What a tremendous call to action from Jamie Merisotis (Lumina Foundation) in his editorial last week in the Cincinnati Enquirer!
In the piece he reviews outcomes in new report from the Lumina Foundation, “A Stronger Nation Through Higher Education.” While the report shows increased demand for skilled workers in Ohio, it also reports not enough college-educated residents to fill those positions. Merisotis asks, “What can Ohio do to produce more talent? For starters, new models of student financial support must be created. So, we need more leaders to engage on making college more affordable, making costs more predictable and transparent, providing incentives to increase completion and aligning federal, state and institutional policies and programs.”
That’s exactly why EDWorks is focusing its work on early college high schools, one of the most promising strategies for dramatically improving college completion rates, especially among first generation and low-income students.
Our Fast Track Early College High Schools, and many others around the nation, are demonstrating that many students from those communities can in fact succeed not only in high school, but also, in college. To be successful, they need to have access to rigorous, supportive learning environments, adults with high expectations for them and flexibility to focus on their individual learning needs.
Neither Ohio nor the nation can afford to ignore this increasingly significant portion of the population if we are to have a robust economy supported by a more highly educated workforce in the future. Getting them prepared for and experienced in college success early is a proven strategy that is worthy of our attention and investment.
Read the complete report from the Lumina Foundation.
Learn more about EDWorks Fast Track Early College High Schools.
