two-year institutions in Arkansas.

Earlier this month, SWRO’s senior educational manager, Paul Sanders, participated in a panel presentation at Rice University, which was sponsored by Rice Education Entrepreneur Program. Other panelists included journalist and author Jay Mathews of the Washington Post and Mike Feinberg, who is one of the co-founders of KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools.  Mathews is well known for developing the Newsweek evaluation of secondary schools through the use of AP participation.  More than 125 teachers, parents, Rice staff members and school superintendents were in attendance at the panel, learning from experts about topics like the Advanced Placement Program®, closing the achievement gap, the success of KIPP schools, stimulus legislation and the future of education in the country.

State ties have also been reinforced by a partnership with the Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science, a non-profit foundation supported by a grant from the National Math and Science Initiative that seeks to increase the number of students scoring 3 or higher on AP exams in math, science and English. The Arkansas Department of Education and the governor's office were closely involved with the grant proposal and fully support the initiative. Twenty-two high schools are being supported by funds from this initiative.

The College Board celebrated AP success by inviting 175 legislators, education leaders and community stakeholders to a reception at the governor’s mansion during the legislative session in February. Governor Mike Beebe and Mrs. Beebe greeted guests at the door and welcomed our group with warm words. Commissioner of Education Ken James; Chancellor of Higher Education Jim Purcell; and Tom Rudin, the College Board’s senior vice president for advocacy and government relations made enthusiastic remarks celebrating the success of the Arkansas initiatives and encouraging further collaboration. The evening’s highlight was Tom Rudin’s presentation, in which he showed a color-coded map denoting AP participation in the United States. The state of Arkansas’ solid green color, an indication of extremely high participation, stood out across the ballroom and was wildly applauded by the group.

The surveys were distributed at College Board President Gaston Caperton’s plenary sessions at each forum and were designed to collect feedback about the forum, particularly in today’s difficult economic climate. About 90 people at the Southwestern Regional Forum completed the survey.

“It is affirming to see how much our members value the forums and in-person meetings,” said Mary Carroll Scott, vice president of membership. “The question for us is, how do we accomplish that effective communication and professional development in difficult economic times, when it’s all the more important to share ideas.”

Nationwide, attendance at the regional forums was down from 2008, with many people saying the economy was hindering opportunities to travel and attend professional development programs.

Southwestern participants also strongly agreed in large numbers that the quality of the regional forum presentations is high and that they use the information to improve their work.

In related research conducted through an e-mail survey, nearly 65 percent of respondents indicated that the workshops and sessions are what primarily draw them to the regional forums. About 20 percent said interaction with colleagues is their primary motivation, and three-fourths of respondents said that the sessions offered for their profession adequately met their needs.

A few sessions that respondents found most valuable were “Generation NeXt Comes to College,” “High Expectations for All via Vertical Teaming” and “Dropouts: What Is Not Being Said.”

The luncheon with keynote speaker Da Chen was particularly popular, with 93 percent of respondents saying they were satisfied or very satisfied by it.

Click here to see events and workshops in the Southwestern Region.