Florida's Atlantic High School, in partnership with the College Board, is currently implementing SpringBoard Curriculum in Language Arts and Mathematics school-wide. Attend this session to discuss the successes and the obstacles that have arisen throughout this process. Examine the role of the principal and assistant principal in the development and support of SpringBoard. Acquire strategies for teaching SpringBoard curriculum and explore hands-on SpringBoard activities that effectively enhance students' academic growth.
The College Board's SAT Readiness Program helps prepare all students for the SAT and for college success. This program features print and online resources for students and schools, as well as professional development for educators. The program's free and low-cost offerings help broaden student access to SAT preparation. Attend this session to learn about the full range of the College Board's official preparation resources, including: The Official SAT Study Guide™, The Official SAT Online Course™, The Official SAT Teacher's Guide™, The Official SAT Question of the Day™, and SAT Professional Development™.
Financial aid systems vary from institution to institution, making the application process confusing for many students and their families. Attend this session to learn some of the many ways that financial aid is administered across institutions. Join financial aid professionals to take the Financial Aid Reality Quiz and collectively examine myths about the process. Learn financial aid tips to take back to your students and their families.
The need for advising has never been more critical for students who attend community colleges - students who would derive the greatest benefit from college advising. Counseling caseloads are increasing at these open access institutions, and the need for new advising tools is essential. Participants will learn several new and innovative advising resources, which are helping counselors serve greater numbers of students, while providing them with effective tools to advance the community college advising profession.
As Generation X and Baby Boomer offspring approach high school and college, a new generation of "millennial" students has emerged. Having grown up with extreme privilege or a severe lack thereof, millennial students present new challenges to high school counselors. Their attitudes and aptitudes influence learning and teaching styles, interactions between students and teachers, and communication with parents. Attend this session to better understand the complexity of this new generation and acquire strategies for effectively counseling these students and their families.
The Admitted Student Questionnaire (ASQ) is a College Board tool used by many institutions to inform the recruitment and admissions process. However, ASQ data extends far beyond the admissions office. Among other things, the ASQ can be used to compare internal and external perceptions of a school, to inform policy decisions, and to influence budgetary planning. Attend this session to discover a wide variety of ways to utilize ASQ data in institutional decision-making.
Students leaving high school must be prepared for the self-driven intellectual endeavors they will undertake throughout their lives. Senior Project introduces students of all ability levels to the rigor of individualized study. The Project gives students the opportunity to research a topic of interest, create a portfolio, engage in community outreach, and present their findings to the school community. Attendees will learn how Alice High School's Senior Project can serve as a model for project-based learning in their own schools.
Welcome to your first Forum! The Trustee Committee on Membership is here to help all first-time Forum participants and future College Board members make the most of the Forum experience. Join us for coffee, come learn about the College Board, and make connections. We're happy to welcome you aboard!
As part of the professional development opportunities available at Forum 2006, we are pleased to offer several AP-related workshops aimed at helping educators to begin or enrich AP programs at their schools.
Note: These pre-conference workshops require registration and a separate fee. They will be held at San Diego High School, located at 1405 Park Boulevard, near the main conference site. For more details, please click here.
Online registration is available or you can register onsite the morning of the workshops.
As part of the professional development opportunities available at Forum 2006, we are pleased to offer a full selection of workshops aimed at helping educators best prepare their students for the SAT and college success.
Note: These pre-conference workshops require advance registration and a separate fee. They will be held at the San Diego High School, located at 1405 Park Boulevard, near the main conference site. For more details, please click here.
Online registration is available or you can register onsite the morning of the workshops.
Cross-border connections prepare students for membership in a global society. Furthermore, these connections increase the relevance of AP curriculum and support meaningful and lasting learning experiences. Explore ways to encourage local and global connections in AP classes, including instituting cross-curricular blogs, creating interschool study groups, engaging in overseas discussions, and designing cross-disciplinary projects. Learn how to connect your students to other students around the world.
