1. Transition Courses in New York State
November 2013
EngageNY.org

2. Increasing College & Career Readiness in High School
Early college readiness assessments
Administered no later than the 11th grade to measure students’ readiness to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing postsecondary courses.
Transition curricula
Courses, learning modules, or online tutorials developed jointly by secondary and postsecondary faculty and offered no later than 12th grade to students at risk of being placed into remedial math or English in postsecondary institutions.
College Bridge Courses
Short , summer courses offered by postsecondary institutions to incoming students to prepare them for college placement exams and to build the skills they need to succeed in postsecondary coursework.
EngageNY.org

3. Early Assessment Programs
EAPs create a more coherent P-20 system with clear, aligned expectations and opportunities to identify and address gaps in readiness in the 12th grade.
We are collaborating with SUNY and CUNY in the redesign of the Regents exams and development of a 12th grade transition course curriculum.
Early Assessment
A 10th or 11th grade assessment that measures academic readiness for college and careers. Common Core ELA and Common Core Math Regents exams begin in
CCR Determination
The early assessment provides students, teachers, and parents an indicator of student readiness early enough to provide academic intervention.
Coursework
12th Grade
Students who are not ready receive instruction to build the skills and knowledge needed to be academically prepared.
Students who are ready receive opportunities for college-level work.
EngageNY.org

4. Domains of College and Career Readiness
Defines the academic knowledge
and skills students need to be
successful in college and
careers.
Specifies the non-
cognitive, socio-emotional knowledge and skills that
help students successfully
transition from high school to
college or careers.
Describes the career-
specific opportunities
for students to gain the
knowledge, skills, and
competencies they need
to pursue and succeed in their
chosen career.
EngageNY.org

5. Aspirational Performance Measures
New York developed alternative measures of student readiness based on research predicting likelihood of success in postsecondary education.
Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation
Earn 22 units of credit, score at or above 65 on 7-9 Regents examinations, and take advanced course sequences in languages other than English, CTE, or the arts.
ELA/Math APM
Graduate with a Local, Regents, or Regents with Advanced Designation diploma and earn a 75 or greater on their English Regents examination and earn a 80 or greater on a math Regents examination.
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6. Graduating College and Career Ready
New York's 4-year high school graduation rate is 74% for All Students.
However, the percent graduating college and career ready is significantly lower.
June 2012 Graduation Rate
Graduation under Current Requirements
Calculated College and Career Ready*
% Graduating
All Students
74.0
35.3
American Indian
58.5
18.8
Asian/Pacific Islander
81.6
56.5
Black
58.1
12.5
Hispanic
57.8
15.7
White
85.7
48.5
English Language Learners
34.3
7.3
Students with Disabilities
44.7
4.9
*Students graduating with at least a score of 75 on Regents English and 80 on a Math Regents, which correlates with success in first-year college courses.
Source: NYSED Office of Information and Reporting Services
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7. College Remediation in NYS
Over 50% of students in NYS two-year institutions of higher education take
at least one remedial course.
Source: NYSED Administrative Data for all Public, Independent and Proprietary 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education
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8. CUNY Placement Policies
Reading and Writing
Students are considered proficient in reading and writing, and exempt from placement testing, if they can document any one of the following:
SAT I: verbal 480+, critical reading 480+
ACT English: 20+
Regents Comprehensive English: 75+
Mathematics
* Proficiency requirements in mathematics differ from college to college.
The range of minimum scores to be considered proficient in math, an exempt from placement testing:
SAT Math: 480 – 510
ACT Math: 20-21
Regents - Integrated Algebra, Geometry, OR Algebra 2/Trig: 80+ and successfully completing, with a C or better, Algebra 2 & Trigonometry or a higher-level course
Students who do not achieve the required scores on SAT I or Regents Exams can satisfy the skills proficiency requirements by passing the CUNY Assessment Tests in Reading, Writing and Mathematics.
CUNY Assessment Tests
Reading Test: 70+
Writing Test: 56+
CUNY Assessment Test in Mathematics
Math 1:  and
Math 2:
EngageNY.org

