RICHMOND, Va. - A new program aims to give underserved students of color extra support to close education and workforce training gaps that have grown worse during the pandemic.
The Racial Equity for Adult Credentials in Higher Education (REACH) program helps Black, Hispanic and Native American students deal with barriers to attending community colleges that many white students don't face.
Wayne Taliaferro, strategy officer with Lumina Foundation, which is co-sponsoring the program in Virginia and five other states, said REACH might help students of color with child care, transportation or counseling - to enhance Virginia's workforce training programs at community colleges.
"Since 2016, Virginia's been investing in short-term training programs," he said, "and then they also allow students to come back and seek further study. And so, that is something that's like, 'Oh, that's a bright spot that we can maybe build upon.'"
From the $8 million initiative, he said they hope to see at least a 2% increase in adults of color gaining credits or career advancement over the next two years. In addition to Virginia, funding will flow to community colleges in states including California, Colorado and Texas.
Even before the pandemic, Taliaferro said, higher education wasn't meeting the needs of adult students of color. As a result of chronic underfunding and other obstacles, he said, disparities arose in degree completion, job placement and earnings.
"The REACH Collaborative aims to take an active step in shifting from this present reality at community colleges, where the bulk of adult students of color are enrolled," he said. "A lot of adults enter community colleges to gain skills for jobs at different entry points. But the onramps don't always lead to quality outcomes and better earnings - or outcomes at all."
Although the numbers of Black and Latino college students have risen in the past 35 years, research shows the deficit in bachelors-degree attainment between whites and students of color has increased during that time, from 15 to 21 percentage points.
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Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
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Teachers' unions say they're at an impasse in bargaining with two Oregon school districts. After four intense mediation sessions, Albany teachers walked out of class for the first time in nearly 40 years, primarily over workload and class size limits. Similar concerns are being raised in Beaverton - where, after nine months of negotiations, the teachers union and district are headed to mediation. Beaverton teachers rallied with hundreds of supporters outside a school board meeting, while Albany teachers formed picket lines across the district.
Max Nazarian, Albany union vice president, said spirits are high.
"It was almost constant - cars honking, people waving - our community is behind us. They know who the people are that come in every day caring for their kids, and it's not those dozen people in the central office," he said.
Albany Superintendent Andy Gardner said the district has responded to all the union's requests, including offering a 15% raise over the next three years. He added it's more important to focus on behavior rather than class size, and that the district has proposed an improved process to handle larger classes.
Nazarian said hundreds of teachers have described being unable to give students the support they need, including those with state-mandated education plans, and that teachers feel powerless.
"It's still the end game is the same - that teachers don't really have a say," he continued.
In Beaverton, the state's third-largest district, teachers have collected nearly 5,000 signatures in support of changes similar to Albany: stronger safety measures, better pay and smaller class sizes.
Lindsay Ray, Beaverton Education Association president, said educators across the state are continually asked to do more with less, and added that the solidarity between districts is empowering.
"It's heartening to have other folks who are working for those same things kind of all over the state, because I think that leads to a greater understanding from our communities about what we're doing and what we're working for," Ray said.
The Beaverton School District said the union's proposal would result in a $161 million deficit, while the district's offer would mean a $29 million deficit.
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Gov. Jared Polis has designated seven Colorado colleges and universities as Career Connected Campuses for their work getting more students from all parts of the state and backgrounds ready for high-demand, good-paying jobs driving the state's economy.
Gillian McKnight-Tutein, senior educational equity officer for the Colorado Department of Higher Education, said the schools have prioritized practical skills for students.
"They are committed to the professional development and career readiness, while those students are in the classroom," McKnight-Tutein explained.
In Colorado, 75% of all jobs, and 94% of top jobs paying enough to sustain a family, require some form of education beyond high school. But just 50% of high school grads are pursuing postsecondary education. The schools receiving the first-ever designation are Colorado College, Colorado School of Mines, the online Colorado State University Global, Pueblo Community College, Regis University, Colorado University-Denver, and the University of Denver.
The state has been working to remove cost as a barrier for students and many certificate and degree programs are zero-tuition. McKnight-Tutein pointed out more schools are helping students who cannot afford to take time off work by helping them get jobs that also count toward academic requirements.
"There are scholarships. The costs are defrayed, but for the apprenticeship situation, those jobs actually pay," McKnight-Tutein noted. "They're actually making money before graduation."
The new designation reinforces the agency's Social Determinants of Student Success initiative which, as McKnight-Tutein added, works to ensure that students' basic needs such as food, shelter and health care are met, so students can stay in school.
"Because we know that it's not just about them getting there," McKnight-Tutein stressed. "It's about them being able to sustain their lives. Financially, they have families that they need to take care of sometimes. So we want to make sure that all those supports are around them."
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As winter break approaches, Alabama's Summer Adventures in Learning program is encouraging parents to think ahead to summer, particularly as quality summer learning options continue to shrink across the nation.
SAIL emphasized access to strong summer programs can have a meaningful effect on students, especially in preventing learning setbacks.
Suzy Harris, program manager for Summer Adventures in Learning, said early planning could help families secure a spot in programs designed to support students' academic and social growth over the summer.
"Under-resourced youths in particular are affected by summer learning loss at a higher degree," Harris explained. "Because they don't have the access to going on trips or going to minicamp at a museum, or going to the library regularly."
In Alabama, SAIL programs provided reading and math instruction to more than 2,300 students this past summer, combining academics with recreational activities to keep students engaged. For many families, the programs also addressed gaps in summer resources when it comes to meals and access to other educational opportunities.
Harris noted the program benefits teachers too, giving them the freedom to be creative and adapt lessons to meet students' specific needs. The flexibility creates a more engaging and effective learning environment over the summer.
"Teachers have the opportunity to experiment with how they're teaching and with new lesson plans," Harris pointed out. "They don't have the burden of all the extra paperwork and they can have fun in how they're doing lessons."
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly half of public schools offer summer school programs, primarily aimed at helping students with remedial learning or credit recovery. However, fewer schools, around 20 %, provide broader summer recreation programs, which include activities such as sports, games and youth development.
Among schools providing summer classes, 23% report staffing shortages, limiting their ability to accommodate all interested or at-risk students.
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