Teachers at Escondido High School have created a vision of success, fostering excellence and equity in their English Learner Program. Escondido High School effectively prepares ELD students for AP courses, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the SAT by promoting bi-literacy and maintaining strong ELD and AVID programs. Explore components of this exemplary program and learn how to develop and sustain initiatives that promote college readiness in English language learners.
Nearly 90 percent of Americans believe that arts education is important enough to be taught in schools. However, according to the National Arts Education's Public Awareness Campaign, students spend more time at their lockers than in arts classes. In light of the many scheduling, budgeting, and curricular challenges faced by teachers and administrators, how do we begin to remedy this situation in our schools? Come to this session to hear from the elected representatives to the Academic Assembly Council and learn about the state of the arts and arts education standards in their regions. The session will feature opening comments from Lester P. Monts, the Arthur F. Thurnau professor of Music at the University of Michigan and a past chair of the Academic Assembly Council.
The study of literature is much more than an academic exercise. Used correctly, literature can engage students in meaningful, interdisciplinary discourse on global issues of social justice. Discover how exposing your students to crosscultural, international texts develops their understanding of contemporary human experiences. Acquire new strategies for incorporating literature into broader discussions about how people around the world confront and resolve important ethical issues.
More and more institutions are developing programs that enhance access by providing aid to low-income students. Such programs often include protection against tuition increases, caps on student borrowing, as well as student advising components. Explore how Fulfillment Fund, the University of Virginia's AccessUVa and College Guide Program, Virginia Tech's Funds for the Future, and the newly created National College Advising Corps program models enhance financial aid initiatives by combining them with student advising programs. Discuss lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid throughout program development as you renew your institutional commitment to need-based aid.
Average number of credit cards carried by graduate students: six; percentage of graduate students with credit cards: 96 percent; average student credit card balance: $7,831; percentage of students with balances exceeding $15,000: 15 percent. Attend this session to learn how student credit card debt is emerging as a major issue on college campuses. This session will review the current status of student credit card usage, the problems it is causing, and what schools can do to educate their students on how to properly manage credit card debt.
Are high school students aware that potential employers and college admissions officers are conducting background checks by searching social networking Web sites like MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, and Friendster? Should a high school set policies restricting use of these sites? Do guidance counselors have a responsibility to caution seniors about Web site searches by colleges? Do admissions officers consider online searches of applicants an effective tool? This session will discuss these questions and consider the ethical and legal implications of "googling" students. Attend this session to hear comments by the panelists, share your own insights, and learn about this pertinent topic.
Many community college-bound high school students feel that they do not need to prepare for higher education. However, the transition from high school to community college is an increasingly critical factor in determining whether or not students will meet their educational goals. Join your colleagues to analyze recent research on the high school to community college transition. Explore partnerships between high school and community colleges that effectively support this transition to enhance students' academic success.
High school juniors receive mountains of information throughout the college application process. College 101, a 10- to 12-session course designed for juniors, clearly presents all of the information needed to navigate their way through the admissions process. Attend this session to receive a course outline, handouts, and assignments that will facilitate implementation of this program at your school. Participants will learn how to empower students to take ownership of the college search and application process to achieve their goals.
Applicants to art, music, dance, theater, and film programs face many additional application requirements, including auditions, interviews, portfolios of artistic endeavors, and dramatic writing projects. Appraisals of students' creative materials weigh heavily in selection processes. This panel, composed of admissions professionals with extensive experience in arts and performance programs, will describe admissions requirements and selection procedures at their institutions. Come to this session to explore the role creative appraisals play in the selection process.
Join College Board staff to hear about exciting changes to the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® Application. Learn how the new adaptive 2007-08 PROFILE has simplified the process for many students, especially those from low-income families. Evaluate the success of the PROFILE fee waiver program and review enhancements to the non-custodial PROFILE Application, the Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC), and the Financial Aid Strategy Tool (FAST). Provide your insight into the continuing plans to make PROFILE an even smarter application.
