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News Update From the Council on Postsecondary Education
COUNCIL NEWS:

CPE increases minimum ACT scores in math and reading

Following the recommendations of the Developmental Education Task Force, in May the Council approved a revision in the admissions regulation to increase standards of mathematics readiness from 18 to 19 on the ACT, and reading readiness standards from 18 to 21. The provisions of the Kentucky Public Postsecondary Placement Policy are being added to the regulation to stipulate that students scoring at or above the college readiness standards must be placed in credit-bearing courses. The proposed changes to the regulation also stipulate that underprepared students be given a subject placement test, be provided developmental support during their first term of enrollment, be required to continue developmental programs until they have demonstrated competence in the subject area, and be placed in college-level coursework immediately following completion of their developmental courses. The changes will take effect fall 2009.

Council to review access to academic programs

At its May meeting, the Council charged a working group made up of both providers and consumers of postsecondary programs with reviewing policies related to the Council’s role in approving postsecondary academic programs, including extended-campus offerings and authorization and operation of extended-campus centers. The review will include, but not be limited to, regional postsecondary education centers and extended-campus policies to further the 2020 Public Agenda’s call for increased postsecondary access while promoting productivity and efficient use of resources. The work group will provide a report to the Council at its November 2007 meeting.

UofL hosts Annual Academically Proficient African American High School Junior and Senior Conference

This annual conference provides information to Kentucky’s academically promising and proficient African American high school juniors and seniors. The conference, sponsored by the Council and the Kentucky Department of Education, is designed to give Kentucky's colleges and universities an opportunity to recruit academically promising or proficient students in a noncompetitive setting early in their junior or senior year. The conference is June 8-9 at the University of Louisville.

UK Named Project Lead the Way University Affiliate

The University of Kentucky recently was named Kentucky’s Project Lead The Way (PLTW) university affiliate. PLTW is a model P-12 pre-engineering program cited in The National Academies’ report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm. The program encourages middle and high schools to partner with organizations and higher education institutions to help address the problems created by the national shortage of engineers and other technical workers. The Council received $750,000 from the 2006 General Assembly to work with the Department of Education in implementing PLTW in Kentucky. UK faculty will provide multiple services, including summer institutes to the 13 school districts currently participating in PLTW. UK also will provide technical consultation, graduate credit articulation, pipeline assessment and engineering education leadership. Tom Lester, UK’s College of Engineering dean, will serve as principal investigator (PI) and will be joined by co-PIs Deborah Besser, G. T. Lineberry, and Bruce Walcott.

Morehead hosts Governor’s Minority Student College Preparation Program Annual Conference

This conference offers an opportunity for Kentucky’s minority middle and junior high school students to enhance their knowledge of the tools required to enroll in and graduate from college. The conference is sponsored by the Council and Kentucky’s public colleges and universities and brings middle school program participants to the campus of a public institution. Workshop sessions will focus on enrollment in rigorous courses, support systems and counseling services, and funding for postsecondary education. The conference is June 5-6 at Morehead State University.

Kentucky educators exploring opportunities in Russia

Kentucky educators returned on May 30 from a seven-day visit at the Bryansk Agriculture Academy in Russia to explore educational exchange opportunities for students and faculty. A Russian delegation will visit Kentucky in 2008. The effort is organized by the Kentucky Campus Compact in partnership with the Academy to build economic development capacity both in the Bryansk region and in economically challenged areas of Kentucky. The economic development will focus primarily on agriculture, agritourism and cultural projects, with college students in both Russia and Kentucky engaging in service learning and civic activities connected to their academic work and research. Kentucky Campus Compact, a statewide initiative headquartered at Northern Kentucky University, promotes service learning, develops students’ citizenship skills and values, encourages partnerships between campuses and communities and assists faculty who seek to integrate public and community engagement into their teaching and research.

