BusinessWest Area Colleges Are Applying Imagination to Enrollment- building Efforts

BusinessWest

Numbers Game Area Colleges Are Applying Imagination to Enrollment- building Efforts By DAN CHASE	AIC’s Peter Miller says that colleges need to be more sophisticated than ever to reach enrollment targets.
American International College is targeting young people in China, as well as individuals who simply can’t find a seat at a four-year school in California. Meanwhile, UMass Amherst is putting added focus on out-of-state students. These are just some of the strategies being applied as area colleges seek to bolster their enrollment numbers, which have been steadily rising over the past several years. This is the season that high-school seniors have been waiting for all year. Upcoming graduation? Guess again. By May 1, all students expecting to go on to college this fall will need to make their decisions regarding where they will go. It’s called Candidates’ Reply Date, and for the admissions departments at area four-year colleges, this time of year is critical. The word from local colleges is that application numbers are strong for the incoming freshman class of 2010, mirroring a trend in place for the last several years. It has been widely reported that, during the first months of the recession, students were returning to school in record numbers. But that trend toward higher application numbers, and resulting higher enrollment sizes, are the only constants in the admissions process. In Western Mass., colleges saw their class sizes swell, but in many cases the competition

Feds take over student loan program from banks

Feds take over student loan program from banks

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

President Obama will sign a bill today that ends a 45-year-old program under which banks and other private-sector lenders such as Sallie Mae receive a federal subsidy for making government-guaranteed college loans.

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Instead, the U.S. Department of Education - which already makes roughly a third of these loans through its direct-lending program - will make 100 percent of them starting July 1.

The change will have a big impact on some lenders and colleges but relatively little on borrowers. They will continue to get the same loans - including Stafford loans for students and Plus loans for parents and graduate students - on largely the same terms.

Students who previously had to choose a private-sector lender for their guaranteed loans will now have only one choice: the government.

Banks can continue to make private, non-guaranteed college loans, but these are generally more expensive than guaranteed loans.

With a single lender providing all guaranteed loans, some fear that customer service could deteriorate or that discounts once offered by private-sector lenders will disappear.

On the upside, the interest rate on Plus loans is only 7.9 percent in the direct-loan

California Community Colleges aim to make transfering easier - News

California Community Colleges aim to make transfering easier - News

California Community Colleges aim to make transfering easier

In the spring and summer of 2009, California Community College Chancellor Jack Scott, California State University Chancellor Charles Reed, and University of California President Mark Yudof met to determine a common goal; they wanted to reinvigorate the state's historic commitment to the transfer of students from two-year colleges to four-year institutions.

The Community College Transfer Task Force released a report on March 8 highlighting major problems and possible solutions.

The California Community College System (CCC) is the largest higher-education system in the United States and the "[…] largest and most dynamic workforce development engine [...]" in the nation according to the taskforce's report.

With over 2.9 million students enrolled in CCC's per year, the task force found it invariably important to make sure that students still regarded community colleges in California as a viable option in continuing their education past an Associate's Degree.

Among the main goals were to make sure that students "are transfer ready, are offered and accept transfer, and subsequently succeed in the receiving four-year institution."

In order to do this, the task force agreed that certain barriers had to be overcome, such as funding, technology, coordination and staffing problems.

The taskforce made sure to mention that these were short-term measures, based on the current capacity of the 3 segments of post-secondary education in California.

Regarding capacity, the task force explained that with limited fiscal resources and budget cuts the goals and the solutions of the task force must be realistic.

The taskforce's report outlined eight major problems followed by their solutions.

In summary, the taskforce found that there was a lack of coordination among CCC, CSU and UC systems. The lack of

The Quad News The Looting of America: We’re Students, Not Banks

The Quad News

EDITOR SPEAKS OUT

The Looting of America: We’re Students, Not Banks

By Hillary Federico

federico.quadnews@gmail.com

Matt Andrew/The Quad News

Classroom furloughs and 30 percent tuition hikes in California. Extreme budget cuts in South Carolina, Georgia, and Illinois. Recent headlines about college cost are frightening. Years ago, many of us probably took a college degree for granted: you attended high school, got good grades, and applied to the best universities with hopes that a loan, scholarship or financial aid package would be made readily available to you. However, with the current economic crisis weighing heavily on state and government budgets across the nation, financial "reliability" could eventually force thousands of U.S. students to put off college temporarily, or actually drop out altogether.

