Is college or postsecondary study really necessary?

• Over the past quarter century, wage gaps between workers with different education levels have increased, largely due to falling real earnings for those with less education.
• Real weekly earnings for workers with less than a high–school diploma fell from $462 in 1979 to $337 in 1998. This downward trend continued for all workers who were not college graduates.
• Twenty years ago, the average college graduate earned 38 percent more than the average high-school graduate. Today, it is 71% more.
• Occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree will grow almost twice as fast as the overall average.
• The three fastest growing occupations, require at least a bachelor’s degree and have higher average earnings.
• All of the 20 highest paying occupations require at least a bachelor’s degree.

Educational Level		Years in Work-place	Average Annual Income (US Census Bureau, ‘00)	Average Monthly Income	Lifetime Income (annual income x years in workforce)	Estimated Cost of Degree (Average)	Net Lifetime Benefit (lifetime income – cost of degree)
High School Graduate		47	$28,800	$2,400	1,353,600	$0.00	$1,353,600.
Associate Degree		45	$35,400	$2,950	1,593,000	$4,000	$1,589,000
Bachelor’s Degree		43	$46,300	$3,858	2,083,500	$32,000	$2,051,500
Master’s Degree		42	$55,300	$4,608	2,377,900	$40,000	$2,337,900
Doctorate		37	$70,500	$5,875	2,608,500	$58,000	$2,550,500
Professional (Doctor, Lawyer)		37	$80,200	$6,683	2,967,400	$75,000	$2,892,400

From the Department of Labor Statistics, 2000.

Source: Building a College Culture by Leslie Hays (Powerpoint)

Public School Teacher Tenure in California

Proposition 74: Teacher Tenure Ballot Measure
January 2006
Prop. 74: Support 44.8%, Oppose 55.2%

• California was the first state in the country to establish teacher tenure law in 1921.
• Current state law mandates that teachers gain tenure in California after completing a two-year probationary period during which time they can be dismissed for poor performance by their school district.
• Once tenured, teachers gain a degree of security in their positions and can be dismissed only for just cause. State law dictates conditions under which a tenured teacher can be dismissed including unsatisfactory performance or misconduct. Low student achievement is not included as a condition for dismissal.

• The Initiative

  • It would raise the amount of time new teachers must wait before they are covered by job protection rules from two years to five years for a certified position.

  • It would also allow the school district to dismiss an employee after two consecutive unsatisfactory performance evaluations.

Other Reference

• The Hidden Costs of Tenure
• The Facts, Myths and Realities about Teacher Tenure
• Teachers agree: Bad teachers with tenure too tough to fire (USATODAY.com)

Working Off The Tab

Richard C. Morais, 03.10.09, 06:00 PM EDT
Programs offering academic credit for paid internships have new appeal.
(Forbes)

Drexel is among a subset of major schools in the nation–including Northeastern, the Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of Cincinnati and Kettering–that offer highly sophisticated work-for-credit programs called "co-ops.”

Takach, a communications major who is also an editor at Drexel’s student newspaper, is enrolled in the school’s five-year "co-op" B.A. What this means is that this month, in her sophomore year, Takach begins a six-month stint working at Philadelphia’s Chamber of Commerce for $442.50 a week. She will continue in this way–six months of paid work in an organization related to her field of study, six months of classes–until she graduates in the spring of 2012.

Drexel has 1,600 firms and organizations participating in its work-and-study program, the biggest of which are Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT – news - people ), Siemens (nyse: SI – news - people ), Comcast (nasdaq: CMCSA – news - people ), GlaxoSmithKline (nyse: GSK – news - people ), Lockheed Martin (nyse: LMT – news - people ), Motorola (nyse: MOT – news - people ), Sunoco (nyse: SUN – news - people ) and Johnson & Johnson (nyse: JNJ – news - people ).

Most of the university’s 13,197 undergraduate students, says Peter Franks, executive director of Drexel’s Steinbright Career Development Center, are drawn to the 91-year-old co-op program, covering 73 majors, because they believe the practical, mostly paid internships built into their college degree give them a competitive advantage when they are looking for a job after graduation.

The school offers four- or five-year versions of the B.A./B.S. work program, and claims 50% of its students are offered full-time jobs after graduation by one of their co-op employers. Over a third of Drexel’s alumni take up these offers.

"The co-op allows students to make better career decisions, because they have tried different kinds of jobs while at school," says Franks. It also gives employers a chance to kick the tires of prospects. Drexel has retained 85% of its employer-partners during these hard times.

 

But in this sobering moment in history, co-op programs like Drexel’s are not just good job-procurement programs for graduating students. They can also be an attractive way for students and their families to defray costs while in college.

A year of room and board (but not food) in Drexel’s five-year program costs Takach $39,437. According to the university, Drexel’s work-study program generates for students, on average, an additional $14,500 per six-month work stint.

