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	Vol.7, No 41, November 8, 1999
	Conference discusses college preparation By Elyse Medlin Daily Forty-Niner Children often miss out on the opportunity of attending college because of barriers such as poverty, inadequate nutrition and inequities in education, said Laura Rendon, endowed chairwoman of the Cal State Long Beach College of Education. Educators gathered Friday afternoon to discuss serious educational issues during the ninth annual education institute, sponsored by the College of Education. This year's theme, "Democratic Access," focused on preparing students for college and creating "student-prepared colleges," as well. "It's all about how we can better prepare students for college and how we can better prepare the college environment to receive these students," said Kay Goddard, director of CSULB's Center for Collaboration in Education. Students' preparation for college needs to begin as early as possible. Teachers should instill the notion of college eligibility in elementary school children, Rendon said. "Twelfth grade is too late to begin thinking about college," Rendon said. Rendon also pointed out that students who come from a background of poverty do not understand the nature of higher education. Therefore they are not prepared to compete with students of higher economic status. "While they may enroll in a college, they end up taking remedial courses, which means they are always behind," Rendon said. In addition, impoverished students may experience culture shock or even racism and discrimination, Rendon said. Educators should encourage all students to enroll in college preparatory classes and set high expectations for those students in a creative, caring and encouraging environment, she said. "There are many students who come to the CSU system who believe they are not college material, even if they got straight A's in high school," Rendon said. President Robert Maxson said he has great respect for educators of all grade levels and in every institution. "You serve students," Maxson told educators at the seminar. "You help students be better than they were when you found them." Teachers can better their students by seeking to transform institutional behaviors and attitudes, giving students real choice and documenting progress through assessment, Rendon said. "We can instill in all students the possibility that the dream of going to college is a realizable goal," she said.		Vets celebrated in L.B.   Black issues explored   Campus art museum receives gift   Professors show their works at seventh annual book fair   Asthmatic children compete at CSULB   Conference discusses college preparation Boxing fights fixed   Customer service not any help Ash creates a simple Brit-pop masterpiece   Live falls short of credibility Team gets two wins   Basketball teams get feet wet   Women's volleyball team prepares for showdown against Pacific Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.