Lessons from Kalamazoo Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams Department of Political Science, GVSU W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research January 24, 2011

Educational Inequality by Race WhitesHispanicsAfrican-Americans % below “basic proficiency” in 4 th grade reading (2009, Michigan) - Education Trust Midwest High-school graduation rates ( ) - National Center for Education Statistics % of population with college degree or higher (2009) - U.S. Census

Universal v. Targeted Social Programs Some assistance programs are directed toward those with demonstrated need TANF, food stamps, Head Start, Pell grants) Others are universal K-12 education, Medicare, Social Security Most scholarship programs are based on financial need and/or academic merit; Kalamazoo Promise breaks with this model Evidence of higher levels of political/public support for universal programs

What is the Kalamazoo Promise? Announced 11/05, to continue in perpetuity Funded by anonymous private donors Place-based: Kalamazoo Public Schools Covers % of tuition and fees at all in-state, public post-secondary institutions for KPS graduates Universal: every graduate is eligible Minimum 4-year residency & enrollment 10 years to use scholarship Blending of educational and economic goals

Kalamazoo Public Schools Demographics Racial composition 46% African-American 39% White 10% Hispanic 5% other Socioeconomic makeup 69% of KPS students are economically disadvantaged 86% of African-American students 46% of White students Disparities within district (across 17 elementary schools) Low-income percentage ranges from 97% to 25% Non-white percentage ranges from 96% to 28%

A tool for reducing inequality? Distinction between inequality of opportunities and inequality of outcomes Kalamazoo Promise works to equalize both: Universal college access Structural & cultural school change Alignment of community resources Skocpol (1991) – “targeting within universalism”

Equalizing opportunity Reduction in financial barriers to college attendance Results (classes of ) 1,900 students have received scholarships (81% of those eligible) 1,200 are currently enrolled $21.5 million spent Use of Kalamazoo Promise by race closely matches demographics of eligibility for the program. Use of Kalamazoo Promise by low-income students closely matches demographics of school district.

Usage by Race (data as of spring 2010) % eligible graduates who have used Promise % of eligible African-American graduates who have used Promise % of eligible Hispanic graduates who have used Promise (small-n) % of eligible Caucasian graduates who have used Promise

Usage by Socioeconomic Status* (data as of spring 2010) % graduates w/ Free & Reduced Meal status % of KP-eligible students w/ Free & Reduced Meal Status % of students w/ Free & Reduced Meal status who have used Promise * Free & Reduced meal status is underreported for all categories because only most recent five years of data is available and high-school FARM rates are lower than total district rates.

Tiering of attendance and attainment Low-income students more likely to attend 2-year rather than 4-year institutions. Positive outcomes vary across type of institution Students at 4-year institutions: 85% Students at 2-year institutions: 47% Low-income students are struggling once in college. KP users who qualified for Free & Reduced Meals while at KPS account for: 35% of students in good standing 70% of students on probation 67% of students whose scholarships have been suspended

Non-financial barriers K-12 achievement gap by income and race Lack of college preparedness Academic, social, emotional Absence of role models / support Cultural: sense that “college isn’t for me” Importance of defining college broadly Indirect mechanisms of support for college access/success

Equalizing outcomes Cultural: efforts to ensure that every student is “college-ready” Elementary school: full-day Kindergarten; early literacy emphasis Middle school: new block schedule, career awareness and college preparation High school: college readiness course, expanded AP offerings, credit recovery, weighted grades Structural: socioeconomic integration of schools Supported by enrollment increase & new school construction Will it extend to elementary schools? Neighborhoods?

Cultural Change Increased Advanced Placement enrollment ( ) # of AP courses taken:+ 174% # of students enrolled + 130% Economically disadvantaged to 259 students African-American to 211 students Hispanic-- 8 to 68 students Three years of rising NAEP scores, black-white gap reduced Black KPS third-graders outperformed state average in % passed reading, 89% passed math Significant increases in Iowa Test of Basic Skills (4/10) for first-graders (first group to have all-day Kindergarten)

Structural Change Reversal of long-term enrollment decline 20% enrollment growth since 2005 Enrollment increase the result of: Increased entry and decreased exit rates Stabilization of ethnic/racial distribution Low-income population has risen: 62% to 70% Increased resources for school district Per-pupil funding structure Support for bond issues (regional) Opening of new schools (first in 4 decades) Redistricting to achieve better socioeconomic balance

25-Year KPS Enrollment Trend

State and National Impact Continued interest in replication nationally About new programs modeled on the Kalamazoo Promise Includes El Dorado Promise, Pittsburgh Promise, Denver Scholarship Michigan as a national leader in college access Promise Zones: Public-private partnerships to provide universal, place-based scholarships in ten Michigan communities Michigan College Access Network (MCAN): Funding/support for local college access networks (KACAN) PromiseNet (June 2010) attendees from 20+ states The importance of universality Or, “Why I don’t like the New Haven Promise”

The first comprehensive account of the Kalamazoo Promise, based on three years of research. Published by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2009.

First-graders at Parkwood-Upjohn Elementary School

Comments, questions, or suggestions: Kalamazoo Promise Research Web Site The Promise of Kalamazoo blog