Navigating the world of financial aid can be tricky for students and families, but on Saturday, Feb. 11 and Sunday, Feb. 12 from 2-4 p.m. students across the state will receive help completing their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the 16th annual Arizona College Goal Sunday and Saturday Too!

With rising tuition and higher expenses, the FAFSA is a critical first step for students to receive any type of financial assistance. More than 80 percent of all student financial assistance is provide by the federal government, yet many students do not complete the FAFSA or turn it in too late, missing out on financial aid.

“Completing the FAFSA early is the key to removing one of the most common barriers students face in going to college,” explained Dr. April Osborn, Executive Director for the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education. “By completing the FAFSA early, college-bound students can be considered for all available student financial assistance to help them pay for their educational expenses.”

Twenty-five locations statewide from Northern Arizona to Maricopa County to Tucson will host College Goal Sunday and Saturday TOO! events on Saturday, Feb. 11 and Sunday, Feb. 12 from 2-4 p.m. Specific cities include: Casa Grande, Chinle, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Glendale, Globe, Keams Canyon, Mesa, Nogales, Page, Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson, Tempe, Tuba City, Willcox and Yuma. Spanish and Navajo interpreters will be available at select locations.

“Events like this are crucial to raising the bar for Arizona education and making postsecondary education a priority for all Arizona students,” said Pearl Chang Esau, president and CEO of Expect More Arizona. “We recently launched a campaign encouraging parents to be active participants in their children’s education every step of the way, and Arizona College Goal Sunday and Saturday Too! is a great way to be involved.”

In addition to receiving help completing the FAFSA, student attendees who submit a completed FAFSA at the event will have an opportunity to win a $1,000 scholarship or a new Kindle Fire e-reader.

Students attending the event are encouraged to register for a personal FAFSA PIN in advance of the event at www.pin.ed.gov and bring their parents’ 2011 tax returns (if available) or W-2s, social security numbers and other tax information.

Visit CollegeGoalSunday.com or call 602-258-2435 x117 for information on specific location addresses and line-by-line FAFSA instructions. For more information on planning for college, visit Expect More Arizona’s College and Career Planning Guide to download the guide and use the interactive planning tool.

While many parents know that college should be a priority in their home, others are not sure when and how early to start talking to their kids about continuing their education after high school.   The simple answer is it is never too early to start creating a college going culture in your home.

With a startling 50 percent of Arizona high school graduates not qualified to enroll in our state universities, setting the expectation that high school graduation is not the finish line is imperative. Setting this expectation sooner rather than later allows more time to discuss how to make it happen and the different pathways they can take – turning the question from “if” they are going to continue education after high school to where, how, and what type of  postsecondary education to pursue.

“To ensure Arizona students are doing what it takes to be ready for college, it’s really important that parents embed this topic in their conversations with them,” said Pearl Chang Esau, President/CEO of Expect More Arizona. “For example, when you ask them what they want to be when they grow up, the conversation doesn’t end there. That leads perfectly to a conversation about what subjects they would need to take in school to qualify for the postsecondary education needed for that career.”

Esau adds that talking to children about their passions and interests can lead to conversations about the many different career choices that fit those interests, and the type of education each requires.

To help students and their families make sure they are on the right path to being ready to succeed in education after high school, Expect More Arizona, in partnership with NAU’s Arizona GEAR UP, created a College and Career Planning Guide. The guide includes different pathways students can choose, a checklist by grade level to make sure they are on the right track, simple explanations about the differences in Arizona’s postsecondary institutions – what’s the difference between a community college, a university, or a technical institution, for example, and covers the different benefits of their education. All of this information and much more is contained in the guide, which is distributed to students across the state, and is also available for download and as an interactive tool.

In addition to starting early conversations about college, building excitement leading up to college is equally important. One of the most effective things to do to get your child excited about college is to take them on an actual campus visit. Getting them physically on the campus and exposed to the interesting and – to them – “grown up” qualities of campus life will give them something to look forward to. Campus tours can be coordinated by contacting your local university or community college, or you can visit an older sibling or family friend who is currently attending college.

“Starting today, you can take steps to ensure your child is on the right path to attending college,” said Esau. “Make a commitment to have regular communication with your child’s school and teacher. Talk to them about getting your child ready for college, ask what resources and programs they provide, and how you can support what they are doing at home.”

