As the country continues to face tough economic challenges, policymakers at the state level are searching for creative ways to promote student achievement and college completion. With that in mind, on July 28 — as the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) held a working session to discuss the implementation of the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 (CCTA) — the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, along with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), hosted a College Completion Agenda: State Capitals Campaign event to discuss counselors as a key resource in college completion.

Tennessee has made increasing the number of students who graduate from college a top priority and has implemented a number of key programs to help educate all students. The CCTA makes Tennessee a national leader in the effort to not only enroll more students in postsecondary education but also to develop systematic reforms to support student persistence and graduation. Under the leadership of the THEC,   the CCTA has successfully transitioned into the implementation phase.

“As a nation, we must continue to impress upon our students the importance of education, particularly higher education,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “I am so pleased to see Tennessee take a leading role in this effort, and I am proud that the College Board and the State Capitals Campaign can help support this state and its thousands of hard-working students.”

Presenters at the event included:

• Richard Rhoda, Executive Director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC)
• Jenny Oren Krugman, Vice President, Southern Region, The College Board
• Patricia Martin, Assistant Vice President, National Office for School Counselor Advocacy, The College Board
• Ann Cumbie, Director of School Counseling, Metro Nashville Public Schools

"While the Complete College Tennessee Act very directly set in motion a series of completion reforms, the higher education community continues to pursue additional dimensions that contribute to student success. It takes a lot of people and a lot of dedication to get a student to and through college. Today's presentation is an opportunity to highlight the critically important area of student counseling and its role in student readiness for navigating college,” said THEC Executive Director Richard Rhoda. “We appreciate the College Board and services it offers, and the organization’s deep knowledge of student academic performance makes it a significant partner as we continue to implement college completion initiatives in Tennessee."

Based on the 10 recommendations included in The College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report, the State Capitals Campaign is a yearlong, multistate effort to mobilize the nation to increase the proportion of Americans who hold a postsecondary degree by 2025.

The campaign includes a series of high-profile events in 2011 — roundtables, town hall meetings and summits — that bring together policymakers, educators, community and business leaders, media, students, and concerned citizens, all with the common goal of improving college completion rates by 2025. The first stop on the State Capitals Campaign was Maryland. Some of the upcoming state capital events will include visits to Florida, Massachusetts, New York and Texas.