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State Policies to Increase Retention and Persistence
David T. Conley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Oregon
Director, Center for Educational Policy Research
2
Historical Background of the High School-College Connection
High school and college evolved along separate paths in the U.S.
U.S. high schools have always been concerned with more than college prep
U.S. postsecondary system is the most complex in the world
Communications between systems are ad hoc and outside formal governmental control
Policies connecting the systems are largely the result of practice, rather than vice-versa
3
What Is The Challenge? A range of surveys conclude that 90% of
students entering high school say they are going to college
About 40% take a full program of study that prepares them to do so
Well over 2/3 eventually go on to postsecondary education
A large proportion drops out during or after the first year or takes remedial courses
There is a mismatch among aspiration, preparation, and performance: Why?
4
Bridge Project Findings Study of student knowledge of UC, CSU, and
community college systems requirements 450 students at high schools in or near
Sacramento, California 25% white, 75% other races/ethnicities Predominantly middle and low SES Survey data Focus groups also conducted
5
Bridge Project Findings: College Aspirations Survey asked students to indicate all types of college to
which they aspired at 9th and 11th grades 20% of 9th graders aspired to community college: by
11th grade this had doubled to 40% The proportion aspiring to a CSU campus increased by
about 8% 51% of 9th graders aspired to UC Davis; this decreased
by 11th grade to 45%, but those aspiring to other UC campuses increased by 10%
All racial groups aspired about equally to community colleges, but African-Americans had significantly lower rates of aspiration to all UC campuses and to CSU campuses other than the local CSU
6
Who Provides Information?
Most students use parents and teachers The percent talking to counselors
increased from 45% in 9th grade to 77% in 11th grade
Students get information from teachers and counselors but also from older siblings, parents, friends
7
Aspirations by GPA
The stronger the GPA, the less interest in community college, and vice-versa Students are realists
The “crossover point” for all groups is between a B- and a B This is the GPA at which students begin to clearly
differentiate themselves What does a “B” GPA tell us about their college
readiness? Significant differences begin to come into play at the B+. This indicates a form of grade inflation or at least a lack
of consistent school-wide grading standards
8
Knowledge of Curricular Requirements
Course Requirements- UC Davis
9th graders 11th graders
3-year math requirement 31% 51%
2-year science requirement 32% 30%
2-year foreign language requirement
47% 54%
9
Knowledge of Curricular Requirements
Course Requirement
African-American 11th
graders
White 11th graders
UC Davis 3-year math requirement
42% 55%
CSU 3-year math requirement
44% 60%
10
Knowledge of Placement Test Policies
Placement Exam
9th graders 11th graders
Knew UCD had both an English and math test only
10% 24%
Knew CSU had both an English and math test only
17% 40%
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Summary College preparation is knowledge-intensive In general, the knowledge is more prevalent among the
more privileged Schools have few systematic means to ensure all
students have this knowledge This study did not investigate challenges associated
with admissions tests (i.e., SAT, SAT-II), including student registration problems, knowledge of deadlines, prep options, fee waivers
Schools and communities face a serious challenge continuously educating students regarding college admissions requirements
12
Characteristics of First-Generation Students Lack of familiarity with processes Unreal expectations, anecdotal
knowledge Subject to influence and to rapid decision
changes College attendance not necessarily a life-
long goal or family focus More oriented toward community colleges Need info on requirements, financial aid
13
The Complexity of College Preparation The more complex a process, the more it
favors those who understand the system and disadvantages those who don’t
College prep is complex, and students can make bad decisions
Procedures for selective universities are particularly complex
Despite some recent reforms, high schools continue to be largely fragmented experiences for students (and teachers)
14
What Are Key Steps To Take? Develop a simplified system where students
can’t make bad decisions Common core of academic expectations aligned with
college admission Incorporate personal educational profiles where
students see the trajectory they’re on and any gap between their academic plan and their goals
Develop common standards for grading across similar classes Produce exemplars of student work to illustrate
expectations and requirements
15
Create High Expectations and A Common Core
Expectations for certain key elements of the curriculum need to be common and challenging
Even if all students don’t reach the desired level, all are on a trajectory to do so
Discussion of common standards, review of exemplary work, agreement on common grading practices are first steps
16
Focus on Proficiency Over Credits
Getting students to identify what they need to know, what they know, and the gap between the two is a key transition high schools must make if they are ever to prepare students better for college success
To achieve this goal requires moving beyond credits and, particularly, a focus on the high school diploma
17
Create Proficiency-based Transitions What are the systems for moving students into
and out of the high school? Do all enter and exit in the same general time
frame? Incoming h.s. freshman should be subject to
college-like placement testing and granting credit to allow faster movement or more focused remediation
Proficiency-based assessment linked to entry-level college skills and generic work readiness competencies facilitate exit transition
18
Plan System Alignment In each state, K-12 and higher education
systems would be required to meet on a regular basis to analyze how the systems align or fail to align from high school to postsecondary education. These meetings would include mandatory examination of a range of policies
Require K-12 and postsecondary systems to develop programs jointly that enable students to make successful transitions from secondary to postsecondary education.
19
Align Policies and Procedures Match high school exit criteria and postsecondary admission
criteria
Examine the nature and content of postsecondary education placement policies, the instruments used to make placement decisions, and the alignment of these policies and instruments with state standards, assessments, curriculum frameworks, and high school educational offerings
Align and articulate teacher education program content and exit standards with state content standards and K-12 assessments
Articulate student data systems to allow more complex and valid information on student performance to pass from K-12 to higher ed.
Coordinate Tech-Prep programs to ensure students in these programs do not lose the option of college
20
Align Incentive Systems Cultivate and expand statewide early admission, dual
enrollment, and dual credit programs Adopt common policies for offering college credit and making
placement decisions based on Advanced Placement, SAT-II, International Baccalaureate examinations
Coordinate and integrate outreach programs to increase the pool of students from underrepresented groups who are capable of first, being admitted to college, and, second, succeeding in college
Set requirements for financial aid and scholarships in the ways that influence student preparation in high school toward desired skills, not just high GPA
21
Take Action Create a “high school-postsecondary articulation
commission” comprising members of the state education department, the state postsecondary governance agency or agencies, and the governor’s office. This commission would be charged to do the following: Address issues of articulation and expectations across system
boundaries Determine how successfully students make the transition from
high school to postsecondary education Recommend policies to increase the success rate of students
transitioning successfully from high school to postsecondary education
22
Close the Gap Between K-12 and Higher Education The postsecondary education system develops statements of
knowledge and skills for postsecondary success in a format that parallels state academic content standards
These standards are cross-referenced to state standards and assessments to determine the match in expectations
Joint h.s./college committees address the gaps and clarify overlaps in expectations to create a fully aligned system designed around progressively more challenging standards
K-12 system modifies its standards and assessments accordingly
Postsecondary system modifies its admissions requirements and placement methods accordingly
23
State-Initiated Policy Actions The state creates a budget category for programs that span
the K-12 and postsecondary systems and develops an interagency process for generating this budget request
The state sets performance targets and timelines to reduce remediation rates. The commission studies the causes of freshmen failure and develops policy changes to reduce remediation rates
The state sets goals to increase the proportion of students from underrepresented groups who are prepared to apply to college. The high schools are charged to increase the proportion of students
from these groups enrolled in college preparatory programs High schools and postsecondary systems are charged to guarantee
that the quality of college preparatory courses is adequate to ensure college success for these students
24
Demonstration Projects Federal, state, and local funds would be made
available for demonstration projects. The purpose of the demonstration projects
would be to create successful models of articulation and high student success rates
Successful projects would serve as the templates for state policies and programs
25
Standards for Success
Knowledge and Skills for University Success Developed by 17 leading research
universities, endorsed by 26 AAU universities Identify what students need to know and be
able to do to succeed in entry-level university courses
Are being incorporated into national admissions tests
26
Standards for Success Align KSUS with state standards to
provide a continuous development path for students
Develop curriculum that broadens and deepens writing and analytic skills
Use KSUS to set high exit standards for honors diploma
Use University Work Samples to create common understandings of desirable student work