High School Transition Courses: Cross-Sector Collaboration to Improve College Readiness of Washington High School Graduates October 2014 Bill Moore, Director, Core to College & K-12 Partnerships
Higher Education Agreements on Smarter Balanced 11 th Grade Assessment Offer high school students the opportunity to use their SBAC 11 th grade scores to place into college-level courses without remediation or additional placement testing Apply to placement considerations at public 2- and 4-year institutions in WA for any students enrolling directly after high school graduation with SBAC 11 th grade scores Will be in effect for the graduating classes of , then reviewed and adjusted if necessary based on student performance data Details at or
Transition Courses Define key standards Determine course framework/ approach Recruit districts & provide professional development for teachers Core to College grant College Spark grant (10/14- 12/17) Jointly developed and led by higher ed faculty and high school teachers
Students: 1.Placement into college-level coursework (contingent on B or better in transition course) 2.Better understanding of full range of college readiness expectations System: 1.Improved curricular alignment between K-12 and entry-level college courses 2.Increased understanding of key elements of CCSS for high school teachers and college faculty Outcomes for Transition Courses
Transition Course: Bridge to College Mathematics Designed for students who score below “college-ready” on the 11 th grade Smarter Balanced assessment Addresses key standards in Common Core to prepare students for success in non-calculus pathway college math classes Embeds explicit emphasis in Standards for Mathematical Practices throughout the course
Math Task Force Survey Results
Placement Transcript/course-taking agreements with high schools Customized alternative tests (MyMathTest, ALEKS, home-grown via WAMAP) Recognizing other results (SAT/ACT/AP/IB) Test brush-up, preparation Alternative secondary placements
Curricular Interventions Differentiated sequences (different or shorter for non-STEM) Math lab (emporium) model for below Intermediate Algebra Paired college-level and precollege courses (with liberal arts math or statistics) Accelerated “bucket” model courses
Student Support Math or Learning Resource Centers General College Success class Productive persistence (and other student attributes) classroom activities Online tutoring Math study skills course