Creating a High School Diploma That Counts: Lessons from the American Diploma Project Network New England Board of Higher Education November 29, 2007

2 Jobs in today’s workforce require more education & training -23% -9% +16% Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. & Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K–16 Reform, Educational Testing Service, Change in the distribution of education / skill level in jobs, 1973 v. 2001

3 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.

4 Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 2004: % of th graders who entered postsecondary education. nMany 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 Most U.S. college students required to take remedial courses fail to earn degrees

5 Too Many Students Graduate from High School Unprepared for College and Work n 30% of first year students in postsecondary education are required to take remedial courses n 40% - 45% of recent high school graduates report significant gaps in their skills, both in college and the workplace n Faculty estimate 42% of first year students in credit- bearing courses are academically unprepared n Employers estimate 45% of recent high school graduates lack skills to advance n ACT estimates only half of college-bound students are ready for college-level reading

6 American Diploma Project Phase 1: n Partnership of Achieve, Education Trust, Fordham Foundation and National Alliance of Business n Initial ADP research study conducted in Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas. n Involved wide variety of K-12, higher education and business representatives. n Examined the work high school graduates do in the college classroom and on the job, and the preparation they needed to do the work. n Identified “must-have” knowledge and skills graduates will need to be successful in college and the workplace.

7 American Diploma Project n The American Diploma Project (ADP) was created to identify the core academic skills necessary for success in postsecondary education and careers. n Research by ADP l Sought to identify “must-have” knowledge and skills graduates will need to be successful in college and the workplace. l 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. l Developed ADP benchmarks that include the content and skills all students should have when they graduate high school.

8 College Ready = Career Ready n 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”. n ACT Study Ready for College Ready for Work: Same or Different?: l 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 research n In mathematics, graduates need strong computation skills, ability to solve challenging problems, reasoning skills, geometry, data analysis, statistics, and advanced algebra. n 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.

10 The ADP Benchmarks: Challenging content for all students n In math: l A rigorous four-year course sequence l Content *equivalent to a sequence that includes Algebra I and II, Geometry, and Data Analysis & Statistics * can be taught via different pathways n In English: l Four courses l 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 Project The expectations gap

12 An Expectations Gap n We haven’t expected all students to graduate from high school college- and work-ready l State standards reflect consensus about what is desirable, not what is essential l Only 2 states required Algebra II for graduation in 2004 l State tests measure 8 th and 9 th grade knowledge and skills l High school accountability rarely focuses on graduation rates or on college- and work-readiness

13 State high school standards not always anchored in real-world expectations n 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. n Few states’ postsecondary faculty & employers have verified that state high school standards reflect their expectations.

14 Students can pass state math tests knowing content typically taught in 7th and 8th grade internationally FL MD MA NJ OH TX Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, Grade when most international students cover content required to pass state math tests

15 Students tell us there is an expectations gap

16 Most high school graduates were moderately challenged 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.

17 If high school had demanded more, graduates would have worked harder 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.

18 Majority of graduates would have taken 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 Project What will it take to close the expectations gap?

20 ADP Network Policy Agenda n Align high school standards and assessments with the knowledge and skills required for success in postsecondary education and work. n Require all students to take a college- and work-ready curriculum aligned with standards to graduate from high school. n 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. n 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 Summit: 13 states committed to improving student preparation

22 American Diploma Project Network Joining the ADP Network requires a commitment to the 4-part ADP Policy Agenda by: n Governor n Chief State School Officer n State Higher Education System Leaders n Business Leadership

23 ADP Network today: 30 states now committed to improving student preparation

24 American Diploma Project Progress and Lessons from the ADP Network

25 A growing number of states have policies that help prepare H.S. graduates for college and work

26 Align high school standards with the demands of college and work

27 Where do the New England States Stand? n Connecticut reports that it is planning to align its content standards with college- and career-ready expectations. n Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire are in the process of aligning their standards. n Rhode Island’s college- and career ready standards are well aligned with ADP benchmarks