NCEA’s researchers use a statistical model that identifies value-added effects of schools to identify and celebrate higher performing schools, then study and inform best practices from their success and provide online resources so that more schools can be inspired and improve.

In order to identify college and career readiness targets on the AIMS test, a study was conducted by the NCEA comparing the AIMS test scores and the ACT benchmarks for CCR and backward mapped to 3^rd grade, the first grade in which the AIMS test is given. Thanks to this study, Arizona now has CCR target scores on AIMS (see chart below). A student achieving the CCR target score on AIMS is on the ramp to college and career readiness.

Schools can make the Higher Performers list two ways:  growth of student achievement  or absolute level of achievement of students. Out of 1,544 schools that qualified for the evaluation, 183 schools are advancing their students toward college and career readiness in one or more content areas (i.e., reading and science) in all grades tested.  Thirteen schools are Arizona All Subject Higher Performers, outperforming their peers in every content area and every grade tested.  We congratulate:

• Alhambra Elementary School District’s James W. Rice Primary School, Granada Primary School, Sevilla Primary School, Westwood Primary School;

• Crane Elementary Schools District’s H.L. Suverkrup Elementary School

• Ganado Unified School  District’s Ganado Primary School

• Glendale Union High School District’s Sunnyslope High School, Washington High School, Moon Valley High School

• Mary Ellen Halvorson Educational Foundation’s Tri-City College Prep High School,

• Paradise Valley  Unified School District’s Grayhawk Elementary School

• Scottsdale Unified School District’s Pima Elementary School

• Tucson Unified School District’s University High School

All stakeholders can go to www.nc4ea.org to find NCEA’s College and Career Readiness analyses and charts for Arizona schools (grades 3-12). These charts show the percentage of students meeting expectations on AIMS, compared to the percentage scoring at college and career readiness.   The analyses compare demographically similar schools because research shows that poverty is correlated with performance.  Schools are grouped for comparison to identify those that are breaking that trend and which provide examples of effective practices.

Schools serving similar students can learn from each other through collaboration and sharing the ideas that actually work. The next step for the partnership: NCEA/ACT and ADE will partner on research on Arizona schools.

Susan Carlson is the Executive Director of the Arizona Business and Education Coalition.

Higher education has never been more important to individual success, economic growth and global competitiveness than it is today.  In fact, it is estimated that 2/3 of the jobs of the future will require some form of college or other postsecondary education.  However, Arizona faces many challenges when it comes to ensuring that postsecondary education is a priority for all students.

A recent report by the Arizona Board of Regents shows a distinct connection between higher education and earning potential. Currently, only 52 percent of Arizona’s high school graduates pursue any form of higher education after graduating high school.  And of those who do pursue higher education, only 17 percent receive a bachelor’s degree within six years of graduating high school.

Lisa Budinger, President & CEO of the Arizona College Scholarship Foundation, says Arizona must raise expectations for our students. “As a state, we don’t have a college-going culture,” she says. “Our message to our kids needs to be: continuing your education is important and possible.”

Budinger says that creating a high expectations culture in the home, from your child’s youngest years, is key to putting him or her on the track to success in college and career. She encourages family discussion with younger children about careers and the kind of education a student will need to get different kinds of jobs. As your student gets older, ask specific questions to help them prepare. Ask them to identify their top three college choices , and review together specific requirements for admission. This way, they will better understand how the classes they take and how they perform will impact their future education.

There are many resources available to parents and students to help make sure you are on the right path. One example is the College and Career Planning Guide, created by Expect More Arizona and Northern Arizona University’s GEAR UP. The Guide is distributed to students throughout the state, and is available on Expect More Arizona’s web site for download and as an interactive tool. It’s never too early to ensure your child is prepared to succeed in college and a career.

According to the Pew Research Center study, a majority of Americans say that the higher education system fails to provide good value for the money and a declining share of Americans agree that a college education is affordable. However, of the college graduates surveyed, an overwhelming majority say college has been a good investment for them personally.

In today’s global economy, graduating from high school and going on to postsecondary education is critical for students to have the greatest professional options and opportunities. College is one of the many pathways and other postsecondary programs teach students the skills they need to pursue a specific career such as nursing, mechanics or computer technology. If the skills and abilities of two prospective employees are equal, often a college degree or other postsecondary education can be the determining factor for who gets hired.

