Live from the CollegeBoard Southern Regional Forum

This morning I was presented with  several alarming statistics.  Currently only 40% of adults in the US have any type of post-secondary degree.  In the population 40 and up the numbers are higher, but in the 25 to 35 age group the numbers are lower.  This may be the first generation in America to be less educated than the generation before.  If trends continue in the next 15 years only 29% of Americans will have any type of post secondary degree.  CollegeBoard’s goal is for 55% of adults to have some type of post secondary degree.  This is especially important because 80% to 90% of all new jobs being created require some sort of post-secondary training.  Currently the United States ranks 10th in the world in percentage of people who complete college.  We used to be number 1.  All of this adds up to a scary scenario.  I am thankful the CollegeBoard is actively work ing on initiatives to increase not only access to college but college completion rates.  I am also thankful to be working for an organization that is making great strides towards better praparing students for college.

Here is a story to illustrate the point.  when I first went away to Milligan College in Tennessee I was assigned a dorm room and had a room mate I had never met.  He turned out to be a really nice guy who was very smart.  His problem was that he had attended a small rural high school in Virginia that had few resources and few qualified teachers.  When he got to Milligan he was overwhelmed.  Most of the material I took for granted  was material he had never seen.  His intelligence kept him there for awhile but he eventually dropped out.  He said that it was obvious he wa not college material.  He was, of course, quite wrong.  He just had not been prepared for college.  I am glad that Florida Vrtual Schol is doing its part to make sure rural Florida students have access to some of the best teachers in the world.

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