Achieve K-12 Postsecondary Policy Scan Tool

8/11/2019 Achieve K-12 Postsecondary Policy Scan Tool

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K-12/Postsecondary Education Alignment Policy Scan

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K-12/Postsecondary Education AlignmentCollege- and Career-ready Policy/Practices Scan

STATE ____________ AGENCY OR AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR POLICY SCAN: ___________________

The purpose of this policy scan tool is to assist a state in identifying the range and status of policies and practices supportin g the states college -and career-readiness agenda. The observations gleaned from this tool are intended to assist a state in identifying gaps in policy and practice andprioritized key next steps to ensure a states successful pursuit and sustainability of a college - and career-ready agenda.

This policy scan tool consists of three parts - Part A: overview of the state context in which the policy scan was conducted; Part B:inventory/assessment of key supportive college- and career-ready policies and practices identified by Achieve through the American Diploma

Project (ADP); and, Part C: additional state identified college- and career-ready policies and practices not included in Part B. The tool isorganized into the following categories:

Part A:1. Governance Structure : A brief description of existing K-12 and higher education governance structures and responsibilities of each

agency.2. State Leadership: The extent to which evidence exists that state leadership values and prioritizes meaningful connections between K-12

and postsecondary policy and leaders in support of a college- and career-ready agenda.

Part B:3. Alignment Policies/Practices: This section is designed to assess college- and career-ready policies and practices in place at the state

level supporting alignment of K-12 exit expectations to postsecondary entrance expectations.4. Accountability: This section is designed to assess the policies both K-12 and postsecondary education that relate to the reporting of

outcomes and progress toward goals.5. Data Systems and Analysis: This section is designed to assess the extent to which data are available, analyzed and reported in ways that

contribute to building stronger K-12/Postsecondary Education alignment.

Part C:6. Additional State Policies/Practices: this section provides states with the opportunity to identify/assess other policies/practices not

included in Part B.


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Part A: State Context Snapshot1.0 GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

1.1 Please provide a brief description of the states K -12 and postsecondary governance structure and major statutory responsibilities ofeach involved agency. You may attach organizational chart, etc.

1.2 If applicable, please provide a brief description of the states P16 or similar entity and its major responsibilities. Please also indicate(choosing from among the following descriptors, highly engaged, somewhat engaged or minimally engaged) the councils levelof engagement/influence in the establishment of college- and career-ready policies and practices.


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Please complete the following checklist indicating the extent to which the state has formally implemented meaningful connections between K-12 and postsecondary policy and leaders. Where applicable, please indicate if the policy is part of state statute the Notes field. In the sourcecolumn, please list the source document(s) used to complete the policy scan tool, e.g. Department of Education Strategic Plan, P16 CouncilVision and Mission, etc.

2.0 STATE LEADERSHIP Yes No Notes Source2.1 Governor: Governor has articulated apriority for college readiness and/or collegecompletion. Evidence may include: Speeches Budget messages Appointments

2.2 K-12 Plan: The K-12 system has a strategicplan that contains the following: Clear statement about the goal of

graduating more students college ready.2.3 State Board of Education: There is evidencethat the State Board has assigned a priority tocollege readiness. Evidence may include: Adoption of college- and career-ready

graduation requirements Support for college readiness programs

2.4 K-12 Standards and Assessment Processes:The state-level processes for establishing K-12standards and assessments includerepresentation and meaningful input frompostsecondary education. 2.5 Postsecondary Education Plan: ThePostsecondary Education system(s) has astrategic plan that contains the following: Clear statement about the goal of improving

high school graduates matriculation ratesand/or reducing remediation rates formatriculating high school graduates.


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2.0 STATE LEADERSHIP Yes No Notes Source2.6 Cross-Sector Collaboration : Evidence existsof a strong collaborative relationship between K-12 and postsecondary leadership. Evidence may

include: Regular meetings Shared working groups Shared public pronouncements/speaking

engagements2.7 K-12 Agency Staffing: There is a high levelstaff member of the K-12 agency that carries thespecific responsibility for relationships withpostsecondary education.2.8 Postsecondary Education Agency Staffing: There is a high level staff member of thepostsecondary education agency(ies) thatcarries the specific responsibility forrelationships with K-12 education.2.9 Business Commitment: There is anidentifiable organization(s) that is primarilybusiness driven that champions educationissues, and has prioritized college readiness andcollege completion. There is evidence that theorganization(s) engages in activities, to supportthe college readiness agenda.Evidence may include: Workforce development initiatives Demonstrated support for college-ready

policies and initiatives.2.10 Other External Stakeholder Commitment: One or more other high profile external entitiesexist that have made increased educationalattainment, high school graduation, collegeenrollment, increased college completion, etc.


