creating a high school diploma that counts: lessons from the american diploma project network new...
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Creating a High School Diploma That Counts: Lessons from the
American Diploma Project Network
New England Board of Higher EducationNovember 29, 2007
2
Jobs in today’s workforce require Jobs in today’s workforce require more education & trainingmore education & training
32%40%
12% 16%9%
31% 28% 32%
0%
20%
40%
60%
High school dropouts High school graduates Some college/ associatedegree
Bachelor's degree &higher
Employment share, 1973 Employment share, 2001
-23%
-9%
+16%+16%
Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. & Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K–16 Reform, Educational Testing Service, 2003.
Change in the distribution of education / skill level in jobs, 1973 v. 2001
3
Freshmen Graduating On Time with a Regular Diploma (2003)
75% 78%82%
70%74% 72%
79%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
U.S. CT ME MA NH RI VT
On-time graduation rates in every New England states exceed the national average
Source: Manhattan Institute, April 2006, Leaving Boys Behind: Public High School Graduation Rates.
4Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 2004: % of 1992 12th graders who entered postsecondary education.
Many college students who need remediation, especially in reading & math, do not earn either an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree.
Percentage not earning degree by type of remedial coursework
76%
63%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Remedial reading Remedial math
Perc
enta
ge o
f co
lleg
e st
uden
tsMost U.S. college students Most U.S. college students required to take remedial required to take remedial courses fail to earn degreescourses fail to earn degrees
5
Too Many Students Graduate from Too Many Students Graduate from High School Unprepared for College High School Unprepared for College
and Workand Work
30% of first year students in postsecondary education are required to take remedial courses
40% - 45% of recent high school graduates report significant gaps in their skills, both in college and the workplace
Faculty estimate 42% of first year students in credit-bearing courses are academically unprepared
Employers estimate 45% of recent high school graduates lack skills to advance
ACT estimates only half of college-bound students are ready for college-level reading
6
American Diploma Project Phase 1: 2002 - 2005
Partnership of Achieve, Education Trust, Fordham Foundation and National Alliance of Business
Initial ADP research study conducted in Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas.
Involved wide variety of K-12, higher education and business representatives.
Examined the work high school graduates do in the college classroom and on the job, and the preparation they needed to do the work.
Identified “must-have” knowledge and skills graduates will need to be successful in college and the workplace.
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American Diploma Project American Diploma Project
The American Diploma Project (ADP) was created to identify the core academic skills necessary for success in postsecondary education and careers.
Research by ADP Sought to identify “must-have” knowledge and skills graduates will
need to be successful in college and the workplace. Found a convergence between the skills that high school graduates need
to be successful in college and those they need to be successful in a job that supports a family and offers career advancement.
Developed ADP benchmarks that include the content and skills all students should have when they graduate high school.
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College Ready = Career ReadyCollege Ready = Career Ready
ADP research found a common core of knowledge & skills in math and English that are necessary for success in postsecondary education and in “good jobs”.
ACT Study Ready for College Ready for Work: Same or Different?: whether planning to enter college or workforce training
programs after graduation, high school students need to be educated to a comparable level of readiness in reading and mathematics.
9
Key findings of ADP researchKey findings of ADP research
In mathematics, graduates need strong computation skills, ability to solve challenging problems, reasoning skills, geometry, data analysis, statistics, and advanced algebra.
In English, graduates need strong reading, writing and oral communication skills equal to four years of grade-level coursework, as well as research and logical reasoning skills.
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The ADP Benchmarks: The ADP Benchmarks: Challenging content for all Challenging content for all studentsstudents
In math: A rigorous four-year
course sequence Content *equivalent to a
sequence that includes Algebra I and II, Geometry, and Data Analysis & Statistics
*can be taught via different pathways
In English: Four courses Content equivalent to
four years of grade-level English or higher with a strong focus on oral and written communication skills and considerable research and analysis
To cover the content in the ADP benchmarks, high school graduates need:
11
American Diploma ProjectAmerican Diploma Project
The expectations gap
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An Expectations GapAn Expectations Gap
We haven’t expected all students to graduate from high school college- and work-ready
State standards reflect consensus about what is desirable, not what is essential
Only 2 states required Algebra II for graduation in 2004
State tests measure 8th and 9th grade knowledge and skills
High school accountability rarely focuses on graduation rates or on college- and work-readiness
13
State high school standards not State high school standards not always anchored in real-world always anchored in real-world expectationsexpectations
In most states, standards reflect a consensus among discipline-based experts about what would be important for young people to learn – not a reflection of what would be essential to know to succeed at the next level.
Few states’ postsecondary faculty & employers have verified that state high school standards reflect their expectations.
14
Students can pass state math tests Students can pass state math tests knowing content typically taught in knowing content typically taught in 7th and 8th grade internationally 7th and 8th grade internationally
7.1
8.68.1
7.4
8.2 8.3
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Inte
rnat
iona
l Gra
de P
lace
men
t
FL MD MA NJ OH TX
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
Grade when most international students cover content required to pass state math tests
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Students tell us there is an expectations gap
16
Most high school graduates were Most high school graduates were moderately challengedmoderately challenged
20%26%24%
53%57%56%
26%
17%20%
High expectations/I was significantlychallenged
Moderateexpectations/ I wassomewhatchallengedLow expectations/pretty easy to slideby
All high school graduates
College students
Students who did not go to college
Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.
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If high school hadIf high school had demanded demanded more, graduates would have more, graduates would have worked harderworked harder
64%
18%
15%
63%
17%
18%
82%80%
Would have worked harder Strongly feel would have worked harder Wouldn’t have worked harder
High school graduates who went to college
High school graduates who did not go to college
Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.
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72%
48%
41%
38%
62%
29%
34%
32%
College studentsStudents who did not go to college
Majority of Majority of graduates would have graduates would have taken harder coursestaken harder courses
Knowing what you know today about the expectations of college/work …
Would have taken more challenging courses in:
Would have taken more challenging courses in at least one area
Math
Science
English
Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.
19
American Diploma ProjectAmerican Diploma Project
What will it take to close the expectations gap?
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ADP Network Policy Agenda Align high school standards and assessments with the
knowledge and skills required for success in postsecondary education and work.
Require all students to take a college- and work-ready curriculum aligned with standards to graduate from high school.
Administer a college- and work-ready assessment, aligned to state standards, to high school students so they get clear and timely information and are able to address critical skill deficiencies while still in high school.
Hold high schools accountable for graduating students who are college ready, and hold postsecondary institutions accountable for their success once enrolled.
21
ADP Network launched at 2005 ADP Network launched at 2005 Summit: 13 states committed to Summit: 13 states committed to improving student preparationimproving student preparation
ID
AZ
UT
MT
WY
NM
CO
AL
SC
TN
KY
INOH
NC
SD
KS
NE
MN
WI
IA
IL
MO
AR
MS
OK
ND
OR
CA NV
WA
TX
PA
VA
NY
CT
WV MD
NJ
VTNH
MA
DE
RI
HI
GA
FL
ME
MI
LA
AK
22
American Diploma Project American Diploma Project NetworkNetwork
Joining the ADP Network requires a commitment to the 4-part ADP Policy Agenda by:
Governor Chief State School Officer State Higher Education System Leaders Business Leadership
23
ADP Network today: ADP Network today: 30 states now committed to 30 states now committed to improving student preparationimproving student preparation
ID
AZ
UT
MT
WY
NM
CO
AL
SC
TN
KY
INOH
NC
SD
KS
NE
MN
WI
IA
IL
MO
AR
MS
OK
ND
OR
CA NV
WA
TX
PA
VA
NY
CT
WV MD
NJ
VTNH
MA
DE
RI
HI
GA
FL
ME
MI
LA
AK
24
American Diploma ProjectAmerican Diploma Project
Progress and Lessons from the ADP Network
25
A growing number of states have A growing number of states have policies that help prepare H.S. policies that help prepare H.S. graduates for college and workgraduates for college and work
3
4
5
8
5
2
6
4
7
8
42
7
21
15
31
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
P-16 longitudinal datasystems
High schools accountablefor college readiness
High school tests used bycolleges
Rigorous graduationcourse requirements
Aligned standards
2006 2007 In process/planned
26
Align high school standards with Align high school standards with the demands of college and workthe demands of college and work
ID
AZ
UT
MT
WY
NM
CO
AL
SC
TN
KY
INOH
NC
SD
KS
NE
MN
WI
IA
IL
MO
AR
MS
OK
ND
OR
CA NV
WA
TX
PA
VA
NY
CT
WVMD
NJDE
GA
FL
LEGEND
Standards aligned - formallyreviewed by Achieve
State reports standards aligned
Alignment in process
Has plans to align standards
HI
AK
VTNH
MA
RI
ME
MI
LA
27
Where do the New England States Stand?