For the past month, news of Democratic Congressional leaders

Palin's secret CSU speaking fee sparks outcry

Palin's secret CSU speaking fee sparks outcry Nanette Asimov, Chronicle Staff Writer Tuesday, March 30, 2010 Jae C. Hong / AP Sarah Palin speaks at a Tea Party rally in Searchlight, Nev. Palin will also speak at CSU Stanislaus' 50th anniversary gala. View Larger Image MORE BAY AREA NEWS Part-time Legislature push fails to make ballot 03.30.10 Actress, former child vaudevillian June Havoc dies 03.30.10 Ford Mustang designer Donald Frey dies 03.30.10 Sarah Palin is expected to raise nearly $200,000 for an appearance on a California State University campus in June. But the school foundation hosting the $500-a-plate event won't say what they are paying her, or even how much the party will cost - and that has angered a San Francisco lawmaker who is using the opportunity to push his bill for greater transparency by public university foundations. "The CSU should immediately disclose how much money is being diverted from students to pay Sarah Palin's exorbitant speaking fees," said state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, who has been trying to pass a law that would extend the California Public Records Act to those foundations. "At a time when students are struggling to afford an education at CSU, I would hope that spending potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars on a guest speaker for a black-tie gala would be low on the priority list," Yee said in a statement issued Monday. Officials at California State University Stanislaus, where Palin is scheduled to appear

L.A. charter school supporters Austin and Arkatov nominated to state school board | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

L.A. charter school supporters Austin and Arkatov nominated to state school board | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

L.A. charter school supporters Austin and Arkatov nominated to state school board

March 29, 2010 | 8:47 pm

Two Los Angeles residents with deep roots in local battles over education reform are among four nominees to the state Board of Education, it was announced Monday.

Overall, the nominations by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signal his continued support for charter schools and his impatience with gradual reform, observers said.

A potentially controversial choice is Ben Austin, 40, who led a successful lobbying campaign last year for a state law that gives parents new powers to launch aggressive reforms.

His “parent trigger” allows parents to choose what will happen to a low-performing public school if a majority sign a petition. The options would include shutting the school down and starting over or converting it to a privately operated charter school.

The 11-member board sets education policy for California. The governor appoints its members.

Austin’s nomination is “an ongoing signal that the governor wants aggressive action and that he tires of process, that he wants someone in there who’s going to be slamming away,” said a Sacramento insider who asked not be named because of his position within the state bureaucracy.

Austin heads a parents group funded by charter school operators and philanthropists closely allied with them. He has a long history as a behind-the-scenes Democratic political consultant. A past bid

San Francisco Sentinel � Blog Archives � SCHWARZENEGGER STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPOINTSMENTS - March 29 2010

San Francisco Sentinel � Blog Archives � SCHWARZENEGGER STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPOINTSMENTS - March 29 2010

SCHWARZENEGGER STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPOINTSMENTS - MARCH 29 2010

29 March 2010

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the following appointments:

Alan Arkatov, 48, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. He has served as president of Changing.edu since 2008. Previously, Arkatov was chief strategy officer for The Rogers Group from 2005 to 2008 and national education practice chair and Southern California chief executive officer for Burson-Marsteller from 2003 to 2005. He was president of eEducation Group from 2001 to 2003 and founder and chairman of OnlineLearning.net from 1991 to 2001. Arkatov served as vice president and West Coast director for Doak and Shrum from 1985 to 1991. He is a member of the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. This position requires Senate confirmation and compensation is $100 per diem. Arkatov is a Democrat.

Benjamin Austin, 40, of Beverly Hills, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. He has served as executive director of the Los Angeles Parents Union and Parents Revolution since 2008 and as an assistant city attorney for Los Angeles since 2006. Previously, he was a consultant for Green Dot Public Schools from 2006 to 2008. Austin was consultant for First 5 California and Rob Reiner from 2002 to 2006 and assistant city attorney for Los Angeles from 2001 to 2002. He served as deputy mayor for Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan from 2000 to 2001 and was communication director for the Host Committee for the National Democratic L.A. Convention 2000 from 1999 to 2000. Austin was a litigation associate for Irell and Manella from 1998 to 1999. Prior to that, he served the White House in the Office of Presidential Advance from 1993 to 1999 and as a deputy in the Office of Political Affairs from 1994 to 1995. Austin was a media relations deputy for the U.S. General Services Administration from 1993 to 1994, press advance for the Presidential Inaugural Committee from 1992 to 1993 and advance for Clinton/Gore ‘92. This position requires Senate confirmation and compensation is $100 per diem. Austin is a Democrat.

