June 10, 2003
HEALEY ANNOUNCES PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS MCAS GRANTS
Community colleges will receive $643,000 to run summer courses
CHARLESTOWN – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today announced $643,000 in grants to 11 community colleges across the Commonwealth to support them in developing and administering summertime “transition” courses to help students prepare for a special Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) retest being offered at the end of July.
“This unique partnership between secondary and higher education will provide an excellent opportunity and environment for those students who have not yet passed the MCAS exam,” said Healey, speaking at Bunker Hill Community College, which will receive a $68,580 grant. “Governor Romney and I have made a firm commitment to assist all students pass the MCAS test. We will not give up on our state’s children and encourage them not to give up on themselves.”
Healey said the grants will help more than 450 high school students statewide who were scheduled to graduate with the class of 2003, but did not meet the MCAS graduation requirement.
Education Commissioner David Driscoll said he is hopeful that students will take advantage of the opportunity to get the extra help they need in a campus environment.
“These programs will not only help prepare our students to come back and get their diplomas, they will give them some insight into the academic world that lies ahead for them,” Driscoll said. “It is critical that students understand we are not giving up on them and that the services we are offering are there to help guide them toward the right choices for their future.”
Board of Higher Education Deputy Chancellor Patricia Plummer said she sees these programs as the start of a K-16 partnership that will continue to grow over time.
“This is an outstanding example of collaboration between our community college campuses and the K-12 world,” Plummer said. “Hopefully these programs are the beginning of the creation of a seamless system of education in the Commonwealth.”
“For students who have not yet passed MCAS, these grants offer a summer jumpstart at another chance for success and a glimpse of college life,” said Bunker Hill Community College President Mary Fifield.
Healey said the 11 community colleges participating in the Pathways program include: Bristol Community College ($45,720), Bunker Hill Community College ($68,580), Holyoke Community College ($68,271), Massachusetts Bay Community College ($42,644), Massasoit Community College ($60,960), Middlesex Community College ($44,439), Mount Wachusett Community College ($45,720), North Shore Community College ($45,720), Quinsigamond Community College ($38,100), Roxbury Community College ($137,160) and Springfield Technical Community College ($45,720).
In addition to the community college transition programs, several other outreach efforts are underway to help guide students in the class of 2003 still in need of additional support, including:
- A “Pathways to Success” folder of informational material was handed out last month to every student who did not meet the MCAS requirement by the end of the school year. The kits contain detailed information about extra help programs, including community college transition programs, high school summer programs, summer of work and learning programs, the armed services, trade programs and online tutorial opportunities.
- A Web site with updated details about each opportunity was recently posted at www.doe.mass.edu/pathways.
- One Stop Career Centers across the state are prepared to offer students guidance with future choices by linking them to additional services in higher education and career training and development.
- A hotline - 1-866-MCAS220 - has also been set up at the Department of Education for parents and students with additional questions.
The Pathways initiative was launched by the Department of Education in early March to district and school personnel to ensure all students were aware of the variety of “pathways” available to them as they transition out of high school without a diploma.
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