Connecticut reports that it is planning to align its content standards with college- and career-ready expectations.
Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire are in the process of aligning their standards.
Rhode Island’s college- and career ready standards are well aligned with ADP benchmarks
ME
VTNH
MA
CTRI
28
Creating College- and Career-Creating College- and Career-Ready Standards: Key LessonsReady Standards: Key Lessons
Postsecondary education has a critical role to play – without a single, system-wide definition of readiness, high schools won’t know what readiness means
The business and workforce development communities must be involved in defining or validating essential knowledge and skills
“Academic Standards for College and Career” must drive high school curriculum, graduation requirements, assessments, postsecondary placement and other policies and tools.
Anchoring standards in the real world of college and work leads to a high degree of consistency among states
29
Require all students to take a Require all students to take a college- and work-ready curriculumcollege- and work-ready curriculum
ID
AZ
UT
MT
WY
NM
CO
AL
SC
TN
KY
INOH
NC
SD
KS
NE
MN
WI
IA
IL
MO
AR
MS
OK
ND
OR
CA NV
WA
TX
PA
VA
NY
CT
WV MD
NJ
VTNH
MA
DE
RI
HI
GA
FL
ME
MI
LA
AK LEGEND
College- and work-readydiploma in placePlans to Raise GraduationRequirements
30
College- and Career-Ready Core College- and Career-Ready Core CurriculumCurriculum
9 states have made a college- and career-ready core curriculum the default option
6 states have made the core mandatory for all students
Massachusetts is considering a voluntary core curriculum
31
College and Career-Ready Core Curriculum: Key Lessons for States
Course content matters more than course titles Schools can provide a variety of curriculum pathways to
deliver the same content (e.g., integrated math, some CTE programs)
States must pay attention to: Quality and consistency of course content statewide Participation rates in core curriculum – for all
students and by subgroups Successful completion of core curriculum, using end of
course exams or other indicators of student achievement
32
Build college-and work-ready Build college-and work-ready measures into statewide high measures into statewide high school assessment systemsschool assessment systems
Nine states administer high school assessments also used by higher education to place incoming students. End-of-course: one state
New York Comprehensive high school assessments: two states
California and Texas College admissions tests – the ACT or SAT: six states
Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine and Michigan
Twenty-one states report plans to build college- and work-ready assessments into their statewide testing system.
33
Considerations for Using College Considerations for Using College Admissions or Placement Exams Admissions or Placement Exams as High School Testsas High School Tests Exercise Caution When Incorporating Admissions Tests
in Statewide Testing Systems Neither the ACT nor the SAT include the full range of
advanced concepts and skills reflected in the ADP benchmarks and, increasingly, in state high school standards
States need to augment the ACT and SAT with additional test questions or with additional performance measures to ensure stronger alignment with state standards and to assess the more advanced concepts and skills
Use College Placement Tests for Diagnostic Purposes Only – not for school accountability
Consider using end of course tests to tap higher level content and skills
34
Algebra Content on College Algebra Content on College Admissions and Placement TestsAdmissions and Placement Tests
41% 42%
75%
49%
24% 30%
14%
32%
35% 28%11% 19%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
ACT SAT ACCUPLACER COMPASS
Prealgebra Basic algebra Advanced algebra
Note: Totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding.Source: Achieve, Inc., Aligned Expectations: A Closer Look at College Admissions and Placement Tests, 2007
35
California State University Early California State University Early Assessment ProgramAssessment Program
Augments 11 grade standards-based tests to ensure alignment with high school curriculum
Provides early warning signals to students – CSU guarantees placement in credit-bearing courses to students who score well enough, and exempts them from additional placement test
Has led to development of senior-year courses to improve readiness for students who do not score well enough
36
Spring 2006 11th-graders who Spring 2006 11th-graders who volunteered to take CSU’s Early volunteered to take CSU’s Early Assessment Program (EAP) testAssessment Program (EAP) test
Early Assessment of Readiness for College ENGLISH 312,000 11th graders attempted
the EAP items and completed the required essay.
