Business Coalition for Excellence: Business partnership with New Jersey's public schools, The

Mercer Business, Feb 01, 2005

It's not unrealistic to expect that all students achieve at high levels, become productive citizens, and be well prepared to succeed in the workplace. Extensive research has shown that those goals aren't lofty, but attainable.

In New Jersey, the business community has turned those aspirations into a commitment. The Business Coalition for Educational Excellence (BCEE), a program of the education foundation of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, serves as the voice of business in the education debate. For nearly ten years, the BCEE has worked to improve New Jerseys public school system, in order to help create a better-prepared future workforce.

Led by some of New Jersey's most well known companies, such as Prudential Financial, Merck, Verizon, ETS, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson, among others, the BCEE advocates for policies and promotes programs that span the educational spectrum while impacting schools, teachers, and students.

Over the years, the BCEE's portfolio of education programs national initiatives with proven track records - includes New Jersey Scholars, a program that encourages students to take challenging courses in high school; National Board Certification, a long-term effort aimed at increasing the number of teachers who earn the prestigious credential of excellence for teachers; and just for the Kids, an online school improvement and accountability system that provides the public with fair, relevant, and easy-to-understand data pictures of school performance. Many BCEE programs have been recognized nationally for their success in, among other things, narrowing the achievement gap between minority and low-income students and the rest of the student population. Armed with research that unequivocally proves that every child can learn and excel, the BCEE works to ensure that every child is prepared for his or her future.

The BCEE knows that ensuring the success of every child has never been more important. In just 15 years, more than 84% of available jobs will require a college degree, and currently, New Jersey maintains one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation. While our best students are doing better than most, our poor and minority students are exhibiting significant learning deficiencies, with only 63% of white (non-Hispanic) students, 35% of Hispanic, and 25% of African American students having basic proficiencies in mathematics in grade eight.

To bring focus to the issue, in September 2004, the BCEE hosted a major conference for human resources and diversity executives from around the state. The event, keynoted by then U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, featured a number of presentations focused on building the 'workforce pipeline'young adults in the public school system.

The BCEE will host a second student achievement conference in April, where leading speakers will address nearly 300 educators from around the state. The conference will include a keynote address by Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom, authors of 'No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning.'

"Business is committed to building a workforce that truly reflects the communities they serve in our state," explained Dana Egreczky, president of the BCEE, and vice president of Workforce Development at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. "To help the business community reach those diversity goals, the BCEE won't give up on any of the children in our schools. We know they can achieve, and we intend to continue to pursue the kinds of programs and policies that will best equip them to do so."

Each of the BCEE programs convert respected national studies into actions that impact student outcomes. For example, research indicates that students who take demanding high school coursework:

* Score an average of 100 points higher on the college entrance exam (SAT).

* Are twice as likely to be ready for college and need to take fewer remedial classes.

* Can double or triple their chances of staying in college to complete their bachelor's degree.

* Earn more than 13% more per year than students who take less demanding courses even if they do not go to college.

The BCEE reviewed that research and decided to implement the New Jersey Scholars program, part of the "Learn, Do, Earn Student Credentialing System."

New Jersey Scholars informs and encourages students in middle and high school to take rigorous courses like Algebra II and Physics, in order to build logic and mental discipline, and college-prep language courses to develop creativity and precision in communication.

The Learn, Do, Earn, Student Credentialing System connects performance in school today with purchasing power tomorrow. "Kids really want those nice clothes, electronics, cars, and eventually homes," says Egreczky. "Learn, Do, Earn informs students that they need to learn and do more now in order to be able to earn more tomorrow. It is surprising how many students have not yet made that connection."

* Students in grades eight through eleven learn statistics that indicate that, more than any other coursework, high school mathematics correlates to their future success: