TCCTA Blog

For-Profit Schools Outpace Community Colleges

When it comes to career and technical education, for-profit schools seem to be growing at a faster rate than community and technical colleges. Such is the upshot of a new report from the National Center for Education Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education.

Over the years since the relatively recent upsurge of the proprietary educational sector, a few notable schools have fared better than others, of course. Some are affiliated with giant corporations, while others have gone out of business. Based on the new report, for-profit schools appear to have found a successful niche in career and technical education.

A key passage is found in the abstract:

Overall, the number of less-than-four-year institutions offering CTE [Career and Technical Education] increased 3 percent from 1997 to 2006, and the number of sub-baccalaureate CTE credentials awarded increased 24 percent. Over this time period, there was a shift in both CTE-offering institutions and CTE credentials, from public two-year institutions to for-profit two-year and less-than-two-year institutions. Although the number of credentials awarded grew at a faster rate among for-profit institutions than among public two-year institutions, the latter still awarded most sub-baccalaureate CTE credentials in 2006 (58 percent) while for-profit two-year and less-than-two-year institutions combined awarded 35 percent.

The entire report can be downloaded here.

Fine Arts Group Opposes GPA Plan

Career and technical educators have already expressed their concerns about a proposed new method of calculating a uniform high school grade point average. As reported earlier, the Coordinating Board will consider the plan from Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes on October 23.

The proposal places a premium on such courses as advanced placement and dual credit, but does not similarly reward many career and technical fields. Now educators in the fine arts are also concerned that their disciplines will not attract students if the classes are not worthy of a boost in GPA. If high school kids don't study the fine arts, it is less likely they will pursue these fields in college, many educators say.

A recent article in the San Antonio Express News highlights the opposition of the Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education to the new plan.

From the article:

Commissioner Raymund Paredes is proposing adding an extra, weighted point to Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual credit courses. He would give no extra weight to pre-AP or pre-IB courses, which he says lack uniform standards.

Paredes also suggests including only “academic” courses in the GPA calculation, so many fine arts and career and technical education courses would not count toward a student's final GPA.

“By my very nature I support the arts,” Paredes said. “We just want to make sure we focus on the courses that get students ready for college.”

His recommendations will not be final until after a public comment period that runs through Oct. 6.

And:

Already, Robert Floyd, chairman of the Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education, said he is perplexed by the suggestion that many arts courses be left out of the computation.

“I certainly hope the members of the board do not want the state of Texas to go on record as the kind of state that fails to recognize that the study of music and other fine arts is an academic course of study,” he told a committee of the Coordinating Board last week.

The Coordinating Board's site for comment is available here.

TRS Launches Conference Calls

Obviously there have been plenty of questions these days about the investment policy and portfolio of the Texas Teacher Retirement System—as with all pension plans. The agency has started open conference calls to take queries. You don't have to participate or listen to a live broadcast, however. Just tune in to an archived dialogue between TRS leadership and concerned members for a spirited discussion.

Given the recent turbulence in the financial markets, TRS began the series with a conference call featuring Chief Investment Officer Britt Harris. Mr. Harris addressed questions that TRS has been hearing from members regarding the agency's investment strategy and, more specifically, its relationship with Lehman Brothers and other companies in the news recently.

The archived presentation is available here.

Voter Registration Deadline Approaches

The deadline is approaching for voting in the Nov. 4 General Election in Texas. In addition to the presidential race, several important legislative seats will be up for grabs.

It's easy to register, but it must be done at the county level. The Texas Secretary of State has a very useful Web site. Conveniently, you can also check to see if you are already registered, using only your Texas driver's license number.

You may fill out a voter registration application online, print it and mail it to the voter registrar in your county of residence. You are not registered until you have filled out the online application, printed it, and mailed it to your local County Voter Registrar. The County Voter Registrar's address can be found at the top of the online outputted voter registration application once you have submitted your information from the fill-in-the blanks screen.

It's all here. You may wish share this information with student groups on campus if it's appropriate at your school.

Generational "Myth" Explored

College teachers are often urged to consider generational differences among students. Presumably the current crop of freshmen consists of tech-savvy "digital natives," who are more comfortable multi-tasking than reading books. In fact, the "death of the book" is a common topic among educators and prognosticators.