Prepaid tuition plans threatened

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted: 03/10/2009 01:59:02 PM PDT
Updated: 03/10/2009 03:40:01 PM PDT
(ContraCostaTimes.com)

The rising cost of college and plunging stock market have combined to create a disparity between what some of the 18 states’ prepaid tuition plans have on the books and what they’re supposed to pay. The worst case is in Alabama, where the sour economy has sliced off nearly half of the fund’s assets, and state officials are telling parents the full cost of college isn’t a sure thing.

Among the other states with fewer assets than anticipated liabilities are Tennessee, South Carolina, West Virginia and Washington. Seven of the 18 — Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Texas, Virginia and Washington — back their plans if money runs short.

Many state plans are being hit from two sides. Their investments are dropping in value and public universities are raising tuition by higher-than-normal amounts because the economic downturn is shrinking state funding for higher education.

West Virginia’s plan stopped letting people enroll their children more than four years ago. Its investments have lost $23 million since July 1, or nearly 27 percent of their value.

Education News

College opportunities for state residents dwindle (Los Angeles Times)

• The state ranks near the top nationally for residents over age 65 who have at least an associate of arts degree, but places only 29th in the nation for those between 25 and 34 who have the same level of education
• California ranks 40th in the nation in the percentage of high school graduates who head directly to college
• 45th in high school students taking advanced science and math classes
• near the bottom in the percentage of students earning college degrees and certificates

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Financial Aids Information – January 16, 2009

The 4 Rules of Paying for College in a Recession (U.S. News – Education)

1. Grades matter more than ever.

2. Early birds will get more scholarship worms.

3. Students should apply to at least a couple of affordable schools.

4. Students should apply to at least a couple of generous schools.

---

• 49 States Flunk College Affordability Test (U.S. News – Education)
  California, the only state that passed in the study, scraped by with a C minus
• How to Maximize Your Student’s Chances for Merit Aid (U.S. News – Education)
• How Can I Improve My Chances of Getting Need-based Grants? (U.S. News – Education)

Last Updated: January 16, 2009

Technorati Tags: educaton,financial aid,college,grant

CHOICES OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS

By guiding students to adopt these principles and tools, you’ll empower them to become effective partners in their own education, giving them the outer behaviors and inner qualities to create greater success in college and in life.  Here are the eight On Course Success Principles:

SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS…	STRUGGLING STUDENTS…
1. …ACCEPT SELF-RESPONSIBILITY, seeing themselves as the primary cause of their outcomes and experiences.	1. …see themselves as Victims, believing that what happens to them is determined primarily by external forces such as fate, luck, and powerful others.
2. ……DISCOVER SELF-MOTIVATION, finding purpose in their lives by discovering personally meaningful goals and dreams.	2. …have difficulty sustaining motivation, often feeling depressed, frustrated, and/or resentful about a lack of direction in their lives.
3. …MASTER SELF-MANAGEMENT, consistently planning and taking purposeful actions in pursuit of their goals and dreams.	3. …seldom identify specific actions needed to accomplish a desired outcome. And when they do, they tend to procrastinate.
4. …EMPLOY INTERDEPENDENCE, building mutually supportive relationships that help them achieve their goals and dreams (while helping others to do the same).	4. …are solitary, seldom requesting, even rejecting offers of assistance from those who could help.
5. …GAIN SELF-AWARENESS, consciously employing behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes that keep them on course.	5. …make important choices unconsciously, being directed by self-sabotaging habits and outdated life scripts.
6. …ADOPT LIFE-LONG LEARNING, finding valuable lessons and wisdom in nearly every experience they have.	6. …resist learning new ideas and skills, viewing learning as fearful or boring rather than as mental play.
7. …DEVELOP EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, effectively managing their emotions in support  of their goals and dreams.	7. …live at the mercy of strong emotions such as anger, depression, anxiety, or a need for instant gratification.
8. …BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES, seeing themselves capable, lovable, and unconditionally worthy as human beings.	8. …doubt their competence and personal value, feeling inadequate to create their desired outcomes and experiences.

Technorati Tags: education,college,life,successful,student

Source: On Course Principles

Last Updated: January 16, 2009

A Guide to California’s School Finance System

California’s system for funding public schools has been in place for 35 years.

1968-78: California moves to a state-controlled finance system
1968 Serrano v. Priest
Lawsuit challenging the fairness of California’s system for funding K-12 education.

1972 SB 90
Established revenue limits, a ceiling on the amount of general purpose money each school district may receive.

1976 Serrano v. Priest
The California Supreme Court ruling that the school finance system was inequitable.

1978 Proposition 13
Constitutional amendment limiting property tax rates and increases.

Sources of Funding for Schools

• Federal government: about 11%
• State’s budget (business, corporate and personal income taxes, sales taxes, and some special taxes): about 61%
• Local property taxes: about 21%
• Miscellaneous local revenues (include such items as fees on commercial or residential construction; special elections for parcel taxes; contributions from parents, businesses and foundations; cafeteria sales; and interest on investments by local school districts): about 6%
• The smallest amount at the bottom is the California Lottery: 1.5% or about $125 per student annually

Public schools have no other revenue sources.

