[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 105 (Thursday, July 28, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S9292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mrs. Clinton):
  S. 1526. A bill to provide education to students in grades 7 through 
12 about the importance of higher education; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to 
introduce the Roads to Success Act of 2005, which is legislation 
designed to expand higher educational and career opportunities for 
American students. There is no doubt as to the benefit of receiving a 
post-secondary education. The level of education that individuals 
accumulate has an important influence on their experience in the labor 
market. According to 2002 U.S. Census Bureau statistics on educational 
attainment and earnings, the mean earnings of men with a bachelor's 
degree is $63,354, while the mean earnings of men with a high school 
degree is $32,363. This is a difference of more than $30,000 or 97 
percent.
  In recent years, there have been clear signs that more Americans are 
pursuing higher education opportunities. In June 2002, USA Today 
reported that 63 percent of high school graduates go to college 
immediately after graduation, the highest percentage in U.S. history. 
Yet not all of the news on college graduation rates has been good. Only 
18 percent of African Americans and 11 percent of Hispanic high school 
graduates earn a bachelor's degree by their late twenties, compared to 
33 percent of whites according to the National Center for Education 
Statistics, NCES, in 2001. Further, in 2000, NCES reported that 22 
percent of low-income, college qualified high school graduates do not 
pursue post-secondary education, compared to 4 percent of high-income 
graduates.
  As I travel through Pennsylvania, I still hear from too many middle 
school and high school students that they do not have the preparation 
necessary to enroll in higher education institutions. On a trip to the 
Commonwealth, I joined Andrew McKelvey--the founder of the McKelvey 
Foundation--to announce Federal funding for entrepreneurial 
scholarships to rural, low-income Pennsylvania high school graduates. 
During that trip, I had a frank discussion with Mr. McKelvey regarding 
the need to not only ensure access to funding for students to pursue 
higher education, but the need to inform students about the importance 
of higher education, as well as prepare students for the application 
process.
  The bill I am introducing today, the ``Roads to Success Act of 
2005'', will help to educate middle school and high school students in 
grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, about higher education and career 
opportunities. This bill will create a program which will provide 
students with access to information on higher education and career 
development, and prepare students with the skills necessary to plan for 
higher education. The availability of information on higher education 
opportunities makes an enormous difference to students contemplating 
continuing their education at the undergraduate level.
  My legislation will authorize a grant to Roads to Success, a 
nonprofit educational organization, to develop a core curriculum to be 
taught in the classroom to equip middle and high school students with 
the appropriate skills and knowledge to pursue post-secondary education 
and their career goals. Given the importance of higher education, it 
makes sense to prepare students for the undergraduate process as part 
of their class instruction to ensure that all students have access to 
the necessary information to attain their objectives. To this end, 
middle schools and high schools participating in the program will 
dedicate one hour each week of their classroom activity to higher 
education and career preparation of students utilizing the core 
curriculum.
  Additionally, I seek to create a network of intensive academic 
support for students by encouraging public-private partnerships to 
emphasize the importance of higher education and career development. 
Partnerships with private entities create a unique opportunity for 
middle schools and high schools to supplement and enhance the core 
curriculum by offering appropriate enrichments, including guest 
speakers, videos and web-based services. For example, through these 
partnerships, middle school and high school students will gain first-
hand knowledge of the skills that businesses are seeking by having the 
opportunity to speak with business leaders, as well as perhaps tour 
local facilities. This will underscore the significance and importance 
of higher education for students as they embark on their future career 
paths.
  To implement this initiative, my bill will authorize $10 million 
annually for fiscal years 2006 through 2011, for Roads to Success to 
develop a core curriculum which has as its cornerstone increasing 
awareness of the importance of higher education, developing career 
awareness, building life skills, and providing education planning to 
students. Under this legislation, Roads to Success will award subgrants 
to five State educational agencies to offer higher education 
preparation programs using the core curriculum in middle and high 
schools with historically low rates of student application and 
admission to post-secondary institutions.
  It is my sincere hope that this act will ensure that students who 
wish to enroll in a higher education institution will have access to 
the tools and resources necessary to help them plan for undergraduate 
study. We must take this step to encourage students to pursue their 
educational and career goals--especially those who might not otherwise 
have this opportunity. I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring 
this act, and urge its swift adoption.
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