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While not everyone community is as forward thinking as Kalamazoo, Michigan (which gives every child in that community a free college education at a public university of their choice in Michigan), helping children from low income families apply for college is imperative. I love this article because it gives practical advice and discusses the issues as well as some creative approaches. I think that the least communities could do is fund college application fees for low income students... helping kids go to college is a start, but a very important one. From this AP Article from NBC Latino... "Yet, nationally, about half of high school graduates from families making below $18,300 enrolled in college in 2012 compared to about 80 percent of those whose families earned above $90,500, according to the College Board. In Washington, where Duarte lives, only 30 percent of high school graduates go to college - a lower percentage than the number who drop out of high school, despite the city having the highest level of college attainment in the nation, according to the College Board. Nearly all the students at Roosevelt qualify for free or reduced lunches. To help create a college-going culture, a bulletin board near the school's front doors features the names of seniors and the colleges they were accepted to. College acceptances are announced over the intercom."

In today's world of advanced technology, preparation for employment after completing High School often means pursuing an additional course of study for a minimum of one to two years. Be this in a Technical School, Junior College, College or University, the bottom line is that our students generally need to further their education in order to secure employment. Readiness for college therefore is an important issue facing our schools. College preparation takes foresight and planning and involves more than college preparatory courses. How can we insure that our students are college prepared?

The Department o Labor reports that Formal Education Beyond High School Is Not Required for 66% of the 2008-2018 Job Openings . See page 15 of http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2009/winter/art02.pdf . Who will fill these jobs? The report also states that 22% require a four-year degree or more. Won't the over supply just od degree holders continue to push down the real wages of college graduates as it has for over ten years?

"What Makes a Great Teacher? Image credit: Veronika Lukasova Also in our Special Report: National: "How America Can Rise Again" Is the nation in terminal decline? Not necessarily. But securing the future will require fixing a system that has become a joke. Video: "One Nation, On Edge" James Fallows talks to Atlantic editor James Bennet about a uniquely American tradition-cycles of despair followed by triumphant rebirths. Interactive Graphic: "The State of the Union Is ..." ... thrifty, overextended, admired, twitchy, filthy, and clean: the nation in numbers. By Rachael Brown Chart: "The Happiness Index" Times were tough in 2009. But according to a cool Facebook app, people were happier. By Justin Miller On August 25, 2008, two little boys walked into public elementary schools in Southeast Washington, D.C. Both boys were African American fifth-graders. The previous spring, both had tested below grade level in math. One walked into Kimball Elementary School and climbed the stairs to Mr. William Taylor's math classroom, a tidy, powder-blue space in which neither the clocks nor most of the electrical outlets worked. The other walked into a very similar classroom a mile away at Plummer Elementary School. In both schools, more than 80 percent of the children received free or reduced-price lunches. At night, all the children went home to the same urban ecosystem, a zip code in which almost a quarter of the families lived below the poverty line and a police district in which somebody was murdered every week or so. Video: Four teachers in Four different classrooms demonstrate methods that work (Courtesy of Teach for America's video archive, available in February at teachingasleadership.org) At the end of the school year, both little boys took the same standardized test given at all D.C. public schools-not a perfect test of their learning, to be sure, but a relatively objective one (and, it's worth noting, not a very hard one). After a year in Mr. Taylo

Amid growing challenges to its role as the pre-eminent force in college admissions, the College Board on Wednesday unveiled a new test that it said would help prepare eighth graders for rigorous high school courses and college. The test, which will be available to schools next fall, is intended only for assessment and instructional purposes and has nothing to do with college admissions, College Board officials said.

The charts cited in this article point out that college is more important than ever, especially for women- who need a college degree to make as much as a man with just a high school diploma. For everyone, college is essential just to make "a liveable wage." read and share. Ali to your students so they can make an educated decision. And if you say your students aren't "college material" then you are saying they are destined to be poor. That is just not good enough.

