Final Report of the Task Force on Groups Underrepresented in ...

Authorized by the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education

Convened by the Rhode Island Office of Higher Education in Collaboration with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University

Final Report of the

Task Force on Groups

Underrepresented in

Rhode Island

Public Higher Education

Final Report of the

Task Force on Groups

Underrepresented in

Rhode Island

Public Higher Education

Recommendations for Policy-makers and Educators

on Developing Programs and Practices to Improve

the Preparation, Development, and Graduation Rates

of Students from Underrepresented Groups

Prepared by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University

in collaboration with the Rhode Island Office of Higher Education and

the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education

Providence, Rhode Island

November 2006

In a Rhode Island elemen-tary school, students areidentifying their goals inlife and developing anunderstanding of the criti-cal role of higher educationin reaching their aspira-tions: “Yes, I Can” go tocollege, the studentsproudly declare throughtheir colorful and creativeposters. One poster reads:

“I can be an eye doctor.” Another contains profiles of several African American professionals– a doctor, an artist, an athlete, a businessman.

Shea High School’s auditorium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, is packed to hear a presentationby the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education on going to college. It comestime for questions. A forest of hands springs up. The questions are about how to get a schol-arship, how student loans work, how college classes compare to high school work. Thesestudents mean to go to college.

These students are eager to get a college education. If nothing changes, three out of four of them will not. What actions will Rhode Island take to make sure thatall these children have the opportunity to prosper?

1 Summary of the Recommendations of the Task Force

3 Introduction: Transforming Hope into Reality

8 Detailed Recommendations

Maximize the Depth and Utilization of Student Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Enhance Pathways to Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Increase Access and Affordability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Create a Developmental Education Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Build a College-Bound Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Address the Needs of Adult Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

29 Primary Organizational Responsibilities for Recommendations

30 References

32 Appendix ATask Force Process and Timeline

34 Appendix BTask Force Membership

37 Appendix CInnovative Programs in Rhode Island: Addressing the Preparation,Retention, Support, and Success of Underrepresented Groups of Students

Contents

Summary of the Recommendations of the Task Force

The Rhode Island Office of Higher Education (r i o he), under the auspices of the RhodeIsland Board of Governors for Higher Education, convened a statewide task force to addressthe underrepresentation of low-income and minority students in Rhode Island’s public col-leges. r i o he invited the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University to co-facilitate the task force, based on the Institute’s commitment to and expertise in issues of edu-cational excellence and equity at scale. The task force, consisting of a diverse group of leadersand educators from higher education, state agencies, community-based organizations, schooldistricts, and research and advocacy organizations across the state, met eight times from Octo-ber 2005 to September 2006 and identified key recommendations, along with action steps tobe undertaken by the state, the three public colleges, K–12 school districts, and communitypartners to create stronger pathways for students to succeed. This section summarizes the rec-ommendations; more detailed recommendations begin on page 8.

Maximize the Depth and Utilization of Student Data• Implement a statewide data and accountability system that allows for the monitoring of

students through the K–12 system into postsecondary education and employment. Thisdata system should be designed to facilitate sharing and using student/client data todefine areas of high need, to locate instances of effective practice, and to build systemicand coordinated partnerships to foster improved student outcomes.

• Use the data to create a statewide map of pathways to college (e.g., support and dual-enrollment programs, community activities).

• Identify the pathways most successful in producing students from underrepresentedgroups who enroll and persist in postsecondary programs. Use these as “greenhouses” toincubate and share strong practices. Fund cross-visitation to these programs from groupsof secondary and postsecondary educators.

Enhance Pathways to Success• Use the data on successful pathways (see previous section) to help districts develop a set

of clear and coherent pathways – including dual enrollment, long-term planning, andadvising – that support success throughout the PK–16 education system. This supportshould begin with school districts that are currently working with the Office of Progres-sive Support and Intervention at the Rhode Island Department of Education.

• Align standards and expectations by creating opportunities for secondary (grades 6–12)and postsecondary educators to share student work, discuss grading standards, anddevelop sequences of courses that result in preparation for college-level work; conductsummer meetings and opportunities to participate in School Accountability for Learningand Teaching (s a lt) team visits to middle and high schools.

• Align and scale up the successful practices of community-based organizations – includ-ing counseling, English-language instruction, utilizing technology, family services, and

2 Final Report

child care – in providing pathways and supports to adult learners that are consistent withthe practices of higher-education institutions.

• Based upon successful models in Rhode Island, improve the content and practicum expe-riences in K–12 teacher-education programs to focus on teaching strategies required tomeet the needs of low-income students, English-language learners, and students with spe-cial education needs.

Increase Access and Affordability• Provide students and their families with clear statements of total costs (tuition, fees, room

and board, course materials, travel expenses) and financial aid packages.• Support students and families in developing understandable, full two-year or four-year

financial plans.• Fund the Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority at the statutory maximum

in the state budget for the next five years and annually evaluate the return on thisincreased investment in need-based aid.

Create a Developmental Education Policy• Develop a systemwide policy that defines and assigns resources to developmental educa-

tion for PK–16 and adult education.• Ensure that resulting programs in developmental education include:

– access to comprehensive assessment and placement tools, early interventions, andappropriate placements for students as early as possible (especially in eleventh andtwelfth grades);

– collaboration among various stakeholders and educational providers to ensure effec-tiveness of the policy;

– the ability to systematically meet the needs of diverse learners, such as accelerating thepace of instruction or providing additional assistance to students with limited Englishproficiency; and

– sustained professional development opportunities for nondevelopmental educationfaculty members and K–12 educators on a periodic basis.

Build a College-Bound Culture• Support and continue to develop programs and experiences in schools and communities

that help students, their families, and advocates understand the importance of postsec-ondary education and build a deeper understanding of what it takes to succeed.

• Foster partnerships among various stakeholders, including employers, community organ-izations, and school districts, to fund and implement postsecondary educational andworkforce development programs.

Task Force on Groups Underrepresented in Rhode Island Public Higher Education 3

Only one out of four of Rhode Island’s public school students will earn the college degree towhich they aspire and which is so crucial to their futures. Overwhelmingly, the three in fourwho will not earn a degree are likely to be poor,African American or Latino, recent immigrantswith limited English proficiency, and male. If noaction is taken, for yet another generation thedividing line between those who have the skillsand experiences to prosper and those who do notwill be defined by race, class, and gender. Thisdivision is exactly what the system of PK–16 pub-lic education was created to erase.

This report is the work of a statewide task force on underrepresented groups of students inRhode Island’s public colleges and university. Its purpose is to provide a blueprint for imme-diate, concrete, and sustained improvement in the preparation, articulation, and supports thatstudents and families receive as students strive to earn a college degree. The goal is to ensurethat students – and those who support them – have the resources, information, and relation-ships to translate their hopes into reality.

The Context for Earning a College Degree in Rhode Island

More than ever before, a college degree is the key to economic opportunity and to making adifference as a member of one’s family and community. Figure 1 shows the clear impact of edu-cational level on earnings and employment.

Not only will two out of three new jobs require some postsecondary education, but also “thefastest-growing, best-paying jobs require the highest levels of education” (Jobs for the Future

Introduction: Transforming Hope into Reality

There is a tremendous private benefit to earn-ing a degree, but there is an equally impor-tant public benefit.

––Jack Warner, Rhode Island Commissioner of Higher Education

Doctoral degree

Professional degree

Master’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Associate’s degree

Some college, no degree

High school graduate

Some high school, no diploma

2.1%

1.7%

2.9%

3.3%

4.0%

5.2%

5.5%

8.8%

$70,148

$67,964

$55,328

$46,800

$34,944

$32,344

$28,808

$20,592

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,0009 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Unemployment Rate Median Annual Earnings

Figure 1. U.S. unemployment rates and median annual salaries in 2003 by level of educational attainment

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2005

4 Final Report

2005, p. 2). A student who is the first in his or her family to graduate from college often setsa pattern that siblings, cousins, children, nieces, and nephews are likely to follow. Theirchoices and effort can also send mothers and fathers back to school. Families are profoundlyaffected, as are communities. J. B. Schramm, founder of College Summit, one of the nation’smost innovative and effective college-access programs, puts it this way:

If the teens are well engaged, it shifts the dynamic in that neighborhood. You are nevergoing to see lasting transformations in low-income communities until there is a criticalmass of college-educated youth in those communities. (Bornstein 2004, pp. 176–177)

In Reclaiming the American Dream, William Bedsworth, Susan Colby, and Joe Doctor (2006,p. 3) forcefully remind us that

for a country in which education is the premier means for promoting equal opportunityand social mobility, increasing college access and success for low-income students is amoral, social, and economic imperative.

It is imperative that public policy and institutional priorities keep the doors of opportunity topostsecondary education open to all citizens. However, access is necessary but not sufficient –adequate preparation and the supports needed to persist once in college are also critical elementsof successful completion.

Aspirations versus RealityStudents want to be successful. According to a recent national survey, over 90 percent of alllow-income students expect to attain a college degree (Ad Council 2006). Yet most low-income students lack the academic skills, financial and social capital, and supports to obtaina college degree, evidenced by the fact that the PK–16 system in Rhode Island, like most states

in New England and across the nation, has significant breaks in the educationalpipeline. According to the National Centerfor Public Policy and Higher Ed u c a t i o n(2005), of every one hundred ninth-gradersin Rhode Island:• Seventy-two graduate from high school in

four years.• Forty enroll in college in the fall term

immediately following high school gradu-ation.

• Thirty-three return for the second year ofcollege.

• Twenty-three graduate from college withinsix years.

Key Facts

• Educational attainment among the working-age population (ages 25–64) in Rhode Island:

Whites Hispanic/Latinos

Less than a high school credential 13% 49%Associate’s degree or higher 40% 13%

• Rhode Island has the highest child-poverty rate inNew England; the state’s urban school districts havenearly 80 percent child-poverty rates.

