State Board Endorses Perdue’s Career and College Promise


STATE BOARD ENDORSES GOV. PERDUE’S CAREER AND COLLEGE PROMISE; ALSO APPROVES RESOLUTION SUPPORTING
GLOBAL SCHOOLS

The State Board of Education last week formally endorsed Gov. Bev Perdue’s Career and College Promise (CCP) Initiative, which will enable more students to get a head start on career training or a college degree while they are still in high school.

“The Career and College Promise works in direct alignment with the Board’s mission to ensure that every public school student in North Carolina graduates from high school prepared for further education, professional training and work in the global economy,” said State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison. “Thanks to strong partnerships among leaders from K-12 and higher education and the business community, this initiative will help to make sure our students have the skills they need for success in the 21st century.”

Gov. Perdue’s Career and College Promise would enable eligible students to complete one year or more of higher education by the time they graduate high school. Students participating in the program could choose to earn Career and Technical Education credentials, a college transfer certificate, or two years of college credit, depending on their goals for the future. After high school graduation, students would then have the option of completing a second year of higher education for free (through financial aid and federal tax credits) from a community college, transferring to a four-year college or university or entering the workforce. Funding for this initiative was not included in the budget passed by the House on May 4. For more information on the Career and College Promise, contact the Governor’s Education Office at 919-733-3921.

Board members also approved a resolution to support and to encourage more districts to join the new North Carolina Global Schools Network. The Network, which is administered by VIF International Education with support from the NC STEM Community Collaborative and the Public School Forum of NC, is comprised of a growing number of school districts in which leaders have committed to increase international education in their schools.

The North Carolina Global Schools Network (GSN) is an alliance of schools, school districts, organizations and businesses committed to creating collaborative approaches to international education. Specific goals of the GSN are to increase dramatically the number of internationally-themed schools, international partnerships and second language programs in schools and school districts across North Carolina. Other GSN partners include the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education. For more information, visit http://www.globalschoolsnetwork.org/.