Governor seeks $1 million Gates Foundation grant to help students get "college-ready"

Governor Brewer’s Office of Education Innovation Seeks Funding through Challenge Grant

Grant Funding Would Help Build College-Ready Math Classes and Reduce Time to Degree Completion

PHOENIX – Governor Jan Brewer today announced that her Office of Education Innovation has applied for a grant to help high school students better prepare for college. The $1 million, 18-month implementation grant would be funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through Complete College America.  

“This grant would assist Arizona’s education efforts on two fronts,” Governor Brewer said. “It would aid programs that help ensure more of our high school students graduate ‘college-ready.’ For those who pursue secondary education, it would augment efforts to make certain they complete their degree on time.” 

Arizona has proposed using the grant dollars to reduce the need for students to take remedial classes between high school and college, with a secondary focus on reducing the time it takes for students to earn their degrees.

In writing the proposal, the Governors’ Office of Education Innovation convened community colleges, universities and school districts to discuss strategies that will improve senior-year arithmetic learning for high school students. As a result, community colleges and school districts have a plan to move forward with these collaborations - whether supported by the grant funding or other sources, if needed.

The goals of this grant application include:

·       Expansion of community college efforts to improve remediation of students not ready to enter college;

·       Creation of a professional network of K-12 and higher education faculty that share information and resources to develop coursework for students; and

·       Use of an education data system recently funded in the 2012 budget to bridge the gap between education sectors.

Currently, Arizona is aggressively pursuing multiple initiatives aimed at transforming the P-20 education continuum in Arizona.  With direction from Governor Brewer, the P-20 Council developed the Arizona Education Reform Plan. This includes yearly benchmarks such as a doubling of the number of Arizona baccalaureate degrees issued by 2020, which will play a role in ensuring that the state has a trained and ready workforce for the future economy.

          The leadership team for the Gates Foundation grant includes members of the Governor’s Office, the community college system, the Board of Regents, school districts and the Arizona Department of Education.