Subject: 12/21 LA Times
Editorial: A Cheaper Route to College
LA Times
Editorial
12/21/03
Editorial:
A Cheaper Route
to College
December 21, 2003
Sure, many poor and
minority students need a boost to get to college, but at tens of thousands of
dollars a head? Officials at the University of California and California State
University have protested mightily the governor's plan to ax $85 million in
outreach funds money used to guide inner-city kids toward higher
education. Bewilderingly pricey as these programs are, the schools have little
evidence that they are worth their cost.
UC officials point out that 40%
of their Latino and African American freshmen in fall 2002 had exposure to their
outreach program. Of course, many of these youths might have gone to college
anyway. But even assuming the outreach efforts were crucial to all 2,302
students, that's close to $29,000 per freshman, based on the program's funding
at the time, just to get them to their first day of college.
In contrast,
the AVID program, begun by an English teacher 12 years ago in San Diego and now
operating in 1,650 schools worldwide, has a track record of getting the neediest
to college at a fraction of the price. These children are the first in their
families to go to college; a quarter are the first to complete high
school.
AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, is offered as
an elective with a set curriculum and trained teacher starting in sixth grade.
Participating schools provide teachers but most avoid extra costs by offering
AVID instead of, say, home economics. The program's nonprofit group, with public
dollars and private donations, provides training, curriculum and
oversight.
In its classes, students review homework, hone test-taking
skills, learn to take notes, study and write a high-level essay. They're pushed
to dream big and take challenging classes. They're coached through the college
application process. The program reaches 81,000 California students, with Los
Angeles Unified offering AVID in half its middle and high
schools.
Outside assessments praise the program. Its students far
outstrip statewide averages on the high school exit exam. AVID sends 73% of its
graduates straight to four-year colleges. That's more than twice the statewide
rate and far above the UC program's 45%. AVID accomplishes this with $10.3
million from the state, which two years ago was cut from $12.3 million. The
program has barely escaped more reductions.
At budget-cutting time, the
$85 million for UC and CSU outreach programs is a fair target. But that
shouldn't mean giving up on inner-city kids. Some of that savings should be set
aside to expand AVID, a success in helping the deserving kids who most need
it.
* For more information on AVID, or to make a
donation, go to http://www.avidonline.org
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