The Society of College and University Planners (SCUP) on Recent Trends in Higher Education

Observation from SCUP:
Higher education needs to pay attention to how the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) progresses. The US federal administration has given clear signals that it will find ways to make changes, with or without legislation.

• The winners of the first round of Race to the Top funding focused on low-performing schools, teacher quality and distribution, state data systems, and the use of data and assessments (Education Week, January 4, 2010).
• The National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released a common set of academic standards for English and mathematics in June. Their aim is to ensure consistent learning goals across the states (eSchool News, June 2, 2010).
• Computer-based testing and multiple measures of achievement are at the core of the administration’s requirements for assessment projects seeking funding from Race to the Top (eSchool News, April 16, 2010, www.eschoolnews.com/2010/04/16/assessments-get-21st-century-makeover/).

SCUP's Thoughts:
How will adopting common standards for K–12 education affect higher education in the long run? It’s a first step that’s never before been taken at this level in the US. We’re not predicting any quick movement towards a national education system, but adopting standards puts the US closer to how the rest of the world addresses education.
• While it might take a generation to see the results, campuses should plan for better-prepared students (The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 2, 2010, www.chronicle.com/article/New-National-Standards-Seek/65752/).
• The proposed revisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act include financing K–12 schools based on the academic progress of students, not enrollment, with additional support going to schools that are failing (The New York Times, February 1, 2010).
• The US Departments of Labor and Education are also pushing for reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act that provides funding for basic-skills, adult education, and job training. The goal is to leverage the common standards to ensure that students are both college and career ready (The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 25, 2010,
www.chronicle.com/article/A-Top-Education-Official-Pr/64842/).

New Jersey, as we all too well know, was not a finalist for Race to the Top funding.  Our progress in K-12 educational reform will probably lag behind those states who have secured Race to the Top federal funds.  How does this impact Brookdale's future students and their basic skills needs?