Gregory M. Darnieder Senior Advisor to the Secretary on the College Access Initiative Denver, Colorado June 21, 2010 XAP A Mission We Must Accomplish

The National Landscape “The decline of American education is: Untenable for our economy Unsustainable for our democracy Unacceptable for our children” - President Barack Obama 1

What is the Mission of Schools? Example Statements: Academically and Socially prepared for future life roles Graduate College and Career Ready Productive Members of a Democratic Society A Global Citizen Competitive in a 21 st Century Economy….and beyond “The goal of high school used to be about graduation; now it strives to launch students to college and career success” - NYC 2

What does the research tell us? The current structure of middle and high schools do not prepare low-SES students, minority students and first generation students to attend college. Even when low, traditionally underserved students are academically prepared to go to college they do not apply at the same rate. Low-SES and minority students receive less instructional time, academic support and help from their teachers in comparison to their in-class peers. Students college and career goals are often not aligned to their academic preparation. Source: College Keys Compact, College Board 3

National Economic Crisis Governors, mayors and county board chairs America’s Promise – Dropout Challenge 5 Building Blocks - Alliance for Excellent Education Halving the dropout rate CEOs for Cities – Talent Dividend 1% growth in BA attainment 4

City Dropout and Postsecondary Enrollment Reports Denver Milwaukee Chicago New York St. Louis Washington, DC 5

Metropolitan Area Calls to Action Portland: April, 2010 Boston: May, 2010 St. Louis: October, 2009 Philadelphia: Mayor Nutter – 2008 San Antonio: Summer 2010 Kansas City, KS/MO: Fall

High School Level Postsecondary Enrollment Reports 20+ States Restricted to state university system enrollment College Summit NSC Data for High School Pilot National Student Clearinghouse Student Tracker for High School 7

Action Analytics – High School Level Reports New York City – ‘Where Are They Now’ 2010 Boston – ‘Getting to the Finish Line’ St. Louis – ‘Regional College Access Pipeline’ Chicago – Since 2004 Denver –

Political Leadership Boston Philadelphia Chicago Denver New York Portland San Antonio 9

Organizational Focus National League of Cities College Goal Sunday College Summit College Board CEO’s for Cities Alliance for Excellent Education Complete College America 10

DATA ELEMENTS 1. High School Transcript Data What do we know about our students during high school? 2. Senior Exit Questionnaire What do students plan to do after high school graduation and how many take the needed steps to get to college? 3. College Enrollment Data (National Student Clearinghouse) What students actually enroll and persist in college? 4. IPEDS Data and Barron’s Ratings What are the characteristics of the colleges where students enroll? 11

DATA ELEMENTS 5. Employment Data (Illinois Department of Employment Security) What students actually work, what are their wages, and in what industries do they work? 6. FAFSA Data (Illinois Student Assistance Commission) What seniors complete their FAFSA and when do they complete it? 7. Freshmen Transition Questionnaire What issues affect students’ transition to high school and what are their postsecondary aspirations? 8. Freshmen on track 9. Career Exploration Data (Choices Planner) What students are completing college and career planning activities that prepare them for life after high school? 12

USE OF THIS DATA? Regular reporting of student outcomes Career exploration and College Choice (6-12 th grades) Freshmen on track Postsecondary outcomes Postsecondary planning and preparation Examine trends to see what’s working Drill-down to student groups to identify targeted areas for program delivery CTE/AP/SLC/AVID/GEAR-UP Continuous program improvement Monthly meetings with consortium at U of C Internal weekly meetings Regular dissemination meetings to principals Principal evaluations 13

BUILDING HUMAN CAPITAL TO DRIVE THE DATA 14 Central Office CEO’s Office Senior Staff Area Instructional Officers Department Managers Program Managers Postsecondary Specialists School-Based Staff Principals Assistant Principals Counselors Teachers Postsecondary Coaches

15 USING DATA TO DRIVE SUCCESS Seniors complete the FAFSA before enrolling in college Seniors complete FAFSA early in calendar year Students enroll in college = = = Check that students complete their FAFSA 84.1% in 2009—almost 17% increase from 2007 Increased first semester Fall college enrollment from 43.5% in the Class of ‘04 to52.5% in the Class of ‘08 Check weekly that students complete their FAFSA 47.5% by March in 2008— ~ 12% increase from March 2007 EXAMPLE: FAFSA COMPLETION

What more do we need to know about students to inform policy and practice? Certifications and licensures Employment outside of Illinois Federal employment Military enlistment Incarceration data Course-taking and grades at postsecondary institutions 16

Why? Relevant and usable data Trust built between researchers and practitioners Make observations and suggest strategy questions Helps schools and LEA’s be learning organizations Role of researchers as facilitators of knowledge Trust Working Relationships Right Indicators Build Capacity of SEA’s and LEA’s To conduct research Evaluate programs and priorities Other Uses Federal grants – SLC, Perkins, GEAR UP, TRIO 17

Increased Focuses State Longitudinal Data Systems A Guide for Data Analysts by Gates Foundation Dropouts Tracking credits (on-track) Sub-groups (over-aged, academically struggling) Mix of School and Program options Schools: magnet, small, career, neighborhood Programs: CTE, SLC, evening, transfer, IB, AVID, sub-groups “The Promise of Proficiency” – College Summit Refocus mission of high school beyond graduation Calls for college enrollment and proficiency data “College and Career Ready” – Early Sector Reports by Chad Alderman Improve high school accountability Calls for: Tracking into the workforce Learning gains resources NSC – HS Students Tracker Reports 18

College Enrollment Rate Rises Faster than Nation’s Change in Enrollment Rates Between 2004 and 2008

Major Racial/Ethnic Groups College Enrollment Rate Rises Faster than Nation’s

African-American Students Closing Gap on National Average

Latino Students Steadily Increasing as National Average Makes Little Gain

College Enrollment Increases Nine Percentage Points N=18,159N=17,669N=17,348N=17,672N=18,224