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Part B: Inventory/Assessment of Policies and PracticesDirections: Please apply the following status/scoring key to complete the inventory/assessment. Achieve, Inc., working with states, hasidentified a number of policies and practices supporting a states college - and career-ready agenda. Where applicable, please indicate if thepolicy is part of state statute by placing an asterisk (*) next to the status score. In the source column, please list the source document(s) used to

complete the policy scan tool, e.g. Department of Education Strategic Plan, P16 Council Vision and Mission, etc.Status Key Score Key

3 policy/practice is well-established2 policy/practice in progress1 policy/practice planned but not yet implemented

+ on the whole, policy/practice is viewed as contributing to college andcareer-ready agenda- on the whole, policy/practice is viewed as detracting from college andcareer-ready agenda+/- results mixed

Policy/Practice Status Score Notes Source3.0 ALIGNMENT POLICIES/PRACTICES

3.1 Common Core State Standards (CCSS): Thestate has adopted the CCSS as the basis for theirK-12 academic standards. 3.2 CCSS Implementation/Outreach Plan: The state has developed and is implementing aCCSS implementation plan that includes keytimelines and milestones, constituencyoutreach, professional development, and othernecessary activities. This work is being donecollaboratively between the K-12 and

postsecondary systems. 3.3 Assessment Consortium Membership: The state is a member in one or both commonassessment consortium(a) and plays an activerole in consortium(a) activities.


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Policy/Practice Status Score Notes Source3.4 Core Curriculum: The state has adopted acollege- and career-ready core curriculum as thedefault or mandatory requirement for high

school graduation.3.5 Senior Year Strategies: The state haspolicies that prescribe activities and actions in astudent s senior year to ensure collegereadiness. These may include: Specific bridge courses during the senior

year to remediate math/English deficiencies.Bridge courses are designed based on end-of-course exam results.

Intensive summer programs thatconcentrate on building requisite college-and career-ready skills between senior yearand matriculation to postsecondaryinstitutions.

3.6 Dual Enrollment: The state has a statute orpolicy in place that identifies and supportsmechanisms whereby students can earn bothhigh school and college credit through dualenrollment experiences.3.7 Access to Dual Enrollment : Students have ameaningful and equal opportunity to participate

in dual enrollment programs. The state has anestablished mechanism to review participationin such opportunities and strategies to promoteadditional participation.


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Policy/Practice Status Score Notes Source3.9 Early College 1: The state has a statute orpolicy that authorizes the establishment, andsupports the operation of early colleges or other

initiatives with similar outcomes. Mechanismsexist to regularly monitor and report on theprogress and outcomes of these efforts.3.9 Advanced Placement (AP)/InternationalBaccalaureate (IB ): The state has statutes orpolicies that support and promote AP/IBprograms. Mechanisms exist to regularlymonitor and report on the level and success ofthese activities.3.10 Communication With Students: The statehas policies that require or supportcommunication with students and parentsabout the range of college readiness initiativesincluding dual enrollment options, AP/IBoptions, early college options, common corecourse requirements, options for career ortechnical certificate programs, etc.3.11 Postsecondary Cohesiveness : There issufficient governance and/or institutionalcollaboration such that public institutions ofpostsecondary education share (and are held

accountable to) common policies in critical areasrelated to college readiness and completion.There is evidence of consistency and adherenceto common policies.

1 Early College programs compress the time it takes a student to complete the first two years of his/her college program by beginning coursework in highschool. For more information, please see http://www.earlycolleges.org/.


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Policy/Practice Status Score Notes Sourcebach elor s degree at all institutions (transfermodule)

Statewide articulation guides for specific

disciplines that can guide students in takinggeneral education and pre-major courses AS and AA degrees meet all general

education and university parallel corerequirements for transfer as a junior

Common course numbering system, or acourse number equivalency system

Web-based functionality that allowsstudents to understand which courses willtransfer and which will not, including whichcourses will count toward majorrequirements.