Three quarters of the 420,000 students who took the English California Standards Test (CST).
48,000 (15%) scored “Ready for College”
Early Assessment of Readiness for College MATHEMATICS 137,000 11th graders attempted
the EAP items. Three quarters of the 185,000
students who took the 11th grade Summative Math or Algebra II End-of-Course CST.
16,000 (12%) scored “Ready for College”
An additional 59,000 (43%) scored Conditionally “Ready for College”
37
ADP Algebra II End-of-Course ADP Algebra II End-of-Course ExamExam
Thirteen states are developing an end-of-course exam in Algebra II.
Test content aligned with ADP math benchmarks Purposes of the test:
To ensure consistent content and rigor in Algebra II courses within and among states
To provide for comparisons in performance among the states
To be used for postsecondary placement purposes
Initial test administration in Spring 2008 Additional states will be able to use this exam
38
States participating in a common States participating in a common Algebra II EOC testAlgebra II EOC test
ID
AZ
UT
MT
WY
NM
CO
AL
SC
TN
KY
INOH
NC
SD
KS
NE
MN
WI
IA
IL
MO
AR
MS
OK
ND
OR
CA NV
WA
TX
PA
VA
NY
CT
WV MD
NJ
VTNH
MA
DE
RI
HI
GA
FL
ME
MI
LA
AK
39
Hold high schools accountable for Hold high schools accountable for student preparation and successstudent preparation and success
Ten states factor college and work readiness into the high school accountability system. Increasing the percentage of graduates who complete a
college- and work-ready curriculum: Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas
Factor college-going and/or remediation rates into their high school accountability systems: Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Rhode Island
Seven other states plan to move in one or more of these directions in the future.
40
Preliminary Framework for Preliminary Framework for Accountability IndicatorsAccountability Indicators
Stay in school and graduate on time 4-year cohort graduation rate 5-year cohort graduation rate Percentage of “on-track” 9th-graders who earn enough credits to be promoted to 10th grade
Successfully complete graduation requirements aligned with the demands of postsecondary education and careers
Percentage of students who earn the diploma by completing the college and career-ready course of study Percentage of students who perform at the proficient level or higher on the end-of-course exams [or other
assessments aligned to the standards taught in the required course sequence] in English, math, science, social studies
Percentage of students who successfully complete the fourth year of mathematics aligned with entrance in community colleges and state four-year colleges and universities
41
Preliminary Framework for Preliminary Framework for Accountability IndicatorsAccountability Indicators
Earn career-ready industry-recognized credentials and/or college credit
Percentage of graduates who earn a minimum number of college credits before graduation (through AP, IB, Early College, dual enrollment, etc.)
Percentage of recent graduates who earn an AA degree within 1 year
Succeed in postsecondary education and careers Percentage of recent graduates who need postsecondary remediation Percentage of recent graduates who persist in postsecondary education Percentage of recent graduates who attain career-ready certificates, AA and BA
degrees Percentage of recent graduates who enter the military or find meaningful, family-
supporting employment within three years of graduation
42
This is hard work!
States that show the greatest progress: Have unified and focused leadership from the governor, the
chief state school officer, state postsecondary and business leaders
Work closely with governing boards and legislatures Effectively engage the broader education communities – K-
12 and postsecondary educators alike – to make the case for needed changes and involve them in the work
Have effective communications strategies for educating the public
Creating a High School Diploma That Counts: Lessons from the
American Diploma Project Network
New England Board of Higher EducationNovember 29, 2007