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STORY JUMP MENU
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A Note from Western Region VP Al Mijares |
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The Western Region Office (WRO) has been working diligently on a number of projects for both K-12 and higher education. We are proud to announce that the state of Washington has received one of eight grants from the National Math and Science Initiative Inc. valued at more than $13 million. These grants are intended to increase AP® participation and achievement in mathematics and science throughout the state. Additionally, 11 WRO districts in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington have received Small Learning Community Grants and will attend a technical assistance workshop in early December.
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The WRO spent most of the fall conducting the fall update workshops for high school counselors in Washington, Colorado, Idaho and Oregon. We will offer scholarships to help those counselors who serve underrepresented students attend the Association for College Admission Counseling regional conferences this spring. Earlier this month, we hosted two Dream Deferred community dialogues - one at the University of Southern California and one at the University of California-Berkeley - to discuss and explore a draft action plan designed to improve and expand the college pipeline for African-American students. The next Dream Deferred conference is scheduled for April 2008 in Los Angeles, with other diversity initiatives following in May in Denver; Tsaile, Ariz.; and Chicago. Additionally, the WRO is planning three or four financial aid professional development workshops, "A Primer on Economics for Financial Aid Professionals," in the spring.
Finally, it's time to make plans to attend the Western Regional Forum, which will be Feb. 25-27, 2008, in Newport Beach, Calif. The Western Regional Council has planned a very strong slate of sessions, which will address the following topics: "Outcomes and Accountability: Institutional Access and Diversity Following Admissions"; "Roll Up Your Sleeves: Roundtable Discussion for Deans and Directors"; "Mission, Margin, or Both? Statistical Modeling for Institutional Priorities"; and "Community Colleges: Fulfilling the Promise of American Education."
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Washington Receives NMSI Grant |
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Mentoring Advanced Programs for Students in Washington was one of seven organizations awarded grants of up to $13.2 million each from The National Math and Science Initiative Inc. to provide training and incentive
programs to teachers of AP® courses in their respective states over the next six years.
Currently, the United States is 16th among
17 nations in the proportion of 24-year-olds
who have earned degrees in natural science or engineering, but there are proven strategies for improving the underperformance of U.S. students in math and science education. NMSI is expanding these strategies to the national level by offering grants that will attract more qualified teachers and offer them specific training and support, as well as financial incentives based on academic achievement.
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Part of this program is modeled after UTeach, a successful initiative at the University of Texas at Austin, which encourages math and science majors to enter the teaching profession by offering compact degree plans and financial assistance.
More than $140 million has been raised for this effort, which includes initial funding of $125 million from ExxonMobil Corp. The investment in special training and incentive programs for math and science teachers, as well as for their continued support through a mentor program, will be returned by their students' increased participation and success in AP courses. Better preparation in math and science before college will lead to greater success in these fields in college. And providing a strong and steady supply of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is our best bet to restore the United States as the global leader in technological innovation.
"We commend the leaders of the National Math and Science Initiative for undertaking this ambitious effort. It's a great illustration of the type of public-private partnership - with AP as the core component of the program - that can profoundly change American education," said Tom Rudin, College Board senior vice president for government relations. "We're excited about the opportunity to work with the NMSI national organization and with each of the state grantees to implement significant AP expansion projects, so that tens of thousands of additional students can succeed in AP math, science and English courses and exams."
NMSI funding can offset the cost of professional development for math, science and language arts educators; defray the cost of programs and services intended to accelerate students in math, science, and language arts; and help more students achieve success in AP courses related to these subjects. As this initiative was developed specifically with AP in mind, there are a number of applicable College Board programs and services that may enhance grantees' training and Incentives programs. These include, but are not limited to, the Advanced Placement Program®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, SpringBoard® and AP workshops.
Additional grants were awarded to organizations in six other states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia. Within five years, NMSI seeks to have training and incentive programs in 150 school districts in 20 states and UTeach running on more than 50 campuses nationwide.