• Rhode Island’s urban school districts have large concentrations of English-language learners.

• For every 100 male graduates from public colleges inRhode Island, there are 133 female graduates.

Sources: McWalters 2006; NEBHE 2006; Education Trust 2006;RIBGHE, n.d.


In Rhode Island and across the United States, family income is perhaps the best predictor ofa student’s likelihood of college graduation: in the United States, if a family has an annualincome of over $90,000, the student’s chances of having a college degree by age twenty-fourare 50 percent, compared with 5 percent if the student’s family has an income of less than$35,000. Equally troubling is the fact that many of the best-prepared and highest-achievingminority and low-income students struggle financially and academically in college and are notgraduating on time, if at all.

The fundamental hope of families is that their children will have more opportunities in lifethan they, themselves, had. In the knowledge-based global economy, education is the key thatunlocks gates to these opportunities. However, if current patterns in New England remainunchanged, this generation of college-age young people will have a lower educational attain-ment rate than that of the previous generation. Stakeholders of every level must work to ensurethat this prediction does not become reality.

Underrepresentation: A Systemic ProblemThe problem of the underrepresentation of poor and minority students entering and complet-ing postsecondary education in Rhode Island does not suddenly spring up in twelfth grade orat the transition between two-year and four-year programs. The problem is created systemati-cally throughout the PK–16 grades. Currently, within that system, suburban districts are per-forming well and urban districts – which enroll over 40 percent of all students in Rhode Island– are performing below the state average. (Figure 2 shows some of the differences in charac-teristics between suburban and urban districts.) For example, with the exception of Classical

Source: Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (McWalters 2006)

Figure 2. Characteristics of Rhode Island districts

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Mobility rate Dropout rate English-language Free and reduced learners lunch

Suburban Urban Ring Urban Districts

6 Final Report

High School, every Providence high school was identified as in need of improvement underthe No Child Left Behind Act and, in the summer of 2006, the Providence superintendentreassigned eleven middle school principals and vice principals to jump-start positive change inthe district’s persistently low-performing middle schools. Particularly in the urban districtssuch as Providence, but also in urban, suburban, and rural districts across the state, studentsperform quite well on basic skills tests but are less successful on tests of higher-order skills suchas mathematics problem solving, writing, and reading for analysis and interpretation – theexact skills that are most important for postsecondary coursework.

The fact that these gaps are not closing is due, in large part, to the inequitable distribution ofresources (funds, facilities, qualified educators) to rich and poor communities and thesignificant variation that exists across these school districts in terms of expectations, academicstandards, and graduation requirements.

Lack of Preparation for College-Level Work The disparities outlined above create a striking mismatch between the current higher-education system and the actual needs of students from underrepresented groups. Institutionsof higher education – both public and private – accept students who are dramatically under-prepared to do college-level work. Students then spend considerable resources (hope, time,and dollars) prior to accruing college-level skills and significant course credit. And, all too fre-quently, the academic and support programs that best serve these students (counseling, reme-dial and developmental education) are relegated to a secondary status on college campuses.Developmental education courses, in particular, often receive less than adequate resources,staffing, accountability, and support.

Across the PK–16 system in Rhode Island, there is a troubling lack of attention to long-termpreparation for college (e.g., academic goal-setting, financial planning, support for familiesand students who are first-time college students). Further, despite some notable exceptions,too often there is little to no collaboration across the critical transitions within the PK–16pathway (e.g., elementary to middle school, eighth grade to ninth grade, and high school topostsecondary), resulting in significant numbers of students who are underprepared andunaware of their lack of preparation. Teachers lead overcrowded classrooms, often with amajority of students who are underdeveloped academically. Consequently, in many schools theresponse is to create temporary solutions such as avoiding assigned texts because many stu-dents are not reading at grade level. These conditions act to deepen, rather than address, theproblem of underrepresentation in higher education.

Charge and Membership of the Task Force on UnderrepresentedGroups

The Rhode Island Office of Higher Education (r i o he), operating under the authority of theRhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education (r i b g he), convened the Task Forceon Groups Underrepresented in Rhode Island Public Higher Education. Underrepresented


groups included – but were not limited to – minority, male, immigrant, and low-income stu-dents. The task force was equally committed to young and adult students alike and identifiedrecommendations and action steps aimed at the particular circumstances of both populations.The task force met in working groups or as a full body nine times from October 2005 throughSeptember 2006 (see Appendix A for a more detailed description of the task force process anda timeline of the meetings).

The task force was made up of a diverse group of leaders and educators from organizationsacross the state, including all three public institutions of higher education, state agencies, community-based organizations (c b o s), school districts, and research and advocacy organi-zations (see Appendix B for a complete membership roster). The task force was co-chaired by Dr. Nancy Carriuolo, deputy commissioner and chief academic officer of r i o he, and Dr. Warren Simmons, executive director of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform atBrown University.

The Task Force examined national best practices in order to develop a set of concrete and fea-sible policy recommendations intended to increase rates of preparation, entrance, persistence,and graduation among the groups that are currently underrepresented in Rhode Island’s pub-lic institutions of higher education. The policy recommendations will be reported to the Gov-ernor’s PK–16 Council. Examples of some of the best national practices are highlightedthroughout this report, and Appendix C contains a summary of best practices in Rhode Islandidentified by the task force.

The task force’s work is part of a growing statewide PK–16 network of efforts to increase thenumbers of high school students who earn a baccalaureate degree – r i b g h e ’s main goal. Amajor component of these efforts is to set benchmarks and devise strategies to ensure that allstudents can meet the new high school proficiency standards that must be met by all graduat-ing Rhode Island high school seniors in the class of 2008 – now only two years away. ThisPK–16 network of efforts also includes three other advisory committees to the PK–16 Coun-cil, on English/language arts, science, and mathematics. These committees engaged in the vitalprocess of designing and articulating expectations in reading, writing, science, and mathemat-ics for students entering public higher education.

8 Final Report

Families and their children from every circumstance aspire to college and its benefits. Manydedicated Rhode Island educators and projects work to make that possible. But what familiesand their children deserve and need is a fair, reliable system of educational opportunity as afoundation – and a high-quality set of supports to help them persist in the face of challenges.

The recommendations of the task force are designed to help create those opportunities andsupports. In the words of Nicholas Lemann (2000, p. 348):

The chief aim of school should be not to sort people, but to teach as many people as pos-sible as well as possible, equipping them for both work and citizenship. Those who liketo think of American life as a great race should think of that race as beginning, not end-ing, when school has been completed.

Maximize the Depth and Utilization of Student Data• Implement a statewide data and accountability system that allows for the moni-

toring of students through the K–12 system into postsecondary education andemployment. This data system should be designed to facilitate sharing and usingstudent/client data to define areas of high need, to locate instances of effectivepractice, and to build systemic and coordinated partnerships to foster improvedstudent outcomes.

• Use the data to create a statewide map of pathways to college (e.g., support anddual-enrollment programs, community activities).

• Identify the pathways most successful in producing students from underrepre-sented groups who enroll and persist in postsecondary programs. Use these as“greenhouses” to incubate and share strong practices. Fund cross-visitation tothese programs from groups of secondary and postsecondary educators.

The NeedA recent article in Education Week describes the lack of cohesiveness that exists across schooldistrict, municipal, and state data systems:

District data systems typically won’t reveal . . . whether children are homeless or living ina foster home. They won’t disclose if children have been exposed to lead paint or whethertheir mothers dropped out of school. For those kinds of data, researchers usually have toturn to different databases from different [city or state] agencies. (Viadero 2006)

If the power of various data sets can be marshaled, policy-makers and educators will have amuch fuller picture of individual students and cohorts of students. Take, for instance, a stu-dent who drops out of high school in the ninth grade, reenrolls at an alternative public schoolfor a semester, then elects to study for the g ed through a separate program, receives her g e d ,and enrolls in a certificate program at the community college. The current data system cannotaccurately track this student’s complete educational experience. Instead, data on student out-

Detailed Recommendations


comes is individualized and collected anecdotally when students keep in touch with theirteachers and program directors as they transition to postsecondary education. These personalcommunications should be supplemented by arobust data system to identify outcomes for all stu-dents. An effective data system will also supporteducational institutions and educational serviceproviders in evaluating the effectiveness of theirprograms.

A statewide map will identify the location ofstrong practices (the systems and supports thatbest serve low-income and minority students) andthe locations that are most in need of improve-ment. After identifying the “where,” the data willhelp unpack the “why” in order to learn from thestrong practices to build the capacity of the sys-tems that need improvement. Therefore, the datasystem services multiple purposes over time and isdynamic, in order to meet the changing needs ofmultiple stakeholders.

The Foundation to Build Upon in RhodeIslandRhode Island has a foundation in place to allowfor an exemplary unified data system: the RhodeIsland Department of Education, with supportfrom other state agencies and partners, is pilotinga unique student identifier number for each stu-dent enrolled in public school districts in the state. r i o he recently contracted with theNational Student Clearinghouse to track the enrollment of high school graduates into post-secondary institutions, and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training is linkingwith r i o he to allow tracking of employment and wage information. Furthermore, the Prov-idence Plan – through a wide partnership of public, private, government, community, andacademic organizations – collects and manages a data warehouse that combines education,health, income, housing, and public safety indicators. Data are accessible to the public, serv-ing as a powerful example of the ways in which expertise and information can support com-munity engagement.

Design Principles• Information such as each student’s enrollment history, course taking, achievement data,

and social services received over time (within privacy regulations); student-level transcriptinformation, including information on courses completed and grades earned; and stu-dent-level college-readiness test scores, graduation, and dropout data.

