NJ’s Achievement Gap Closing, Middle Grades Steady

Governor Says Financial Restructuring Necessary for Stability

State Supreme Court Rules in Counsel Fee Case

Nominating Committee Lists Applicants for NJSBA Office

Matthew Boxer Sworn in as State’s First Comptroller

Group Launches New Program to Support New Jersey Colleges and Universities

Talking About Funding

Training Focuses on Salary Guides

Last Chance for New Board Member Orientation

Best Practices in Shared Services Detailed in School Leader

Calendar

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New Jersey is rightly proud of the fact that it ranks first in the U.S. in the percentage of ninth-graders who immediately enter college after graduation, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. But there’s another, less-flattering statistic that school officials also recognize: New Jersey ranks first in the migration of its high school graduates to attend colleges in other states, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

In fact, of all 50 states, New Jersey ranks dead last in public four-year college/university capacity per 100 high school completers.

These are some of the statistics that motivated the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (ASCU) to launch a campaign called the “New Jersey College Promise.” The effort aims to help state colleges and universities serve more New Jersey students, provide more affordable tuition, and strengthen public accountability.

Some of ASCU’s key recommendations include partially aligning tuition to average disposable family income; setting tuition rates for more than one year at a time; ensuring that higher education uses the same types of best practices used by businesses; increasing opportunities to collaborate with other institutions; finding innovative ways to increase four-year graduation rates; and applying federal ethics principles to ensure accountability and transparency in all college operations.

According to ASCU, New Jersey faces an unprecedented and sustained demand for higher education over the next decade—at a time when many workers are retiring or moving out of state.