Each year, over 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school with the dream of pursuing higher education. Unfortunately, their immigrant status obstructs many opportunities that would ease the financial burden of postsecondary education. The DREAM Act, introduced in 2005, sought to increase undocumented students' access to postsecondary education. However, a recent lawsuit challenges California's policy, which allows undocumented students to pay in-state fees. Join colleagues to explore the impact of recent anti-immigration backlash on local and federal efforts to protect the interests of undocumented students.
Renewed attention on student transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions is making clear the leaks in a pipeline long needing repair. Issues of articulation, academic preparation, and bureaucratic intransigence have plagued a process often lauded as the way toward educational equity. But new models are taking center stage — models that address both the inherent difficulties of moving large numbers of students from one system to another, while providing needed infrastructure for effective student advising and academic preparation. Come to this session for a lively discussion of California's student transfer system and to learn how leaders in the California community colleges, California State University, and University of California are working together to lay a new pipeline for student success.
Challenging subject matter can frustrate a student's ability to comprehensively critique literature. Teachers can facilitate a deeper exploration of complex literary works through lessons that incorporate music, art, and poetry and encourage students to create stories out of these works. Learn specific techniques that prompt students to base their interpretations on evidence rather than mere feeling. Discover how to engage students visually, aurally, and verbally in order to open the door to deeper discussions about literature.
Are you launching a Chinese language program at your school? Are you expanding your existing program to reach more students? Find out all you need to know about Chinese Language programs at this session. Learn how to rally support and commitment among students and the school community. Identify common pitfalls encountered during the implementation process. Get tips on attracting Chinese teachers to your school. Gain the tools needed to successfully jumpstart your program.
The increased emphasis on accountability in educational settings has led to an associated rise in the development of outcome assessments. Yet, in any educational effort some participants excel, others experience limited success, and still others fail. In this workshop, we focus on an important aspect of accountability: understanding why the documented results occur. We will examine the importance of both identifying and implementing strategies, which will expand interpretations of results. Such strategies will support efforts to improve programs that increase positive outcomes. Workshop participants will be involved in exploring two of many available strategies.
Senior year shapes students transition to college. However, the wide range of options available to high school seniors can be difficult to navigate. Are there greater benefits to completing the high school curriculum or participating in concurrent college enrollment? Do students lose their edge by taking "fluff" courses in the senior year? What is the value of shadowing, mentoring, and employment experiences? Discuss the merits and drawbacks of each approach with representatives from high schools and universities as well as a current high school senior.
The College Board's Rethinking Student Aid Task Force is inciting national discussion on innovative approaches to student aid policy. Meet three members of the Task Force and hear some of the ideas currently under review with regard to this issue. Share your opinions on the efficacy of current student aid policies and practices. Join your colleagues to envision new models for student aid and generate strategies for reshaping existing systems to more effectively meet student needs.
College Access Marketing (CAM) aims to influence students and families to engage in college-going behaviors. Supporting college aspirations and communicating effectively about preparing and applying for college are critical to closing the access gap. Attend this session to learn about the underlying principles of CAM, the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) campaign, and a new national campaign launched by a partnership of the Lumina Foundation, the Ad Council, and the American Council on Education. This session will also provide an overview of a Web site created by the Pathways to College Network to help design and improve marketing efforts targeted at increasing college attendance among low-income and minority populations.
Genuine essays reflecting the author's voice are valued above canned, mundane, and professionally crafted pieces. However, guiding students to find their own voices can be challenging. One method, entitled "The Intentional Essay" dispenses with five paragraph convention and offers students a path to their stories. Attend this session to examine essays that work for both writer and reader as well as methods for supporting student success with the college essay.
Most postsecondary schools cite access for low-income students as part of their mission. Yet efforts to recruit low-income students are often neither strategic nor successful. This disconnect is most pronounced at competitive schools where academic profile and access seemingly conflict. However, several competitive institutions utilize innovative recruitment and retention programs that target high-ability, high-need students to effectively promote access. Meet representatives from these schools to learn how to uncompromisingly reconcile a commitment to access with competitive admissions criteria.