I was born in the Dominican Republic. Wecame here when I was young, and I didn’tknow any English when we came. But byabout fourth grade, maybe fifth, I could doschool in English. I had really good teachers –and a librarian near my house – who helpedme. My high school history has been a littlehectic, not much of a pattern. I’m a juniorand I’ve gone to four different schools. Myfamily always moved a lot. A lot of companiesgo out of business, then new ones come intobusiness and people become unemployed. Wemoved [to another state] but when we gotthere, we saw that it wasn’t much better, so wecame back to Rhode Island. When I got back,they didn’t have any room at the high schoolI went to first, so I went to another.

––High school junior, urban school district in Rhode Island

10 Final Report

• The ability to link individual students’ test records from year to year to measure academicgrowth, using the New England Common Assessment Program (n e c a p ) system as wellas data on students who have completed the g e d .

Action Steps• Study best practices from other states, such as California and Tennessee.• Develop an estimated budget.• Match student records between the PK–12 and higher-education systems to make it pos-

sible for institutions to set targets and monitor progress toward these goals over time.

An Example of Innovative PracticeThe school district and community partners in Hamilton County (Chattanooga), Tennessee,utilize data from the National Student Clearinghouse to track the enrollment and success ofthe district’s high school graduates at two- and four-year colleges and universities across thecountry each year. Last fall, the local newspaper included on its front page a map, like the oneshown in Figure 3, based on data showing where graduates from 2004 and 2005 were enrolledin college.

Hamilton County is developing a cutting-edge student-identifier system based around a set of“circuit breakers” intended to warn school and district leaders when a student or group of stu-dents are underperforming on state tests, grade-point averages, and in gateway courses such asalgebra. Collecting and utilizing data in a timely way provides school leaders with an “earlywarning system” to identify and support at-risk students.

Figure 3: Colleges and universities attended by Hamilton County public school graduates – class of2004 and class of 2005


Enhance Pathways to Success• Use the data on successful pathways (see recommendations in previous section,

on page 8), to help districts develop a set of clear and coherent pathways – includ-ing dual enrollment, long-term planning, and advising – that support successthroughout the PK–16 education system. This support should begin with schooldistricts that are currently working with the Office of Progressive Support andIntervention at the Rhode Island Department of Education.

• Align standards and expectations by creating opportunities for secondary (grades6–12) and postsecondary educators to share student work, discuss grading stan-dards, and develop sequences of courses that result in preparation for college-level work; conduct summer meetings and opportunities to participate in SchoolAccountability for Learning and Teaching (s a lt) team visits to middle and highschools.

• Align and scale up the successful practices of community-based organizations –including counseling, English-language instruction, utilizing technology, familyservices, and child care – in providing pathways and supports to adult learnersthat are consistent with the practices of higher-education institutions.

• Based upon successful models in Rhode Island, improve the content andpracticum experiences in K–12 teacher-education programs to focus on teachingstrategies required to meet the needs of low-income students, English-languagelearners, and students with special education needs.

The NeedHigh expectations must be accompanied by acontinuum of supports – academic, cultural,socio-emotional, and financial – to ensure thatstudents are well prepared for college and, onceenrolled, can succeed. Curricula and supportsacross the PK–16 system must be well aligned andeducators must be able to implement them. Forthis reason, the task force urges the state to con-tinue to invest in teacher preparation and profes-sional development and to stress the vertical artic-ulation across elementary, middle, and high school standards.

Dual enrollment is one of the most powerful strategies to align high school and college learn-ing, allowing high school students to take college-level courses (usually during their junior andsenior years of high school).

Dual enrollment can better prepare high school students for college by exposing themearly to the academic demands of postsecondary education and, if designed appropriately,be a powerful academic motivator for young people who did not previously envisagethemselves in college. (Jobs for the Future 2006b, p. 1)

I wanted to go back to school, to better myselfand build my job skills, but I needed a pro-gram that was flexible enough to let me workand take care of my children. My other respon-sibilities didn’t disappear just because classeswere in session.

––Community College of Rhode Island graduate

According to a recent study commissioned by the Governor’s PK–16 Council to examine thequality and quantity of dual enrollment programs in Rhode Island:

Dual enrollment is not currently designed to promote PK–16 goals, to increase the ratesof college degree attainment, nor does it encourage participation by the state’s low-income students, a segment of its young population that must be included in any effortto increase the overall viability of its workforce and economy. (Jobs for the Future 2006b,p. 4).

The majority of dual-enrollment courses are taken by students from upper-income familiesacross Rhode Island. Therefore, dual enrollment should be expanded to provide opportunitiesfor low-income students and students from other underrepresented groups to benefit.

The Foundation to Build Upon in Rhode IslandIn recent years, the State of Rhode Island, in sustained partnership with its educational, busi-ness, and community leaders, has undertaken significant reforms in all levels of public educa-tion. These reforms include the development of a new high school diploma system withproficiency standards and innovative forms of assessment, as well as increased levels of articu-lation and alignment across the PK–16 system.

Beginning with the graduating class of 2008 (the freshman class entering in 2004), coursesrequired for high school graduation in Rhode Island include a minimum of twenty Carnegieunits of college preparatory courses, including four in English/language arts and four in math-ematics, with all courses aligned with standards at the state level (English/language arts, math-ematics, and science) or district level (social studies, arts, technology). The new diploma sys-tem, Graduation by Proficiency, includes additional measures of proficiency, which requirethat every high school student must complete an applied-learning experience embedded in hisor her coursework. The Graduation by Proficiency model is designed to incorporate meaning-ful, high-quality content with authentic application of that new knowledge.

The high school assessment system comprises a number performance measures: electronicportfolios, Certificates of Initial Mastery, senior projects, and local and state assessment basedon Grade Span Expectations. To ensure that students are prepared for the demands of thetwenty-first-century economy, current state assessments in English/language arts and mathe-matics are designed to measure performance with respect to the proficiency standards designedby the National Center for Education and the Economy. The Grade Span Expectations helpeducators identify what will be included on the n e c a p .

Academic development and access programsStrong academic development and access programs exist across Rhode Island, including theRhode Island Children’s Crusade, Dorcas Place, Rhode Island Scholars, the Rhode IslandEducational Opportunity Center and Access to Opportunity at the Community College ofRhode Island, Upward Bound and the Preparatory Enrollment Program at Rhode Island Col-lege, and Talent Development at the University of Rhode Island. The practices of the Dorcas

12 Final Report


Place College Preparatory Program have been particularly effective in helping adult learners toobtain a g e d and postsecondary credit. Also, regional networks such as College Ready NewEngland, led by the New England Board of Higher Education, are addressing the issues of col-lege access, preparation, and affordability in New England. (See Appendix C for a completedescription of local best practices and programs.)

Teacher preparation and professional developmentEfforts are already under way across the PK–16 system to rethink and improve teacher prepa-ration, certification, and professional development in order to meet the needs of a diverse stu-dent population. Rhode Island Te a c h e rEducation Renewal (r i t e r) is a partner-ship program among the eight teacher-preparation programs in Rhode Island, thearts and sciences faculties at the eight publicand private institutions of higher education,three school districts (urban and suburban),and the relevant state agencies. The projectplaces special emphasis on improv i n ginstructional strategies for low-income stu-dents, English-language learners, and stu-dents with special education needs. Theproject holds as a fundamental goal thecommitment to build the culturalproficiency of educators through the devel-opment of teaching skills that best serve stu-dents with diverse needs. The r i t er proj-ect has established a model for collaborationamong K–12 educators, administrators, andhigher-education faculty to increase articu-lation and alignment of learning standardsin core subject areas. Also, structures arebeing implemented to develop school-basedsupport programs for new teachers.

The r i t er partners are also developing ac e rtification program for nontraditionaleducators in high-needs areas (e.g., mathe-matics, science, and special education). Johnson & Wales University and the Met Center havebeen successful in developing similar teacher-certification programs.

Design Principles• Better articulation, both locally and statewide, between education entities, levels, oppor-

tunities, and supports.

I fell behind in math when my family moved. Wewere studying addition, but in my new school theywere already studying multiplying. I had no cluebut I kept getting passed all the way into highschool. Algebra was out of the question. In eleventhand twelfth grade I had a teacher who saw some-thing in us. I got straight Fs, but an A in her class.She respected us; she trusted us; she expected a lotfrom us. We had Socratic seminars; we read somegreat literature that made sense in our world. Icould do it and do it well. I would skip other classes,go to English, and then leave. I fell short of creditsto graduate. I enrolled in an Adult Education Cen-ter. I went to classes during the day, working on acomputer program with science and different things.For the most part, I just went in the room and stud-ied hard. I got my G E D . I got my first steady job. Ifelt competent.

––Community College of Rhode Island student

14 Final Report

• Flexible financial aid regulations and procedures for part-time students, particularly foradult learners who may be coming to higher education from the workforce as part-timeor full-time students.

• Attention to child-care needs, flexible scheduling (evening and weekend classes), andother structural supports.

• Additional and adequate experiential education opportunities (internships, partnerships)that provide connections to real life.

Action Steps• Identify grant-funded opportunities (e.g., National Science Foundation, Na t i o n a l

Endowment for the Humanities, U.S. Department of Education) to build and sustainarticulation initiatives.

• Identify grant-funded opportunities that build pathway programs (e.g., dual enrollment).These opportunities will also build the capacity of a group of educators to function asprofessional development leaders within each institution and across the entire system.

• Ensure that the student-funded dual-enrollment model is not a barrier for low-incomestudents by developing scholarships (funded by the state and institutionally based) andnegotiated rates with public colleges. Such a transition should also increase the numberof courses taught on college campuses (as opposed to in the students’ high schools), thusexposing students to college and boosting their levels of comfort and confidence in thecollege academic experience.

