Learnmore summary notes: Community meeting on June 23, 2004

The Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) convened a meeting on June 23 to discuss the challenge posed by the recent research report of the Minnesota Private College Research Foundation, High School Graduation Projections and Workforce Production PDF (159 K). The report shows that too few Minnesota high school students complete high school and immediately progress to and graduate from a four-college in the state to meet the projected workforce needs in the future. The MPCC is committed to doing all it can to reverse this trend via intentional engagement with individuals and groups to improve the academic performance and graduation rates for all Minnesota students.  

Forty community, state and corporate representatives joined MPCC staff for a working meeting on June 23, 2004 at the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. The agenda featured discussion of the research report and small group sessions focused on actions needed in key areas including personal development and college access, academic development and support interventions, career development placement initiatives, and policy. Many good ideas surfaced along with energy to continue a collaborative effort to render these projections false projections.  

This document provides a brief summary of key themes followed by more detailed notes, including and strategies that emerged for action in key areas. For more information contact Phillip Miner, Director of Community Initiative, MPCC, at 651-293-6809 or pminer@mnprivatecolleges.org.

Key themes

• There is a need for this information to be shared — with corporate leaders, funders, school boards, etc. 
• Much must be done to focus individuals and groups toward collective action to improve academic performance and graduation rates at both high school and college levels; and
• The projections can be rendered as false predictions with intentional, collaborative engagement by the community at large.

What follows is a summary of the meeting and key themes that emerged for action.

Video: Getting Along

Getting Along video by Sondra Thiederman, 1-800-858-4478 or e-mail, STphd@thiederman.com. Guests resonated closely to the themes of respect, understanding cultural difference, acceptance, and community.

Overview of MPCC/Background for Research

Association representing 17 private colleges and universities, accountable to the state, serving a public purpose. The board is comprised of both presidents of member institutions and corporate business.  MPCC, through its member schools, has a 50-year history and commitment of meeting and serving the vital interest of the State of Minnesota and beyond through the education and training of future workforce participants.

Its goals revolve around what are seen as major challenges: demographic changes, educational performance not competitive enough for the vision we have for the state and the workforce needs moving forward.  Reacting to these challenges, the board developed five policy goals that guide our future work. The goals are:

1. Increase the statewide high school graduation rate to 90 percent of each age cohort by 2010
2. Increase the in-state postsecondary participation rate within one year after graduation to 65 percent of each high school class by 2010
3. Increase higher education degree completions by at least 25 percent by the year 2010; target state resources where they are needed the most 
4. By 2006, increase state-support for need-based financial aid by shifting resources to accommodate the growing numbers of low-income populations
5. Increase the number of eligible students served by federally-funded student-preparation programs (TRIO) to 20 percent by 2008. 

The research report is one outcome of our policy-driven work plan.  Two news stories in the paper today were highlighted as serving as bookmarks for the discussion — Minnesota jobs moving to Ireland because of availability of educated workforce and one of academic degree achievement levels internationally eclipsing those in the U.S.

Research Discussion

The rationale for sharing the report data was to inform, clarify, aid understanding of the challenge and hopefully stimulate collective action that can begin to change the projected outcomes.  It was advanced that in the research community it is often said that projections don’t make the best predictions. MPCC’s intention, in part, is to raise sufficient awareness of the challenge that people will choose to become engaged in the effort to render these projections as false predictions.

Highlights/Observations of the group:

• By racial group, the outcomes are divergent, albeit none are good
• Looking only at the traditional track of white kids — it’s a declining population (10%). Looking at the student of color population — it’s a growth trend (52 percent)
• Recent story in MN Spokesman Recorder that prison projections are based on 3rd grade reading levels.  If prisons can be that confident of failures, the community should be as confident of success.
• Need to assure that it’s not about blaming K-12, but to get focused on how resources can be marshaled to make the change.  If we continue with present trends, we get a picture that does not meet our vision. 
• Present data to school boards – they don’t have this, they need it.
• If we want to get results, will need every education program exceeding its goals.
• Not importing as many people, fewer moving in than before.
• Midwest region sees the increase projection of Minnesota high school students-of- color numbers — this means recruiting will be heavy in MN from IA, WI, etc.
• Not all graduates stay in Minnesota to grow their careers.
• Minnesota has a good financial aid program.
• State Grant Program is a common thread to all as it affords access to any of our institutions and college education is a great equalizer. 
• This is a long-term challenge that will not be resolved overnight
• If students get from 9th grade through 12th grade, the success rate increases dramatically for all racial groups, especially African-Americans.
• Financial impact is considerable — with a BA degree, it is estimated that an individual earns an additional $1 million over their career.  The taxes collected from each earner are also substantial at about $300,000.

So, what can we do?

MPCC respectfully suggested some simple considerations:

• Enjoin with K-12 to seek ways to minimize the impact of the cuts and reductions of teachers in our schools.
• Colleges can direct resources to K-12 — service learning, interns, volunteerism
• Support initiatives to improve reading literacy — mentors, role models
• Support initiatives to improve math and science literacy — MN Science Museum has several initiatives
• Expand board service with entities that support academic enhancement and success — too few of our best and brightest are strategically deployed to meet the challenges the report data presents.

