[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10682-S10683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DeMINT (for himself and Mr. Obama):
  S. 3995. A bill to provide education opportunity grants to low-income 
secondary school students; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I rise to speak about legislation that I 
am introducing today along with the Senator from Illinois, Mr. Obama. 
At this time of year, with much bitter partisanship, I really am 
pleased to work with Senator Obama for something that we think is 
important to the country.
  The Education Opportunity Act is a bill that would significantly 
expand college-level opportunities for low-income high school students 
and teach these students that success in school can mean success in 
life.
  In the fast-paced, technologically advanced global economy of the 
21st century, old distinctions between high school and college are 
becoming obsolete. For our students to succeed in tomorrow's workplace, 
we must be innovative and allow more choices of study today.
  As we look toward reauthorizing No Child Left Behind, I believe it is 
important to examine what has worked and where students are still 
falling between the cracks. While we have expanded advanced placement 
classes, what we call AP classes, through the President's Advanced 
Placement Incentives Program, I believe we are missing another vital 
avenue to increase college-level opportunities for low-income students. 
That is why I am proud to work together with Senator Obama to establish 
education opportunity grants for high school students.
  Our bill is similar to the Federal Pell grant program, which funds 
need-based aid that does not have to be repaid by the students. These 
grants could be made available for classes at community colleges or 
universities that would admit a high school student to enroll in 
classes. These grant scholarships will help keep our high school 
students in school by raising their expectations and showing them that 
they can do college-level work. They could also accumulate college-
level credits while still in high school.
  Our national dropout rate is at record highs, and it is on the rise. 
In my own home State of South Carolina, high school students are 
dropping out at an alarming rate, with half of all students failing to 
complete high school in 4 years. It is no secret that most of these at-
risk students are from low-income families.
  Currently, there are only two ways high school students can gain 
college credit. They either take the AP classes at high school or 
participate in dual enrollment programs. Some high schools, 
particularly those with a high percentage of low-income students, are 
not able to offer advanced placement classes, and students are required 
to forgo college classes that they might want to take because their 
families can't afford to foot the bill. The result is that students 
with great promise who happen to come from disadvantaged families lose 
interest in a school that does not offer classes tailored to their 
talents and interests.
  Senator Obama and I believe if we expose students to the hundreds of 
classes available at their local colleges, some of which are listed on 
the chart behind me, many students who are not excited about high 
school world history classes will, instead, discover that they are 
interested in computer science or marketing and can learn a skill that 
they can see will directly apply to a future job.
  Make no mistake, traditional classes in biology, English, and history 
are important. But if a student drops out because they don't have the 
flexibility to also pursue more nontraditional avenues, those classes 
do not do them any good.
  Education opportunity grants are a cost-effective way to educate 
students by utilizing the preexisting infrastructure already available 
at local colleges. I believe this will show many students that a 
college degree is attainable and that they will be better prepared to 
start college or enter the workforce with marketable skills as a high 
school graduate.
  As I mentioned before, I believe it is critical that we do a better 
job accommodating the needs of all our students and continue to create 
opportunities for each young person to learn in ways that make sense to 
them and have direct application to their goals in life.
  This legislation is one more valuable option for our educational 
system to empower students and parents with choices and the ability to 
follow an educational path that meets their individual needs.

[[Page S10683]]

  It is time we stopped forcing our kids to fit our educational system 
and, instead, force our educational system to fit our kids. That is the 
only way that success in school will mean success in life.
  I thank Senator Obama and his great staff for working with my office 
on this important legislation, and I look forward to working with the 
Senator from Wyoming, Mr. Enzi, and the Senator from Massachusetts, 
Ranking Member Kennedy, to make this legislation a reality.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague from 
South Carolina, Senator Jim DeMint, in introducing the Education 
Opportunity Act.
  We often hear that many students who graduate from high school are 
not ready for the academic rigors of college. This is especially 
problematic for students from low-income families. For these students 
to succeed in the transition to college, they must have opportunity, 
and a continuity of classroom experiences that prepare them for 
success. Academic rigor in a high school curriculum is essential in 
establishing the momentum necessary for a student to progress toward a 
bachelor's degree.
  The unfortunate fact is that not all students have access to a 
challenging high school curriculum. Low-income students are often 
disadvantaged by a lack of rigorous courses in their high school, 
especially in subjects such as the advanced mathematics courses that 
are so important for college success. Universities and community 
colleges have increasingly provided such courses to high school 
students. But the cost of such classes can be a barrier to low-income 
students, who are the very students most likely to be enrolled in high 
schools that provide the most limited access to challenging college 
preparatory curricula.
  This legislation will provide a program for grant support to allow 
thousands of students with limited exposure to college-level programs 
in their high schools to earn college credit at their local university 
or community college. I urge my colleagues to join us in extending 
opportunities for college success to deserving low-income high school 
students.
                                 ______