An Example of Innovative PracticeThe Gateway to College (g tc ) program of Portland (Oregon) Community College is a dual-enrollment program designed for students who have dropped out of high school or are on theverge of dropping out – students for whom the traditional school setting is not working. Stu-dents work toward a high school diploma, while also accumulating credits toward an associ-ate’s degree, a transfer degree, or a certificate program. Courses are taught on the communitycollege campus by college instructors. The courses are rigorous and demanding; extensiveefforts are made at the institutional level to align courses to secondary and postsecondaryexpectations. Students take courses in small cohorts through the first year of the program andstudent-support staff play a critical role as both teachers (of a college study-skills course) andas advisors.

Students struggle with the instabilities of their life circumstances: 7 percent of students liveindependently, 5 percent are raising children, and half work (most work more than twentyhours per week).

Many of the students are older and have been out of school for more than one year. One stu-dent says:

I came here from Africa when I was sixteen. I was very behind in my schooling, so I wasalways put with other students who were much younger than me. I felt like I had verylittle chance of succeeding. My mom began exploring my different options, and a friend


told her about the g tc program. I barely got in, but it is going very well! The g tc pro-gram is a good fit for me. I feel like the staff listens to me and supports me. You feel aconnection to both your teachers and the other students. I have access to the sameresources as other college students, such as the mathematics lab and extra tutoring. Thisprogram has really built my self-esteem.

Increase Access and Affordability• Provide students and their families with clear statements of total costs (tuition, fees,

room and board, course materials, travel expenses) and financial aid packages.• Support students and families in developing understandable, full two-year or

four-year financial plans.• Encourage institutions to design work-study opportunities for twenty hours per

week in conjunction with a ten-hour educational program in order to allow Fam-ily Independence Plan (F I P) welfare beneficiaries access to postsecondary educa-tion programs.

• Fund the Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority at the statutorymaximum in the state budget for the next five years, and annually evaluate thereturn on this investment in need-based aid.

The NeedState and federal financial aid has not keptpace with increases in tuition and fees over the last decade, and grants are beingreplaced by loans, placing a heavy financial burden on low- and medium-income families. In the 2 0 0 5 a n n u a lnational report card on higher education(n c p phe 2005), Rhode Island receivedhigh marks for enrollment and comple-tion rates, but received a failing grade inaffordability. The net college cost (whichequals tuition, room, and board minusfinancial aid) for students from low- and middle-income families to attend four-year collegesand universities is equal to 52 percent of their income. These families earn, on average, $21,000each year. As families attempt to budget appropriately for the costs of a student’s postsec-ondary education, it is important to have a clear picture of the total cost – not just tuition –over the full four years (or longer, if part-time enrollment is expected). Providing only a first-year aid package is inadequate because grants are often eliminated or reduced – and replacedby loans – in later years.

Stakeholders across the PK–16 system must work hard to dispel the widespread presumptionthat what helps upper- and middle-class students and families plan for college helps all fami-lies who aspire to that same goal. For example, many low-income students and families are

[My parents] did not want to take any loans out forme because I am the baby of the family, and mybrother and sister dropped out of college, they neverfinished and they have a lot of loan bills to pay so theydid not want to take the responsibility for me. . . .But in high school my guidance counselor and I hada mentor help me fill out my financial aid papers.

––From In Their Own Voices: Conversations with College Studentsfrom Underrepresented Populations, by Jamie E. Scurry

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hesitant to take out loans to pay for college and often overestimate the actual costs of college.And, as a recent research report identifying financial barriers and perceptions among Latinostudents found,

Translation of financial aid information should not presume knowledge of U.S. financialaid concepts such as government guaranteed loans, grants and scholarships. Basic collegefinancial aid literacy in English and Spanish should be the basis of any college financialaid information effort. (Zarate & Pachon 2006, p. 1)

The Foundation to Build Upon in Rhode IslandThe Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority is leading the development of a college-access Web portal that will function as a primary, well-publicized point of contact forinformation and supports regarding college admissions requirements, financial aid, and schol-arships. The Web portal is intended to meet the needs of students and partners in student suc-cess (family members, community organizations, guidance counselors, and others).

At the national level, the secretary of education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Edu-cation urges a simplification of the financial aid process, pointing out that for most families,completing the federal government’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (fa f s a ) is amore complicated and arduous process than filing a federal tax return. If enacted, a stream-lined and simplified financial aid process at the federal level will result in students and families learning their financial aid qualifications earlier in the year before expected collegeenrollment.

Nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island, such as the Rhode Island Children’s Crusade, havea wealth of knowledge and experience regarding unmet need and the specific concerns ofunderrepresented students and their families. This knowledge, in conjunction with the knowl-edge of the financial aid officers of the three Rhode Island public colleges, can be brought tobear to design a pilot program of last-dollar scholarships and advising based upon proven pro-grams.

Design Principles• Educational programs are most effective for adult students who have young children

when coursework can be completed near their places of employment and when child careis readily available.

• Institutions should provide information and counseling regarding the impacts of variouschoices that students have to make (e.g., working full-time or part-time, relying on creditcards, taking courses in the summer, living on-campus, relying too heavily on studentloans).

Action Steps• In addition to the yearly financial aid award, institutions should provide a financial aid/

debt forecast, estimating financial aid and debt obligations over the life of the program.


• Institutions should also provide an academic forecast that details the number of develop-mental courses needed before beginning core graduation requirements and the impact ofthose courses on the expected number of years in college and on financial aid concerns.

• A state-based incentive should be put in place to encourage institutions to increase thenumber of students accepting work-study employment opportunities.

• Institutions should be encouraged to design work-study opportunities for twenty hoursper week in conjunction with a ten-hour educational program. This will allow f i p wel-fare recipients access to postsecondary education programs.

• The state should explore avenues to stabilize funding streams so institutions can makedecisions earlier in the year regarding the allocation of financial aid resources. The stateshould also explore contracts and partnerships with student-loan agencies to provide low-interest loans that do not require credit approval or co-signers.

• The philanthropic community should pilot a program of last-dollar scholarships (to coverat least 30 percent of the student’s annual unmet financial need for college) coupled withfinancial aid advising, beginning with the high school senior class of 2007. The fundersshould implement an evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the program for first-generation college students and estimate the cost of taking the program to scale.

Examples of Innovative Practice

Debt forecastingBowdoin College (a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine) develops a four-year writ-ten financial plan “specific to the assets and borrowing options available to each family.” Thefinancial aid staff reevaluates family finances each spring to ensure that the demonstrated needcontinues to be met each school year.

Last-dollar scholarshipsBoston acc e ss works to support every high school graduate in the Boston Public Schoolson the path to college by providing financial information and resources necessary to pursuehigher education. acc e ss provides one-on-one financial aid advising in all Boston’s publichigh schools and throughout the community. If their full financial need has not been met, stu-dents may be eligible for an acc e ss “last-dollar” scholarship. Last-dollar scholarships aredesigned to fill this final gap, after all other sources of aid have been tapped. The scholarshipsaverage $800 in the first year and $1,300 in subsequent years (and are renewable every year forfive years). acc e ss leaders have found that if the last-dollar scholarship can cover 30 percentof the student’s unmet need, students can compensate for the remaining 70 percent. The largemajority of acc e ss scholars are the first in their families to attend college.

The success of the acc e ss program can be attributed to its unique role in the college-goingprocess: providing financial aid advising and, when necessary, a last-dollar scholarship. Guid-ance counselors at each high school retain the primary role of supporting students through thecollege application process. acc e ss identified a need and continues to adapt its programs tomost effectively meet this need (currently, emphasizing and expanding the advising role).

acc e ss was established as a program of the Boston Plan for Excellence with a multimillion-dollar endowment, and awards approximately $600,000 in scholarships annually. In 2006, theprogram received a $450,000 line-item allocation in the Massachusetts state budget to fundscholarships.

Investing in programs for low-income adultsIn 1997, Washington State inaugurated WorkFirst, the state’s welfare-to-work program basedon the 1996 federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (ta n f ) welfare reform legisla-tion. The goals of the program are to increase the number of welfare recipients enteringemployment with above-average entry-level wages, to increase job placements for welfare par-ents with limited English proficiency, and to increase job placements and wage progression forother low-income parents. As a primary component of the WorkFirst program, the state’scommunity and technical college system created training programs to provide participantswith pre-employment and job training to help them gain skills and advance economically. Thework-study program is specifically for welfare recipients and creates work-study positions oncampus for twenty hours per week, along with a ten-credit-hour course load, which is permis-sible under the ta nf work requirements. A related twelve-month program allows welfarerecipients to attend a community or technical college program in “high wage/high demand”fields such as information technology and health care.

Create a Developmental Education Policy• Develop a systemwide policy that defines and assigns resources to developmen-

tal education for PK–16 and adult education.• Ensure that resulting programs in developmental education include:

– access to comprehensive assessment and placement tools, early interventions,and appropriate placements for students as early as possible (especially ineleventh and twelfth grade);

– collaboration among various stakeholders and educational providers to ensureeffectiveness of the policy;

– the ability to systematically meet the needs of diverse learners, such as accel-erating the pace of instruction or providing additional assistance to studentswith limited English proficiency; and

– sustained professional development opportunities for faculty members andK–12 educators on a periodic basis.

The NeedMost of developmental education is not remedial, because in an effective developmental sys-tem students are building knowledge upon previous material rather than “relearning” oldmaterial. Or, in the case of foreign students, the material may be new to the students. Devel-opmental education, therefore, promotes the “cognitive and affective growth of all postsec-ondary learners, at all levels of the learning continuum. Developmental education is sensitive

18 Final Report

and responsive to individual differences and special needs among learners” (n a de 2001).Developmental education includes all forms of learning assistance, such as tutoring, mentor-ing, and supplemental instruction; personal, academic, and career counseling; academic advis-ing; and coursework.