Not so fast, says Siva Vaidhyanathan, an associate professor of media studies and law at the University of Virginia. His next book, The Googlization of Everything, will be published in 2009 by the University of California Press.

In a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription), Dr. Vaidhyanathan states flatly, "There is no such thing as a digital generation." He goes on to argue that "Generation X" and the "Greatest Generation" are also based on myth. The Baby Boomers are real, but only because of their age and huge population. The boomers will definitely make a difference in Medicare and Social Security, for instance. As for the other generations, it's all a big misunderstanding and exaggeration of what's going on.

From the article:

College students in America are not as "digital" as we might wish to pretend. And even at elite universities, many are not rich enough. All this mystical talk about a generational shift and all the claims that kids won't read books are just not true. Our students read books when books work for them (and when I tell them to). And they all (I mean all) tell me that they prefer the technology of the bound book to the PDF or Web page. What kids, like the rest of us, don't like is the price of books.

Of course they use Google, but not very well — just like my 75-year-old father. And they fill the campus libraries at all hours, just as Americans of all ages are using libraries in record numbers. (According to the American Library Association, visits to public libraries in the United States increased 61 percent from 1994 to 2004).

And:

Talk of a "digital generation" or people who are "born digital" willfully ignores the vast range of skills, knowledge, and experience of many segments of society. It ignores the needs and perspectives of those young people who are not socially or financially privileged. It presumes a level playing field and equal access to time, knowledge, skills, and technologies. The ethnic, national, gender, and class biases of any sort of generation talk are troubling. And they could not be more obvious than when discussing assumptions about digital media.

Group Touts New Success Measures

The federal government calculates two-year colleges’ graduation rates based on the number of full-time, first-time undergraduates who complete an associate degree within three years. Many community college educators say those rates are faulty since they do not include part-time students, who account for a huge percentage of enrollments. Critics also argue that the three-year time frame to earn a degree is too short and unrealistic for today's students—particularly those who need remedial work.

Based on this criticism, the Achieving the Dream organization has formulated a new methodology. The group tracked student outcomes in Connecticut, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia over a six-year period. They included both part-time and full-time students, and tabulated not only graduation but also "significant progress toward a degree or transfer" to a four-year institution as a “successful” outcome.

Obviously they hope the new method will catch on nationwide. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board already uses a more valid means of measurement, but the federal statistics are still important in order to compare states and also to determine eligibility for student financial aid programs.

Here's the full report from Achieving the Dream.

Criticism Mounts on GPA Proposal

Because of abundant controversy, a Coordinating Board committee delayed voting recently on a proposal to create a uniform grade point average calculation for high school students. The board is attempting to implement a law passed during the last Regular Session of the Legislature to come up with a uniform measurement.

As reported here earlier, Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes has recommended dramatic changes in GPA calculation—numbers that are very important to students and parents for admission to selective colleges and universities. Under the guidelines (to be considered at the October 23 meeting of the Coordinating Board), extra weight will be given to dual credit, international baccalaureate, and advanced placement courses. The plan also emphasizes the “recommended” academic curriculum.

Community college educators in many disciplines—including technical and occupational fields—are concerned that the new plan would discourage students from taking certain courses and from choosing professions in a host of career areas.

A recent article in the El Paso Times provides a sample of the kind of criticism the plan has received from school districts.

From the piece:

"I get phone calls saying this is the worst idea that anybody ever came up with," said Joe Hinton, a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board from Crawford.

And:

The coordinating board recommendations would also exclude from GPA calculations some courses, like fine arts, that are required for graduation. Cynthia Lopez, Socorro ISD assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said excluding those courses from the calculation implies they aren't as important.

An overview and opportunity to comment are available at the Coordinating Board’s Web site.

TRS Blog Deals With Hot Questions

Members of the Texas Teacher Retirement System may want to consult with a blog called Public Capital by Richard Elder of the Austin American Statesman. Mr. Elder deals frequently with TRS (along with other public pension) issues. For instance, in these uncertain financial times, TRS members want to know about the investment strategy and portfolio of the system—not to mention who is making these decisions. Regular readers of Mr. Elder's blog will educate themselves quickly on a host of such issues.

