creating a high school diploma that counts. 2 american diploma project network american diploma...

Creating a High School Diploma That Counts

2AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK

American Diploma Project

How well prepared are our students for the world after high school?

What does it mean to be prepared for college and work?

Do we expect all of our students to be prepared? Closing the expectations gap — what will it

take?



How well prepared are ourstudents?


A high school diploma is not the last educational stop required

Jobs that require at least some postsecondary education will make up more than two-thirds of new jobs.

Share of new jobs, 2000–1010%

22%

36%

31% High schooldropout High schooldiplomaSomepostsecondaryBachelor'sdegree

Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K–16 Reform, Educational Testing Service, 2003.


How does earning power differ between H.S. & college graduates?

Educational Attainment & Median Earnings

Education Annual LifetimeH.S. drop-Out $22K $1.1 million

H.S. diploma $31K $1.4 million

Associate degree $38K $1.8 million

Bachelor's degree $50K $2.5 million


Too many U.S. students drop out of the education pipeline

Source: National Center for Public Policy & Higher Education, Policy Alert, April 2004. Data are estimates of pipeline progress rather than actual cohort.

68%

40%

27%18%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Graduatehigh school

Start college Persist 2ndyear

Earn degree

Per

cent

age

of 9

th g

rade

stu

dent

s


How does Michigan stack up?

70%

41%

29%

18%

68%

40%

27%18%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Graduatehigh school

Start college Persist 2ndyear

Earn degree

Per

cent

age

of 9

th g

rade

stu

dent

s

MichiganUnited States

Source: National Center for Public Policy & Higher Education, Policy Alert, April 2004. Data are estimates of pipeline progress rather than actual cohort.


Only about half of African American and Latino students graduate from high school in four years

Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.

On-time high school graduation, 2002

52% 56%

78%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Latino AfricanAmerican

White

Per

cent

age

of 9

th g

rade

stu

dent

s




On-time high school graduation, 2002

48%56%

78%

52%

78%

56%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Latino African American White

Perc

enta

ge o

f 9t

h gr

ade

stud

ents

MichiganUnited States


U.S. high school graduation rates have dropped over past 20 years

60%

65%

70%

75%

1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Source: Mortenson, T., “Chance for College by Age 19 by State in 2000,” Postsecondary Education Opportunity: The Environmental Scanning Research Letter of Opportunity for Postsecondary Education, No. 123, The Mortenson Research Center on Public Policy, September 2002.

Public high school graduation rates, 1981–2000


High school graduation rate: United States trails most countries

OECD Reporting Country

Graduation Rate (%)

1 Denmark 100 2 Norway 97 3 Germany 93 4 Japan 92 5 Poland 90 5 Switzerland 90 7 Finland 85 7 Greece 85 9 France 82

9 Hungary 82 9 Italy 82

12 Czech Republic 81 13 Belgium 79 13 Iceland 79 15 Ireland 77 16 United States 73 17 Sweden 72 18 Luxembourg 68 18 Spain 68 20 Slovak Republic 61

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Education at a Glance 2004, 2004.


Very few high school graduates are “college ready”

27%34%

45%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Lowest: Alaska United States Highest: New Jersey

Perc

enta

ge o

f 9th

gra

de s

tude

nts

grad

uatin

g on

tim

e co

llege

read

y




27%31% 34%

45%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Lowest: Alaska Michigan United States Highest: New Jersey

Perc

enta

ge o

f 9th

gra

de s

tude

nts

grad

uatin

g on

tim

e co

llege

read

y



College bound does not necessarily mean college ready

Nearly three in 10 first-year students are placed immediately into a remedial college course.

Percentage of U.S. first-year students in two-year and four-year institutions requiring remediation

28%

22%

14%

11%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Reading, writingor math

Math

Writing

Reading

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Remedial Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in Fall 2000, 2003.


Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 2004.

Most U.S. college students who take remedial courses fail to earn degrees

Many college students who need remediation, especially in reading and math, do not earn either an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree.

Percentage not earning degree by type of remedial coursework

76%

63%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Remedial reading Remedial math

Per

cent

age

of c

olle

ge s

tude

nts


College graduation rate: U.S. lags behind most developed countries

OECD Reporting Country

Graduation Rate (%)

1 Japan 942 Turkey 883 Ireland 854 United Kingdom 835 Korea 796 Spain 777 Finland 758 Iceland 739 Germany 70

10 Mexico 6911 Australia 6912 Denmark 6913 Netherlands 6914 United States 6615 Czech Republic 6116 Belgium (Fl.) 6017 Austria 5918 France 5919 Sweden 4820 Italy 42



What does it take to beprepared for postsecondary education and work?


The American Diploma Project

Partners: Education Trust, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, National Alliance of Business

2 years of research on essential math & English skills

2004 report: Benchmarks to be successful in college or work

Follow up reports: Exit exams (2004), course requirements (2004), poll (2005)


Expectations are the same for both college & “good jobs”

ADP found high degree of convergence

The knowledge & skills that high school graduates will need in order to be successful in college are the same as those they will need in order to be successful in a job that pays enough to support a family well above the

poverty level, provides benefits, & offers clear pathways for career advancement

through further education & training.