A study done for Achieve, Inc., showed that, nationally, over 60 percent of college professorsthink that students do not comprehend complex reading materials, struggle to think analyti-cally, write poorly, and lack the necessary study habits to be successful in college (Peter D. HartResearch Associates/Public Opinion Strategies 2005). Accurate student placement and accessto a high-quality continuum of developmentaleducation services create an environment in whichrigorous standards can be set and high expecta-tions of college readiness can be met. High schoolgraduation requirements and content standardsmust be aligned with college-readiness expecta-tions. Similarly, competency on the g ed mustreflect the new standards and expectations of theRhode Island high school diploma system. Suchalignment should, in the long term, raise the level of academic and language proficiencies ofstudents of all ages entering the public colleges, particularly the community college.

A systemwide developmental education policy will add visibility, support, and resources todevelopmental education programs, which should then eliminate much of the stigma that iscurrently attached to such programs by students and educators. Further, the new policy willincrease institutional and personal accountability and responsibility, thus eliminating therevolving door experienced by many traditional and adult students.

The Foundation to Build Upon in Rhode IslandThere now exists an opportunity to embed developmental education supports earlier, as theRhode Island state assessments are offered in eleventh grade rather than twelfth grade. Highschool students will be better positioned to significantly improve their identified areas of academic weakness in twelfth grade and increase the likelihood of success in their first year ofcollege.

In addition to the state assessment results, other diagnostic measures are available to determinecollege readiness. Some Rhode Island school districts are piloting use of the Accuplacer test –the test that is used to place students in core subject areas at the Community College of RhodeIsland (cc r i ) – in tenth and eleventh grade. Guidance counselors and administrators use theAccuplacer test results to advise students about course selection and areas in need of improve-ment and to advise educators about improved alignment to postsecondary expectations inreading, writing, and mathematics.

The high school diploma acknowledges the completion of a rigorous K–12 curriculum. Inconstructing the PK–16 continuum, Rhode Island has many accomplishments on which to

Nationally, over 60 percent of college profes-sors think that students do not comprehendcomplex reading materials, struggle to thinkanalytically, write poorly, and lack the neces-sary study habits to be successful in college.


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build in the areas of alignment and high expectations, including the new grade-span expecta-tions, proficiency-based graduation requirements, and individualized learning programs.Developmental educators served on the PK–16 English language arts, mathematics, and sci-ence advisory committees that set college-ready expectations. Developmental exit standardsare being aligned to college entrance standards. Rhode Island has been a forerunner in thiswork.

Design Principles• Ongoing, consistent, and meaningful communication supports and mechanisms (advis-

ing, counseling, teaching) that ensure constant and steady contact with students. Theseservices should be available in students’ communities, at night, on weekends, and in othercreative manners that allow for maximum participation.

• Assessments and mandatory enrollment in developmental education, when necessary, forall students. Assessments and supports should be informed by a deep knowledge andunderstanding of remedial development and academic recovery.

• Transparency in course-taking pathways and sequences that are linked to assessments sostudents can accurately answer the question: “What courses prepare me for my futuregoals?”

• Investment of time, fiscal resources, and human resources in professional development ofK–12 educators, higher-education faculty, adult-literacy providers, and student-supportstaff.

• Help for institutions to become accountable for quality instruction for students withdevelopmental and remedial needs.

• Development of a core of dedicated, trained developmental educators. The best develop-mental educators choose to teach developmental education and have training in the field.They should also be qualified to teach college-level classes and regularly do so. The Kel-logg Institute for Developmental Educators in North Carolina has, for over two decades,been a nationally recognized summer training institute for developmental education fac-ulty. The National Association for Developmental Education and the Learning AssistanceAssociation of New England also provide affordable professional development opportu-nities, and professional publications such as the Journal of Developmental Education pro-vide access to relevant research and best practices.

Action Steps• The state, school districts, and institutions of higher education should determine the via-

bility and budget implications of offering joint faculty appointments for educators at sec-ondary schools and the community college in order to reduce the number of part-timeeducators and to support students in successfully navigating the transition from second-ary to postsecondary education.

• Survey department heads and faculty regarding the availability of and access to teachingand learning professional development opportunities, then study the results at the systemlevel to determine appropriate solutions to the gaps that exist.


• Identify faculty interested in developmental educator training. Provide incentives for fac-ulty who express interest in this training.

• Develop statewide annual learning institutes for PK–16 educators to emphasize the areascritical to students’ postsecondary success, such as critical reading, persuasive writing,problem solving, analytical reasoning, study habits, and time management.

• With support from the Rhode Island Department of Education, create opportunities forgroups of educators from urban districts to observe postsecondary developmental educa-tion programs, such as the learning lab at cc r i .

• r i o he, in consultation with higher education administrators and educational leaders,will gather data and then draft a developmental education policy.


Partnerships to accelerate learning opportunitiesThe College Now program is a partnership between the City University of New York (c u ny)and the New York City public schools. An array of programs provides curricular options tostudents, including non-credit developmental college courses, credit-earning college courses,high school courses, and workshops to prepare for the state assessment tests. The programsemphasize advanced academic work that prepares students for college, rather than simplymeeting minimum remediation requirements to earn college admission. All of the programsare free to participants, most of whom are high school juniors and seniors.

The non-credit developmental courses are intended to function as a bridge to college-levelwork and college enrollment. These courses are taught by college faculty or by high schoolteachers who are hired as adjunct faculty through the colleges. The classes take place outsideof normal school hours (in the late afternoon or on weekends) and are held at either the highschool or on the college campus.

High school teachers and college faculty often collaborate on course design. In one instance,such collaboration resulted in a high school social studies course for English-language learnersthat reflected the high school standards and grade-level expectations, while also building col-lege skills such as note taking, research, and writing.

College Now is fast becoming a primary vehicle for high school graduates moving on to ac u ny four-year college (either immediately upon high school graduation or after attending ac u ny community college), and the first-year retention rate is higher for College Now stu-dents than for comparable students who are not participants in the program. Among CollegeNow alumni entering c u ny in the fall of 2003, the retention rates were 87.9 percent at sen-ior colleges, 78.7 percent at comprehensive colleges, and 76.4 percent at community colleges,compared to 81.8 percent, 70.4 percent, and 66.5 percent, respectively, for New York publichigh school graduates who did not participate in College Now.

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Strengthening teaching and learning at the system levelThe University of Michigan established the first university-wide teaching and learning centerin 1962. The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching provides university faculty andgraduate student instructors a comprehensive set of services to improve learning and create anacademic culture in which students and faculty from diverse backgrounds can be successful.The Center offers customized services for departments and schools within the university, con-sultations with individual faculty and graduate student instructors (including videotaping andcritiquing individual courses), support for the integration of technology, and midterm studentfeedback sessions. The Center’s staff work with faculty members to review curricula and planand evaluate curricular changes. The staff also collaborate with faculty members to design stu-dent surveys for individual courses, academic units, and satellite campuses. Multicultural edu-cation lies at the heart of the Center’s work and, in recent years, the Center has conducted andsponsored seminars and workshops to build pedagogical skills for teaching diverse studentsand building cultural proficiency.

In supporting curricular reform and new academic programs that value high-quality teaching,the Center also seeks strategic partnerships with other institutions, foundations, and agenciesto attract funds and technical expertise to build teaching and learning capacity. The Centerawards prizes for exemplary teaching and grants to support innovative practices and profes-sional growth.

The Center’s staff has a variety of backgrounds and expertise (e.g., secondary and postsec-ondary teaching experience, graduate work in a range of disciplines, curriculum design,instructional technology, evaluation, and multicultural education). University faculty mem-bers serve on the Center’s board and as research fellows.

Build a College-Bound Culture• Support and continue to develop programs and experiences in schools and com-

munities that help students, their families, and advocates understand the impor-tance of postsecondary education and build a deeper understanding of what ittakes to succeed.

• Foster partnerships among various stakeholders, including employers, commu-nity organizations, and school districts, to fund and implement educational andworkforce development programs.

The NeedFar too many students, especially students who would be the first in their families to attendcollege, do not think of themselves as “college bound.” Schools, families, community organi-zations, peers, employers, and institutions of higher education each have unique contributionsto make as students identify life goals, postsecondary options, and the pathways to achievethese goals. Schools cannot – due to staff and time limitations – and should not be the solemechanism to support the college-going aspirations of students, especially because there are


already community-based organizations success-fully serving in this capacity. Collaboration andpartnership are paramount to maximize the spreadand effectiveness of these efforts.

Early awareness of postsecondary options andrequirements matters a great deal; raising aware-ness must begin well in advance of high school.Financial planning workshops for students andfamilies can be offered for eighth-graders and theirfamilies to assist them in identifying the expectedcost of college and to begin long-term planning tomeet the cost. Information sessions regarding thebenefits of subsidized student loans, the availabil-ity of scholarships, and other related issues shouldbe offered in schools and in communities. Dr.Michael Lomax, president and c eo of the UnitedNegro College Fund, writes,

Student expectations about college . . . start at home and in the community. As early aselementary and middle school, long before students are thinking about careers, the adultsin their lives need to treat college aspirations as a given, not an option, for whatever careerthey may ultimately choose. (Bedsworth, Colby & Doctor 2006).

In short, earlier is better, both to set goals and to address specific issues. For instance, optionsare available to students who are undocumented immigrants, if they are proactive. But if theywait until twelfth grade, it may be too late to enroll immediately in college with any sort offinancial aid.