Some current questioning about the value of college has stemmed from the difficult job market in recent years and rising tuition costs.  However, despite the currently tough job market, it is worse for those who did not go to college. The graph to the left shows the unemployment rates for workers 25 and older by education level, illustrating how people with advanced education are unemployed at much lower rates than those without it.

In addition, college graduates generally earn more money than those without a college degree, and that difference in earnings has widened in the last few decades: the inflation-adjusted pay of college graduates has risen, and the inflation-adjusted pay of every other group has fallen. Without question, quality of life, income, and opportunities continue to be directly linked with educational achievement.

Additionally, a survey of recent graduates from the Heldrich Center at Rutgers has determined that college is, in fact, “worth it.” Nearly three-quarters of recent graduates said they believed their degree was as valuable now as they thought it would be when they first enrolled in college. Additionally, respondents said that their college education did well in preparing them to be successful in their job after college.

Although some may ask the question, the conclusion is clear: postsecondary education is worth it. If we give every Arizona student the option to pursue some form of postsecondary education, more will have access to the best opportunities and a higher quality of life. It’s our job as Arizonans to ensure our students are ready and able to succeed by raising expectations for our students, our schools and ourselves when it comes to education in our state.

With that in mind, ABOR has developed “The Enterprise Model,” designed to require universities to be more efficient and to carefully measure success based not just on student enrollment, but on degree completion. And, they have been working with our universities and community colleges to create more affordable pathways to high quality degrees, and greater accessibility to higher education to those who may not have been able to attend a higher education institution in the past.

For more information on the Regents’ vision, watch the video below and visit the ABOR web site.

Tonight (Thursday, May 19), we are proud to partner with Stand for Children Arizona, Valley of the Sun United Way, and 12 News to present a town hall discussion – Partnering for Change: School Solutions for Arizona. The live stream will be available in the video box below by 6pm. Please join in on the conversation on our Facebook page, 12 News’ Facebook page, and on Twitter (hashtag #12News). 

 (If for any reason, the live stream won’t play, you can also view the feed at AZCentral.com.)

The discussion is moderated by 12 News anchors Scott Light and Kim Covington, and the participants include:

•     Craig Barrett, Basis Charter School/Former Intel CEO
•     Paul Luna, President and CEO, Helios Education Foundation
•     Katy Cavanagh, Executive Director, Stand for Children Arizona
•     Daniel Scoggin, CEO, Great Heart Academies
•     Doreen Zannis, Executive Director, Support Our Schools AZ
•     Susan Carlson, Director, Arizona Business and Education Coalition
•     Andrew Morrill, President, Arizona Education Association
•     Karen Williams, Superintendent Alhambra Elementary School Dist.
•     Rebecca Gau, Director, Governor’s Office of Education Innovation

MAPP is a part of a broader, statewide effort between Arizona’s Board of Regents, universities and community colleges called Getting AHEAD (Access to Higher Education And Degrees), which aims to provide and promote more opportunities for residents to successfully complete a college degree – conveniently at a lower cost – by beginning work at a community college and seamlessly transferring and finishing at one of Arizona’s three public universities. Enrollment in MAPP has skyrocketed since its inception in October of 2009. Currently, 3,800 students are enrolled in a MAPP program.

“As part of our long-term strategic plan, the Regents have tasked the universities with developing more partnership programs with our state’s community colleges to increase student success and degree completion,” said DuVal. “The MAPP program is a shining example of the work Arizona’s community colleges and universities are undertaking to educate a greater number of students at a lower cost for the long-term benefit of the state. MAPP provides students and parents with tuition affordability and will help in our efforts to produce the highly-skilled graduates businesses seek.”

Cox Communications, in partnership with Expect More Arizona, has produced a show titled, “Education and the Economy” which explores some of Arizona’s key education issues and the direct link between Arizona’s education system and our economic stability and future growth. Featuring interviews with business leaders, education professionals and profiles of schools that are expecting more, “Education and the Economy” is an interactive show that requests input from viewers.

Watch the video below, and have your cell phones ready to text your answers to several questions about education in Arizona (standard text messaging rates apply):