Prepared in Mind and Resources? A Report on Public Higher Education in South Carolina

ACTA’s hope is that this report will be an urgent call to action to help the citizens and policymakers of South Carolina strengthen the state’s public higher education system and demonstrate leadership in being “Prepared in Mind and Resources.”

Fast Facts: ‘Prepared in Mind and Resources?’

The Policy Council and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni recently took a look at the state’s higher education system. What we found was bad news for taxpayers . . .

Ditching No Child Left Behind – all of it

At issue, of course, is the law Now Child Left Behind (NCLB), now in its tenth year. To understand what the news is all about, you need to understand what No Child Left Behind means for your child’s school.

Online Learning: Connecting with S.C. Students

Online learning can help address South Carolina’s high dropout rate. The vast majority of dropouts – 88 percent – don’t drop out because of failing grades. They do so largely because they are not mentally engaged with what’s happening at school. Online learning can give many of these young people a second chance by giving them access to innovative educational techniques tailored to their specific needs.

Online Learning: A Solution for South Carolina

Online learning allows the public education system to move beyond brick and mortar buildings and connect with students on a one-to-one basis – making a high-quality education accessible to students in high-poverty and rural areas, and giving dropouts a second chance.

How Higher Tuition Translates into More Debt for State Universities

Download the PDF The S.C. Budget and Control Board recently announced a moratorium halting construction at four-year public institutions that raised tuition by 7 percent or more for the 2010-2011 school year. The moratorium applies only to institutions that raised tuition by 7 percent or more. This means it does not apply to the University [...]

Higher Education in South Carolina: Cut Administrative Costs and Focus on Student Performance

Download the PDF While South Carolinians can take pride in our state’s higher educational system, costs and tuition have skyrocketed in recent years, even as graduation rates remain below 40 percent. At the same time, South Carolina’s leading universities have been drawn away from their core mission and increasingly become conduits for the Legislature’s economic [...]

ACTA PowerPoint Presentation by Dr. Michael Poliakoff

In case you weren’t able to attend the governor’s summit on higher education (held September 28, 2010), we are posting Dr. Michael Poliakoff’s PowerPoint presentation. Dr. Poliakoff is director of policy with the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). Highlights from his speech include: Nationwide, tuition is up almost 80 percent. Enrollment is up [...]

An Analysis of 2010 SAT Scores, Part II

Download the PDF This is the final report in our ongoing analysis of the state’s 2010  SAT scores. For readers not familiar with our previous work, here is a  recap of what we have done: In our first report we looked at the 2009 scores,  finding that South Carolina had the lowest scores in the [...]

Improved Access No Excuse for Lower Scores: How S.C. Compares to Other States

Download the PDF. Last week, the S.C. Department of Education almost suggested the state’s second-lowest-in-the-nation SAT score was excused by increased participation rates. At the very least, let’s  say they focused on increased “access,” instead of addressing why the  state’s scores fell for the second year in a row. As we responded: More access to [...]