CPE is working with its partners to help more high school students apply to college and make a successful postsecondary transition.

Commonwealth Education Continuum: CPE continued to facilitate the Commonwealth Education Continuum (CEC), a P-20 initiative that promotes statewide conversations and actions among P-12 education, higher education and workforce leaders aimed at strengthening Kentucky's education pipeline. Workgroups are focused on four areas in 2024: postsecondary affordability, K-12 educator workforce, P-20 competency framework and advising and transitional support.

Dual Credit and Early Postsecondary Opportunities: CPE recently overhauled its dual credit policy, which now includes a 2030 statewide goal for 50% of Kentucky high school graduates to complete a dual credit course with a grade of “C” or higher. CPE staff held monthly webinars on dual credit, created and continuously improved an Early Postsecondary Opportunities Toolkit and provided numerous onsite workshops throughout the year.

The Great Admissions Redesign: In early 2024, Lumina Foundation named CPE one of seven winners of The Great Admissions Redesign, a competition to revolutionize the admissions process and increase accessibility to higher education for all students. Led by CPE's Student Success Collaborative (KYSSC), the agency received $150,000 to address long-standing barriers and untapped potential in admissions and financial aid processes. The project also includes an artificial intelligence (AI) webinar series, open to the public, examining opportunities to use AI to shore up campus capacity and streamline the admissions process.

■ Equitable and Accelerated Pathways: In 2023, CPE joined a national initiative called “Launch: Equitable and Accelerated Pathways for All.” CPE leads ten state agency partners in expanding access to high-quality and equitable college and career pathways for all learners. In the first year of implementation, staff conducted equity analyses and needs assessments; participated in cross-state curated academies for each focus area (policy, data, partnerships, and funding); convened stakeholder focus groups and created a strategic action plan to increase access and equity for all in the areas of “credentials of value” and “seamless transitions.” ■ Summer Bridge Programs: CPE awarded over $325,000 in campus grants in 2024 for summer bridge programs, which bring rising first-year students to campus before the fall semester to improve their academic preparation. Grants (supported through federal ARPA funds) were awarded through a competitive RFP process based on specific criteria, including an independent evaluation of effectiveness and impact. In 2024, 27 campuses received up to $15,000 each.

Summer Bridge Programs: CPE awarded over $325,000 in campus grants in 2024 for summer bridge programs, which bring rising first-year students to campus before the fall semester to improve their academic preparation. Grants (supported through federal ARPA funds) were awarded through a competitive RFP process based on specific criteria, including an independent evaluation of effectiveness and impact. In 2024, 27 campuses received up to $15,000 each.

■ Advising Outreach: Over the past year, KAA produced monthly podcasts, webinars and other advising content through social media channels, as well as facilitating in-person professional learning sessions across the state. KAA has supported over 80% of K-12 public school districts while also garnering good participation from public two-year and four-year institutions. Through a partnership with the Education Strategy Group (ESG), KAA launched an online postsecondary advising toolkit to support educators serving in advising roles. The toolkit includes the newly created Kentucky Postsecondary Advising Framework. Additionally, KAA awarded mini-grants, reimbursable up to $5,000, to 17 Kentucky K-12 public schools and area technology centers to increase students' access to postsecondary opportunities, assist in student readiness for college enrollment and build the essential skills necessary for college and career success. Successful proposals supported college campus visits, family postsecondary awareness nights, activities to help students transition from high school to college and more.

GEAR UP Kentucky (GUK): GUK served nearly 6,000 students in 12 school districts and nine partner postsecondary institutions in 2022-23, with a central goal of improving successful transitions between secondary and postsecondary education. Program staff provided over 18,000 hours of student advising, 19,000 hours of college and career readiness curricula and 1,910 hours of student leadership development programs. To provide early exposure to a postsecondary campus, 840 middle and high school students participated in a college visit, and 36 students attended a residential GUK Summer Academy at Morehead State University, where they completed three hours of free college credit. As a result, GUK saw significant gains in key outcomes over the previous year, including a five percentage-point increase in FAFSA completion, a ten percentage-point increase in college applications and a four percentage-point increase in college enrollment. GUK's program-wide average graduation rate exceeded the statewide rate for the fifth year in a row.