STATE BOARD EXAMINATION CONSORTIUM ARIZONA MEETING November 2009

TOUGH CHOICES in Arizona Arizona a “Tough Choices” State Designed to address the “throughput” problem in elementary and secondary, and postsecondary education

Portrait of a Failing System Source: James Hunt, Jr. and Thomas Tierney, American Higher Education: How Does It Measure Up for the 21st Century? (San Jose, Calif.: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, May 2006).

The Literacy Problem Majority of high school students graduate with 8th grade levels of literacy or less Arrive at college expected to do work at 13th grade level only two months later Students have no idea that they cannot do the work Consider the idea of moving from a time-in-the-seat qualification to a standards-based qualification

Board Exam Systems A sound core program of courses defining what it means to be an educated person High quality exams derived from the curriculum using multiple assessment methods Thoughtfully constructed course designs captured in a syllabus Quality teacher training matched to the course syllabi

Why Board Exams? Best global research shows that board exam systems key to success of world’s best performing systems for ALL students Why? Because they provide the support students must have to succeed Crucially important for low-performing schools and students

Standards+Test Systems vs Curriculum-Driven Systems S+T Systems Assumes standards and tests alone will drive performance up No direct link to classroom practice Leaves the disadvantaged behind, with weak curriculum, weak teaching CD Systems Assumes that aligned, powerful instructional system is needed to drive high student performance Direct link to classroom practice Closes the gap between the advantaged and the disadvantaged

The System: A Closeup Upper Div’n (AP, IB, A Levels) Work Core Curriculum, Syllabi, Exams, Teacher Training, All Set to Int’l Standards 2 yr Open Admissions Instns 4 Year Selective Institutions 22 4 yr Graduate Education Lower Division Board Examination Program (syllabi, instr’l mat’s, exams, teacher trng)

Board Exams: The Best College Board APs Cambridge International Exams ACT QualityCore Edexcel International Baccalaureate

Lower Division Ready Now ACT QualityCore Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Exams Edexcel IGCSE Exams

Lower Division: A Closer Look Not elite programs But designed to prepare students for elite programs Can get students college-ready by 16 Many bright students are dropping out because they are bored But give less-prepared students until 18 Help targeted to students weak points in grades 11 and 12 can make all the difference

Upper Division Ready Now ACT QualityCore Cambridge AICE Exams College Board Advanced Placement Edexcel A-level version International Baccalaureate

Board Exams: Next generation Additional vendors of lower division systems: –IB –College Board Cross-cutting skills “Majors” Career-oriented programs Distinct instructional style options Cutting edge assessment techniques Digital delivery systems

Board Exams: Relation to Common Core Standards Will compare to board examination programs Will adjust board examination programs to conform: –Topics –Challenge levels

Board Exams: Costs Less than $100/student incremental at start Incremental costs for core program decline to zero Savings can be ploughed into support for students Decline in school revenues offset by decline in dropouts, funds to support low performers Decline in community college revenues from remedial programs offset by increase in enrollments and increased persistence in system Vastly better results for same costs

Board Exams: Our Plan Build state consortium committed to developing this system Create buyers co-op Provide venue for agreeing on requirements, doing psychometric work, building next generation curriculum and examinations Have access to the global intellectual talent needed to do this

Arizona Needs T0 Agree to a common literacy standard across the states for entrance to open-admissions colleges without remediation, expressed as a score on the lower-division exams Use all or a subset of the consortium-approved exams in your demonstration high schools Administer the lower division exams at the end of the sophomore year to all students who wish to take them and Admit all who pass to your public open- admissions colleges the following fall

What You Will Get as a Member of the Consortium Powerful method of raising student achievement A seat at the table for design of multi-state system Big cost savings Access to high powered TAC The ability to compare your scores to those of other states and countries on internationally benchmarked examinations

What’s in it for Arizona Higher Ed Institutions? You will get students ready to do college level work You will eventually get out of the remedial education business, while, at the same time: You will get many more students applying to your institutions who are ready to do the work Access will improve and persistence will greatly increase

Next Steps You need to let Tom Horne and the P-20 Council know that you think this is a good idea and that you are willing to admit students who have passed their board exams as soon as they pass them

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