Expanding Access, Creating Opportunities Eyes On the Future
CWU and our partners have a shared goal of making it easier for Washingtonians to attain postsecondary credentials. Together, we can create a better economic future for our state.
Joining Forces to Build Bridges
The state of Washington has set a bold course for the future, embracing growth in our dynamic and innovative economy with a call to invest in a new era of postsecondary access and attainment. The stated goal is for 70% of adults between the ages of 25-44 to hold some form of a credential beyond high school — an 11 percentage point increase from current levels. If we are going to reach this lofty goal, we must join together with a sense of equity-centeredness and a deep commitment to cross-sector collaboration. It will also be essential for us to develop a deeper understanding of the unique needs, challenges, and characteristics facing the distinctive regions that comprise our state. In support of Washington’s goal of 70% postsecondary credential attainment, Central Washington University hosted a convening of partners from across the region in February 2024 to generate ideas for an upcoming summit for education policy stakeholders. Participants considered the many interrelated experiences between childhood and the individual’s lifecycle to envision effective policy ideas that will elevate educational access and attainment. The ideas that emerged from initial gathering are summarized in this piece, and updates will be made pending the results of future conversations. HIGHLIGHTED PRIORITIES ▶ Invest In Early Childhood Education ▶ Emphasize the Value of High School Education ▶ Remove Barriers to Postsecondary Access, Attainment ▶ Develop Strategies for Workforce Entry, Re-Entry
Priority 1 Invest in Early Childhood Education From 2021 to 2022, the number of children in Washington living in poverty grew by nearly 200%, from approximately 64,000 to 186,000. Research has shown that the effects of childhood poverty extend not only to early learning readiness; it also impacts lifelong outcomes with regard to educational attainment and earning potential. From 2021 to 2022, the number of children in Washington living in poverty grew by nearly 200%, from approximately 64,000 to 186,000. Research has shown that the effects of childhood poverty extend not only to early learning readiness; it also impacts lifelong outcomes with regard to educational attainment and earning potential. For this reason, participants in the CWU convening coalesced around the need for universal pre-kindergarten (pre-K), with assurance of competitive salaries for all K-12 educators, particularly those serving poverty-impacted schools. This commitment would: • Enable all families who want to enroll their child in a publicly funded, pre-kindergarten care • Provide important learning, social-emotional development, and other beneficial factors for children’s long-term development and success • Equip families with greater flexibility and access to pursue educational and workforce goals that benefit their entire household To properly carry out this initiative and deliver results, we must: • Develop a profession-ready and sufficiently sized workforce • Elevate training and professional development of pre-K workforce to meet the diverse needs of the state • Make policy changes at the state level to assure a vibrant educational workforce that leads to a strong educational foundation
Priority 2 Emphasize the Value of High School Completion Despite a steadily growing high school graduation rate, Washington’s high school completion rate lags behind the national average by approximately 10 percentage points (91.1%) for people 25 and over who hold at least a high school diploma or equivalency. Despite a steadily growing high school graduation rate, Washington’s high school completion rate lags behind the national average by approximately 10 percentage points (91.1%) for people 25 and over who hold at least a high school diploma or equivalency.
Other suggestions included complementary approaches that stack the secondary credential with micro-credentials, short-term credentials, apprentice-able opportunities, and enhanced degree pathways prior to high school graduation. • Partnerships between school districts, regional workforce councils • Fully articulated pathways that begin in high school and reduce the time-to- degree in fields that align with local/regional workforce demand • Coordination with industry to identify and register apprenticeship opportunities that align with a student’s secondary experience • The potential for earning an associate’s degree by the time students complete their secondary credential
The primary reasons for this disparity include: • School-related: missing school, poor grades
• Family-related: pregnancy, caring for a family member • Employment-related: working instead of going to school
These factors are even more apparent in the Central Washington region, where high school completion is below the statewide average. Stronger investments in equity-centered support structures are needed so that Washington youths can complete their secondary credentials as a pathway to postsecondary attainment. Ideas include: • Centering the first-generation high school student experience in developing
secondary access and completion programs, services, resources, and activities through: - Peer mentorship programs - Robust postsecondary advising and support resources - Integration of language-diverse resources and support services • Enhancing resources for students with children, including free or greatly reduced cost childcare
Participants also outlined strategies that would relieve the administrative burden of college-going for students and their families while streamlining pathways into postsecondary education at two- and four-year institutions. • Create a centralized electronic transcript database • Improve alignment between CADRS and high school graduation requirements
Priority 3 Remove Barriers to Postsecondary Access, Attainment The U.S. Department of Education has identified a number of significant factors associated with barriers to postsecondary access and completion, including: • The U.S. Department of Education has identified a number of significant factors associated with barriers to postsecondary access and completion, including:
The convening participants articulated a broad vision that aligns with many established College Promise programs nationwide, but added to this vision by calling for a system that enables short-term and stackable credentials in a highly coordinated and intentional system of delivery that centers around the student experience while minimizing bureaucratic hurdles. They also envisioned a comprehensive support system for high school students and adult learners seeking to enter or re-enter postsecondary educational systems. In addition, they advocated for much more transparent, coordinated, and student- centered programs, services, resources, and policies, such as:
• Delayed college enrollment • No high school diploma • Part-time college enrollment • Financially independence
• Caring for dependents • Single parent status • Full-time work while in college
Low-income and first-generation statuses are often embedded in each of these non- completion factors, and sometimes stand alone as singular factors that drive non- completion among adults who may aspire to complete a postsecondary credential. Applying to postsecondary educational institutions, and state and federal aid systems, creates an additional barrier and acts as a set of interrelated barriers that inhibit access, retention, and completion, particularly among individuals with limited to no social capital or support system. Washington ranks 48th in the nation of the immediate college-going rate of high school graduates, and many adult learners face geographic access barriers that prevent them from pursuing postsecondary credentials. In addition to these barriers are: • Considerations related to the scale and availability of hybrid or online programs • Flexibility to pursue stackable short-term credentials • Alignment with student interests and regional economic and workforce needs
• Coordinated College in the High School offerings • A centralized, statewide credential tracking system
• Statewide standards for, and scaling stackable micro- and short-term credentials • A statewide system for prior learning assessment and competency-based educational frameworks Competency-based educational frameworks also incentivize post-traditional learner access and attainment by building a closer alignment between the pace of their educational experience, the skills that an individual may have already developed through work or other activities, and vocational interests and goals. Suggestions include: • Incentivize and invest in innovative industry, higher education, and community partnerships that lead to access and learner success • Provide comprehensive and multilingual student and family support systems on a coordinated statewide scale
Priority 4 Develop Strategies for Workforce Entry, Re-Entry Across the country, about 25 million adults live in an “education desert,” defined as a micro- or metropolitan statistical area where zero colleges or universities are located nearby, or one community college is the only broad access institution in the area. Across the country, about 25 million adults live in an “education desert,” defined as a micro- or metropolitan statistical area where no colleges or universities are located nearby, or one community college is the only broad access institution in the area. • One in five Native or Indigenous adults live in an education desert • One in 10 Black and Latinx adults lives in an education desert • In Washington, approximately 350,000 adults between the ages of 18-49 live in an education desert Geographic access is one of many possible powerful examples of the barriers to overcome in supporting educational attainment goals that align with statewide workforce needs. Flexible and workforce-aligned program offerings, comprehensive and equity-centered support structures, and sufficient financial assistance offer other key considerations. The convening participants agreed that the state should consider a variety of pathway and support innovations that enable Washingtonians to enter and re-enter the workforce. Suggestions include: • Flexible program delivery through prior learning assessment and competency- based education • Grow-your-own programs that support pathways into teacher prep programs • Using state aid to help college grads pursue a second career and contribute to other workforce shortage areas • More robust alignment between program offerings and engagement opportunities with industry
Conclusion The Framework Is In Place; Now We Must Take Action The participants in the February 2024 convening at Central Washington University outlined a framework of key investments that begin in early childhood and extend through adulthood to support equity-centered learner access and success. The group of two dozen key educational, community, and workforce stakeholders emerged with a consensus that Washington has the potential to be a national leader in education. The participants also agree that our state has a promising future that can meet our ambitious workforce goals. Washington is well-positioned to achieve our shared goal for at least 70% of adults between 25 and 44 years old to possess a postsecondary credential, and this plan provides a framework for how we can achieve this objective.
Everyone at the table is eager to build upon an already-strong foundation that assures a rich quality of life for the people, industries, and communities we serve.
Convening Participants
▶ Andres Moreno Benito
Interim Director of Admissions
▶ Ginny Tomlinson Associate Vice President, Information Services and Security ▶ Kyle Carrigan Director, High School Partnerships and Continuing Education
Central Washington University
▶ Jim Wohlpart President ▶ Andrew Morse
Community Partners
Interim Vice President for University Relations and Chief of Staff ▶ Jason Jones Executive Director, Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning ▶ Rob Ogburn Executive Director, Business and Community Services ▶ Arturo Torres Registrar ▶ Veronica Gomez Vilchis Associate Vice President of Equity and Belonging ▶ Dania Cochran Executive Liaison, President’s Office ▶ Emilie Hobert Executive Director, Marketing and Branding ▶ Monica Medrano Regional Director, University Centers ▶ Elvin Delgado Associate Dean, College of the Sciences ▶ Jennifer Dechaine-Berkas Associate Dean and Director, School of Education ▶ Elizabeth Adkins Former Interim Director, Auxiliary Marketing and Communication
▶ Heidi Behrends-Cerniwey, City Manager, City of Ellensburg ▶ Sue Kane Chief Executive Officer, NCW Tech Alliance ▶ Troy Tornow Superintendent, Ellensburg School District ▶ Bonnie Smith Executive Director of College and Career Readiness, Yakima School District ▶ Jeff Charbonneau CWU Board of Trustees and Principal, Zillah High School ▶ Shane Backlund Deputy Superintendent, ESD 105 ▶ Jeff Cochran Director of Future Learning, Selah School District ▶ Mark Cheney South Central Washington STEM Network Director ▶ Holly Bringman Apple STEM Network
President Wohlpart’s commitment to outreach and partnership is unlike anything else I’ve seen in my time in public education. I consider myself a lifelong resident of Washington, and the work that we’re doing here has me really excited for the future.
- Yakima School District Superintendent Trevor Greene
Join the conversation and learn more: Andrew Morse, Ph.D. Interim Vice President for University Relations and Chief of Staff Andrew.morse@cwu.edu • 509-963-1425
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