David P. Lopez, Ed.D., 57, of San Jose, has been reappointed to the State Board of Education, where he has served as a member since 2006. He has served as president of The National Hispanic University since 2003. Previously, Lopez served as professor and administrator at California State University, Fresno from 1981 to 2003. He served New Mexico State University as assistant and professor from 1978 to 1981 and doctorial candidate in curriculum and instruction from 1976 to 1979. Lopez was an intern and teacher for the West Las Vegas School District from 1974 to 1976 and instructional aide and intern for Albuquerque Public Schools from 1970 to 1974. Lopez is a member of the Silicon Valley Children’s Fund, the National Council of La Raza, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the California Postsecondary Education Commission. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lopez is registered decline-to-state.

Jeannie Oropeza, 49, of Woodland, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. She has served as program budget manager for the California Department of Finance (DOF) since 1998. Previously,

State considers sanctions for Alisal - MontereyHerald.com :

State considers sanctions for Alisal - MontereyHerald.com :

State considers sanctions for Alisal

Resignation, consulting fee under scrutiny

By CLAUDIA MELÉNDEZ SALINAS
Herald Salinas Bureau

Posted: 03/30/2010 01:29:43 AM PDT

Updated: 03/30/2010 01:29:43 AM PDT

In light of major changes made at Alisal Union School District last week, the California State Board of Education will meet today to consider possible additional sanctions for the district.

On Friday, the three-member Alisal board voted to accept the "voluntary resignation" of Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas, and named John Ramirez Jr. as interim superintendent through 2013.

But the state board had placed the district under a trustee March 11 — along with Greenfield Union School District — and officials expected no major changes in the district until a trustee arrived, said Executive Director Theresa Garcia.

"Sanctions are always immediate, the appointment of a trustee was immediate," Garcia said, even though a specific person was not named.

The state board's special meeting was called in response to the "major commitment of district resources prior to a specific trustee being announced," she said. "The expectations (from the state board) is that no major changes would take place until a trustee came and had the opportunity to review the district and make determinations on best use of its resources."

Having a new interim superintendent and removing Zendejas will cost the district at least $206,000 in her consulting contract fee.

"At this point, we're not making any commentary whether this is a good decision, simply that they are decisions

'Math wars' over national standards may erupt again in California - San Jose Mercury News

'Math wars' over national standards may erupt again in California - San Jose Mercury News

'Math wars' over national standards may erupt again in California

By Sharon Noguchi

snoguchi@mercurynews.com

Posted: 03/29/2010 10:59:00 PM PDT

Updated: 03/29/2010 11:20:41 PM PDT

Hold on to your graphing calculators: The passionate, contentious debate over how California students should learn math is ready to erupt again.

While math formulas and properties may be delightfully precise, how best to teach them to children is not. As the United States prepares for the first time to adopt nationwide K-12 "common core" standards, mathematicians and educators are split.

Some hail the proposals as a groundbreaking advancement because students will develop a more solid footing in math before rushing to the next level; others fear the plan would propel California backward. Each side warns that America's future as a global science and technology powerhouse is at stake.

Fast-tracked by the Obama administration, standards for what students should learn in English and math have been drafted by a national committee representing 48 states and the District of Columbia. The public has until Friday to submit comments. California can choose not to adopt the federal standards but would miss out on competing for hundreds of millions in federal stimulus dollars.

While the proposed English curriculum hasn't provoked an outcry, the math debate echoes California's "math wars" that raged in the 1990s and led to repeals of reforms that favored problem-solving, applications and group work over traditional teaching.

Under the new proposed standards, primary students would spend more time going in depth on ntil

Tennessee, Delaware win education grants - Los Angeles Times

Tennessee, Delaware win education grants - Los Angeles Times

Tennessee, Delaware win education grants

California finishes 27th among 41 applicants for millions in funding, losing points because only 56% of school districts agreed to participate.

March 29, 2010|By Kim Geiger and Howard Blume

Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington — In a high-stakes competition, Tennessee and Delaware were awarded $600 million Monday, the only states to win grants in the first phase of "Race to the Top," the Obama administration's $4.35-billion education initiative, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said.

Duncan said both states showed that they had overwhelming support for their overhaul plans from all stakeholders -- including teachers' unions, parents, and local and state school officials. Such support weighed heavily in the decision. Tennessee will get $500 million and Delaware will receive $100 million.

The two states both committed to turn around troubled schools and create systems for teacher evaluation. The states both plan to build on their use of data to measure student achievement. Tennessee's application also focused on increasing high school rigor and recruiting teachers to rural areas.

