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Katy Abel
MA Department of Higher Education
617-994-6932 (office)
617-429-2026 (cell)
kabel@bhe.mass.edu

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2017

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $1.25M to Launch New College Access and Completion Programs

Public Campuses Awarded Grants to Support Innovation and College Readiness

Boston, MA – February 23, 2017 – A select group of Massachusetts state universities and community colleges have been awarded a total of $1.25 million dollars through the Department of Higher Education’s Performance Incentive Fund to drive innovation throughout the public higher education system, the Baker-Polito Administration announced today. The largest share of the funds, totaling $695,000, will be used to launch new programs to allow high school students to take college courses before graduating from high school. 

Exposing high school students to college-level material and allowing them to earn credit for their work is a worthy investment in both our students and future workforce,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The Performance Incentive Fund grants will help our public higher education system continue its important development of highly skilled and educated workers.”

Bridgewater State UniversityBunker Hill Community CollegeMount Wachusett Community CollegeWestfield State University and Worcester State University received the college access grants. All of the campuses plan to use the funds to improve the college-going rates of students typically under-represented in higher education, including African American and Latino students, low-income students, and those who will be the first in their family to attend college. National research demonstrates that students who take college courses before graduating from high school are more likely to avoid expensive, non-credit remedial coursework in their first year of college and to go on to earn associate and bachelor’s degrees, rather than dropping out before finishing their studies.

“These grants support the broader workforce development efforts of the Baker-Polito administration,” said James Peyser, Secretary of Education.  “The programs they make possible constitute important elements in our strategy to offer high quality career pathways to our young adults and give them a solid foundation for college and career success.” 

“These programs are among the smartest educational investments we can make,” said Carlos E. Santiago, Commissioner of Higher Education. “Every indicator demonstrates that exposure to college helps high school students build the self-confidence and the skills they need to succeed at the post-secondary level. I was very pleased to see a high degree of creativity imbedded in the campus proposals, which will strengthen the pathways from high school to college.” 

Bridgewater State will team with Massasoit Community College and the Brockton Public Schools to create a 100 Males to College program for Brockton teens who will benefit from the opportunity to take college-level courses and engage in family outreach activities. A separate but similar 100 Males to College program will be launched in Central Massachusetts, where Worcester State will work with Quinsigamond Community College and the Worcester Public Schools to bring college-level courses and post-secondary success strategies to male students at area high schools.

Bunker Hill Community College will team with the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Chelsea Public Schools to create an intensive professional development program for educators focused on “culturally relevant and inclusive practices,” and will also work to align the curriculum between Chelsea High and Bunker Hill.

Mount Wachusett Community College will adapt science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs for students from Fitchburg and Leominster who are non-STEM majors.

Additionally, Performance Incentive Fund grants were awarded to four campuses working to tackle academic challenges that often hinder degree completion.

Northern Essex Community College will join with Middlesex Community College to develop innovative “competency-based pathways” that align accreditation standards, core competencies and courses taken by early childhood educators.

Berkshire Community College, Bristol Community College, and North Shore Community College and  will each be awarded grants to develop “co-requisite” course models designed to reduce the number of students placed into non-credit remedial classes. Co-requisite models offer an alternative approach to remediation; a student who is not fully prepared for college-level work receives supplemental academic instruction and support while also taking a for-credit course, in lieu of the typical requirement to take the remedial course first. 

PDF FY17 Performance Incentive Fund Grants

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