There are some who think that not much got done in the legislative session that ended last month. Yet, we take pride in a significant piece of education reform that passed with bipartisan support.

This reform could be a powerful tool in reducing Minnesota's achievement gap -- if implemented soon, and effectively. We're talking about the expansion of Minnesota's Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) law to 10th-graders, allowing them to take career/technical courses. We have some concern that this new policy initiative is facing roadblocks in its implementation.

Research helped convince the governor -- and legislators including Republicans such as Pat Garofalo and Sondra Erickson and Democrats like Sandy Pappas and Carlos Mariani -- that this is a good idea. But the program needs to be both publicized and implemented. So far this hasn't happened.

Here's why we think this program is so promising, and what needs to be done soon.

Why? Minnesota Department of Education research shows that graduation rates for Minnesota high school students who have participated in at least 280 hours of career/technical courses during their high school years are significantly higher than the average.

These results are almost double statewide graduation rates for African-American, Hispanic and Native American students.

Many legislators were also impressed by research on dual (high school/college) enrollment courses involving thousands of New York and Florida students. This University of Minnesota study stated,

"Encouraging findings regarding the influence of dual enrollment on the types of students who tend to be less successful in college. Males, low-income students and low achieving high school students all appear to benefit from their participation in dual enrollment to a greater extent than their dual enrollment peers who enter college courses with social, economic and educational advantages."

Furthermore:

"Dual enrollment may well be a strategy for encouraging post-secondary success among students not typically seen as college bound ... dual enrollment can benefit a range of students, not only those who achieve at very high levels in high school. Indeed, dual enrollment may be most beneficial to those students who often are excluded from participation."

This research led the African American Leadership Forum, Growth and Justice, Migizi Communications, MinnCAN, the Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, the Minnesota Council of Gifted and Talented, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the Minnesota Business Partnership and the Center for School Change to support expansion of PSEO.

This was controversial, just as PSEO was when it was pioneered in 1985.

We are concerned that adult opposition is having an impact on the implementation. We've heard from students and families that no information is available about this new program, or that the information that does exist is inaccurate.

One parent wrote, "I have gotten so much conflicting information from so many sources, but I can't seem to find anyone who doesn't start their answer with 'I think ...' " One student reported that college officials told him 10th-graders can't take PSEO.

To be clear, the new Minnesota law says that 10th-graders can take a career/technical course this fall if they have passed Minnesota's eighth-grade reading proficiency exam. If they earn at least a "C," they may continue to take additional courses.

Next steps: Legislators want to give a variety of students who passed the reading exam this option. We don't want to set up students for failure. But given the research, we think PSEO should be available to many students, not just those in the top half of their high school classes. Strong career/technical courses can help motivate students to do better in high school.

Some educators bemoan the loss of "our money" to PSEO. But PSEO's expansion can help reduce the number of dropouts, thus increasing district funds. Moreover, it is our responsibility to allocate money for students' education, not for the preservation of a particular system, whether K-12 or higher education.

The Minnesota State College and University System should immediately tell its members that the program exists. Within 30 days, each campus should publish a list of career/technical courses that 10th-grade students can take.

PSEO's expansion can expand students' opportunities and increase their success.

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Gen Olson and Terri Bonoff are members of the Minnesota Senate. Olson, R-Minnetrista, chairs the K-12 Education Committee. Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, is deputy minority leader and is a member of the Education Committee.