Forty states and the District of Columbia had submitted applications in the lengthy and competitive grant awarding process. Tennessee has 964,259 students in 1,731 schools. Delaware has 122,574 students in 243

Lawmaker seeking amount paid for Sarah Palin speech

Lawmaker seeking amount paid for Sarah Palin speech

Lawmaker seeking amount paid for Sarah Palin speech

March 30, 2010, 03:45 AM By Robin Hindrey The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO — A state lawmaker on Monday asked a California State University foundation to provide the details of a compensation package promised to former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the scheduled guest of honor at a university gala in June. Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Mateo/San Francisco, requested that the California State University Stanislaus Foundation disclose the amount and nature of any compensation being awarded to Palin, the former Alaska governor who commands speaking fees as high as $100,000. Last week, the nonprofit foundation announced that Palin would be the featured speaker at CSU Stanislaus’ 50th anniversary celebration on June 25. Tickets to the black-tie fundraiser, which the foundation is hosting, cost $500. Matt Swanson, president of the foundation’s board of directors, said the foundation’s contract with Palin prevented him from revealing any compensation details. “I’m aware of it,” he said of Yee’s request. “But there’s not going to be any information we can send him. We’re bound by the contract we’re in.” A spokesman for Palin did not immediately respond to phone calls or e-mails from the Associated Press on Monday. Yee said contracts between private entities and state or local agencies are part of the public record, and no contract stipulation can override that. A 2001 state appeals court ruling could give the foundation grounds for disputing its obligations under the California Public Records Act. The court ruled that auxiliary associations acting on behalf of public bodies are not subject to public records requests. To address that loophole, Yee is sponsoring a state bill that would require campus foundations and auxiliary organizations to adhere to

Editorial: Concessions could save young teachers - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Concessions could save young teachers - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Concessions could save young teachers

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Buzz up!

Published: Tuesday, Mar. 30, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 14A

California is reeling from the worst drop in state revenue since the 1930s.

Statewide, unemployment stands at 12.5 percent. In the Sacramento area, it's 12.8 percent. People have seen their homes lose value and many with jobs worry about losing them.

School districts, like other areas of the public sector, are feeling the pinch of declining tax revenues.

There is no sugarcoating this harsh reality.

Yet the Sacramento City Unified teachers union, alone among large school districts in our region, is acting as if business as usual should reign. The leadership believes that the union should not sit down and negotiate with the district until the summer of 2011, when the current teacher contract expires.

In taking this stance, the Sacramento teachers union seems to be following the advice in a January 2009 memo from the negotiations committee of the California Teachers Association: "Maintaining salary and benefits at current levels is a priority; keeping the status quo is a constructive victory" and "Do not agree to re-open a closed contract. If the contract remains closed, the district cannot impose cutbacks. It is OK to just say no!"

Every person in this community should know just exactly what this "protect the status quo, just say no" stance means: It means throwing young teachers under the bus. It means increasing class sizes for kids. It means cutting back on art and music programs, books, labs, computers, academic

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/30/2642331/concessions-could-save-young-teachers.html#ixzz0jf0biE6p

Education | Gregoire signs K-12 education bills into law | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education | Gregoire signs K-12 education bills into law | Seattle Times Newspaper

Gregoire signs K-12 education bills into law

Gov. Chris Gregoire returned to her hometown high school Monday to sign into law a package of education bills, including a plan that could help the state compete for a slice of the Obama administration's $4.35 billion Race to the Top program.

By CURT WOODWARD

The Associated Press

AUBURN — Gov. Chris Gregoire returned to her hometown high school Monday to sign into law a package of education bills, including a plan that could help the state compete for a slice of the Obama administration's $4.35 billion Race to the Top program.

Other measures significantly increase the state's spending on public education, allow local officials to ask voters for more property tax money, and set up a new early learning program for preschool children.

After the bill-signing ceremony at Auburn High School, Gregoire praised the state for not giving up on improving public education — even though a severe fiscal downturn has crimped spending on many government programs.

"Today is a really defining moment in our state when it comes to education," said Gregoire, a Democrat. "Despite the fact we're in the worst recession in history, the Legislature and I have stood up to the challenge to create a world-class education system. So I'm very proud."

The education bills were among the last measures approved by the Democrat-led House and Senate at the end of the Legislature's 60-day regular session. Lawmakers are now entering the third week of a special

Gun violence takes another young life The Education Report

The Education Report

Gun violence takes another young life

By Katy Murphy
Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 1:26 pm in crime, students
1 Comment

Last Friday, I put what I thought would be the finishing touches on a story about all of the Oakland students who have been shot and killed since January 2009. But by Sunday morning, the piece was already one tragedy short of complete.