A great additional feature of the blog is the comments that are sent from readers, usually active employees or retirees in the system. They help give some context to the controversy that regularly swirls around a huge pension fund such as TRS. As with all such sources, you never know how accurate their impressions are.

The American Statesman will likely ask for registration in order to continuously receive the post. It's free, and would allow continuous access to an important resource.

Mr. Elder also passes along links and information about retirement planning.

The official site of TRS is also provided here.

AIG Problems Prompt VALIC Questions

If your ORP or TDA account is with AIG-VALIC, you may want to read Wednesday's post from AIG corporate headquarters. Recent disturbing economic developments have raised questions regarding the safety of all retirement accounts, even if the money is insured by contract. AIG has been prominent in the news lately and AIG-VALIC is a popular choice in Texas for ORP/TDA participants.

Yesterday, after media reports regarding the financial difficulties of AIG, the U.S. Federal Reserve system announced an $85 billion loan to prop up the global giant. AIG is the parent company of VALIC. Background information from the Associated Press is available here.

Here's the link to the press release, which was issued prior to the reported "bailout" by the U.S. government. According to the post, AIG is a separate company from VALIC, which operates under discrete rules of governance and Texas insurance statutes. You may wish to pay particular attention to whether your account is in the "fixed" or "variable" category, and whether the revenue is in a mutual fund. These categories are treated separately in the press release, since their status and security may vary.

A recent report from USA Today indicates that AIG will have to sell some of its assets to pay back the federal government. There is no mention of VALIC in the article.

From the USA piece:

One business that it makes less sense for AIG to unload, says Andrew Kligerman, an insurance analyst at UBS, is the foreign life insurance business. He considers that the company's "premier" entity.

The business is a market leader in Asia, giving AIG "a competitive edge," he says.

The Federal Reserve, after coming to AIG's aid, will likely have a role in figuring out which assets the company will sell, says Vinnie Aggarwal, chief economist at Frost & Sullivan, a consulting and market research firm.

AIG's sale options are wide. The sprawling conglomerate — which got its start as a property/casualty insurer in Shanghai in 1919 — owns everything from insurance and retirement businesses to the Stowe Mountain ski resort in Vermont.

Despite the asset sales, the company's troubles are far from over.

Your humble scribe is way over his head in these areas, but will pass along reports that seem germane to TRS and ORP.

College Closings Updated

Gulf Coast area community colleges were hit hard by Hurricane Ike, along with other institutions, companies, and residences in the area. Some schools are opening again today (Wednesday), but others will be out all week. Media reports naturally focus on all the damage and evacuees, but another tragedy to consider is the effect upon local tax bases. The federal government will be aiding local governments in relief efforts, but it's unclear how the steep decline in property tax revenue will play into the picture.

Obviously Galveston College is the most severely affected. Here's a message from their Web site:

Our campus will remain closed throughout the remainder of this week. A further assessment of the buildings will be completed during this week. The future depends on a complete assessment of the College's facilities, the return of power to the campus, and the return of basic services on Galveston Island. Be assured that we are working on plans for the continuation of the fall semester. Faculty, staff, and students should continue to monitor this website for official information.

Here's the latest on other area schools from the Houston Chronicle:

Alvin Community College will be closed through Sunday, Sept. 15. Check www.alvincollege.edu for more information.

Houston Community College campuses will be closed on Wednesday, Sept.17. HCC administration is currently assessing all campuses and facilities to determine when each college will reopen. HCC will make a decision Wednesday afternoon whether to open facilities beginning Thursday morning on an individual college basis. Students can check www.HCCS.edu for updates.

San Jacinto College is closed until Monday, Sept. 22. Employees may be contacted by supervisor to report to work. Visit www.sjcd.cc.tx.us for updates.

Lee College is closed until Sept. 22. All classes and campus activities are cancelled. For further updates, check the Lee College website at www.lee.edu or listen to local radio and TV stations.

Lone Star College campuses, University Center and the System Office will be closed through Sunday, Sept, 21. Normal operations will resume Monday, September 22. For further updates, check the Lone Star College website, www.lonestar.edu, for further updates.

College of the Mainland administrative offices and classes will resume Monday September 22. However, facilities, grounds, maintenence and custodial personnell should report to work at 10am Wednesday Sept 15. Here is the Web site.