Local business communities support the programs in many ways. Engaging college-bound high school students in learning usually presents relatively few challenges. Many students are essentially self-motivated, aware that their grades go a long way in determining which institution of higher learning they will attend and knowledgeable about how much a college degree improves later career possibilities and lifelong earnings.
Educators confront greater difficulty in motivating such students.
Now, however, some states offer special programs aimed at that student population. More than 200 school districts have Texas Scholars programs, representing roughly 35 percent of Texas high school students. More than one-third of the high schools in Arkansas participate in the Arkansas Scholars program, based on the one in Texas. A similar program, Achievement Counts , is up and running in Maryland. These three scholars programs focus on two major goals.