Continuing the Conversation

Since The College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report was released, the educational landscape has continued to change dramatically. These changes directly impact the goal of the commission and each of the proposed recommendations. In fall 2008, the nation began feeling the effects of one of the worst periods of recession in our history since World War II. The 18-month recession officially began in December 2007 and, though this recession officially ended in June 2009, the effects of the recession are still lingering in the United States today. During the recession, unemployment increased, as did the number of home foreclosures, and budgets for both federal and state governments declined.

The 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, continued the road to recovery with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2009, an economic stimulus bill that provided $787 billion to stimulate the economy, and his administration made education a major part of this investment.² The initial stimulus package provided money to states to help close funding gaps and avoid massive layoffs of teachers and professors. The Obama administration also set aside $4 billion to fund its Race to the Top initiative, which provides grants to states to implement education reforms that work. Several states, including New York, Delaware, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee, received these grants to improve education. The Obama administration clearly recognizes the importance of education in securing the future of America and initiated these major investments in education. As of 2011, much of the temporary ARRA funding has been used, and now many states once again face the prospects of massive layoffs of both teachers and professors. Amid this challenging economy, it is difficult to imagine the effect the lingering fiscal constraints of the recession will have on the College Completion Agenda as we move forward.

While the nation struggles to strengthen the economy, the educational capacity of our country continues to decline. The most recent figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that the United States does not rank first in the attainment of “tertiary” or postsecondary degrees among adults in developed countries. As we continue to decline in global competitiveness, our economic strength also continues to weaken. In order to increase our economic position in the world, it is important that we turn around this important trend.

According to the OECD, in 2008 our nation ranked fifth (see Figure B) in postsecondary attainment in the world among 25- to 64-year-olds. Figure C shows that the United States ranked third in postsecondary attainment for citizens ages 55 to 64 in 2008. The United States trails both the Russian Federation and Israel in this age group. As America’s aging and highly educated workforce moves into retirement, the nation will rely on young Americans to increase our standing in the world. Figure A illustrates that among citizens between the ages of 25 and 34 in developed countries, America ranks 12th. In this key demographic group, Republic of Korea, Canada, the Russian Federation, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, Denmark, Israel, Belgium and Australia are ahead of the United States. Also, Sweden and France are close to parity with America. If America is to regain its status as the leader in educational attainment and increase its economic competitiveness, the nation must make an investment in higher education access, admission and success for all students.

Much progress has also been documented within the past year. There has been a continued movement by states to adopt common core standards in language arts and mathematics. To date, 45 states have adopted these standards to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce. The goal is to make sure that these students are college and career ready and have access to a multitude of postsecondary options. Many states are also trying new ways to increase accountability and teacher quality. While some states like Colorado have developed evaluation systems that tie student outcomes to teacher evaluations, other states have focused on teacher professional development to ensure that all educators are ready to prepare a new generation of students. Reform in relation to educator quality has become even more prevalent due to the economic crisis. States are facing serious decisions about teacher layoffs, which have further invigorated the discussion about performance pay. There has also been a robust movement around the nation toward college completion at every level (e.g., federal, state and local). The Obama administration,³ Lumina Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the College Board, National Governors Association,⁴ states, school systems, and colleges and universities around the country are trying to find ways to increase college completion despite the harsh economic climate that has made further investments in education very scarce.