28 Creating College- and Career- Ready Standards: Key Lessons n Postsecondary education has a critical role to play – without a single, system-wide definition of readiness, high schools won’t know what readiness means n The business and workforce development communities must be involved in defining or validating essential knowledge and skills n “Academic Standards for College and Career” must drive high school curriculum, graduation requirements, assessments, postsecondary placement and other policies and tools. n 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 college- and work-ready curriculum

30 College- and Career-Ready Core Curriculum n 9 states have made a college- and career-ready core curriculum the default option n 6 states have made the core mandatory for all students n Massachusetts is considering a voluntary core curriculum

31 College and Career-Ready Core Curriculum: Key Lessons for States n Course content matters more than course titles l Schools can provide a variety of curriculum pathways to deliver the same content (e.g., integrated math, some CTE programs) n States must pay attention to: l Quality and consistency of course content statewide l Participation rates in core curriculum – for all students and by subgroups l Successful completion of core curriculum, using end of course exams or other indicators of student achievement

32 Build college-and work-ready measures into statewide high school assessment systems n Nine states administer high school assessments also used by higher education to place incoming students. l End-of-course: one state New York l Comprehensive high school assessments: two states California and Texas l College admissions tests – the ACT or SAT: six states Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine and Michigan n Twenty-one states report plans to build college- and work-ready assessments into their statewide testing system.

33 Considerations for Using College Admissions or Placement Exams as High School Tests n Exercise Caution When Incorporating Admissions Tests in Statewide Testing Systems l 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 l 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 n Use College Placement Tests for Diagnostic Purposes Only – not for school accountability n Consider using end of course tests to tap higher level content and skills

34 Algebra Content on College Admissions and Placement Tests 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 Assessment Program n Augments 11 grade standards-based tests to ensure alignment with high school curriculum n 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 n Has led to development of senior-year courses to improve readiness for students who do not score well enough

36 Spring th-graders who volunteered to take CSU’s Early Assessment Program (EAP) test n Early Assessment of Readiness for College ENGLISH l 312, th graders attempted the EAP items and completed the required essay. u Three quarters of the 420,000 students who took the English California Standards Test (CST). l 48,000 (15%) scored “Ready for College” n Early Assessment of Readiness for College MATHEMATICS l 137, th graders attempted the EAP items. u Three quarters of the 185,000 students who took the 11 th grade Summative Math or Algebra II End-of-Course CST. l 16,000 (12%) scored “Ready for College” u An additional 59,000 (43%) scored Conditionally “Ready for College”

37 ADP Algebra II End-of-Course Exam n Thirteen states are developing an end-of-course exam in Algebra II. n Test content aligned with ADP math benchmarks n Purposes of the test: l To ensure consistent content and rigor in Algebra II courses within and among states l To provide for comparisons in performance among the states l To be used for postsecondary placement purposes n Initial test administration in Spring 2008 n Additional states will be able to use this exam

38 States participating in a common Algebra II EOC test

39 Hold high schools accountable for student preparation and success n Ten states factor college and work readiness into the high school accountability system. l Increasing the percentage of graduates who complete a college- and work-ready curriculum: Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas l Factor college-going and/or remediation rates into their high school accountability systems: Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Rhode Island n Seven other states plan to move in one or more of these directions in the future.

40 Preliminary Framework for Accountability Indicators n Stay in school and graduate on time l 4-year cohort graduation rate l 5-year cohort graduation rate l Percentage of “on-track” 9th-graders who earn enough credits to be promoted to 10th grade n Successfully complete graduation requirements aligned with the demands of postsecondary education and careers l Percentage of students who earn the diploma by completing the college and career-ready course of study l 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 l 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 Accountability Indicators n Earn career-ready industry-recognized credentials and/or college credit l Percentage of graduates who earn a minimum number of college credits before graduation (through AP, IB, Early College, dual enrollment, etc.) l Percentage of recent graduates who earn an AA degree within 1 year n Succeed in postsecondary education and careers l Percentage of recent graduates who need postsecondary remediation l Percentage of recent graduates who persist in postsecondary education l Percentage of recent graduates who attain career-ready certificates, AA and BA degrees l 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: n Have unified and focused leadership from the governor, the chief state school officer, state postsecondary and business leaders n Work closely with governing boards and legislatures n 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 n 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 Education November 29, 2007