In a report released last week, the Pathways to College Network outlined 100 recommendations for state, community and higher education leaders to make college more attainable for students.
The report, titled “A Shared Agenda,” combines reviews of more than 600 research studies done on the trends of lower income, minority and first generation students in the United States. The study stressed that a college degree is becoming increasingly more important for a stable and well-paying job.
“I think some people will say that some kids don’t want to go to college or can’t. Some people will say, ‘A lot of jobs don’t need [a college education],'” Pathways to College Network Director Ann Coles said.
The Pathways to College Network believes there are foundations required for all kinds of jobs, including skilled jobs. Jobs that do not require a college degree usually do not pay well or offer benefits, Coles said.
The report’s guidelines are based on six principles the organization believes can improve the number of students who attend and succeed in college. These principles include expecting success of all students, including those from low-income households and minorities; increased state-funded financial aid; involving all leaders in establishing programs that encourage post-secondary education and involving the families of students.
One of the main focuses of the report is expecting the best from all students. This area involves leaders challenging students of all backgrounds to prepare for college.
UW educational administration professor Alberto Cabrera, who also contributed to the report by serving on the advising board, sees the report as revealing a new philosophy toward education.
“[The report] focuses on what matters to students and their families. What we found was that students who were the most academically prepared are more likely to succeed in college; preparation is the most important thing,” Cabrera said.
According to research cited in the report, 82 percent of high school graduates from the top income quartile enrolled in college in the year 2000, while only 57 percent of students from the bottom quartile did so.
Only about half of African American and Hispanic ninth graders graduate from high school within four years, compared to 79 percent of Asian Americans and 72 percent of white students. White students and Asian Americans are more likely to take the courses that prepare them for college.
“In the next few years our focus is for states to increase the number of schools that adopt a college preparatory curriculum,” Coles said, meaning it would be ideal for schools to have only college preparatory courses, not college preparatory courses alongside regular courses.
The report was released recently, so feedback from universities not involved in the study has not yet been released. However, the partners of the study include the American Council on Education, the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the president’s office of the University of California.
The report’s focus is on guidelines and recommendations for community, state and higher education leaders to consider, but does not demand anything from universities.
“I think it could work, but it won’t solve the problem completely,” UW sophomore Frin Forest said. “The main thing preventing kids from going to college is that they need money right away, so they take jobs even if they don’t pay well — it’s better than nothing. Paying for college isn’t a possibility for them.”
