adult education transitions in wisconsin: fixing the leaky pipeline

Jessa ValentineCenter on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS)

WPFP ConferenceJune 30, 2010

Adult Education Transitions in Wisconsin:

Fixing the Leaky Pipeline

Staying Out of the Weeds

Continually steer analysis towards policy and practice questions you want answered

Think about the story you want to tell and the most effective, politically possible approach to reporting data

Keep an eye to institutionalization

Why A Pipeline Analysis?

Policy agenda: Better understand and improve key adult transitions (between adult education/postsecondary, between postsecondary/workforce)

Provide a baseline for thinking about ways to improve policy and practice

Evaluate effectiveness of career pathways and bridge programs

Help persuade policy makers of need for increased investments

RISE Initiative

Shifting Gears, Joyce Foundation

Co-leads: Wisconsin Technical College System and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Increase the number of adults who earn postsecondary credentials related to high-demand occupations

Strategy: Career Pathways and Bridges

RISE Strategic Focus Areas

DataFoundational data“Pipeline Analysis” inspired by

WA work and assisted by CCRC (Davis Jenkins)

Stakeholder Engagement

Policy Change

Wisconsin RISE Target Population

Adults 25-54 without 2- or 4-yr college credential or not proficient in English

1.4 million

Who worked last year 1.3 million

Who made less than WI median wage ($15.11)

695,000

Source: American Community Survey, 2007

Why Focus on Adult Transitions?

Educational Attainment of Adults Ages

25-54 by Race and Ethnicity, Wisconsin, 2008

White Black LatinoNo high school diploma or equivalent 5% 19% 38%High school diploma/GED only 31% 34% 28%Some post secondary education (no degree) 23% 26% 18%Asssociate degree or higher 41% 22% 16%

Source: Working Poor Families Project, ACS 2008

Differences with Existing Analysis

Focus on older adults (25+)Measure progress irrespective of goalsFocus on completion and long-term

outcomesLink

inputs (enrollments, credits)outputs (completions)outcomes (employment, earnings, further

education)Identify key transition points meaningful to

student success – momentum points

Preliminary Data Set

Population: Students who wereFirst-time in WTCS in FY 200025+ years of ageNo prior postsecondary education

Student groupsESL, ABE, Developmental/Remedial,

Postsecondary

Observation window: 2000-2008

Student Progress Data(Sources for Momentum Points)

# of ABE and ELL credits# of Developmental/Remedial credits# of Postsecondary creditsEnrollment in a postsecondary programCompletion of a postsecondary programCompletion of 12 or more postsecondary

credits

Students Who Eventually Enroll In A Postsecondary Program

Who Are White ABEDev/Rem

Postsec

% of all students 64.9 88.5 83.9

% of students who enroll in program

71.4 89.1 83.7

Students Who Eventually Enroll In A Postsecondary Program

Who Have HS Diploma or Equivalent

ABEDev/Rem

Postsec

% of all students 51.3 87.2 92.6

% of students who enroll in program

77.5 94.0 93.2

Credits Taken  

ESL ABE Dev/Rem Postsec

 100%

(2,615)100%

(9,237)100%

(1,223)100%

(10,988)

1 to less than 3 ESL 42.3      

More than 6 ESL 35.1      

1 to less than 3 ABE 12.5 57.7    

More than 6 ABE 8.9 17.8    

1 to less than 3 D/R 1.4 7.5 77.0  

More than 6 Dev/Rem 0.7 1.9 4.2  

3 or more PS 6.8 29.1 56.5 82.4       

Enrolled postsec program

3.8 23.4 52.8 45.2

 Ever Enrolled in Program

ABE Dev/Rem Postsec

  100 (2,158) 100 (645) 100 (4,972)

Took 3 or more college credits 96.6 96.0 97.3

Completed 12 or more college credits 80.6 83.7 62.5

Completed apprenticeship or short-term program

13.8 13.8 25.5

Obtained technical diploma 10.2 12.6 6.8

Obtained applied AD 21.6 27.1 14.3

Obtained any PS credential 45.9 53.7 46.9

ABE Students100

23.4

10.7

0

20

40

60

80

100

Total Enrolled in a program Completed apprenticeship or short-term voc program, 1 or 2 year technical diploma, or

Associate Degree

Perc

ent

89%: no diploma or degree

Developmental/ Remedial Students

100

52.8

28.4

0

20

40

60

80

100

Total Enrolled in a program Completed apprenticeship or short-term voc program, 1 or 2 year technical diploma, or

Associate Degree

Perc

ent

72%: no diploma or degree

Post-Secondary Students

100

45.2

21.2

0

20

40

60

80

100

Total Enrolled in a program Completed apprenticeship or short-term voc program, 1 or 2 year technical diploma, or

Associate Degree

Perc

ent

79%: no diploma or degree

Current Data Analysis

District-level analysis and comparison to state

18-24 year olds includedFull-time versus part-time student statusAdditional momentum points (e.g.,

college level “gatekeeper” math and English)

Next (Ongoing) Steps‘Roll out’ new data and gain buy-in from key groups:

state and district level

Incorporate selected measures into existing performance measurement systems

Connect to wage data from UI

Link to WIA to track these participants’ education outcomes

Codify Bridges and Pathway ‘chunks’ to track them in future data analysis

Key Lessons

Maintain focus on policy questions of interest (low-income working adults, transitions, outcomes)

Consider existing relationships and best approach for accessing data (trusted outsider, trusted insider, politically-powerful outsider)

Be mindful of appropriate internal versus external products, and develop compelling story line for each

Key Lessons

While you build it, work with what you haveIf you build it, they won’t necessarily come

(Even the best data system and the best data analysis is useless without stakeholder engagement and buy-in)

Cultivate an internal championHave an exit strategy!—focus on replicable

process

RISE: Pathways through EducationM A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 0

Upcoming Data Pipeline Study Release“The Shifting Gears program places an important

emphasis on using data to improve educational attainment for low-skill adult learners. To this end, the WTCS and UW-COWS have been working to build a ‘pipeline’ data system that improves our ability to track the educational trajectory of low-skill adults through technical college education. This work will lead to a better understanding of how successfully technical college students navigate key educational transitions that lead to successful outcomes. Results of the pipeline analysis will be widely shared with technical college audiences this summer.”

Data Makes People Uncomfortable

Data Makes People Pay Attention

Thanks and feel free to contact

Jessa Valentine608-263-9984jessa@cows.orgwww.cows.org