opportunity

A Denver Post commentary summarizing the findings of the Bell Policy Center's 2005 State of Opportunity Report.

This study, sponsored by the Colorado Department of Education???s Center for At-Risk Education, utilized available data to examine the relationships between adult educational attainment, the Bell Policy Center's Gateways of Opportunity, and academic achievement of students.

A Boulder Daily Camera commentary summarizing the findings of the Bell Policy Center's "Opportunity Lost" report, which found: Coloradans work hard, but too many working folks struggle to get by; education and skills are the best predictors of whether hard work pays off; and Colorado does not invest enough in services that help adults improve their job skills.

Blueprint for Opportunity: Issues that matter Ideas that work - A guide for Colorado candidates and voters in the 2006 election

Increasing the stipend and holding down tuition should be a top priority. We should increase the stipend to at least $3,000 per full-time student in 2007-08 ??? higher if possible. And we should make sure COF keeps pace with inflation after that. Colorado should also double need-based financial aid and work study opportunities.

The state government must examine the complexities of work support programs and create a comprehensive system that increases eligibility limits and phases benefits out gradually to avoid steep financial cliffs for working families.

Colorado is a land of opportunity for many of us ??? a place where those who are willing to work hard and play fair can realize the American Dream. Our task is to extend this promise into the 21st Century.

To make Colorado a land of opportunity for all in the 21st Century, we have to start with education. Our top priority must be preparing our kids to be good citizens and to compete and prosper in a global economy. Everything builds on this foundation.

The Longmont Times-Call reports on the Bell Policy Center's 2006 Blueprint for Opportunity.

DENVER, CO???. Although most Coloradans have access to the kinds of opportunities that enable them to get ahead in life, significant health, educational and economic barriers still stand in the way of far too many families, according to a new report issued by the nonprofit Bell Policy Center.