Overview of MPCC Public Policy Views

• MPCC advocates for need-based financial aid.  MN has one of the best financial aid policies in the country and, historically, has produced a high number of college graduates.
• Higher education is a declining public priority; getting squeezed out be other needs and priorities in a climate of limited financial resources.
• MN does pretty well in helping people to attend college.  First generation is the highest value and highest need.
• There are limits to the role and impact financial aid can play in the greater picture.  Students, teachers, and parents must be committed  to the premise of the 5 As:
  1. Aware of the importance of college as a means to an end
  2. Aspire to attend college
  3. Achieve grades in high school in a rigorous curriculum
  4. Access to college (affordability) is critical, and
  5. Accomplishment is imperative — students must complete study

• The task at hand requires commitment from all citizens and all educational systems, public and private, K-16.

Small Group Discussions

Below are themes from each of the small groups working on personal development and college access, academic development and support interventions, career development placement initiatives, and policy.

I. Personal Development and College Access

• Underutilized role models, e.g.  Senior Girl Scouts utilize college kids a role models
• Knowing where talent is — we know it’s there.
• Colleges here are not thought of for kids of color
• What are MPCC campuses doing to attract, recruit, and retain students of color?
• Increase access to summer programs for exposure to higher education — need creative summer options – e.g. we know it’s good for students to get on campuses to begin to imagine college, yet students’ working commitments make this a challenge. 
• Resources accessibility - shift how we think about resources and accessibility — stop competing for “my kid” and start working for “our kid”
• Start recruiting younger — elementary — whatever age we typically look to, we need to go at least one level lower.
• College access — kids aspiring to go to college must increase
• Aspiration and academic preparation
• The reality of how you can get to college is still a mystery to some families — teaching the family is critical; connect family with kids; relationship building is key; Reach/teach the whole family with our resources — the kid is our common cause.
• Money speaks; share information with funders, present the picture to get focused on common results, e.g. present this to St Paul Mayor’s Education Initiative group.

II. Academic Development & Support Interventions

• Develop a clearinghouse to promote replication of good, proven practices.  Lots going on, often not familiar with each other’s initiative and experience.  Can be a way to share resources, ideas, problem-solving and reduce duplication and improve use of resources, e.g. could be a useful resource to direct volunteers.  Make accessible to parents, teachers, others.  Possibilities: municipal level like St. Paul Mayor’s Education Initiative, Colin Powell Center/Urban Venture, or state-wide via MMEP’s Minority College Access Network Initiative
• Convene funding resources to explore ways to combine and or focus resources and efforts.
• Improve working relationship with Admission Possible and Trio Programs
• Get MPCC, MNSCU and U of M together to discuss teacher preparation and involvement in K-12. 
  • Talk about teacher education, internships that get students in the city, immersed in diversity, make it part of all students’ experience.  Students don’t know where they will be teaching and teachers need help. 
  • Students in the classroom can supplement teacher and result in more one-to-one to get better results in reading and overall success in role models, etc.  Need more one-to-one guidance for students. 
  • The student teacher/assistant also needs guidance and understanding for the experience to be beneficial far all parties, e.g. guided principles of urban education, not just service-learning or internships. 
  • Get all students involved in reading. 
  • Lots of volunteering — could be made more meaningful, purposeful as an initiative and students would likely be more motivated than simply volunteering.
• Page and Wallin Scholars could help with mentoring, reading as a way to “give back.”

III. Career Development Placement Initiatives

• We need for volunteers — a clearinghouse could help make good matches, attract and retain good people.
• Job opportunities — do more joint communication to students vs. school sand companies individually competing for students.  Work collaboratively in promoting opportunities.  Clearinghouse could be place to post positions.
• Tap graduate students to support undergrads, undergrads to support high school — create a culture for opportunity and responsibility as a moral and practical imperative.
• Commitment of people here (the June meeting attendees) to come back and make it happen. 
• We are tired of no change.  We all need to walk the talk.

IV. Policy

• Strategies need to incorporate the personal nature of politics.  Personalized messages speak to policy-makers, high school counselors and families.
• Seek to incorporate education into policy goals in more organizations.  Non-profits and groups working with communities of color are fighting lots of issues.  There are many competing needs.  Greater attention must be given to the continuum of education - pre-K through college.
• Set and communicate clear goals using clear facts in making the case, e.g. increase college participation by 30% is a clear goal, then work backwards to build case and how we’ll do it vs. funding program on an ad hoc basis. 
• MPCC is a good example — the goals are clear; they are broad (not just MPCC) and ones that we should all take back to consider and adopt in our own organizations.
• Corporate leaders and funders need to get this information. It has everything to do with corporate citizenship. This is the sort of information they are seeking.  We need to engage them in the discussion, together.

Next Steps

• Represented groups or individuals can consider selecting a project, a pilot to achieve a collective success, capture attention, lift visibility and spirits and establish clout.  Consider seeking funding for initiative.  Funders and corporate executives could participate and thus, grow support.
• Organize clearinghouse list of potential community partner resources to consider for engaged volunteerism.  The list has been sent to all guests and is available via Phillip Miner.
• Track and report to minority media any partnerships that develop and the progress.
• Host additional meetings with corporate leaders, other social/civic groups, faith community, etc. Guests will facilitate invitations from their respective circles of influence and involvement.
• Reconvene the group for follow-up meetings
• Continue!  Render these projections false predictions!

Special Note:

• Golden Thymes Coffee and Jazz Café) at 921 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, 651-645-1340 provided the pastries, fruit and beverages for the meeting. Mychael Wright is the owner.
• Many thanks once again to the law firm of Fagree and Benson for underwriting the cost of the continental breakfast.

 

           

• Learnmore Public Engagement Campaign
• The Challenge: Key Statistics
• Vision Remembered (PDF)
• Aug. 18, 2005 meeting notes