News Update From the Council on Postsecondary Education

COUNCIL NEWS:

Interim Council President Brad Cowgill takes office

Brad Cowgill, former state budget director, took office as Council interim president Sept. 1. Cowgill was selected by the Council to serve through the 2008 session of the General Assembly.

"Kentucky has come a long way toward meeting the 2020 goals of House Bill 1, but much work remains," said Cowgill. "I look forward to working with the university presidents, legislators and the Governor as we continue to chart the path to a better Kentucky."

The Council will continue the search for a permanent replacement for Tom Layzell at a later date. Layzell will remain on staff in an advisory capacity for a transition period and will retire at the end of September.

Kentucky to receive $13.2 million to boost Advanced Placement

Governor Fletcher recently announced Kentucky is one of seven states selected to receive a $13.2 million grant from the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) to fund training and incentives for Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-AP courses in Kentucky high schools over the next six years. The Council is one of several supporting partners in the grant, which will be administered by Advanced Placement Enterprise of Kentucky (APEK), a nonprofit organization formed by the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation. Earlier this year, the Council’s STEM Task Force issued The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Imperative: Competing in the Global Economy, which highlighted Kentucky’s urgent need for more math, science and engineering graduates and charted a strategy for improvement. Aligned with the task force recommendations, grant funds will support extensive training of teachers, identification and cultivation of lead teachers and financial incentives based on academic results. For more information, view the full press release on the Governor’s Web site.

Council’s college access initiative gets $1 million funding boost

The 2006 General Assembly awarded the Council $800,000 to coordinate a statewide college access outreach effort designed to motivate Kentuckians to enroll and succeed in college. In addition to this funding, the Council has leveraged more than $1 million in additional support through grants from national and state education organizations. The Council has received $100,000 from the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative to expand and improve the GoHigherKY.org Web site to support college access efforts. The Council, in partnership with the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, has received $500,000 from Lumina Foundation to extend the reach of the college access initiative to individual counties through the support of The Kentucky College Access Network (KYCAN). GEAR UP Kentucky is contributing $450,000 to support outreach efforts to at-risk middle and high school students. The Council currently is in the research and planning phase of this initiative and will launch outreach efforts this fall.

Kentucky Virtual Campus cuts costs for institutions through statewide contract

The Kentucky Virtual Campus, in collaboration with academic institutions and state agencies, recently established a statewide master contract for 24x7 help desk support for Kentucky’s e-Learners. The contract, based on a per student cost, is with Presidium Learning, Inc. and Blackboard, Inc. and produces substantial savings for postsecondary, K-12 and state government agencies. The KYVC Call Center, receiving an average of nearly 2,000 calls per month, continues to provide one-on-one support for learners who are interested in online learning or enrolled in online courses that are offered through KYVC.

Council workgroup will examine access to academic programs

To further the Public Agenda’s call for increased postsecondary access, productivity and efficiency, the Council has established the Postsecondary Education Workgroup on Access to Academic Programs. The group includes representation from the Council, postsecondary institutions, the business community and other stakeholders and will review policies related to the Council’s role in approval of postsecondary academic programs. The group’s work will include, but not be limited to, a review of regional postsecondary education centers and extended-campus policies. A report will be available at the Nov. 2007 Council meeting. For more information, visit the Council Web site.

KentuckySat tests earth station

KentuckySat (KySat) announced this month the successful test at Morehead State University (MoSU) of the UHF/VHF Earth Station, a critical component of the KySat satellite on-orbit operations system. KySat is an ambitious joint-enterprise involving the Council and other public organizations, colleges, universities and private companies in a student led initiative involving the design, launch and on-orbit operation of small satellites. MoSU, the lead ground operations center for KySat, is developing the necessary systems and processes in preparation for the launch of KySat1 scheduled for 2008. Once in orbit, KySat will be available at no cost to Kentucky students, teachers, schools and universities for educational and research purposes. For more information, visit the KentuckySat Web site.

GEAR UP Gazette expands to Lexington Herald Leader

GEAR UP Kentucky’s Newspapers in Education (NIE) program kicked off its fourth year with an expanded partnership that now includes distribution by the Lexington Herald-Leader. The GEAR UP Gazette, a four-page publication written specifically for GEAR UP students, their parents and teachers previously distributed only by The Courier Journal, will now also be delivered with the Herald-Leader to a total of 80 GEAR UP schools and 114,000 Herald-Leader subscribers. The program promotes literacy and develops a daily routine of reading among more than 10,000 students. GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federally funded program administered by the Council that encourages at-risk middle and high school students to stay in school, study hard and take the right courses to go to college. For more information about GEAR UP, visit the Council Web site. Current and past issues of the GEAR UP Gazette are available on The Courier Journal and the Herald-Leader Web sites.

RESEARCH TOPICS IN EDUCATION:

Report on State Virtual Schools

This report by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) shows nearly all SREB member states now have a state-sponsored virtual school, and the remaining states are planning or beginning initial implementation. A detailed update on the status of state virtual school efforts in each SREB state is provided.

Improving ACT and SAT Scores: Making Progress, Facing Challenges

This SREB report looks at the underlying factors driving a state's college admission test scores, analyzes the most recent test results and makes recommendations for improvement.

In Need of Improvement: NCLB and High Schools

This report by the Alliance for Excellence in Education calls on Congress to build on the ideals of “no child left behind” and pass legislation that will lead the nation toward "every child a graduate."

A Brief History of Student Learning Assessment

This publication by the American Association of Colleges and Universities offers a historical overview of testing in higher education and a proposal for future assessment that builds on the current Collegiate Learning Assessment.

Persistence and Attainment of 2003-04 Beginning Postsecondary Students: After Three Years

This National Center for Education Statistics report provides a brief description of the persistence and degree attainment of a nationally representative sample of students who began postsecondary education for the first time in the 2003-04 academic year. The report provides information about rates of program completion, transfer and attrition.

September 2007