Tuesday, August 30, 2005 |
9.00– 9.30 am |
Welcome and Meeting Overview
Cheryl Blanco, Senior Program Director for Policy Analysis and Research, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
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9.30 – 10.30 am
State Report Questions
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View from the States: Issues and Challenges Ahead
No one knows the issues and challenges facing individual states better than those working in
the states to address them. This session will provide state teams with the opportunity to set the
context for the meeting by sharing their unique circumstances, obstacles, and perspectives with
individuals in other states with similar projections of high growth.
David Longanecker, Executive Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
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10.45 – 12.00 pm
Blanco's Presentation
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Knocking on the College Door: What’s Facing Your State in the Coming Years?
Demographics in the U.S. continue to shift by state and region and by racial and ethnic
composition and by income. These changes affect the make-up of our nation’s schools in
both the K-12 and higher education systems. Ultimately, future high school graduates reflect a
far more complex and varied group than we have seen in the past. This session will draw on
projections of high school graduates produced by WICHE in Knocking at the College Door to
explore some of the major findings related to high school graduates generally and to their racial/
ethnic and family income characteristics. A discussion of implications for public policy among
high-growth states will help inform conversations and set the policy stage during the forum.
Cheryl Blanco, Senior Program Director for Policy Analysis and Research, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
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1.15 – 1.30 pm
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Gaining Ground: Fixing the Leaks in the Educational Pipeline
Many states are focusing on creating a stronger educational pipeline, or a productive,
integrated system of high schools, colleges, and universities within a state. What many
states are finding, however, is that there are some leaks in the pipeline in need of
attention. This introductory session will provide an overview of the afternoon sessions,
which are designed to help participants identify some of the holes in the educational
pipeline and identify ways to prevent students from falling through the cracks along the
way.
David Longanecker, Executive Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education |
1.30 – 2.00 pm
Jones' Presentation
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Exploring the Educational Pipeline: Finding The Holes to Stop the Leaks
This session will lay the groundwork for the afternoon by exploring how effective state
education policies can increase student success at four key transition points—high school
graduation, entry into higher education, persistence in higher education, and completing
higher education—particularly in high-growth states. This session will address how to
increase educational capital when there are significantly more students in the educational
pipeline.
Dennis Jones, President, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems |
2.00 – 2.45 pm
Swail and Cabrera's Presentation
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Hispanic Students and the Educational Pipeline
One of the biggest challenges facing high-growth states is the increase in the numbers of
Hispanic students in the K-12 system. A recent report by the Educational Policy Institute
entitled “Latino Students and the Educational Pipeline” examines just what happens
to these students as they move through the educational system. This session is an
opportunity for state team members to learn about how and where these students are
placed at risk and strategies for graduating more underserved students and promoting
their success in higher education.
Moderator: David Longanecker, Executive Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Speakers: W. Scott Swail, President, Educational Policy Institute and Alberto Cabrera, Professor and Senior Researcher, Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison and Senior Scholar, Educational Policy Institute
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3.00 – 3.45 pm
Colorado's Handout
Jones' Handout
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Innovative Approaches to Fix the Educational Pipeline
After a thought-provoking dialogue about how to identify leaks in the educational pipeline
and some possible strategies for stopping them, this session will provide participants with
an opportunity to hear first-hand about how two high-growth states, Colorado and Indiana,
are working to fix the leaks in their educational pipelines.
Moderator: David Longanecker, Executive Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Speakers: Matt Gianneschi, Chief Academic Officer, Colorado Commission on Higher Education and
Stan Jones, Commissioner, Indiana Commission for Higher Education
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3.45 – 4.30 pm
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What Could Work In My State? An Open Discussion
Team members will have a unique opportunity to discuss in an open forum a variety
of public policy approaches discussed throughout the afternoon and whether they are
feasible in their states in the context in which they are operating, specifically within the
environment of high growth.
Moderator: David Longanecker, Executive Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education |
Wednesday, August 31, 2005 |
8.00 – 8:45 am |
State Team Discussion
Moderated by the state team leaders, this is an opportunity to convene in state teams to
discuss possible strategies for approaching challenges in the context of increased growth.
Questions to spark discussion may be found in the meeting materials folder.
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8.45 – 9.45 am |
The Role of Community Colleges in the Educational Pipeline
Community colleges are integral components in the educational pipeline. They are not
only primary points of access for students entering higher education, but they are key
transition points for many students transferring from two- to four-year institutions. As state
policymakers work to ensure that the state’s educational pipelines are secure, they should
carefully examine their community college systems for cracks in the system. This session
will focus on strategies for accomplishing this objective.
Moderator: Paul Lingenfelter, Executive Director, State Higher Education Executive Officers
Speakers:
Kay McClenney, Director, Community College Survey of Student Engagement and
J. David Armstrong, Chancellor, Florida Community Colleges and Workforce Education
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10.00 – 11.00 am
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Table Topics
Team members will break into small groups to engage in an in-depth discussion about relevant
questions of interest moderated by experts drawn from the Changing Direction Research Advisory Board.
Questions will include:
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How can high-growth states better utilize their community colleges to move minority and
economically disadvantaged students from the associate degree to the baccalaureate?
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How can state tuition and financial aid policy be better aligned to increase retention?
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How can states address capacity demands and still provide choice for economically
disadvantaged students?
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Over the next five years, how can states deal effectively and creatively with flat appropriations
or only modest increases and high growth?
Moderators:
Thomas Bailey, George and Abby O’Neill Professor of Economics and Education Director,
Institute on Education and the Economy and Director, Community College Research Center
Estela Bensimon, Director, Center for Urban Education
Cheryl Blanco, Senior Program Director for Policy Analysis and Research, Western Interstate
Commission for Higher Education
Joni Finney, Vice President, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
Larry Gladieux, Education and Public Policy Consultant
Demarée Michelau, Project Coordinator, Policy Analysis and Research, Western Interstate
Commission for Higher Education |
11.00 – 11.45 am
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Financial Aid and the Educational Pipeline
Discussions throughout the meeting have focused on leaks in the educational pipeline and various
strategies for plugging those leaks during the various transition points. One state-level strategy that
may be under-utilized for this purpose is financial aid. Specifically, as community colleges have
become the primary entry point into higher education for more students, and the transfer function
of community colleges has become more important to more students, states are considering
innovative ways to encourage articulation and transfer; one of those strategies is through financial
aid. Changing Direction released a report, State Financial Aid: Policies to Enhance Articulation and
Transfer, and this session will allow participants to hear first-hand about state experiences with
such policies geared toward the goals of promoting two- to four-year transfer.
Moderator: Julie Davis Bell, Education Group Director, National Conference of State Legislatures
Speaker: Raymund Paredes, Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
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11.45 am – 12.00 pm |
Closing Comments
David Longanecker, Executive Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
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