NMSI is an innovative nonprofit organization created to facilitate the national scale-up of programs that have a demonstrated impact on math and science education in the United States and guided by leaders of industry and higher learning.
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USC Establishes Research Center on Higher Education Admissions and Enrollment Policy: Calls for Proposals |
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The University of Southern California has created a new interdisciplinary research center focusing on higher education enrollment. The center will bring together admissions and enrollment professionals, academic scholars, policymakers and business leaders to focus on issues surrounding access to higher education.
USC's Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice will focus on critical issues related to enrollment in higher education, including admissions access to underserved populations, financial aid and tuition effects and selectivity and college-bound student assessment. The center will share results with all educational institutions with a goal to achieve new benchmarks and standards for "best practice."
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Jerome A. Lucido, USC vice provost for enrollment policy and management and a College Board Trustee, is founding executive director of the center, which announced a call to scholars for research proposals.
"Today in America, a laser light is focused on the point of college access," said Lucido. "Parents and students view the college admissions process as a gateway to future prosperity, health, security and satisfaction. This new research center will look at critical questions, including: 'Why is the admissions office door the focus of all these hopes and dreams?' 'What barriers exist within admissions processes that continue to separate many Americans from the opportunities and benefits of higher education?' and 'What can be done through enrollment management to improve access and facilitate success of students?'"
USC President Steven B. Sample said: "We at the University of Southern California realized that there was a need for a central hub for the field of enrollment management. Our awareness of the need induced us to create a new center - unprecedented in its focus and scope - to inform, educate and explore issues in the field and to connect education leaders from around the nation and the world."
As its first scholarly activity, USC's new Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice has issued a call for proposals to researchers studying higher education enrollment management issues. The proposal deadline for the grants, which will range from $5,000 to $10,000, is Feb. 1, 2008. More information and grant application standards are located at the center's Web site, which can be found at www.usc.edu/programs/cerpp/. At its home page, the center's Web site also provides message boards for scholars, practitioners and policymakers and an opportunity for visitors to help shape future activities within the center.
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California Congressman Receives CB Lifetime Achievement Award |
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The College Board honored Rep. George Miller of San Francisco with the Lifetime Achievement in Education Award, in recognition of his decades of support for equity and excellence in education. College Board President Gaston Caperton presented Miller with the award on Oct. 31.
Miller, who serves as chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, has worked tirelessly to improve national education standards and to provide academic opportunities for all students, from kindergarten through college. One of the four original congressional authors of the No Child Left Behind Act, the education reform bill signed into law in January 2002, Miller is now charged with rewriting and improving the law. Miller's legislative efforts established some of the law's most notable features, including holding schools accountable for the education of all children and the need to provide substantial federal financial resources to schools to ensure their success.
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"Chairman Miller's deep commitment to educating all students and to preparing every child for success in college and beyond is an active example of what we at the College Board work so hard to achieve," said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board. "We consider him a true ally in our endeavor to improve education and bolster its opportunities. It's a privilege to recognize him with this award."
Miller is continuing his efforts to make education accessible for everyone. In September, Congress signed into law a bill that he authored to provide $20 billion in college financial aid to students and families over the next five years without impacting taxpayers. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act is the single largest increase in college aid since the GI Bill.
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2008 Western
Regional Forum
Feb. 25-27, 2008
Newport Beach Marriott
Newport Beach, Calif.
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| Click here for more information on regional events. |
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Welcome New
Members to Your Region
At the College Board’s Annual meeting, 313 institutions were elected as members of the College Board. |
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Click here
to view a list of new members in your region |
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Regional
Council Roster
View a list of council members in your region. |
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E-mail us your announcements.
Be sure to include your region in the subject line.
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Western Regional Office
The College Board
2099 Gateway Place
Suite 550
San Jose, CA 95110-1051
Phone: (866) 392-4078
FAX: (408) 367-1459
Send us a message
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