In his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, President Obama called for every American to pursue some form of education beyond high school.
It's an ambitious goal -- some might say impossible. Currently, only two of every five American adults have a two- or four-year college degree. Millions of Americans struggle even to complete high school, with one in four dropping out. And even a high-school degree is no guarantee that a student is ready for college.
Particularly alarming are the college rates for low-income and minority students. A recent study reported that more than 90 percent of low-income teens said they planned to go to college -- but only half actually enroll.
Those who do enroll are substantially less likely than others to finish their degree. If they borrowed money for college and don't graduate, they may be worse off than if they hadn't even started college.
Is the president's goal realistic?
Nicole Hurd, the executive director of the National College Advising Corps, which places recent college graduates in low-income schools to work as college guidance counselors, said that all students are capable of continuing their education beyond high school.
Gaston Caperton, a former governor of West Virginia and president of the College Board, which works to connect students to college and runs the SAT and AP exam programs said, "Not only is the president's goal realistic, achieving it is also vital to the future economic and social well-being of our society. Among the most important steps to attain it are:
□ An earlier start to schooling, especially for youngsters from low-income families. Greater access to and participation in preschool programs, such as Head Start, would help put many, many more young people on the path to college.
□ Access to more rigorous courses in middle and high school, taught by teachers with strong training and access to sustained professional development.
□ Better strategies for making college affordable, such as early college savings plans for all students, including plans for low-income families that are subsidized by the government.
□ Adult-education programs that make it easier to return to college, through online courses or community colleges.
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