Even blue-collar jobs require high-level skills

Requirements for tool and die makers Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or postsecondary

training Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics

Requirements for sheet metal workers Four or five years of apprenticeship Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and technical reading

Source: American Diploma Project, 2002.


ADP expectations ensure high school graduates are prepared to succeed

In English, the benchmarks cover: Language Communication Writing Research Logic Informational text Media Literature

In math, the benchmarks cover: Number sense and

numerical operations Algebra Geometry Data interpretations,

statistics and probability Math reasoning skills


Whether graduates are going to college or work, they need the same skills

CollegeAlgebra

Required Skills: Add, subtract, multiply, divide and

simplify rational expressions Understand functional notation Solve systems of two linear equations

in two variables Solve quadratic equations in one

variable Graph a linear equation and quadratic

function Determine the perimeter and the

circumference of geometric shapes Represent geometric objects and

figures algebraically

Machine OperatorEastman Chemical Company

Required Skills: Add, subtract, multiply, divide and

simplify rational expressions Calculate and apply ratios,

proportions and percentages to solve problems

Recognize and solve problems using a linear equation and one variable

Apply units correctly in expressions involving measurements

Determine the perimeter and the circumference of geometric shapes


To be college and work 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 in the ADP benchmarks, high school graduates need:



What do we expect of ourhigh school graduates?

Standards Course-taking requirements Assessments


State high school standards not always anchored in real-world expectations

In most states, standards reflect a consensus among discipline-based experts about what would be important for young people to learn – not a reflection of what would be essential to know to succeed at the next level.

Few states’ postsecondary faculty and employers have verified that state high school standards reflect their expectations.


Do state graduation requirements reflect “college- and work-ready” content?

To answer this question, Achieve: Reviewed minimum high school course

requirements in all 50 states. Compared each state’s requirements to what

students need to be successful in college and the workplace.


42 states require students to take certain courses to graduate from high school

WV

MNVT

DENJ

MD

CT

NH

LA

SD

WA

ORID

MT

WY

UTNV

CA

AZ

AK

NMOK

KS KY

TX

AR

ME

NY

OHIN

TN

VA

NC

SC

FL

GAALMS

MO

IL

WI

Source: Achieve, Inc., The Expectations Gap: A 50-State Review of High School Graduation Requirements, 2004.


20 states require Algebra I

MN

IN

FL

GAMS

LA

OK

TX

NM

CA

UT

SD

TN

KYNC

WV MDVA

ARAL



13 states require Geometry

MS

LA

VAKY

AL

OK

TX

WV MD

AR

UT

MN

IN



Only 4 states require Algebra II


IN

AR

TX

OK


Michigan’s course requirements for graduation

Apart from the requirement that high school students in Michigan complete a course in Government/Civics, all course requirements for graduation are set by local school districts.


Do assessments measure “college-ready” skills?

Half the states require students to pass one or more exams to earn a high school diploma.

What does it take to pass these tests?


The tests Achieve analyzed

StateGrade Given Reading Writing Math

First Graduating Class Facing Requirement

Florida 10th • • 2003

Maryland End of course • • • 2009

Massachusetts 10th • • • 2003

New Jersey 11th • • • 2003

Ohio 10th • • 2007

Texas 11th • • • 2004

Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.


Good news: States are measuring algebra and geometry

12%

31%

38%

19%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Number Algebra Geometry &measurement

Data

Per

cent

age

of to

tal p

oint

s



Bad news: States tend to measure lower-level content

56%

30%

15%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Prealgebra Basic algebra Advanced algebra

Per

cent

age

of to

tal p

oint

s



Students can pass state math tests knowing content typically taught in 7th and 8th grade internationally

7.1

8.68.1

7.4

8.2 8.3

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Inte

rnat

iona

l Gra

de P

lace

men

t

FL MD MA NJ OH TX


Grade when most international students cover content required to pass state math tests


Reading tests downplay higher-level skills

13%

20%

12%

55%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Recall Infer Explain Analyze

Per

cent

age

of to

tal p

oint

s



Students can pass state English tests with skills ACT expects of 8th and 9th graders

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

FL

MD

MA

NJ

OH

TX

ACT EXPLORE (8th/9th)

ACT PLAN (10th)

ACT (11th/12th)




What do recent high school graduates tell us about the expectations they faced?


Most high school graduates were moderately challenged

20%

26%24%

53%57%56%

26%

17%20%

High expectations/I wassignificantly challenged

Moderate expectations/Iwas somewhat challenged

Low expectations/prettyeasy to slide by

All high school graduates

College students

Students who did not go to college

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., 2005.


