Molding Children into Productive Adults Because there were 4.3 million US births during 2007 – the largest total since 1957 – enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools is forecast to increase 5% from 2011 to 2023, while the private school enrollment forecast is a 7% decrease. According to a 2015 National Alliance for Public Charter Schools survey of parents, more than 70% would like a charter school to open in their neighborhood, and 30% would be interested in their child attending a charter school. The number of Catholic schools continues to decline, with 86 of them consolidated or closed during 2015, compared to 14 new schools. Elementary schools had a net loss of 43; the secondary school count remained the same as 2014.

Healthy Cross-Cultural Experiences Not only will the high school class of 2025 be the largest ever, but also the most diverse, as European Americans will account for 51%, compared to 73% during 1995 and 57% during 2012. For the period 1995–2025, the proportion of Latino Americans in the class of 2025 will reach 25%, compared to 9% during 1995; Asian Americans will account for 8%, compared to 4% during 1995; African Americans, 14% and 13%, respectively. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, 86% of Latino American parents and 79% of African American parents considered a college degree either very or extremely important, compared to 67% of European American parents.

Public Universities Remain Strong According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, total college enrollments in all measured sectors for fall 2015 decreased 1.7%, compared to a 1.3% decrease for the fall 2014 class. The only increase was among 4-year public colleges, at 0.4%, while 4-year for-profit enrollment decreased 13.7%, following a 0.4% decrease for fall 2014 and a 9.7% decrease for fall 2013. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest data, 70.9% of 2014 African American high school graduates were enrolled in college, the highest percentage ever.

Technical and Trade School Trends With the average cost of a traditional 4-year college degree in the US at $127,000, more high school graduates are choosing 2-year technical or trade educations since most of the resulting jobs cannot be outsourced to other countries. By comparison, two years of vocational training costs an average of $33,000, and graduates start earning an average of $35,720 for an entry-level position two years sooner than a college graduate whose average entry-level income is $46,900. With many US manufacturing, mining and energy industries jobs either declining and/or being moved overseas, more unemployed workers in these occupations are turning to computer coding training and other computer career education.

Independence in the Internet Classroom According to The Learning House and Aslanian Market Research’s Online College Students 2015 report, approximately 75% of online students want additional education to change careers, obtain a job, earn a promotion or improve their skills. Although the appeal of online, or distance, education is attending classes remotely, 50% of students live within 50 miles of the school, and 65% are located within 100 miles. The largest group of online students, 30%, is working towards one of three degrees: business administration, nursing and computer science.

Advertising Strategies With the closure or contraction of so many for-profit colleges and schools, those that remain have the opportunity to promote their credibility and become the dominant brand in their market area. Daytime TV advertising has proven to be the prime daypart for many technical, trade and community colleges and schools. These institutions should also consider early morning news to reach young adult viewers who may be employed, but want additional education. Many colleges and schools have used testimonial commercials with students and employers successfully, but in light of the issues with for-profit institutions, testimonial commercials should now focus on affordability and long-term employment beyond the entry-level hire.

New Media Strategies Social media can be used to showcase the stories of recent graduates for a number of years, posting regular updates, photos and videos to show that they were hired and continue to work “legitimate” jobs and are advancing on a meaningful career path. The brand-ambassador concept is a viable marketing strategy for colleges and schools. A cross-section of students shares their educational experiences in words and visuals to make a more personal, human connection between the school and potential students. Invite high school seniors/graduates, their parents and other adults seeking new skills to submit questions about the school or post- secondary education via video, which school officials, students and faculty answer on video to create a video-driven FAQ repository.