Eric Toscano, a Skyline High School senior who played on the football team, was celebrating his 18th birthday at home on Saturday night when bullets flew from a passing car. He died at Highland Hospital a few hours later, on Sunday morning. Three other teens were wounded. Toscano planned to go to college in the fall; his coach, Jamaal Kizziee, told me about the day he came by with news of his first acceptance letter.

The story was heartbreaking – and covering it, during a full-blown celebration of Oakland, was surreal: Read the rest of this entry »

What the Race to Top Judges' Scores Tell Us - Politics K-12 - Education Week

What the Race to Top Judges' Scores Tell Us - Politics K-12 - Education Week

What the Race to Top Judges' Scores Tell Us

by Michele McNeil

Behind the overall scores for the Race to the Top applicants is a complicated 500-point grading scale that weighs each state's plan according to more than a dozen different categories. The peer reviewers' scores and comments shed more light on the method behind the Race to the Top scoring madness.
After a quick review of the 16 finalists' scoring charts, here are some highlights I picked up:
Why Delaware and Tennessee won—In addition to the reasons detailed here, it's clear in looking at the judges' scores that the full panel of five peer reviewers agreed these were strong applications, in all categories. There were no wild swings in which one peer reviewer awarded a state all points in one category, while another peer reviewer drastically disagreed and awarded low points. In Florida's scoring, by contrast, one peer reviewer thought the state's plan for turning around lowest-performing schools was worthy of a perfect score, or 50. Another peer reviewer thought it was worth only 30 points. In Colorado, there was a 42-point difference in how the peer reviewers individually scored the teacher- and principal-effectiveness category. (To arrive at a final score, the

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 3/29/10 | The California Hook Up

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 3/29/10 | The White House

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:

Teresa Takai, Nominee for Assistant Secretary (Networks and Information Integration), Department of Defense
Since December 2007, Teri Takai has served as Chief Information Officer for the State of California. As a member of the Governor's cabinet, she advises him on the strategic management and direction of information technology resources as the state works to modernize and transform the way California does business with its citizens. Prior to her appointment in California, Takai served as Director of the Michigan Department of Information Technology (MDIT) since 2003, where she also served as the state's Chief Information Officer. In this position, she restructured and consolidated Michigan's resources by merging the state's information technology into one centralized department to service 19 agencies and over 1,700 employees. Additionally, during her tenure at the MDIT, Takai led the state to being ranked number one four years in a row in digital government by the Center for Digital Government. Before serving in state government, Takai worked for the Ford Motor Company for 30 years, where she led the development of the company's information technology strategic plan. She also held positions in technology at EDS and Federal-Mogul Corporation. In 2005, Takai was named "Public Official of the Year" by Governing magazine. She is Past-President of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and currently serves as Practitioner Chair of the Harvard Policy Group on Network-Enabled Services and Government. Takai earned a Master of Arts degree in management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan.

Vice President Biden Hosts Conference Call with Elected Officials to Discuss Recovery Act Implementation | The White House

Vice President Biden Hosts Conference Call with Elected Officials to Discuss Recovery Act Implementation | The White House

Vice President Biden Hosts Conference Call with Elected Officials to Discuss Recovery Act Implementation

Earlier today, the Vice President hosted a conference call with Governors and a Mayor from across the country to discuss implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The following officials participated:

• Governor Mitch Daniels (R-IN)
• Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD)
• Governor Bev Perdue (D-NC)
• Mayor Adrian Fenty (D-DC)

Register Today for Veggie Chase 2010 — The Rancho Cordova Post

Register Today for Veggie Chase 2010 — The Rancho Cordova Post

Register Today for Veggie Chase 2010

by MICHELLE VENTRESS on MARCH 29, 2010 · 0 COMMENTS

in LIFESTYLE, SPONSORED

If the phrase “Veggie Chase” makes you think of cartoon carrots chasing crowns of broccoli, you’re probably not alone. If instead, you think of an annual family running event, you’d be closer to the truth. In fact, the Veggie Chase will be held on Sunday, May 23rd in Hagan Park, Rancho Cordova. Everyone in the family is invited to attend and participate in the event appropriate for their age and fitness level.

Early registration for all Veggie Chase races ends on April 7th. Make sure you fill out all of your registration paperwork as early as possible because the Veggie Chase is likely to sell out. Registering before April 7 not only costs less (generally about half of what you’d pay on the day of the races), but it also gives you a much better chance of insuring your space in the race. There are a few different options to make registering as simple as possible. You can register online, in person, or by mail. For more information on registration for the Chase, please see the official website.

The Veggie Chase includes events for the entire family. Youngsters who are