Over the past decade, Maryland has enjoyed the national distinction of being a visible leader in education reform as student participation and performance in AP, SAT, and PSAT/NMSQT continues to increase. A number of initiatives have contributed to Maryland's success, including: the AP Fee Waiver Program, APIP grants, and Maryland's innovative partnership with the College Board. Discover how this statewide partnership raises student achievement, improves teacher preparation, and supports effective educational policy reform, particularly within low-income schools.
This session will present results from the first cohort of students who took the new SAT for college admissions. Student and group performance on each of the three sections, Critical Reading, Math, and Writing, will be described. Participants will gain a clear understanding about research conducted on score comparability, essay performance and reader agreement, subgroup differences, fatigue, and other concerns raised by the national media and higher education discussion groups, including how colleges used the scores from the new test and what the major issues were across institutions. Audience questions, answers, and views will be solicited in this open forum on changes made to the SAT.
Schools are using PSAT/NMSQT program tools and resources to identify and improve students' academic skills and encourage student ownership of the college planning process. Discover best practices for utilizing the PSAT/NMSQT reports to identify curricular areas of weakness. Learn how to encourage students to take full advantage of My College QuickStart™, MyRoad™, and the Summary of Answers and Skills report to maximize post-test opportunities. Discuss how PSAT/NMSQT program tools can stimulate student initiative for educational and career planning, promote academic success, and support a college-going culture at your school.
Redefining Undergraduate Education for the Twenty-First Century
A College Board survey found summer institutes to be one of the best forms of professional development for Pre-AP® and AP teachers. Join institute directors to discuss the strengths of courses offerings on teaching strategies, content, best practices, and assessment skills. Explore unique institute formats such as master teacher-led courses, customized courses, and courses led by higher education faculty. Learn how universities offer additional support to the AP community through Certificates in Teaching AP and other initiatives.
Protecting access to higher education involves attracting, retaining, and effectively educating a diverse community of learners. Mount St. Mary's College (MSMC) links multicultural pedagogy and faculty development to advance access for all. Attend this session to explore the impact of the initiative on MSMC's faculty practices and the broader school community. Develop tools for implementing and assessing faculty workshops in multicultural education that effectively uphold access at your institution.
The Jackson Public School District, the largest school district in Mississippi, has recently implemented a variety of initiatives designed to improve the local public education system. Over a single year, enrollment in AP courses has increased 45 percent. Meanwhile, student dropout rates fell and graduation rates rose significantly over a three-year period. Join us to discuss the reform efforts currently under way. Acquire strategies for boosting your students' work and test performance while increasing AP enrollment.
A wide variety of postsecondary institutions have turned to technology-based financial aid student services. Capella University, a fully online learning environment, relies on technology for all of its student service needs. Similarly, Michigan State University takes a Web-based approach in the majority of its student service provisions, despite having several campus financial aid offices. Join us to discover how to best use technology to provide cost-effective, student-friendly services that are continuously available.
Many claim that the rise in merit-based institutional financial aid and scholarship awards causes a decline in need-based aid for low-income students. This session presents an analysis that challenges this assumption. Data suggest that merit-based scholarships may be a necessary component of an intellectually and economically vibrant university and that the scarcity of need-based aid is driven by price increases and imprecise definitions of need. Join us to explore these results and discuss whether imperfect options are a natural component of student choice.
GEAR UP and TRIO programs all across the country are effectively closing the achievement gap and preparing students for college. Take this opportunity to examine a number of innovative and successful GEAR UP and TRIO models. Discover a wide range of intervention strategies developed by grantees in urban, rural, and suburban communities. Incorporate these techniques into your early intervention programming to bring out the best in your students.