Programs are often most effective when structured for students to learn from their peers. Col-lege Summit, an exemplary national college preparatory and access program, hosts intensivewriting workshops for low-income students. At the beginning of the session, thefacilitator/writing coach asks each student to write on a flip chart at least one major obstaclehe or she is facing, or has overcome, in meeting college goals. According to one writing coach,

What comes up often is “Family.” . . . “My father says I’m not smart enough for college.”Or “Money.” “We can’t afford it.” “Self-esteem.” They never believed that they were goodenough. “Schoolwork.” They messed up in the first two years of high school and one yearof doing well is not going to make a difference. When it’s all up, you hear kids say: “Ihave that one too.” The sheet gets filled up and they see that other kids are strugglingwith the same things. The kids coach each other – which is so much more powerful thanwhen it comes from an adult. The walls come down. (Bornstein 2004, p. 162)

My mom, especially, was proactive about get-ting us the best. You couldn’t ask for help[with schoolwork] at home because my par-ents only did high school and both of themwere always working. Because they are immi-grants, they couldn’t really play that role. Butevery single day my mom would ask me,“What are you getting for your grades?” or“How are you doing in school?” She only hadhigh school but she always pushed me to dobetter, always told me I could do better.

––College student who grew up in Providence

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The Foundation to Build Upon in Rhode IslandMany programs and services in Rhode Island are especially strong in knowing the communi-ties they serve – for example, low-income adults, students who are recent immigrants, or first-generation college-goers – and knowing the specific strategies that can best keep these studentson the path to college. The Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority, r i b g he,r i o he, Dorcas Place, the Rhode Island Children’s Crusade, College Visions at AS220, andother statewide and community-based programs meet students and their families where theyare and provide invaluable academic, technical, and social supports in navigating collegepreparation, financing, and success.

Secondary and postsecondary institutions can learn a great deal from the strengths and chal-lenges faced by the Met Center – a network of six small public high schools in Providence anda national model in rigorous applied-learning opportunities – in identifying and partneringwith businesses and other organizations to give students engaging internship opportunitiesthat are aligned to academic standards and expectations. Business leaders have served as activemembers of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Mathematics and Science Education indeveloping strategies to improve educational outcomes in the high-tech economy, creatingopportunities for students to gain knowledge in engineering, computer science, and otherhigh-demand fields.

Design Principles

Building partnerships, building capacity, and supporting community-based providersWhen designed and implemented well, these experiences and programs build the social andcultural capital of students and families. To maximize access and equity, these experiences andprograms should be provided in a range of settings and by a diverse set of providers.

Community-based programming• Community-based organizations are usually the most successful mechanism to reach stu-

dents and families early (in elementary and middle school). In this early phase, the pro-gram should:

– feature activities that build the knowledge base of students and families regarding theimportance of postsecondary education;

– provide multiple access points to important information, including academic andgraduation requirements, true college costs, and available extended learning opportu-nities (e.g., art classes, drama, sports clubs, and debate teams).

• As students enter high school or as adults consider educational opportunities, an array ofprograms and experiences are intended to build a comfort level with the college experi-ence (social, financial, being away from home, working, and attending school) andspecific challenges faced by individual students and families:

– Mentorship and internship opportunities– Financial planning


– Visits to colleges to build a comfort level– Standardized tests: tutoring and test preparation– Support throughout the entire college application process

School-based programming• Schools should create multidisciplinary learning opportunities for students that include

community-based field research projects to unpack the importance of higher education;students build skills through interviewing family members and others in their communi-ties who have graduated from college.

• Every high school in Rhode Island should set aside at least one class period each schoolyear for presentations regarding college planning and costs. Administrators and educatorsshould embed the material covered into the curriculum. For example, in mathematicsclass, students can research the expected cost of college and learn financial-planning skills.Parents and family members can be active partners in these courses.

Action Steps• Identify a continuum of supports; interview a range of successful students from under-

represented groups for their insights regarding the programs and supports that made thelargest difference at various stages of their educational lives. This project could be under-taken by a teacher-education program at the University of Rhode Island or Rhode IslandCollege in partnership with a group of urban high schools.

• Identify state and philanthropic funding to disseminate the best school-based courses thataddress the issues of college preparation, access, financing, and school culture.

• Conduct a scan of the business community to identify the organizations that currentlyprovide formal and informal internship or mentorship opportunities.

– Identify each program’s reach (number of students from underrepresented groupsserved).

– Assess the current and potential connections to new state learning standards.– Determine geographic areas and content areas (e.g., mathematics or science) that

require additional opportunities.• Follow up on the results of the scan:

– Collaborate with business partners to improve and scale up existing programs.– Identify new partnerships with the business community at the state, district, and local

levels.


Community-based programmingEast Harlem Tutorial Program in East Harlem, New York, is a community- and family-basedorganization that offers a wide range of educational and support programs for students andfamilies, including:

• Individual and group tutoring programs for youth ages six to nineteen in the afternoons,evenings, and weekends.

• Intake interviews for each student, including input from parents and school teachers.• Student profiles developed with measurable goals and objectives.• Additional tutoring sessions in research skills, art, technology, computer skills, homework

help, and s at preparation.• The College & Career Readiness program, offering workshops and seminars to prepare

students for postsecondary education and to develop career goals. Guest speakers andstaff lead the weekly workshops on topics ranging from goal setting, resume writing, con-sequences of individual choices, and stereotypes. Students also take part in cultural andeducational field trips, as well as annual college tours for high school juniors and seniors.

• Partnerships with businesses and other nonprofit organizations such as an off-site men-toring program in collaboration with a local investment management firm, which empha-sizes college and career choices and skill building.

Education and workforce developmentOne of Chicago’s recent success stories is a job-training program that the city developed in apartnership with Ford Motor Company’s renovation in the South Side of the city. The IllinoisDepartment of Commerce and Economic Opportunity supported the initiative with a multi-million-dollar Employment Training Investment Program (e t i p ) grant, which will provide

funds for specialized training to more than8,5 0 0 existing employees and 5 0 0 n ewworkers in a variety of technical fields,including calibration software, ro b o t i c s ,welding, and safety. The e t ip reimbursescompanies for up to 50 percent of the costof training its employees. As a result of thispublic-private collaboration, Ford will gainupgrades to the quality of its labor force and improve its manufacturing flexibility,while workers will benefit by acquiring spe-cialized skills that will give them a leg up inthe highly competitive automobile labormarket.

Address the Needs of AdultLearners

Adults seeking to enroll in college face anumber of unique issues. The following rec-ommendations are targeted to the specificneeds of adult learners in underrepresentedpopulations.

I really want to be a nurse. I really wish I didn’thave to worry all on my own about my twelfth-grade internship. I wish there was [an internshipprogram] in place or somebody to kind of help meout with this. Instead, I’m spending a lot of timedoing this for myself. [I went to] an interview for asummer job at St. Joseph’s, possibly turning into aninternship in my senior year. I met with anotherlady who is in charge of all the outpatient clinics,and she told me about the St. Joseph’s School ofNursing. She told me about the scholarships andabout how money and things for schools and jobplacements after graduation would work out. Shegave me a brochure and all that, so I made a con-nection for my future.

––High school senior, urban school district in Rhode Island

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Provide Information and Increase Access• Conduct ongoing public-awareness campaigns to encourage low-income adults

to enroll in college.• Promote programs such as the Rhode Island Educational Opportunity Center as

a resource for information on college admissions and financial aid applicationassistance for low-income adults.

• Encourage institutions to organize college tours specifically for adults.• Provide intensive support services in the community and on the campuses for

adults seeking to enroll in college.• Provide career-counseling and career-planning services for adults who are unem-

ployed and underemployed to promote higher education.

Improve Institutional Supports and Structures• Customize orientation for adults at the institutions.• Provide ongoing, intensive, and comprehensive student services and support to

eliminate institutional, situational, and dispositional barriers. • Provide ongoing workshops on study-skills, time-management, and other topics

as identified by adult students. • Provide additional child-care services on campuses. Child-care and transportation

services should be available at nontraditional hours.• Provide college work-study opportunities at the college and offsite in the commu-

nity at nontraditional hours.• Support concurrent enrollment in developmental education and credit courses for

adult learners. • Promote a flexible academic calendar (evening and weekends) for working adults.• Provide tutoring and mentoring services, and academic advising specifically for

adults.• Expand distance-education delivery systems, especially distance education for

place-bound adults. • Track low-income, first-generation, and adult Pell recipients in the institutions’

databases to track persistence and graduation rates. Provide data annually on stu-dent outcomes to r i b g he.

Strengthen Pathways to Success• Work with r i de to provide credential analysis and certification for immigrants

who were enrolled in college (many also have degrees) in their countries of origin.• Explore the public institutions’ ability to provide credit for prior knowledge and

skills if such experiential learning can be assessed to demonstrate college-leveloutcomes.

• Increase state funding for adult literacy services to act as a feeder system in

28 Final Report

increasing the numbers of g ed graduates enrolling in postsecondary education. • Fund Bridge-to-College programs for adults (use a cohort model). • Work with employers where demand is high for skilled employees to create

sector-specific career pathways. • Provide taxpayer support for employers that provide educational services onsite.• Encourage adults to enroll in the Joint Admissions Agreement.• Provide transfer assistance to adults enrolled in c cr i.• Partner with community-based organizations to offer reading, mathematics, and

writing institutes to decrease need for remediation.

Articulate and Align Academic Content and Standards• Align Adult Secondary Education programs/instruction to College-Readiness

Standards. • Adopt a learner-centered approach. Chunk up courses in order to accelerate the

pace of instruction and provide intermediate credentials and certificates.• Contextualize course content with occupational focus.• Adopt a competency-based curriculum.

Increase Strategic Public and Private Investments• Set up special financial aid funds that are need-based for adults who are working

and for adults who are Pell-eligible who can only take one college course persemester.

• Work with employers to develop tuition-reimbursement programs for employeesgoing to college.

• Advocate with the Department of Human Services to allow Family IndependenceProgram beneficiaries to attend college and allow college work-study jobs ofmore than twenty hours per week to count toward work-participation rates.