I'm recording another episode of "Every Classroom matters" interviewing some of the teachers and organizers in the Chicago Early STEM college movement. As I researched for this show, I found this report out of North Carolina reporting an increase in test scores. A county here in Georgia is also implementing Early college stem as well. STEM is something every school needs (listen to the earlier show I recorded w/ Kevin Jarrett) but this is an interesting approach. "Just two years after it opened, a North Carolina high school has found that teaching students the principles of STEM can boost test scores and keep learners engaged. That's prompting the school to ask, "If we can do it, why can't other schools do it, too?" The school has a mouthful of a name: the Wake NC State University STEM Early College High School. It has attracted many students to its Raleigh campus - first generation-college students, minorities, and students from poor backgrounds - who are underrepresented in STEM fields. But in 2012, students did far better than average on the state's standardized exams, with more than 95 percent passing."

College / high school is being done in Georgia with the ACCELL program. I think the biggest issue is that it is accelerating classes and perhaps might be ahead of high school, but I promise, it isn't college. I have some concerns but am glad that it is helping people get started towards college. I just think care must be taken to ensure the quality and calibre of teaching and content, particularly if transfer credits are being required in state.

Tip from this story is that if you're getting ready to graduate and want to get a job, get a paid internship during college: ""While there have been some modest signs of improvement over the past few months, statistics show the employment situation for college graduates and other young adults remains difficult." Unemployment among youths in their early twenties has improved somewhat from a low last year, but at 14.5% remains above the average unemployment rate. While choosing an in-demand major tends to improve the odds of getting a job, the employment difficulties affect almost every field, experts said. They added that "getting an internship - particularly a paid internship" during college can be very helpful when students later begin their job search. A recent survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that "60% of paid interns working with for-profit companies received job offers compared with 38% of people with unpaid internships."

Interested in America's Best Colleges rankings colleges.

You could perhaps use this to discuss college opportunities with students. This is an interesting take on the NBC show "Community" and relating it to what it is like to go to college.

A common question some adults ask when considering enrollment in a two-year college to continue their education is - What is the value of a community college education? The significance of earning an associate degree or professional certificate lies in the employment prospects. Attainment of a degree or certificate not only improves employment opportunities, it often improves the person's quality of life.

"increasingly, some educators are calling for more attention to the career part of the equation - and questioning whether a traditional four-year college degree is necessarily the best path for everyone. A new report released by Harvard Wednesday states in some of the strongest terms yet that such a "college for all" emphasis may actually harm many American students - keeping them from having a smooth transition from adolescence to adulthood and a viable career. "

As you review the best of the best, peruse the best college newspapers of 2013 as ranked by the Princeton review. Have students and prospective journalists review these sites and look at the articles that are the most engaging and active. Online media is often about the reshare - what type of stories are people willing to share and discuss. Online papers are sort of a focus group for what interests people. Hope this list gives you some discussion points for your newspaper organization.

There are some GREAT books on Emotional intelligence, but Debra Sanborn, Program Director at Iowa State University, is using an emotional intelligence assessment as part of the "toolbox of assessments that she relies upon for identifying issues challening students in the first weeks of college." She says that EQ has an 85% predictor rate of success in college. The EQ-i assesses 5 aras: interpersonal, intrapersonal, stress management, adaptability and general mood." Who is using this in high school? I read a book on this to help my two kids with learning disabilities but if there is a test or profile that would help us with these kids - to develop emotional intelligence, then we should do it. Life success is SO MUCH MORE than test scores! Hate that we have to have a "test" to measure this one - although the result is more an indicator of a person's behavior, albeit self-reported.

Even if you can't attend an Ivy League college, you can still take advantage of the intellectual and professional resources that many have to offer through the colleges' websites. Check out the list of 100 great video lectures you can watch to learn from experts.

Website for students to rate their colleges.

A website for students to rate and research their colleges.

There are many colleges and universities that are funded by endowments, state programs, or even student workers. But they all offer an incredibly affordable way to get a quality education. Check them out...

"A range of facts are explored including motivational factors, nontraditional students, free college courses, paying for college, and pros or cons. "