The concept of "professional judgment" has evolved throughout changes in Department of Education regulations. As a result, some financial aid officers feel comfortable employing professional judgment to assist families, while others are more hesitant. How should professional judgment influence dependency issues, non-custodial parent information, or the cost of college attendance? Attend this session to explore the role of professional judgment across a variety of circumstances. Learn how to help families clearly explain extenuating circumstances to financial aid officers.
In California, the Alliance for Regional Collaboration to Heighten Educational Success (ARCHES) has brought together four year colleges and universities, community colleges, community based organizations, and business--all focused on responding to local school districts' identified needs. The University of Texas System has created the Institute for Public School Initiatives (IPSI) to improve college readiness and access in partnership with Texas schools, colleges, and state agencies by developing innovative tools, new school models, and successful regional P-16 collaboratives. In this session, participants will gain a better understanding of important issues policymakers and administrators should consider when developing P-12/postsecondary partnerships.
As open admission institutions, community colleges are rarely viewed as "destinations of choice" for many students. However, community colleges are highly diverse institutions with a variety of academic strengths that serve a multitude of educational needs. The College Board's Community College Advisory Panel has initiated a public policy effort that calls for a reassessment of community colleges within American education. Along with members of the Advisory Panel, contribute to this initiative by lending your voice as a part of a roundtable discussion. All educators (P-20) are encouraged to learn about and help advance this important initiative.
The Academic Assembly Council (AAC) of the College Board brings representatives from the six major disciplines together to discuss issues and actions related to providing educational opportunities to all students. The AAC works to articulate academic standards and promote academic excellence horizontally across the disciplines and vertically throughout the educational continuum. In this informative session, members of this committee will discuss the importance of critical thinking across interdisciplinary lines throughout elementary, secondary, and postsecondary school. Discover strong connections between the disciplines and strategies for promoting interdisciplinary thought at your institution.
For years, financial aid offices have been distributing money to students so that they can attend college. This practice raises the question: how can we expect students to successfully manage the money we give them without any guidance? This session will describe two innovative models currently used at major universities, one operated from an administrative standpoint and the other from an academic standpoint. Attend this session to learn about how financial aid offices can put effective programs into place, strategies for starting and funding a program, techniques to grab the attention of students, research outcomes, and the future of financial aid.
In September 2005, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings assembled the Commission on the Future of Higher Education, which consisted of policymakers, researchers, corporate representatives, and institutions. The Commission created a set of recommendations to address four critical areas in postsecondary education: access, preparation, affordability, and accountability; it released its final report, "A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education" in September 2006. Attend this session to learn how the report as well as the Department's subsequent action plan will affect and contribute to the new rounds of discussions over the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.
The United States has lost its long-held position as the global leader in educating its citizens. We now rank seventh among OECD countries, the top industrialized nations in the world, in the percent of young adults with college degrees. While the United States is still second in the world in the percentage of older adults (aged 45 to 54) with college degrees, most other countries are doing much better in helping young adults earn degrees. The achievement gaps are widening among racial, ethnic, and income groups at the same time a growing proportion of students come from those underrepresented groups. Cost is one of the significant barriers for these students as the price of college increases faster than health care, prescription drugs, family income, and the growth in available financial aid. There is good news--a growing movement is confronting these challenges. Learn how one foundation plans to address this urgent national need with the goal of returning this nation to its preeminent global position.
The College Board provides The Official SAT Online Course™ to help prepare all students for the SAT and college success. In this session, attendees will learn best practices straight from the College Board's product expert as well as from educators who've led successful implementations at their schools. Attendees will receive a live overview of the online course's key features followed by valuable implementation ideas and proven tips to improve student use. This session is for educators who use the online course today and those who are considering it for their schools.
The Guidance and Admission Assembly provides a forum for members to discuss issues and actions related to supplying educational opportunities for all students at crucial transition points in their lives. The Assembly identifies and responds to the needs of its members as they work, individually and collectively, to encourage students and families to keep options open, and to offer opportunities for student access and success. It presents opportunities for members to engage in dialogue and make their recommendations known to the Assembly Council, to the Board of Trustees, and to the members of the College Board. The Assembly addresses issues related to professional ethics and educational standards and provides advice on College Board programs and services related to such functions as early awareness, precollege planning, assessment, admissions, and retention.
