Council News

Kentucky joins national initiative to close achievement gap

Kentucky is one of 18 states to partner in the national Access to Success initiative announced last month by The Education Trust. The initiative, supported by The Lumina Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is an agreement among 19 higher education state or system offices in 18 states to close by at least half the gaps in enrollment and degree completion that separate low-income and minority students from others by 2015. Each participating state or system has set its own overall improvement targets, but has agreed on a common set of metrics to evaluate their progress, which The Education Trust will release annually. System leaders have chosen several areas for immediate attention, including increasing student success in remedial and other large-enrollment, introductory courses; improving preparation among entering students and maximizing financial aid for low-income students.

Task force reports reviews postsecondary reform at 10 year anniversary

The Council recently reviewed a 10 year report on postsecondary education reform released earlier this month by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Postsecondary Education Task Force. Aims McGuinness, senior associate for the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and chief consultant to the task force, presented the report findings and recommendations to the Council at its Dec. 14 meeting. Among its 12 recommendations, the task force report urges the Governor and General Assembly to fully support the Council’s plan to Double the Number of college graduates in the state by 2020. The recommendations also advocate more legislative involvement in the development of postsecondary education’s strategic agenda and budget, closer partnerships between economic development and postsecondary education and increased involvement of the Council in the development of financial aid policies that better meet the needs of Kentucky students.

New Lieutenant Governor meets with Council

Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo emphasized the importance of education to the Beshear administration when he addressed the Council at its Dec. 14 meeting in Frankfort. Mongiardo, a first-generation college graduate, discussed the importance of education at all levels – from early childhood through postsecondary-- and noted that increased efforts are needed to create jobs to keep college graduates in the state. Mongiardo indicated that the Beshear administration looks forward to working closely with the Council in pursuing Kentucky’s goal to Double the Numbers of college graduates by the year 2020.

Cowgill presents budget request to Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue

Interim Council President Brad Cowgill met with the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue Nov. 19 to outline the Council’s budget request for the upcoming 2008 legislative session. Cowgill emphasized the budget request as a tighter contract between the state’s public colleges and universities and the citizens of the Commonwealth that focuses on aligning funding with state goals and consistently measuring outcomes. Committee members commended Cowgill and the Council for developing a request that specifically responds to statewide goals and seeks to advance a unified funding proposal to the Governor and General Assembly.

Council welcomes new member

The Council welcomed new member Lisa F. Osborne of Carrolton in December. Osbourne is an attorney and a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and the University of Louisville. She replaces Bryan Blavatt, who resigned earlier this year, and will serve on the Council until July 31, 2012.

Kentucky is first state to offer GED prep via video On Demand

Cable provider Insight Communications recently added KET's GED Connection series to its list of free on-demand offerings. For those students who subscribe to Insight's digital cable service, this provides yet another convenient option to study for the GED test. Kentucky is the first state in the nation to offer GED preparation via video on-demand, and KET currently is working to provide GED Connection as an on-demand option with other cable providers throughout the state. For further information regarding the Insight on-demand service or KET’s GED Connection series, please contact Tonya Crum at tcrum@ket.org or 859-258-7009.

Research Topics in Education

Good Policy, Good Practice, Improving Outcomes and Reducing Costs in Higher Education: A Guide for Policymakers

This report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education provides state leaders with promising new ideas about how to improve educational attainment while limiting costs.

Trends in College Pricing

A part of the College Board’s Trends in Higher Education series, this report provides up-to-date information on tuition and other expenses associated with attending college.

Trends in Student Aid

A part of the College Board’s Trends in Higher Education series, this report presents annual data on the amount of financial assistance—grants, loans, work-study, and education tax benefits—distributed to students to help them pay for postsecondary education.

Emerging Policy Triangle: Economic Development, Workforce Development and Education

This report from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems examines the relationship in all 50 states between economic development, workforce development and education.