College Access and Success Conference in Chattanooga
The 2009 Tennessee College Access and Success conference will be held in Chattanooga on Monday and Tuesday, November 9-10, at the Chattanoogan.
Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Jim Applegate, Senior Vice President for Program Development of the Lumina Foundation for Education, will serve as the keynote speakers to open and close the event.
Applegate will address the conference at 12:00 noon on Monday. He will discuss the Lumina Foundation’s goal to increase the percentage of Americans who hold college credentials to 60 percent by 2025 and offer recommendations for how Tennessee can help reach that goal.
Senator Frist will conclude the conference at 1:30 on Tuesday with a presentation of the recommendations of SCORE, the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education. SCORE is a statewide effort to jumpstart long-term educational change in Tennessee and to ensure that every child graduates prepared for college or a career. On Oct. 22, SCORE released its final report, which outlines a vision for making Tennessee No.1 in the Southeast for education within the next five years.
The Tennessee College Access and Success Conference is designed to help educators and professionals across Tennessee increase the number of students enrolling and succeeding in college. Thirty-six sessions are scheduled over the course of the two-day conference. The agenda also includes opportunities to network with other educators and college access professionals. Session topics include:
· Step-by-Step to College and Guiding the Way to Higher Education for All Students
· Information, Please: The Real World Guide to College Success
· The New CollegeforTN.org: Tools for College Access and Success
· Encouraging First Generation Students
· Strengthening Connections Between the Community College and K-12 School System
The conference is hosted by the Public Education Foundation and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, through its GEAR UP TN and College Access Challenge Grant programs, and is an on-going part of the work of both organizations.
About GEAR UP TN and the College Access Challenge Grant
In September 2005, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission was awarded a $21 million (over six years) GEAR UP grant by the U.S. Department of Education. GEAR UP TN, which directly serves nine counties across the state and creates informational materials for all Tennessee students, provides services to students and their families, educators, and community and business leaders. In August 2008, THEC also received a $2.8 million (over two years) College Access Challenge Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of both grant programs is to significantly increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Partnering together in the development and implementation of these grant programs are the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Tennessee Department of Education, Tennessee Board of Regents, The University of Tennessee System, and a host of other consultants and local/regional partnerships.