*Key:

CBOs Community-based organizations

DLT Department of Labor and Training

RIBGHE Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education

RIDE Rhode Island Department of Education

RIHEAA Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority

RIOHE Rhode Island Office of Higher Education

NEBHE New England Board of Higher Education

CCRI Community College of Rhode Island

RIC Rhode Island College

URI University of Rhode Island

Maximize the depth and uses of student data.

Enhance pathways to success (including dualenrollment) for traditional and adult students.

Increase access and affordability:

Provide early and ongoing information to ALLpotential higher-education students.

Provide a clear long-term financial aid estimatefor each student.

Significantly increase need-based aid to low-income students.

Create a systemwide developmental educationpolicy and focus on professional development.

Build a college-bound culture through school-,community-, and workplace-based programsand partnerships.

Address the specific needs of adult learners inunderrepresented populations.

Primary Organizational Responsibilities for Recommendations

Recommendation Organization with primaryresponsibility for implementation*

RIDE, RIBGHE

RIDE, RIBGHE, CBOs (Dorcas Place)

RIBGHE, RIDE, DLT, CBOs, RIHEAA, NEBHE

RIBGHE, CCRI, RIC, URI

RIBGHE, RIHEAA, CCRI, RIC, URI

RIOHE, CCRI, RIC, URI

Student-serving community organizations,college-access programs, employers, adult-education providers

Adult-serving community organizations,college-access programs, employers, adult-education providers

30 Final Report

Ad Council. 2006. College Access: Results from a Survey of Low-Income Parents and Low-Income Teens. PowerPoint presentation. Available online at<www.inpathways.net/ad%20council.pdf>.

Adelman, Clifford. 2006. The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High Schoolthrough College. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: U.S. g p o .

Bedsworth, William, Susan Colby, and Joe Doctor. 2006. Reclaiming the American Dream.San Francisco: The Bridgespan Group. Available online at<www.bridgespangroup.org/p d f /ReclaimingtheAmerican%20DreamWhitePaper.pdf>.

Bornstein, David. 2004. How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of NewIdeas. New York: Oxford University Press.

Conley, David. 2005. College Knowledge: What It Really Takes for Students to Succeed andWhat We Can Do to Get Them Ready. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

The Education Trust. 2006. College Results Online. Washington, DC: Education Trust. Avail-able online at <www.collegeresults.org>.

Harvard Family Research Project. 2006. Complementary Learning Overview. Available onlineat <http://gseweb.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/complementary-learning.html>.

Jobs for the Future. 2006a. Adult Learners in Higher Education: Barriers to Success and Strate-gies to Improve Results. Boston: j f f .

_____. 2006b. Dual Enrollment in Rhode Island: Opportunities for State Policy. Boston: j f f .Available online at <www.jff.org>.

_____. 2005. Education and Skills for the 21st Century: An Agenda for Action. Boston: j f f .Available online at<www.jff.org>.

Kirst, Michael, and Andrea Venezia. 2006. Improving College Readiness and Success for AllStudents: A Joint Responsibility Between K-12 and Postsecondary Education. A NationalDialogue: The Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education.Issue Paper. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: U.S. g p o . Availableonline at <www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/reports/kirst-venezia.pdf>.

Lemann, Nicholas. 2000. The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy, 1st rev.pbk. ed. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Long, Bridget T., and Eric P. Bettinger. Forthcoming. “Institutional Responses to ReduceInequalities in College Outcomes: Remedial and Developmental Courses in HigherEducation.” In Economic Inequality and Higher Education: Access, Persistence, and Success,edited by Stacy Dickert-Conlin and Ross Rubenstein. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

References


McWalters, Peter. 2006. “School Improvement in Rhode Island: The Data, the Outlook, thePolicy Implications.” Presentation to the Governor’s PK–16 Council, January 12, 2006.

National Association for Developmental Education. 2001. Definition of Developmental Edu-cation. Available online at <www.nade.net/A1.%20de_definition.htm>.

National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. 2005. Measuring Up 2005: TheNational Report on Higher Education. San Jose, CA: n c p ph e .

_____. 2004. Measuring Up 2004: The National Report on Higher Education. San Jose, CA:n c p ph e .

New England Board of Higher Education. 2006. College Ready New England: LeadershipGoals and Policy Objectives White Paper. Available online at<www.nebhe.org/info/pdf/programs/c r n e /White_Paper.pdf>.

Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies. 2005. Rising to the Challenge:Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? A Study of Recent High SchoolGraduates, College Instructors, and Employers. Washington, DC: Achieve, Inc. Availableonline at <http://achieve.org/files/pollreport_0.pdf>.

Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education. n.d. Rhode Island Higher EducationFacts. Available online at <www.ribghe.org/publications.htm>.

Rhode Island Governor’s Adult Literacy Task Force. 2004. Adult Basic Education in RhodeIsland: Survey Results. Available online at <www.ripolicy.org/literacy/Survey/index.htm>.

Scurry, Jamie E. 2004. In Their Own Voices: Conversations with College Students from Under-represented Populations. The Futures Project: Policy for Higher Education in a ChangingWorld. Providence, RI: Brown University. Available online at<www.futuresproject.org/publications/In_Their_Own_Voices.pdf>.

U.S. Department of Education. 2006. A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S.Higher Education. Washington, DC: U.S. g p o .

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2005. Occupation Outlook Survey,2004–05. Washington, DC: U.S. g p o .

Venezia, Andrea, Michael Kirst, and Anthony Antonio. 2003. Betraying the College Dream:How Disconnected K–12 and Postsecondary Education Systems Undermine Student Aspira-tions. Stanford, CA: Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research.

Viadero, Debra. 2006. “Project Eyes Diverse Data Sets for Insight on Children,” EducationWeek (October 4).

Zarate, Maria Estela, and Harry P. Pachon. 2006. Perceptions of College Financial Aid amongCalifornia Latino Youth. The Tomas Rivera Policy Institute Policy Brief (June). Availableonline at <www.trpi.org/p d f s/Financial_Aid_Surveyfinal6302006.pdf>.

32 Final Report

Our Process

The Rhode Island Office of Higher Education (r i o he), under the auspices of the RhodeIsland Board of Governors for Higher Education, convened a statewide task force to addressthe underrepresentation of low-income and minority students in Rhode Island’s public col-leges. r i o he invited the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University to co-facilitate the task force, based on the Institute’s commitment to and expertise in issues of edu-cational excellence and equity at scale. The task force was co-chaired by Nancy Carriuolo,deputy commissioner and chief academic officer of r i o he, and Warren Simmons, executivedirector of the Annenberg Institute, and consisted of a diverse group of leaders and educatorsfrom higher education, state agencies, community-based organizations, school districts, andresearch and advocacy organizations across the state.

The task force first met on October 26, 2005, and had nine meetings over the next elevenmonths. The full task force met for the first two meetings to determine the goals and primaryareas of emphasis necessary to accomplish its charge.

The task force then split into three working groups:• Access and Affordability• Retention and Success• Transitions and PK–16 Pathways

Each working group researched and read widely to identify best practices, drawing on theirown members’ expertise and on local and national networks. At the February 2006 meetingof the task force, each working group reported its draft design principles and recommenda-tions to the group. The full task force reconvened for the remainder of the meetings to discussand refine the recommendations.

When appropriate, the task force invited other stakeholders to attend task force meetings andprovide valuable feedback. The task force is indebted to several people – most notably, stafffrom the Rhode Island Department of Education, the Rhode Island Department of Labor andTraining, and the New England Board of Higher Education – for their willingness to supportthe work of the task force. The recommendations are much stronger because of their contri-butions and valuable feedback.

appendix A

Task Force Process and Timeline


Timeline

2005 October First meeting of the task force

November Full task force meeting

December Full task force meeting

2006 January Working group meetings

February Full task force meeting

March Working groups reported design principles and major themes back tofull task force

June Task force developed drafts and revised recommendations, conductedAugust interviews with students and additional research as needed

September Final meeting of the task force

October Final report delivered to r i o he

Late Fall Report presented to the Governor’s PK–16 Council

34 Final Report

Co-chairsNancy Carriuolo

Deputy Commissioner and Chief Academic OfficerRhode Island Office of Higher Education

Warren SimmonsExecutive DirectorAnnenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University

Commissioner of Higher EducationJack R. Warner

CommissionerRhode Island Office of Higher Education

MembersMarvin Abney

Executive Assistant to the Commissioner for Equity and AccessRhode Island Department of Education

Mariam BoyajianDirector, Upward BoundRhode Island College

Joe CostaDirector, Student Support ServicesRhode Island College

Stephanie CruzAssistant Director, Rhode Island Educational Opportunity CenterCommunity College of Rhode Island

Brenda Dann-MessierPresident/C E O

Dorcas Place

Robert DelaneyDirector of Special Projects, Office of Lifelong LearningCommunity College of Rhode Island

appendix B

Task Force Membership


Philomena FayanjuolaDirector, Rhode Island Educational Opportunity CenterCommunity College of Rhode Island

Leslie GellProgram Director, Lifelong LearningCommunity College of Rhode Island

Jose GonzalezDirector, Equity and AccessProvidence School Department

Mary HarrisonExecutive Director Rhode Island Children’s Crusade

Emorcia HillSenior Director, Excellence Through DiversityNew England Board of Higher Education

Sharon HoffmanDirector, Rhode Island ScholarsThe Education Partnership

Bill HurryExecutive DirectorRhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority

Gail Mance-RiosDeputy DirectorRhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority

Simon MooreDirector, College VisionsAS220

Inglish Morgan-GardnerDirector of Multicultural Scholarship Programs/Assistant DeanProvidence College

Sandra PowellAssistant Director of Workforce DevelopmentRhode Island Department of Labor and Training

Sarah RockettAcademic Advisor, University CollegeUniversity of Rhode Island

36 Final Report

Jamie ScurryDirector, Teacher Education/Residency ProgramThe m et School

Neil SeveranceProgram AssociateRhode Island Foundation

Phil Sisson(Formerly) Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social SciencesCommunity College of Rhode Island

Cheryl TutaloPrincipal, West Warwick High SchoolWest Warwick School District

Gerald WilliamsDirector, Talent DevelopmentUniversity of Rhode Island

The work of the task force was supported by:

Dennie Palmer WolfDirector, Opportunity and AccountabilityAnnenberg Institute for School Reform

Michael KubiakResearch AssociateAnnenberg Institute for School Reform

Hal Smith(Formerly) Senior Research AssociateAnnenberg Institute for School Reform

Deanna VelletriExecutive Assistant, Academic and Student AffairsRhode Island Office of Higher Education


For each recommendation in this report, the task force identified innovative practices andmodels from which there is much to learn in successfully addressing the multifaceted, yetinterconnected factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of particular groups of stu-dents in higher education. While the task force recognized the importance of identifying pro-grams, policies, and practices across the country, there is also a great deal to learn from andbuild upon here at home.