Meet the leadership and members of your Regional Council and hear about issues discussed at their meetings. Learn how to be more involved, re-connect with friends, and converse with other outstanding educators.
AP programs play an integral role in school transformation. Join representatives from 34 urban, rural, and suburban Indiana high schools as they describe their efforts to expand AP access for underrepresented students through the Lumina Foundation for Education's Advancing Academic Excellence (AAE) grants. Come to this session to learn strategies for recruiting minority, low-income, and first-generation immigrant students into AP programs and promoting their academic success post enrollment.
From the Spanish Flu to Avian Flu, what are the relationships between history, science, and disaster preparedness? Using a case study and related materials, this workshop will explore scientific and historical implications of the influenza pandemic of 1918, called the Spanish Flu, and its relationship to other pandemics past, present, and forecasted. Engage in Q and A with science and history educators about the legacy of the disease and how the lessons learned can be used in classrooms today.
The transition to college is often challenging, especially for students accustomed to excelling in high school. Such students can be unsettled by an increased emphasis on cooperative learning combined with the rigor of college-level work. Many of these students do not seek assistance adjusting, despite available resources. Learn why students typically avoid asking for help during this period. Explore help-seeking behavior as a strategic tool for academic success.
Counseling students and their families becomes increasingly complicated during the college search process. Counselors need to establish clear boundaries to manage particularly demanding parents. Meanwhile, they must also balance their role as advocates for their students. Participants will learn how counselors can remain diplomatic and honest in communication with admissions offices. When is it appropriate to contact a college about a student? What information is appropriate to share? Add your thoughts and professional experiences to this critical discussion.
In a climate where policy decisions focus on the lowest achievers, how can schools raise the bar for all of their students? Find out how one public school is encouraging their entire student body to aspire to college, raise their test scores, and earn college scholarships. Explore the steps to promote a culture of college success, including universal administration of the PSAT/NMSQT, systematic identification and recruitment of AP students, test-prep implementation, and program assessment.
A strong partnership between the college counselor and the head of school is critical amidst the frenzy surrounding college applications. Working together, the head of school and college counselor can promote an environment where students and their families maintain control over their anxiety. Attend this session to discuss the "stress points" of the college selection process and explore strategies for effective collaboration between heads of school and college counselors during this emotionally charged time.
Attend this session to get the insider's view on international students from diverse backgrounds. Experienced practitioners will share their knowledge of admissions considerations and interests among prospective international applicants. What opportunities exist for students from Mexico and Central America? What's the latest news from the Middle East or India? Travel the globe with your colleagues and broaden your insights into international recruitment.
As open admissions institutions, many community colleges have had little need to manage their enrollments. Recently, however, enrollment management, specifically student outreach and recruitment, has taken on greater urgency as community colleges respond to seemingly inexplicable enrollment patterns. Explore emerging trends impacting community college enrollment. Acquire powerful tools for identifying prospective students and measuring student satisfaction with recruitment and admissions.
A compelling body of research affirms the need to work more thoughtfully, intensely, and effectively with parents of underachieving students. Schools cannot and will not narrow the achievement gap without intentional and prolonged formal partnerships with student families. Brookline High School is successfully building partnerships with its families to boost academic achievement amongst underachieving youth and narrow the achievement gap. Examine the unique design of Brookline High's Parent Partnership and explore the impact of this initiative on student achievement.
In 2007, the Advanced Placement Program will launch the AP Course Audit. All schools wishing to use the AP designation in course titles and on student transcripts will need to complete the AP Course Audit. This new service will provide valuable professional development and curricular resources for teachers and schools. This session will provide an overview of the requirements of the AP Course Audit and outline the steps teachers and school principals will take to receive authorization for the AP courses they have developed. Attendees will receive a copy of the AP Course Audit Manual.
