WICHE Announces Winners of State Scholars Initiative Competition

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) is pleased to announce that it has chosen four new states to participate in the State Scholars Initiative (SSI), a national business/education partnership effort working to increase the number of students who take a rigorous curriculum in high school. WICHE oversees SSI, which is funded by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) of the U.S. Department of Education (ED).* The new states selected to join the SSI network are Missouri, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

The SSI is fully aligned with the principles and objectives of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and is a program that supports the NCLB vision of stronger accountability for results, more freedom for states and communities, proven education methods, and more choices for parents.

SSI encourages students to take a rigorous curriculum to prepare them for a future that will demand strong and flexible thinking skills – whether they decide to start their careers after they graduate or continue their education beyond high school. For those who are thinking about going to college, solid preparation is essential. “My brother and I were the first people in our family to go to college – and it was one of the best decisions we ever made,” says U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Troy Justesen, who grew up in the coal-mining town of Orangeville, Utah. Justesen earned his A.S. at the College of Eastern Utah and went on to earn his bachelor’s at Utah State and a doctorate from Vanderbilt, eventually ending up in Washington, D.C. (as did his brother, who works for the Justice Department). “A rigorous education, like the State Scholars Course of Study, changes your life – I know that first hand. It absolutely helps you to succeed at whatever you decide to do, whether you pursue college or go straight to work. And it helps you make the world a better place. One person can make a difference – it’s possible.”

Each state will be funded at up to $300,000 over a two-year period to implement SSI programs in at least four school districts. Local business-education partnerships will work with students in those districts, encouraging them to take a rigorous course of study. The Scholars Core Course of Study includes four years of English, three years of math (algebra I and II, geometry), three years of science (biology, chemistry, physics), three and a half years of social studies (U.S. history, world history, geography, economics, or government), and two years of a language other than English. To motivate students to take the Core, SSI brings business leaders into the classroom to talk about the real-world value of a challenging curriculum.

The new states join 20 others that have participated in the network: Arizona, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

For more information about SSI, please contact Terese Rainwater, program director for the State Scholars Initiative, at [email protected] or (303) 541-0225 with questions or comments regarding this program. Additional information is also available from the Web site (http://www.wiche.edu/statescholars), including a brochure, fact sheet, newsletter, links to state briefs and each of the participating states’ Web sites, and the student eligibility requirements for the Academic Competitiveness Grant program.

About WICHE

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and its 15 member states work collaboratively to expand educational access and excellence. By promoting innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy, WICHE (www.wiche.edu) strengthens higher education’s contributions to social, economic, and civic life. WICHE’s programs – Student Exchange, Policy Analysis and Research, WCET, and Mental Health – are working to find answers to some of the most critical questions facing higher education today, such as access to higher education for low-income students, the financing of higher education and student financial aid, higher education’s role in workforce and economic development, articulation between K-12 and higher education, and distance education.

State Scholars Initiative Contacts:

Terese Rainwater

[email protected]

303.541.0225

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Jere Mock

[email protected]

303.541.0222