Rhode Island was the first state in the country to develop a statewide early intervention (begin-ning in third grade) and scholarship program – the Rhode Island Children’s Crusade – and ishome to award-winning programs in adult literacy, workforce training, and first-generationrecruitment and retention. Rhode Island is fortunate to have several strong and innovativeprograms of its own – through the public institutions of higher education, community-basedorganizations, employers, state agencies, and other partners.

Dorcas Place

Dorcas Place provides adults with a wide range of comprehensive educational programs inworkplace literacy, college preparation (in partnership with cc ri), and adult basic educationand literacy development. In order to provide flexible opportunities, Dorcas Place establisheda Learning Resource Center that includes a New Student Center where students can drop inat their convenience and receive instructional services, one-on-one or in small groups, withstaff and tutors. All students have access to individualized counseling services. The day, after-noon, and evening programs, together, serve more than six hundred low-income adults eachyear.

Rhode Island Children’s Crusade

The Crusade’s programs begin with students in the third grade and provide a continuum ofprograms to keep students on the path to college. The Crusade specifically targets the studentsmost at risk of dropping out, enrolling approximately five hundred students per year from ele-mentary schools in Central Falls, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket – RhodeIsland’s cities with the highest concentrations of low-income and immigrant populations.

Alone and in partnership with several youth-serving organizations, the Crusade provides awide range of services and programs in four core areas: academic enrichment, personal/socialdevelopment, career awareness and exploration, and postsecondary preparation.

appendix C

Innovative Programs in Rhode Island: Addressing the Preparation, Retention, Support, and

Success of Underrepresented Groups of Students

38 Final Report

Rhode Island Scholars

An initiative of the Education Partnership, Rhode Island Scholars is a unique business-led initiative motivating students to take a specified high school course of study that, if com-pleted, has been found to increase college retention. The program currently enrolls 4,500Rhode Island students in grades 9 through 11. The U.S. Department of Education recognizesthe course of study as fulfillment of the “academic rigor” eligibility requirements for the newlyestablished Academic Competitiveness Grants, and the Rhode Island Department of Educa-tion includes Rhode Island Scholars as one criterion for students demonstrating academicrigor. The Academic Competitiveness Grants represent the sole Pell grant expansion in recentyears and can provide Pell-eligible students with increased financial aid for college, upon thecompletion of a rigorous high school curriculum.

College Ready New England

Led by the New England Board of Higher Education and supported by the Nellie Mae Edu-cation Foundation, College Ready New England is an alliance of leaders in all six New Eng-land states from the fields of PK–16 education, business, and government. The alliance isfocused on developing strategies to increase the economic competitiveness and vitality of theregion and its citizens through expanded college access and success, particularly among low-income and minority students and first-generation college-goers. College Ready New Englandwill assist the six states in gathering data to measure progress toward the identified goals andin pursuing PK–16 policies and programs to increase preparation, access, and graduation. Theinitiative also seeks to educate both the general public and key decision-makers across theregion about the importance of these issues.

Community College of Rhode Island

Access to Opportunity

Access to Opportunity is a t r io program for students who are low-income, disabled, or ofthe first generation in their families to attend college. The program offers a range of supportservices, including advising in the areas of academics, financial aid, and transfer options.Tutoring and skill-building courses are also important components of the program. The pro-gram aims to ensure that students improve their academic skills, remain in college, and grad-uate and/or transfer to a four-year institution. Acceptance is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rhode Island Educational Opportunity Center The Rhode Island Educational Opportunity Center (r i e oc) provides information and sup-port about education and financial aid opportunities to adults who are considering returningto college. The counselors, many of whom are bilingual, provide career counseling, assessmentand program-referral support, admissions advice, help with the financial aid applicationprocess and scholarship searches, referral to social services agencies, and community outreach.


r i e oc is a t r io program and all services are provided free of charge. The main office islocated at the Community College of Rhode Island (cc ri) Liston Campus (Providence) andis open seven days a week and in the evenings on weekdays. r i e oc services are also availableat all cc ri campuses, netwo rkri offices, and in other community locations across the state.

Rhode Island College

Preparatory Enrollment ProgramA limited number of recent graduates from Rhode Island high schools who have the abilityand potential to succeed in college with appropriate academic support services, but who donot meet the College’s criteria for regular admission, may be selected to participate in thePreparatory Enrollment Program (pep). Preference is given to low-income students who arefirst-generation college students and to students with disabilities evidencing academic need.pep is designed to assist students who have underdeveloped academic skills, inadequate orinappropriate curricula in high school, lower-than-average standardized-test scores, etc.

The program consists of two academic phases intended to prepare participants fully for thecollege-level work they will face at r i c . The first phase begins in the spring prior to enroll-ment. pep students come to the campus one evening a week for six weeks to attend classes instudy skills and to meet with their Student Support Services counselor. The second phase,which occurs during the summer, consists of seven weeks of intensive academic study. The stu-dents live on campus in residence halls while taking classes in writing and mathematics, as wellas one freshman-level course for college credit. Class sizes are small, and individual and grouptutoring sessions are frequent. Tutors live in the residence halls with the students, so that aca-demic assistance is always nearby. College facilities, such as the library and computer labora-tories, are completely open to pep students. Upon successful completion of both the springand summer components, pep students enroll as freshmen and have full access to the college’sStudent Support Services program.

Upward BoundUpward Bound is designed to give low-income, potential first-generation college students theskills and motivation necessary to complete high school and graduate from a postsecondaryprogram. The six participating public high schools – Central, Hope, and Mount Pleasanthigh schools in Providence; Central Falls High School; East Providence High School; and SheaHigh School in Pawtucket – are located within an eight-mile radius of r i c , thus providingstudents with easy access to the campus and its facilities. The Upward Bound program simu-lates the college experience through a six-week residential component each summer (with col-lege preparatory courses in mathematics, science, English, and foreign language) and throughweekly Saturday courses on the r ic campus during the school year (from October throughMay). Students receive intensive academic and career counseling, tutoring, standardized-testpreparation, and support services. Meetings and workshops with parents and cultural pro-grams are important elements of the program.

40 Final Report

The most recent program evaluation revealed that over the past nineteen years, graduates ofthe program have a 99 percent college acceptance rate, a 98 percent enrollment rate, and a 77percent college graduation rate.

University of Rhode Island: Talent Development

Talent Development is a recruitment and retention program designed for Rhode Island highschool graduates of color and from disadvantaged backgrounds who do not meet the admis-sion requirements of u r i. The program works with its community of students from pre-admission through graduation. The graduation rate for Talent Development students is gen-erally on a par with that of the university overall.

Talent Development prepares students for rigorous college coursework through the Prep Pro-gram in the senior year of high school and the Pre-Matriculation Program in the summer. Stu-dents also have their own academic advisors to support their academic growth and to provideassistance with financial aid and other issues that arise. The Pre-Matriculation Program con-sists of a six-week residential program at the Kingston campus, during which students engagein one week of intensive writing, computer, and study skills coursework, followed by fiveweeks of university two-credit courses augmented by daily tutorials and a writing program.Completion of the Pre-Matriculation Program is a prerequisite for participation in the TalentDevelopment Program. Talent Development also offers a fall Pre-Matriculation Program forcustodial parents, independent students, and students with personal circumstances that pre-vent them from attending the summer program.

Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education and Rhode Island Office of Higher Education

r i b g he and r i o he, since 2003, have offered one-hour preparing-for-college presentationsin schools, boys and girls clubs, foster homes, and other host sites where students and/or par-ents congregate. The free-of-charge presentations are offered in partnership with the RhodeIsland Higher Education Assistance Authority and the Children’s Crusade. Students are giveninformation regarding finances and academics. They also hear motivational remarks from out-standing community leaders who grew up in immigrant families. Judge Frank Caprio, chairof r i b g he, is one such speaker.

Two adult students – both alumni of college preparatoryprograms at Dorcas Place Adult and Family LearningCenter – celebrate their graduation from the CommunityCollege of Rhode Island.

The Annenberg Institute for School Reform is a national policy-

re s e a rch and re f o r m - s u p p o rt organization based at Brown

University that focuses on improving conditions and outcomes in

urban schools, especially those serving disadvantaged children.

The Institute works through partnerships with school districts and school reform networks

and in collaboration with national and local organizations skilled in educational research, pol-

icy, and effective practices to offer an array of tools and strategies to help districts strengthen

their local capacity to provide and sustain high-quality education for all students.

Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher EducationRhode Island Office of Higher Education

301 Promenade Street Providence, RI 02908

Telephone: 401.222.6560Web site: www.ribghe.org

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