2009 Closing the Expectation Gap Fourth Annual 50-State Progress Report on the Alignment of High School Policies with the Demands of College and Careers

2Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP II. Align High School Graduation Requirements with College- and Career- Ready Expectations

The expectations gap  In today’s economy, all students need a challenging academic course of study to succeed in postsecondary education and to get a good job.  But in many states, students can graduate from high school without having what it takes to continue learning or to earn a living wage. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP3

Closing the expectations gap  To close this expectations gap, Achieve created the American Diploma Project Network.  The Network includes 34 states that together educate nearly 85 percent of the nation’s public school students.  Network states have committed to four policy actions to better prepare students for college, the workplace and citizenship. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP4

American Diploma Project Network agenda  Align high school standards with the demands of college and careers.  Require students to take a college- and career-ready curriculum to earn a high school diploma.  Build college-and career-ready measures into statewide high school assessment systems.  Develop reporting and accountability systems that promote college and career readiness. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP5

Requiring a rigorous curriculum is key to better preparing students for college and careers  Course-taking matters more for student achievement than social problems, family obstacles and student ability.  Nearly every state requires students to study specific subjects for a certain number of years or take specific courses to graduate, but most do not require a college- and career-ready curriculum.  Research by the American Diploma Project and others shows that students who go to college and students who go to work need the same knowledge and skills, particularly in English and math. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP6

ADP: Identifying knowledge and skills students need to succeed in college and the workplace  Achieve, The Education Trust, and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation launched the American Diploma Project (ADP) to identify knowledge and skills students need in English and math to succeed in college or get a “good” job.  Partnered with Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas.  Involved wide variety of K–12, higher education and business representatives. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP7

How American Diploma Project defines “good” jobs  Pays enough to support a family well above the poverty level,  Provides benefits, and  Offers clear pathways for career advancement through further education and training. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP8

What does it take to succeed in good jobs? American Diploma Project research found that:  84 percent of highly paid professionals took Algebra II or higher in high school.  Employees in vast majority of good jobs took four years of grade-level English.  Employers emphasize importance of workers being able to think creatively and logically and to identify and solve problems.  Fastest-growing occupations require some education beyond high school (e.g., certificate, bachelor’s degree, associate degree, on-the-job training). Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP9

To be college- and career-ready, students need to complete a rigorous sequence of courses In math:  Four courses  Content equivalent to Algebra I and II, Geometry, and a fourth course such as Statistics or Precalculus In English:  Four courses  Content equivalent to four years of grade-level English or higher (i.e., honors or AP English) To cover the content American Diploma Project research shows students need to be college- and career-ready, high school graduates need to take: Cross-disciplinary proficiencies are critical elements of the math and English benchmarks Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP10

Cross-Disciplinary Proficiencies  To achieve success in college, the workplace and life, American students must not only master important content, they must also be adept problem solvers and critical thinkers who can contribute and apply their knowledge and skills in novel contexts and unforeseen situations. Specifically, the ADP benchmarks include the following cross-disciplinary proficiencies: Research and Evidence Gathering. Critical Thinking and Decision Making Communications and Teamwork Media and Technology  Students need a strong content foundation in order to master these sophisticated cross-disciplinary proficiencies. Cross-disciplinary proficiencies are, therefore, best taught in the context of rigorous courses in the foundational disciplines. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP11

Taking rigorous high school courses greatly increases students’ readiness for college-level coursework Source: ACT, Crisis at the Core: Preparing All Students for College and Work, Percentage of students who meet ACT benchmark for college algebra by math courses taken in high school Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP12

Students who had a rigorous high school curriculum are more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree Source: Adapted from Horn, L. and Kojaku, L.K. High School Academic Curriculum and the Persistence Path through College: Persistence and Transfer Behavior of Undergraduates Three Years after Entering Four-year Institutions, National Center for Education Statistics, Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP13

Taking challenging courses in high school closes college completion gap between whites and minorities Source: Adelman, C. Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor’s Degree Attainment, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, % 13% Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP14

Minority interest in advanced math far exceeds availability Source: National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Progress Toward Power: A Follow-Up Survey of Children’s and Parents’ Attitudes About Math and Science. Research Letter, October Survey conducted by Harris Interactive, Percentage of students Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP15

Graduates say they would have worked harder if high schools had challenged them Strongly feel I would have worked harder Would have worked harder Wouldn’t have worked harder 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., High school graduates who went to college High school graduates who did not go to college If your high school had demanded more of students, set higher academic standards and raised the expectations of how much coursework would be necessary to earn a diploma, would you have worked harder? 82% 80% Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP16

Current students agree Percentage of students who say they would work harder if high school offered more demanding and interesting courses Source: National Governors Association, summary of RateYourFuture.org survey findings, Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP17

Graduates who faced high expectations in high school twice as likely to feel prepared for future Percentage saying they were extremely/very well prepared 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., Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP18

Taking advanced math in high school better prepares students for math on the job Percentage of high school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work 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., Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP19

Students who did more writing in high school feel better prepared to write on the job Percentage of high school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work 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., Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP20

Twenty states require a college- and career- ready diploma for all Mandatory college- and career-ready diploma Default college- and career-ready diploma 21Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP

…eight others plan to 22Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP Planning to raise requirements

How states are doing it: Default curricula (opt out provision) New Graduation Math Requirements Years Required Algebra IGeometryAlgebra IIOpt Out American Diploma Project4  Alabama First Choice Diploma4  Yes Arizona High School Diploma4  Yes Arkansas Smart Core4  Yes Indiana Core 403  Yes Louisiana Core 44  Yes Michigan Merit Curriculum4  Yes Mississippi High School Diploma4  Yes New Mexico Diploma of Excellence4  Yes North Carolina Future Core4  Yes Ohio Core4  Yes Oklahoma Standard Diploma3  Yes South Dakota Advanced High School Program 3  Yes Texas Recommended High School Program 4  Yes Washington Core 243  Yes Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP23

How states are doing it: Mandatory curriculum (no opt out provision) New Graduation Math RequirementsYears Required Algebra I Geometry Algebra II Opt-Out American Diploma Project4  Delaware High School Diploma4  No Georgia High School Diploma4  No Kentucky Commonwealth Diploma3  No Minnesota High School Diploma3  No New York Regents Diploma3  No Tennessee Ready Core4  No District of Columbia4  No Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP24

What it will take to raise graduation requirements  States that let local districts set their own requirements will need to consider other approaches.  States need to pay more attention to the content of the courses that are taught rather than simply measure course titles and Carnegie units.  States need to allow teachers to engage students in different ways that match their learning styles.  States need to ensure that there are enough teachers who are prepared to teach higher-level courses. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP25

What can we expect? Implementation takes time and effort. States must:  Monitor efforts.  Communicate effectively.  Invest resources wisely.  Use data to protect investment.  Build in the necessary supports and incentives for teachers and students to ensure all schools can provide the rigorous curriculum to all students. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP26

These efforts matter  All students need and deserve to be prepared for success in both postsecondary education and the labor market.  This is not easy work … but this is possible … and this effort is essential. Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP27