President Obama today announced a $100-million investment in a program designed to prepare more students to attend and complete college, including money for early-college high schools that grant high-school and associate degrees simultaneously, and for dual-enrollment programs that allow students to earn college credit while still in high school. The money was proposed for the College Pathways Program in Mr. Obama’s budget for the 2011 fiscal year. At an event hosted by the America’s Promise Alliance, Mr. Obama said his administration would also soon announce programs to help students and families complete and submit Fafsa forms.
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Some of this money should go toward teaching students how to use the English language correctly.
The Metro Early College High School in Columbus, Ohio, is an excellent model for this kind of program. Itis a joint venture between the Columbus area schools, Ohio State, and Battelle and specializes in STEM education. Right now I am listening to a 3rd year Metro student introduce their school’s “It’s not just rocket science” web page – sharing the stories of all of Ohio’s STEM students. I am sitting at the OhioSTEM Conference, a statewide gathering of education, government, and industry leaders committed to STEM education. She did a fantastic job making her presentation, a great example of the overall quality of students at Metro. But this is not an exclusive school for top students. Instead it includes students from all economic, social, ethnic, and academic achievement levels. All students must master each subject’s standards before moving ahead. Once they master the curriculum the begin to take classes at Ohio State. But all through their program they are given research opportunities at Ohio State and Battelle, as well as other supporting organizations and companies. The students want to go to school and are challenged to work hard.