9. Exempting Students from Placement at SUNY Institutions
ACT
Math:
English: 18 – 24
SAT
Math: 420 – 550 (Most around 500)
English: 440 – 600 (Most around 500)
No consistency based on the type of institution AP
3 or higher at most campuses accepting AP scores
Regents Exams
Integrated Algebra: range from
Geometry: range from 75 – 85
Algebra II/Trigonometry: range from
Comprehensive English: range from
EngageNY.org

10. SUNY Placement Indicators
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11. College Transition in NYC
At home in college
EngageNY.org

12. College Transition in NYC
NYCDOE: 270,000+ HS students/ ~ 55,000 12th grade/older
~500 High Schools
Focus on College & Career Readiness (Accountability, WATN? Reports)
CUNY: 260,000+ degree students; 270,000+ adult/continuing ed students
8 community colleges, 11 senior colleges, 6 graduate schools
70% of FTF are DOE graduates
189 languages spoken; 210 countries of origin
43% of undergraduates born outside of U.S.
44% of undergraduates first in families to attend college
Include in packet, but not for discussion during presentation
EngageNY.org

13. CUNY Priorities: Improving Student Outcomes
Improve academic preparation
82% of first-time-freshmen entering community colleges in fall 2011 needed remediation
74.1% needed remedial math
Improve retention rates: Class of rd semester
84.2% at senior colleges ( )
77.3% at comprehensive colleges ( )
67.3% at community colleges ( )
Improve graduation rates: Class of 2004 system-wide
6-year = 48.4% in baccalaureate programs (23.3%-64.9%)
3-year = 13.0% in community colleges (7.7%-21.9%)
Include in packet, but not for discussion during presentation
EngageNY.org

14. At Home in College
CUNY Collaborative Program funded by Robin Hood Foundation.
Goal: Reduce the need for remediation and increase college enrollment and third semester retention rates, with the long-term goal being increased college graduation rates.
Students: NYC public high school and CUNY GED students who are on-track to graduate but who have not met traditional benchmarks of college readiness. AHC currently serves 2,000 students and partners with 55 NYC public high schools and 1 CUNY GED Program.
To date, 6,000+ students have participated in this program that includes transition English and/or math courses, a College Access and Success Workshop, summer advisement, and a year of advisement for those who enroll in CUNY community colleges.
EngageNY.org

15. Program Components
At Home offers each participating HS and GED student:
Transition math and English courses intended to prepare them for the CUNY Assessment Test and success in college credit courses
Fee waivers for the CUNY application
College access activities, including help with completing on-line college applications, filing for financial aid, college visits, learning about different careers and programs of study, and enrolling in college.
A Bridge to College summer program to help graduating seniors matriculate
Advisement and other assistance during the first year of college if participating students enroll at a partner CUNY community college
Include in packet, but not for discussion during presentation
EngageNY.org

16. Core Academic Components
College Transition English Course:
Developed by CUNY content experts, this two-semester course develops student academic literacy skills through a study of topics in psychology and sociology. The instructional model emphasizes coaching and modeling, and there is a strong focus on metacognition.
The course is offered in lieu of a traditional 12th grade English course.
College Transition Math Course:
Developed by the CUNY Adult Literacy Program and currently implemented by CUNY START, this two-semester curriculum covers a variety of pre-algebraic and algebraic topics. Emphasis is placed on helping students develop basic numeracy skills and number sense.
The course is offered typically as an elective math course.
Placement testing:
Transition courses are aligned to CUNY college readiness standards (as defined by University placement exams). Students take the CUNY Assessment Tests as a cohort at the end of each semester.
Professional Development:
At Home in College Professional Development Coordinators facilitate monthly meetings with English and math teachers to discuss the curriculum, examine student work, and model lessons.
EngageNY.org

17. Outcomes
Performance on CUNY Placement Exam:
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18. Outcomes
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19. NYS Transition Course initiative
College Transition in NYS
NYS Transition Course initiative
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20. Developing Transition Courses
Develop curriculum for 12th grade ELA and math transition courses that parallel NYS’ curriculum modules and build on existing transition courses;
Ensure high school teachers and higher education faculty collaborate on the content of the transition courses;
Pilot transition course curriculum; and
Provide teachers access to professional development for transition courses.
EngageNY.org

21. Contact Information
Jennifer Sattem, Fellow, Regents Research Fund
Mary Hiebert, CUNY Collaborative Programs
EngageNY.org