Improving the Transition From High School to Community College Michael W. Kirst Stanford University

Context of K-16 Disjunctures  Most ambitious generation ever – Over 80% want college degree  Percent of Bachelors degrees barely increases  Media pays attention to selective postsecondary, but problems in non- selective

Context of K-16 Disjunctures continued  80% of students and 85% of institutions are open enrollment, or accept all qualified applicants  About 60% in non-selective in remediation  Completion rates over 80% in selective, but much lower in non-selective (60% dropouts for 2-year Bachelors’ aspirants)  Racial/ethnic minorities suffer the most

The Evolution of the Disjuncture between K-12 and Postsecondary Education  Historic separation of policy and practice between higher education and K-12.  Student standards are established in separate orbits.  K-16 faculty rarely work together.  No institutionalized entity at the state or regional level to make policy or integrate K-16 practice.

The Evolution of the Disjuncture between K-12 and Postsecondary Education continued  No organized group lobbies for K-16 linkages.  No data or accountability system regarding K-16 performance.  Nobody loses a job for poor K-16 linkage or performance.  Programmatic responses, such as Outreach programs, are often fragmented and rarely evaluated.

Bridge Research Sites

Findings Current State Policies Perpetuate Disjunctures between K-12 and Postsecondary Education:  Multiple and confusing assessments;  Disconnected curricula;  Lack of connected, longitudinal, data;  Few K-16 accountability mechanisms;  Insufficient K-16 governance mechanisms.

Findings Student, Parent, and K-12 Educator Understandings about College Preparation:  Students’ college knowledge is vague and varies by student group;  Teachers’ college knowledge is incomplete and they play a major role;  College resources and connections with colleges are inadequate;  College preparatory opportunities are inequitable; and,  There is a lack of college counseling for all students.

Selected Quotes “Probably just like everybody else [I believe it should be] a seamless flow for the students. The content, the knowledge they had in high school should be a foundation for them to be successful in college. That transition should be as smooth as possible. They should be able to walk into those [college] classes and feel confident.” – college administrator

Selected Quotes continued “The one thing – it’s the good thing about community college, I would say – is that a student can come here with absolutely no forethought, you know?” – college advisor  “This is the thing. I’ve always done well in grammar, and I’ve always done well in English. I got As throughout high school, and I was placed in the lowest English [in the community college].” – community college student

Why Worry about Disjunctures between K-12 and Postsecondary Education?  Creates incoherent policies, misdirected incentives, and inadequate student preparation.  Students (and educators) lack signals/information, and receive conflicting signals/information, regarding college preparation.  Low SES and first generation college-going suffer the most.  State assessments/accountability system breakdown in higher grades.

Why Worry about Disjunctures between K- 12 and Postsecondary Education? continued  High level of remediation at the postsecondary level.  Different tests to prospective college students do not measure same kinds of skills and knowledge.  Outdated, given that 88% of students intend to go to college after high school and over 70% do matriculate directly.

Major Action Areas for Reform  Provide all students, their parents, and educators with accurate, high quality, information about, and access to, courses that will help prepare students for college-level standards.  Shift media, policy, and research attention to include broad access colleges and universities (that approximately 80% of college students attend).  Expand the focus of local, state, and federal programs from access to college to include access to success in college.

Policy Implications for Community Colleges  Track signals to high school students regarding college expectations and requirements  Track more carefully the signals students receive concerning placement  Send clearer signals about realistic transfer possibilities

Policy Implications for Community Colleges  Create initiatives to overcome the lack of high school academic preparation  Review the K-12 standards and assessments  Consider CSU augmented CST test  Collect more data on specific populations as they move in and through colleges

Policy Implications for Community Colleges  Link junior/senior year of high school to initial year of college  Expand dual enrollment to include more prospective community college students  Create a continuous policy-making apparatus for K-16

Implications of Developing and Implementing K-16 reforms  Set goals and objectives across traditional policy lines.  Collect data to understand needs across system boundaries.  The traditional separation of educational governance needs to be reexamined.  Joint budgeting is needed in certain areas to allow projects that cut across system boundaries to function.

Implications of Developing and Implementing K-16 reforms continued  Education agency staff must work together toward common goals.  The natural suspicion that exists between high school teachers and postsecondary faculty must be broken down.  All incentive and sanction systems should be designed to encourage K-16 systems to interact where appropriate.