3.16 Educator Preparation and ProfessionalDevelopment: Colleges of Education and Artsand Sciences faculty members receiveprofessional development relative to K-12standards. Subsequently, they have takenactions to modify their curriculum/pedagogyand other aspects of educator preparation andprofessional development.3.17 Assessment of Colleges of Education:

Integrated into Colleges of Educationevaluations are the classroom performance ofthe teachers they have prepared, which shouldinclude, but not be limited to, student growthmeasures. 3.18 Postsecondary Education PerformanceOrientation: There is evidence that the statespostsecondary education system is orientedtoward meeting specified outcomes as


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Policy/Practice Status Score Notes Sourcemeasured using defined performance metrics.Examples of this orientation may include: Adoption and implementation of

performance-based funding, includingincentives for improved remedial outcomes,student progression, improved productivity,etc.

Published reports showing each institutionand performance on key outcome metrics.

Strategic action agenda designed to addresskey barriers to achieving stated outcomes.

3.19 Student Incentives to Increase CollegeEnrollment and College Completion: The statehas incentives that are intended to influencestudent behavior and has adopted a plan forimplementation. Examples of these incentivesmay include: Incentives for student progression are built

into the tuition price structure Incentives for student progression are built

into financial aid programs Incentives exist to encourage students to

start at a community college 3.20 High School/First Year College Alignment:The states postsecondary education institutionshave undertaken a process to ensure first-yearcollege math/English composition are alignedwith the states high school exit expectations.


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Policy/Practice Status Score Notes Source4.0 ACCOUNTABILITY & REPORTING

4.1 State, District and School Report Cards: Thestate has a system of report cards on defined

accountability standards (including federal NCLBrequirements). The state regularly reviews thereport card format to identify opportunities toimprove clarity and ease of use.4.2 College- and Career-ready Report Card: Thestate has created, and regularly produces, astate report card with college- and career-readymeasures. This should include dual enrollmentparticipation and success rates, AP/IBparticipation and test score rates, the % of

students within a cohort scoring college-readyon a CCR high school assessment, the % of highschool graduates requiring remedial courses incolleges and the % of students earning a CCRdiploma, and other specific indicators ofdesirable policies and practices.4.3 K-12 Statewide Goals: The state hasestablished goals for various K-12 metricsincluding graduation rate and increasingpostsecondary enrollment, has establishedbaseline data for the goals and regularlymonitors and reports on progress toward goals.The state benchmarks itself with other statesand nations.4.4 College Completion Goals : The state hasestablished goals for various college completionmetrics (based on the CCA/NGA commonmetrics, but may also include Voluntary Systemof Accountability, Achieving the Dream, or othermeasures). The state regularly monitors and


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Policy/Practice Status Score Notes Sourcereports on progress toward these goals.5.0 DATA SYSTEMS and ANALYSIS

5.1 Data Collection/Analysis Practices (K-12): The state K-12 agency maintains a robuststudent-level data collection system (consistentwith the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) essentialelements) and uses the system (consistent withthe DQC state actions to ensure effective datause) for reporting as well as for conductinganalyses that drive continuous improvementand changes to practice. 5.2 Data Collection/Analysis Practices(Postsecondary Education): The state

postsecondary education agency(ies) maintainsa robust data collection system and uses thesystem for reporting as well as for conductinganalyses that drive continuous improvement,and changes to practice (consistent with DQCrecommendations).5.3 P-20 Longitudinal Data System : A systemthat links K-12 and postsecondary educationdata and is used to report on specificlongitudinal metrics, including performingtrajectory analysis from high school through 4years of college.5.4 High School to College Data Release and Acceptance: Colleges and universities are ableto accept high school assessment scores andmaintain the data in their respective studentmanagement information systems.5.5 Data Culture: There is a sense that, at alllevels of K-12 and postsecondary education,


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Policy/Practice Status Score Notes Sourcethere is a value placed on the acquisition anduse of meaningful data, and evidence exists thatdata use is driving continuous improvement.

Part C: State Identified Inventory/Assessment of Policies and PracticesDirections: States should use this section to identify additional policies/practices supportive of college- and career-ready agenda not included inPart B. Please apply the same status/scoring key used in Part B.Policy/Practice Status Score Notes Source6.0 STATE IDENTIFIED POLICIES/PRACTICES6.1

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Documents

Achieve K-12 Postsecondary Policy Scan Tool