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1/26/2012
The Public Education Network (PEN) recently announced a plan for grassroots local education funds (LEFs) in low-income and minority communities throughout the nation to increase the numbers of college- and career-ready high school students by 100,000 by 2013. This work is an effort by community-based LEFs, working with school districts and other partners, to increase U.S. college enrollment and completion rates, which have fallen behind those of 15 other developed countries.
The initiative will ensure that more low-income and minority students in danger of academic and workforce failure have the capacity to succeed in college and careers. LEFs improve school district capacity and build public support for public education through their work with public officials, school districts, higher education, business and other public and private sector organizations. With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PEN is partnering with its LEFs to increase the number of prepared youth through methods such as:
PEN, an America’s Promise Partner, aims to educate the public to demand and mobilize resources for quality public education. PEN and its network of local education funds, which serve eight million students, works to break down academic, financial, and information barriers to college access and success, and seeks to enhance the prospects of low-income young people being prepared for college or career.