Distribution of the Money

• General purposes: two-thirds of total funding
• Special purposes or categories of students: other third

Each district’s income is based on:

• the average number of students attending school during the year (average daily attendance, or ADA)

• the general purpose (revenue limit) money the district receives based on ADA

• special support (categorical aid) from the state and federal governments, earmarked for particular purposes.

The California Legislature set revenue limits for each district in 1972.

The other large portion of a school district’s income is categorical aid from the state and federal governments. It is based on categories of children, such as students with disabilities; characteristics of the district, such as low-income families; or programs, such as class size reduction (CSR). The program can be voluntary, such as CSR for grades K-3, or required, such as Special Education.

Categorical aid can be a very small portion or more than one-third of a district’s budget, depending on the population of students served. The money must be spent according to the state or federal guidelines for the qualifying program.

Miscellaneous income is a small percentage of most districts’ budgets, but (with a few exceptions) districts have discretion over how to spend the money.

A State Centralized System

Proposition 13 (1978) effectively removed school districts’ ability to exert substantial control over their revenues.

Source:

• Guide to California’s School Finance System
• EdSource: Finance System
• School Finance Chronology
• EdSource: History
• School Finance Chronology
• An Introduction to Public School Financing in California

Last Updated: January 16, 2009

All You Want to Know About SAT / ACT TESTS

Image via Wikipedia

General Facts

• Most colleges accept either the SAT’s or the ACT’s.
• Juniors typically begin taking SAT’s or ACT’s during the second semester of their junior year.
• Students applying to the UC system and planning to take the ACT must sign up for the ACT with Writing because, unlike the SAT, students have a choice of taking it with or without Writing. The UC system includes the Writing test in their student application review process.
• Tests can be taken more than once.
• The UC and CSU systems will use the highest scores from either the ACT or SAT.
• There are strategies involved when taking these tests that students should explore, either with a prep class, resource book or on-line.
• Each testing company also offers free preparation booklets with sample questions and test content.
• The UC’s will accept college admission tests taken through December of the senior year.
• This is also true for the CSU system with the exception of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and San Diego State, who want them completed by October or November of the senior year.
• Students should check the testing requirements for private and out-of-state schools, as they may differ from the UC or CSU systems.

SAT

• Second semester SAT dates are in January, March, May and June.
• SAT Reasoning test includes Critical Reading, Math and Writing.

ACT

• Second semester dates are in February, April and June.
• ACT Assessment differs because it includes four sections: English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning.

SAT Subject Tests

• UC’s and many private schools also require SAT subject tests.
• The UC’s require two subject tests in two different subject areas. The subject areas include history, literature, math, science and language.
• Students should take the subject tests in May or June when they have almost completed a school year of the subject.
• For example, students enrolled in AP US History who are preparing for the May AP test will find they are well prepared for the May or June US History subject test. The same goes for AP Biology, Chemistry, and Math, etc.
• If a student chooses to take Math as one of the two subject tests, the UC system wants Math Level 2.
• For the Chemistry test, students should at least have taken Honors Chemistry, as it is a “time intensive and difficult” test.
• If Language is used as one of the subject test, the Language with listening for native, fluent speakers is only given in November. Language without listening is given during the other test dates.
• AP European History does not necessarily prepare students for the World History subject test, because the subject test focuses on non-European cultures.
• The UC’s will use the two highest subject test scores in their admission reviews.
• The subject tests take one hour, and students can take up to three on a single test date, although that’s pretty tiring.
• The CSU system does not require the subject tests.

Source: Mary Church, DVHS Career Center, mchurch@calhigh.net
http://www.dvhigh.net/ptsa/DVHSSept08newsletterver2.2.pdf

Last Updated: October 27, 2008

Higher Education in California

Higher education is education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, technical colleges, and other collegial institutions that award academic degrees, such as career colleges.

The higher education in California consists of:

• University of California (UC)
• California State University (CSU)
• California Community Colleges system
• Private universities and colleges

UC

The UC system has 10 major campuses located in Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Davis, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Riverside, Merced and San Francisco. The UC system is intended to accept students from the top 12.5% of college-bound students, and provide most graduate studies and research. It has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students.

CSU

The CSU system is composed of 23 campuses and has over 450,000 students supported by 47,000 faculty members and staff. It is intended to accept the top one-third (1/3) of high school students.

CCCS

The California Community Colleges System (CCCS) consists of 110 community colleges in 72 community college districts serving more than 2.5 million students.

AICCU

Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU)

Last Updated: October 27, 2008