Moriarity receives GED Top Score Award

John Moriarity of Louisville is the recipient of Kentucky’s 2006 GED Top Score award with a total GED score of 3,860 out of 4,000 possible points. John is a Louisville Technical Institute student and plans to major in clinical psychology at Murray State University. John attended Trinity High School and then Bluegrass ChalleNGe Academy in Fort Knox, where he earned his GED. The Kentucky Bluegrass ChalleNGe program consists of eight core components delivered in a 22-week residential environment and includes a 12-month nonresidential phase providing mentoring and placement support. Attainment of the GED is an important facet of the total program. Bluegrass ChalleNGe receives funding from Kentucky Adult Education as well as the National Guard Bureau, Department of Defense. Kentucky GED test centers tested more than 12,000 candidates in calendar year 2006, and the state awarded more than 9,000 GED high school equivalency diplomas. Five students had scores higher than 3,700.

GEAR UP health expos

In collaboration with the GEAR UP program, the Kentucky Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) program is offering health career expos to more than 7,000 7th and 8th grade GEAR UP students across the state. Kentucky’s GEAR UP program, administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education, is a federal grant program designed to increase the number of low-income students prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. The Kentucky AHEC program works to improve the recruitment, distribution and retention of health care professionals in medically underserved areas throughout the state. These AHEC-sponsored events provide participating GEAR UP students with the opportunity to spend a full day visiting a campus to engage in hands-on activities in the health career areas and talk with local health care practitioners. Students also receive information on financial aid and college preparation. The first health career expo was held on Murray State’s campus in March and Morehead State University and Hazard Community and Technical College hosted an expo in May. Expos are scheduled to be held at Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisville in the fall.

Virtual Library announces student winners

The Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL) recently announced winners of the 4th annual "create a KYVL public service announcement video" contest. The contest is a joint effort of KYVL and the Student Technology Leadership Program in Kentucky’s public K-12 schools. Students from across Kentucky were invited to submit 30-second PSA video entries spotlighting KYVL and its online resources. The winners are:

  • Elementary Division
    • 1st - Prater Borders Elementary, Salyersville
    • 2nd - Rich Pond Elementary, Bowling Green
    • 3rd - Paintsville Elementary
  • Middle School Division
    • 1st - Jones Middle, Florence
    • 2nd - Drakes Creek Middle, Team 1, Bowling Green
    • 3rd - Drakes Creek Middle, Team 2, Bowling Green
  • High School Division
    • 1st - Greenwood High, Bowling Green
    • 2nd - Warren Central High, Bowling Green
  • Innovation Award
    • East Jessamine Middle School, Nicholasville

Governor’s Conference on Postsecondary Education Trusteeship to be held September 16 & 17

Plans are underway for the annual Governor’s Conference on Postsecondary Education Trusteeship to be held September 16 and 17 at The Brown Hotel in Louisville. Conference sessions will reflect on progress since the 1997 passage of House Bill 1 and focus on the significant challenges ahead as we look toward meeting the education attainment goals of 2020. The conference brings together the members of the institutional governing boards of regents and trustees, members of the Council on Postsecondary Education and the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, public and independent presidents, policy makers and other state leaders.

RESEARCH TOPICS IN EDUCATION:

2006 Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship Data Report

This report by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority provides 2006 data on the KEES program.

Demography is not Destiny: Increasing the Graduation Rates of Low-Income Students at Large Public Universities

This report by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education examines institutional characteristics, practices and policies that might account for differences in retention and graduation rates among large public colleges and universities that serve high numbers of low-income students.

Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today

This report by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education explores how the American public views higher education.

Ten Public Policy Issues for Higher Education 2007-08

This paper by the Association of Governing Boards lists the ten most important issues in public policy affecting higher education. Boards use this report to frame and clarify their institutions’ responses to these critical issues. The paper includes an executive summary of the ten issues, plus an in-depth analysis and questions on each issue to help facilitate provocative, useful board discussion.

The Presidency – The American Council on Higher Education’s Magazine for Higher Education Leaders

This special supplement to ACE's flagship magazine explains the alignment agenda and offers perspectives of senior higher education leaders on both the value and challenge of working with secondary education on aligning expectations.

Closing the Expectations Gap 2007 (50-State Survey) and Aligned Expectations? A Closer Look at College Admissions and Placement Tests

These reports from Achieve help monitor and compare progress across states and evaluate how well admissions and placement tests measure college readiness.

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