The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) and the League for Innovation in the Community College today announced the first 15 partnerships for the College and Career Transitions Initiative, a program designed to ease student transitions between high schools and postsecondary education and to improve academic performance at both levels.

"This project will begin to help smooth the transition from high school to college by setting a clear path to success for students through programs of study linked to high demand, high-wage career fields," said U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige.

Each partnership is comprised of a community college, high school and two employers.

Working together, they will expand and develop model transition strategies and rigorous programs of study and that are intended to result in substantial positive outcomes for students, such as increased academic and skill achievement, greater enrollment and persistence in postsecondary education, higher postsecondary degree or certificate attainment, increased entry into employment, and a decreased need for remediation at the postsecondary level.

Funded by OVAE, the project supports the principles established in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 by investing in strategies to:

• Close the achievement gap;

• Create meaningful education options that help students with diverse backgrounds reach uniformly high standards; and

• Ensure that students attain these high standards at each level of their educational careers.

The 15 partnerships, organized by occupational area, are led by the following institutions:

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Central Piedmont Community College (NC)
Southwestern Oregon Community College (OR)
Corning Community College (NY)

HEALTH SCIENCE
Miami-Dade Community College (FL)
Northern Virginia Community College (VA)
Ivy Tech State College (IN)

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Maricopa Community College (AZ)
Ann Arundel Community College (MD)
Lorain County Community College (OH)

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH
Sinclair Community College (OH)
St. Louis Community College (MO)
Lehigh Carbon Community College (PA)

LAW, PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
San Diego Community College District (CA)
Prince George's Community College (MD)
Fox Valley Technical College (WI)

To support the site partnerships, the League for Innovation in the Community College will also collaborate with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD), the Chauncey Group International, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), and the University of Texas at Austin's Community College Leadership Program (CCLP).

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