March 2008
RECENT NEWS RELEASES
Council urges state leaders to find sufficient revenue for education
Report shows link between education and prosperity in Kentucky
UPCOMING EVENTS
Statewide Transfer Committee meeting
Mar. 27, 2008
1 p.m. (EST)
CPE Offices, Frankfort, KY
CPE tuition hearings
Apr. 7 – 8, 2008
CPE Offices, Meeting Room A
CPE meeting
Apr. 14, 2008
10 a.m. (EST)
CPE Offices, Meeting Room A
CPE Committee on Equal Opportunities meeting
Apr. 21, 2008
9 a.m. (EST)
CPE Offices, Meeting Room A
To receive News From Frankfort e-mail updates, contact Kimberly Millerd
COUNCIL NEWS
House budget restores $126 million for universities
The Kentucky House of Representatives passed its budget bill (HB 406) Mar. 12, which restores proposed 12 percent budget cuts to Kentucky's public colleges and universities, totaling $126 million in each year of the biennium. The House budget also provides $55 million for Bucks for Brains in addition to the Governor's recommended $60 million, totaling $115 million for the program. Proposed cuts of $15.4 million in 2009 and $17.7 million in 2010 to the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) Program were restored in the House budget, as was $1.5 million in each year of the biennium for Kentucky Adult Education.
The funding restorations in the House budget would be made possible through revenue and other budget enhancement proposals advanced in HB 262 and HB 406. These bills raise nearly $800 million over two years by restructuring state debt and increasing taxes on tobacco products and a handful of services. The budget and revenue measures now move to the Senate for consideration.
Kentucky gets national attention for outreach to adult learners
Kentucky's efforts to reach out to adults with some college but no degree are getting the attention of the postsecondary education community nationwide. An article published recently by The Chronicle of Higher Education outlines the state's efforts to bring adults back to college. The article, "Colleges Woo Adults Who Have Some Credits but No Degree," cites Kentucky's goal to double the number of college graduates by 2020 and references state leaders' emphasis on adult learners as a vital element in reaching this goal. The Chronicle describes the recent Kentucky Adult Learner Summit hosted by CPE and funded by Lumina Foundation for Education and describes Kentucky's Project Graduate program, a statewide outreach effort specifically targeting adults who have earned 90 or more credit hours.
CPE resolution outlines effect of proposed 12 percent budget cut
The CPE approved a resolution calling for the General Assembly and Governor to identify sufficient revenue sources to resolve state budget deficits at its Feb. 26 meeting in Frankfort. Under the executive budget proposal, the postsecondary and adult education system faces a 12 percent budget reduction, in addition to the 3 percent cut in the current year. The resolution states the proposed budget cuts would likely result in higher tuition and diminished financial aid, impairing student access and affordability. Council Chair John Turner urged state leaders to recognize education as the long-term solution to many social and economic problems plaguing the Commonwealth, rather than an added financial burden.
"Sustained, adequate investment in postsecondary and adult education will result in increased revenue, reduced health care costs and less unemployment, and thus improved quality of life for all Kentuckians," added Turner.
CPE examines how students pay for college
The CPE heard a presentation on college price and financial aid last month that emphasized the need for highly targeted tuition and financial aid policies. The study, an update of the CPE's 2005 affordability study conducted by JBL Associates, Inc., found that while Kentucky students and their ability to pay college costs are very diverse, the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship program and institutional aid are major funding sources for students of all financial means. This finding emphasizes the importance of sustained funding for these programs, as funding cuts would impact students similarly to a tuition increase. The CPE discussed these trends and potential policy implications with Dr. Sandy Baum, senior policy analyst for student aid and postsecondary education finance at The College Board. Dr. Baum produces the College Board's annual Trends in Student Aid, Trends in College Pricing, and Education Pays publications.
The CPE also adopted a revised tuition policy in February that outlines the process for approving 2008-09 tuition and mandatory fee rates at Kentucky's public institutions. The CPE will hold tuition hearings April 7 – 8 in Frankfort prior to the final approval of tuition rates.
P-16 Council engages the business community
The State P-16 Council met Mar. 12 to hear updates from 14 local P-16 councils outlining their chief accomplishments and challenges. State council members discussed the resources needed for local councils to meet their communities' educational and workforce demands and the educational and economic development goals of the Commonwealth. David Adkisson, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, provided an overview of the Chamber's task force on postsecondary education's final report, which assesses Kentucky's 10 years of progress toward achieving the goals established in the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997. The council also heard a presentation from Aaron Cox, executive director of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives, who reviewed local chamber of commerce programs and initiatives and discussed how Kentucky's local chambers can work with local P-16 councils to support the Commonwealth's P-16 agenda.
The P-16 Council also learned at the meeting that Education Week, the national weekly newspaper for K-12 education, has teamed up with the Education Commission of the States and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education to study P-16/20 councils as an emerging structure in many states for bridging the K-12 and postsecondary sectors. Kentucky is one of three states selected for a site visit by the research team, which conducted interviews prior to Kentucky's March P-16 Council meeting and attended the meeting as a part of the study.
RESEARCH TOPICS IN EDUCATION
Closing the Expectations Gap 2008
Achieve, Inc.'s third annual 50-state progress report on the alignment of high school policies with the demands of college and careers shows, that while more than a third of states have raised high school standards and graduation requirements, there is more work to be done to ensure that all students graduate ready for college and careers.
On the Pathway to the Presidency: Characteristics of Higher Education's Senior Leadership
This American Council on Education report presents basic demographic and position information for those individuals in the senior campus leadership positions most likely to lead to the presidency.
What Keeps Good Teachers in the Classroom? Understanding and Reducing Teacher Turnover
This issue brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education explores the costs associated with teachers leaving the profession and their schools, the characteristics of those likely to leave, and what can be done to prevent unnecessary and costly turnover.
AP Report to the Nation
The third in an annual series by The College Board, this report shows that a greater percentage of the nation's students are taking and succeeding on Advanced Placement exams, which research shows are predictors of success in college.
