National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1090

For Immediate Release

Webcast Focuses on Successful Strategies for Preparing Under-Performing 
High School Students for College Success

The National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education will 
present a webcast entitled "Preparing Under-Performing High School Students 
for College Success" on September 26, 2005, 3:00 to 4:30 PM (EDT). This 
interactive event, and previous webcasts, can be viewed on any computer 
with Internet access at http://www.nccte.org.

As we enter a new era of higher standards, challenging tests, and more 
rigorous curricula, we must do all we can to ensure more students graduate 
from high school. In order to succeed in the 21st century, students must be 
both college- and job-ready. This webcast will focus on early/middle 
college programs designed to improve the rate of college enrollment and 
reduce the need for remediation among under-performing high school 
graduates in Denver and its southwest suburbs. The webcast will examine the 
origins of two innovative programs and how students have responded to them.

Early/middle college programs in the Denver suburbs involve a consortium 
that includes Warren Technical High School, an area career center serving 
20 high schools, and Red Rocks Community College (RRCC). The consortium is 
coordinating the development of a statewide model of 
secondary/postsecondary career and technical education articulation. The 
model's anticipated outcomes include replicable strategies that have been 
documented nationally to reduce remediation-particularly among underserved 
students.

In the metropolitan Denver area, there are three high schools that have 
partnered with the Community College of Denver (CCD). Junior students may 
choose among high-demand career fields (including engineering, information 
technology, health, multimedia, and teacher education). Enrolled in 
college-level mathematics, English, and economics on the participating 
community college campuses while still in high school, students can earn up 
to six transferable college credits each semester. This affords the 
potential for students to complete their first year of college in their 
chosen career pathway prior to high school graduation. The Colorado Common 
Course Numbering System ensures that credits earned through the community 
college system are transferable to Colorado public four-year institutions.

The presenters for this webcast are Sherrie Schneider and Dianne Cyr. 
Schneider is Vice President of Instruction at RRCC. Prior to her current 
position, she was the Director of Leadership and Career and Technical 
Education Program Development for the Colorado Community College System (CCCS).

Schneider has 28 years of career and technical education teaching and 
administrative experience at the secondary, community college, university, 
and state department levels. She holds a bachelor's degree in vocational 
education from Colorado State University (CSU) and a master's degree in 
educational administration from CSU. Schneider will receive her doctoral 
degree in human resource development/educational administration from CSU 
this summer.

Cyr served two years as Associate Vice President for Learning and Academic 
Affairs, CCD prior to her retirement in 2003. She concurrently functioned 
as Dean of the Center for Learning Outreach, a position assumed in 1999. In 
addition to working closely with the Vice President for Learning and 
Academic Affairs, Cyr was responsible for the coordination of CCD's branch 
campuses and all nontraditional credit-bearing learning programs. She 
earned her master's degree in educational administration and supervision 
from CSU, Ft. Collins and her bachelor's degree in business management from 
Regis University, Denver. She also earned an associate's degree from RRCC.

Viewers of the webcast may ask questions of the panel by signing up (no 
charge) for a chatroom account at http://www.nccte.org. The chatroom allows 
you to submit questions during the presentation. Please allow one full day 
for your account to be validated by e-mail confirmation.

To subscribe or unsubscribe from this e-mail list, please visit this web 
page: http://www.nccte.org/ctemail/subscription.asp or send an e-mail to 
nagy.8 at osu.edu or contact Barbara Reardon below.

The work reported herein was supported under the National Dissemination 
Center for Career and Technical Education (PR/Award No. VO51A990004) and/or 
under the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education 
(PR/Award No. VO51A990006), as administered by the Office of Vocational and 
Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education. However, the contents do not 
necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Office of Vocational 
and Adult Education or the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not 
assume endorsement by the federal government. The National Dissemination 
Center for Career and Technical Education and the National Research Center 
for Career and Technical Education are funded by the Office of Vocational 
and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.

For Additional Information Contact:
Barbara Reardon
The Ohio State University
Director of Communications
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1090
Phone: 614-292-2894
Fax: 614-688-3258
Email: reardon.30 at osu.edu
Web site: www.nccte.org