The September announcement by Harvard ending Early Action has put such programs in the limelight. Other institutions have made similar announcements this fall, raising the question of whether even more will follow suit. What impact will these announcements have on the admissions process for students, counselors, and other colleges? Join this session to learn more on this evolving admissions issue. There will be ample opportunity for audience discussion.
Plano Senior High School uses MyRoad, the College Board's online college and career exploration tool, when providing academic advisement to juniors. Presenters will highlight several aspects of MyRoad that help counselors link the subjective components of educational and career exploration with the objective data of identified aptitudes available in the PSAT/NMSQT score report. From helping students discover a career path to finding the right college, MyRoad is making a difference at Plano Senior High. Attend this session to learn how.
The North County Higher Education Alliance (NCHEA) consists of Palomar College, MiraCosta College, and California State University San Marcos—three public higher education institutions in Northern San Diego County. Over the past 15 years, NCHEA has launched numerous initiatives that have enhanced student retention and transfer rates, supported articulation, and encouraged student achievement across all three campuses. Attend this session to discover best practices for interinstitutional collaboration and review the steps taken in the design and maintenance of a successful regional academic consortium.
The local school board is at the center of school governance. The public believes that the board plays at least a moderate role in the success or failure of public schools and that school boards hold schools accountable for student achievement. This session will tap the expertise of school board members and policy leaders to explore how school boards can ensure access and opportunity for all children. As major education policymakers, how do school boards set the agenda for student achievement? Do school boards add value to the education system? Do they hinder or support the learning process? This panel will address issues of a pre-K-16 integration of education goals and decision making. Attend this session to examine the role of community engagement in local policymaking, the role school boards play in relation to state and federal mandates, and their relation to access and opportunity.
Recent data show that graduation rates are at catastrophically low levels among low-income and underrepresented communities. State and federal legislators are grappling with proposals to extend accountability measures to the high school level and provide quality professional development opportunities for high school teachers. Hear policymakers¿ perspectives on current legislation and learn how Advanced Placement programs remain a viable strategy for elevating standards, increasing rigor, and enriching educational experiences in all classrooms.
Dual Credit Programs expand high school students' access to college level course work. High schools employ a variety of formats for implementing dual credit programs. These programs can coexist with and complement existing AP courses, offering a wider variety of challenging learning opportunities to members of the school community. Learn how to choose dual credit options that appropriately fit the needs of your school and your local community college.
The College Scholarship Service Assembly (CSSA) provides a forum for members to discuss policies, practices, and procedures designed to help students and families prepare to meet the costs of postsecondary education, and supports institutions, agencies, and organizations in the equitable and efficient administration of student financial aid programs. The CSSA articulates the ideals and principals that should animate the administration of student financial aid. It promotes the sharing of information and ideas among secondary schools and schools systems, postsecondary institutions, and public and private agencies that are involved in helping students and families learn about, apply for, and obtain financial aid.
Join us for an evening in historic Balboa Park—the crown jewel of San Diego and America's largest urban cultural park. Stop by the renowned San Diego Museum of Art where exceptional high school students, trained in art history, will be on hand to guide you through the collections and current exhibits. As you leave the Museum of Art, ornately costumed performance artists will usher you towards the San Diego Museum of Natural History, where you'll spend the rest of the evening enjoying dinner, jazz, and live entertainment. In the museum's rotunda, aerialists will gracefully dance, suspended above you.
Buses start to depart at 5:55 p.m. Along the way, you'll hear about the history of San Diego and Balboa Park. Badge and tickets required.
Note: this event is complimentary for Forum full-conference registrants. Guest tickets may be purchased in advance at the Forum Registration Desk for a fee of $75.
Be sure to take advantage of the 10 percent discount Forum attendees receive at both museums' stores Friday evening.
