An Interview with William A. (Brit) Kirwan
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| William A. (Brit) Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland and commission chair |
Following the release of a report by the College Board's Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education — which issued a call to action for every sector of education — Connection chatted with the commission's chair, William A. (Brit) Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland. On Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, we discussed the current ills of the U.S. education system, a prescription for its future and how President Barack Obama fits into it all.
C: The United States, a longtime global leader in education, now ranks 21st out of 27 advanced economies in high school completion.
How did this happen?
WK: It's a combination of two factors. First, the decline in U.S. high school and college completion rates is due in part to changing demographics. College-age students today are coming disproportionately from ethnic groups that have traditionally had lower college participation and completion rates. This fact is coupled with a rising college completion rate success in other developed nations, because these nations value and invest in education. This decline in the relative educational level of our citizenry should be a real warning signal to our nation. Our global leadership in so many areas, including the economy, is due in large measure to the fact that, historically, we have had the world's best educated and most creative workforce. We are at grave risk of losing this competitive edge.
C: The report says that the economic, democratic and social health of the United States could worsen over the next several decades if more Americans don't earn a college degree. The United States will lose standing in the world if we can't increase the percentage of young people who earn a degree from 40 percent to 55 percent by 2025. How can we make this happen?
WK: The commission — which included university presidents,
high school officials, counselors and university admissions officers — looked at the educational continuum from kindergarten through college and came away deeply troubled by where our country is headed in terms of our ability to provide a quality education for our citizens. If we stay on our current trajectory in terms of participation and success rates, by 2025 only 29 percent of young adults will have a college degree, down from 40 percent today. If this happens, then within a few decades, the United States will have gone from being No. 1 in the percent of 25- to 34-year-olds with a college degree to the bottom among industrialized nations, greatly compromising our ability to remain the world's economic super power. We feel strongly that the issues raised in this report must get on the nation's agenda.
The members of the commission came together around 10 recommendations aimed at reversing our educational decline and putting us on a new trajectory so that, by 2025, we would be graduating 55 percent with two- or four-year degrees. This is the percentage of degree recipients many economists say we will need by then if we are to sustain a vibrant, globally competitive, knowledge-based economy. If we don't make the changes called for in this report, we will be compromising future generations and their opportunities for a high quality of life.
C: Speaking today at his inauguration, President Obama said, "We will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age." He's promised $10 billion for preschool education to ensure low-income children get a good start to help their chances of getting to college, which jibes with one of the commission's suggestions. Do you think that this administration gets it?
WK: Absolutely. President Obama has a clear and unambiguous commitment to education. The economy is in shambles, but the stimulus package Obama has proposed will provide money to states to keep college tuition costs down and to promote reform and accountability, and, of course, he believes that every low-income child should have access to free preschool, which is in line with our recommendation.
C: Have you been in touch with Secretary of Education-designate Arne Duncan? Are there any potential programs that will bolster this effort?
WK: When our report was released, the secretary had not been named. However, the commission has met with the transition team, and they were very supportive of the report. I expect many programs coming from the Department of Education will be aligned with the recommendations in this report.
C: What about the Americans who are age 25 or older who don't have a college degree? What can we do for them?
WK: The 10th recommendation speaks to the abysmal record we have as a nation in providing adult education opportunities. The programs that exist in most states tend to be loosely organized with low priority. The report asks states to consolidate and coordinate adult education opportunities and align them with community college and financial aid programs so that we can have a systematic means for adults to meet their education goals. Give adults a clear path to education, and they can become more valuable in the workforce.
C: Would you say that the education deficit is as critical as our current fiscal crisis? Should funding new education programs be a part of the general economic recovery plan?
WK: Absolutely. I believe that our education deficit is every bit as critical as our financial crisis. Indeed, I don't think the stimulus package will have any long term benefit if we don't make the investments and do the things necessary to ensure that a much higher proportion of young adults complete their education with a college degree.
C: We've seen these troubling statistics before. What makes this report significant?
WK: Two things. First, this is one of the only reports I've seen to study the educational pipeline as a single continuum. The recommendations are mutually reinforcing and address the major reasons that too many students drop out along the way. Secondly, this report includes a meaningful process for accountability. The College Board will issue an annual report assessing, state by state, how well responsible entities are responding to the recommendations in the report and the progress overall that we are making toward achieving our 55 percent college completion rate goal.
C: What is the College Board doing to support this effort?
WK: The College Board has made a very impressive commitment to the commission's work. We held a press conference, organized by the College Board, on the U.S. Capitol to release the report, with many experts in education present. With the College Board's help, we have walked the halls of Congress discussing the report. The College Board has sent thousands of copies of the report to people at all levels of education, including college presidents and school superintendents. We've met with the major higher education associations and asked them to include a discussion of the report at their annual meetings. We're meeting with the National Governors Association shortly to discuss getting the report on its agenda this summer, and I'll be making a presentation on the report at the National Conference of State Legislatures National Education Seminar this spring.
