States should also reserve a portion of funding for colleges that do the best job of improving overall graduation rates and closing graduation rate gaps, taking into account the economic and academic background of each college’s students.
And when college leaders report back to governing boards and state legislators, minority college graduation rates should be high on the agenda.
President Obama’s higher education goal is achievable and vital for the nation’s longterm economic prosperity. But to reach it, the nation’s colleges and universities will need to do a much better job of educating our increasingly diverse students. And state policymakers will need to lead the way.
— Kevin Carey is the policy director of Education Sector in Washington, D.C. Lawmakers in Ohio, among other states, are considering basing state funding on students’ course or degree completion. How will such a change affect historically Black institutions that serve a disproportionate share of underprepared students? Visit DiverseEducation .com/StateFunding for more information.
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
