 |
| . |
Cal Poly Pomona is working with the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) and the California State University to improve the college admission rate of underserved students through a three-year parent involvement program at 15 local schools.
“The CSU partnership with PIQE is significant because it adds to many other efforts to help improve the public school system,” says CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. ”Improving the states public K-12 schools is critical to the future of California and quality of the Cal State system, since we expect that many of those students ultimately enroll at a CSU campus.”
PIQE provides a nine-week parent involvement program that teaches parents of preschool through high school students how to navigate the school system, assess their children's academic progress, and understand requirements for admission to a four-year university. Since 1987, PIQE has graduated more than 350,000 parents in California from 15 language groups.
“Without question, empowered parents impact student success,” says President Michael Ortiz. “Higher education can play an important role with parents and the K-12 community, by helping to prepare and assimilate those students for life in college and beyond.”
CSU Chancellor Reed has pledged $75,000 to PIQE over a three-year period to serve 15 schools in the Cal Poly Pomona campus service area. PIQE will match his pledge and leveraged private contributions to meet the program cost. The host schools will cover a portion of the program costs. The project agreement provides that each child of a PIQE graduate will receive a college ID that reserves them a space at the university if they meet the minimum admission requirements when they graduate from high school.
David Valladolid, president and chief executive officer of PIQE, says “PIQE is committed to expand its outreach to parents throughout California. The special offer by CSU of a college identification card for all the children of PIQE graduates will greatly enhance the success of our recruitment of parents. It will send families the profound message that a spot awaits their children in college if they study hard and meet the admission requirements.”