Reflections and Conversations on International Migration with Susan F. Martin
Changes in immigration present unique challenges and provide new opportunities for our institutions. In the twenty-first century, what are the trends of migration around the world and to the U.S.? What are some of the policies currently under discussion, and how might they affect the American education system? Dr. Susan F. Martin will discuss these and other issues arising from global migration trends and patterns.
With proper training, students can be extremely effective change-agents in their communities. Through an extensive curriculum, College Summit empowers at-risk students to enroll and succeed in college. These students then become peer leaders, advocates for higher education among students who otherwise may not consider applying to college. As members of the target community, peer leaders offer powerful proof that college is an attainable option for all. Harness the energy of your students to promote a college-going culture in your community.
Early commitment financial aid programs provide low-income students in middle school and early high school a guarantee of financial aid for college if they meet certain academic and social requirements. Do they actually work to encourage students to follow through on their aspirations for higher education? Participants will learn what early commitment programs look like, where they are based, and what research suggests concerning their effectiveness in increasing access for low-income students. The panelists will also describe successful early commitment programs administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and San Diego State University in partnership with the Sweetwater (CA) Unified School District.
Georgia has launched a statewide initiative to expand AP programs and improve disadvantaged students¿ access to and success in AP courses. At the forefront of this initiative is Georgia's Virtual School (GVS), an online AP course delivery system that provides every student in the state access to quality AP instruction online or on-site. Learn how GVS improves access to AP course work, boosts student achievement levels, and decreases student drop-out rates. Redesign your AP program for the twenty-first century learner and increase the number of underrepresented students participating in AP course work.
The College Board is working in large, urban school districts across the nation to implement the EXCELerator Schools project—a multiyear initiative aimed at increasing enrollment and success in advanced courses for all students and radically increasing college-going rates. In this session, administrators and faculty from the first cohort of EXCELerator high schools will discuss their initial experiences with the program and the impact on school culture. Participants will learn about the EXCELerator transformational model and its successes and challenges in the first year of implementation.
High school and college student members of the College Board's Advisory Panel on Student Concerns represent a variety of different backgrounds from across the country. Attend this session to get a better understanding of the current college search experience. Hear candid and articulate voices as students share their college search experiences, discuss their perspectives on college affordability, and answer your questions on student concerns about access, college guidance, and college readiness.
Advanced Placement Vertical Teams have the potential to increase access and equity schoolwide. Join your colleagues to discuss similarities between effective AP Vertical Teams™ and see why some teams are unable to realize their goals. Examine one school's planning process to learn how to build student skills from one grade to the next and gain insight into a statewide AP Vertical Team initiative. Acquire strategies and resources that support the creation and maintenance of a strong, subject-specific AP Vertical Team at your school.
College prices and the net cost of college after aid continue to increase, despite changes in the distribution of financial aid. Published in October, the 2006 Trends in Student Aid and Trends in College Pricing reports delineate increases in both published prices and net prices over time. Examine these findings and discuss why both the amount of aid granted and the financial gaps students contend with continue to grow.
Financial aid systems vary from institution to institution, making the application process confusing for many students and their families. Attend this session to learn some of the many ways that financial aid is administered across institutions. Join financial aid professionals to take the Financial Aid Reality Quiz and collectively examine myths about the process. Learn financial aid tips to take back to your students and their families.
Letters of recommendation provide essential information to admissions officers. However, the teachers and counselors writing these letters are often unaware of the scope of their impact. What is expected of teacher and counselor letters? How is each used? How can teachers and counselors with large caseloads efficiently convey important information to admissions officers? Admissions professionals will discuss the use of letters of recommendation across a number of institutions and will learn strategies for counselors and teachers writing these letters.
There is mounting evidence that overscheduling extracurricular activities for college applications makes kids anxious and even sick. Many people feel that the stress of overscheduling is quickly becoming a public health crisis. Parents blame colleges for expecting too much and feel frustrated in their inability to alleviate their child's stress. What is the role and responsibility of college admissions in addressing this problem? Participants will learn what educators can do to relieve this pressure on students.