Graduates who faced high expectations in high school twice as likely to feel prepared for futurePercentage saying they were extremely/very well prepared


80%

58%

37%

72%

53%

36%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

High expectations Moderate expectations Low expectations

High school graduates who went to college

High school graduates who did not go to college


Algebra II critical for college and work

26%

46%

60%

68%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

College students Students who did not go to college

Completed less than Algebra II Completed Algebra II/more


High school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work


Writing critical for college and work

51%47%

79%75%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

College students Students who did not go to college

Wrote a fair amount/not much Wrote a great deal

High school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work



Knowing what they know today, high school graduates would have worked harder

65%

77%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

High schoolgraduates whowent to college

High schoolgraduates who didnot go to college

Would have applied myself more



If high school had demanded more, graduates would have worked harder

64%

18%

15%

63%

17%

18%

82%80%

Would have worked harder Strongly feel I would have worked harder Wouldn’t have worked harder

High school graduates who went to college

High school graduates who did not go to college



72%

48%

41%

38%

62%

29%

34%

32%

College studentsStudents who did not go to college

Majority of graduates would have taken harder courses

Knowing what you know today about the expectations of college/work …

Would have taken more challenging courses in:

Would have taken more challenging courses in at least one area

Math

Science

English




What will it take to close the expectations gap?


ADP Network: 18 states committed to improving student achievement

RINJ

FL

OK

TX

KY

IN

PA

GA

OR

OH

LA

MI

MA

MS

AR

AL

MN

NC


Closing the expectations gap requires states to take action

Align high school standards and assessments with the knowledge and skills required for success in postsecondary education and work.

Administer a college- and work-ready assessment, aligned to state standards, to high school students so they get clear and timely information and are able to address critical skill deficiencies while still in high school.

Require all students to take a college- and work-ready curriculum to earn a high school diploma.

Hold high schools accountable for graduating students who are college ready, and hold postsecondary institutions accountable for their success once enrolled.


The Challenge for Michigan


2003 study of Michigan academic standards

Achieve evaluated the state’s new K-8 “content expectations,” comparing them to the best standards from other states.

Our conclusions:

New standards a significant improvement over the previous core curriculum standards in terms of rigor, clarity, coherence

New standards among the strongest in the nation


Next steps on standards

Create new high school standards that…

Build off of K-8 standards Align with expectations of colleges and employers Clearly specify expectations for all four years of

high school


Next steps on standards

Postsecondary and business leaders should verify that new high school standards are aligned with skills for success in college and work.

If students meet these standards, will they be ready for… Credit bearing, non-remedial college coursework? High trajectory jobs?


High School Assessments

How might Michigan develop a system of high school assessments that is…

Aligned to state standards that will allow students to demonstrate that they are meeting those standards?

AND Capable of revealing whether students are

prepared for college and work?


Some states are using high school assessments for postsecondary purposes

California State University system augmented the state’s high school test and now uses it for placement purposes.

City University of New York uses scores on the state’s Regents exam for admissions and placement purposes.

Texas students who earn a certain score on the state TAKS exam can be placed in college-level courses.

Some states are considering incorporating the SAT or ACT into their high school assessment systems.


Graduation course requirements

How Can Michigan… Let all young people know which high school

courses will best equip them to succeed in college, in the workplace, and in life?

Encourage more young people to take these courses?

Make better use of high school graduation requirements as a lever for change?


How many students are taking a rigorous math sequence?

Estimated math course taking for Class of 200295%

76%

61%

78%

63%

41%

54% 53%

41%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Geometry* Algebra II Trig / Pre-Calculus

TX

U.S.

MI

* The statistical estimating method is imprecise above 95%.Source: CCSSO, State Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education, 2003


Indiana’s Core 40: more challenging courses yield results

High School Graduates Enrollingin Postsecondary Education Next Fall

38%

50%58% 60% 62%

43%54% 59% 57% 57%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1986 1992 1996 2000 2002

Indiana

Nation

40th in nation

10th in nation


A strong high school curriculum* improves college completion and narrows gaps

*Completing at least Algebra II plus other courses.Source: Adapted from Adelman, Clifford, U.S. Department of Education, Answers in the Toolbox, 1999.

61%

75%86%

73%

45%

79%

0%

100%

All college entrants Entrants who had strong highschool curriculum

African American Latino White

30%

13%


How do the default diplomas in these states compare?

Math

Require-

ments

American

Diploma

Project

Arkansas

Smart

Core

Indiana

Core 40

Oklahoma

College

Prep

Texas

Recom-

mended

H.S.

Program

Michigan

Scholars

Program /

Presidents

Council

Required

Years

4 4 3 3 3 4

Algebra I

Geometry

Algebra II

Beyond

Alg. II


The minimum math requirements for students who opt out

Math

Require-

ments

American

Diploma

Project

Arkansas

Common

Core

Indiana

General

Diploma

Oklahoma

Standard

Diploma

Texas

Minimum

H.S.

Program

Required

Years

4 4 2 3 3

Algebra I

Geometry

Algebra II

Beyond Alg.

II


What did IN do to increase the number of students pursuing a college- & work-ready curriculum?

Involved postsecondary community in shaping Core 40 Course of Study to ensure it met their needs

Created special diploma designation for students who took and passed the Core 40

Attached postsecondary incentives (scholarships/financial aid)

Built Core 40 into high school accountability ratings Made Core 40 the default for all students


How Michigan might proceed on course requirements

Survey districts to determine… Current graduation requirements How many students currently complete a college- and

work-ready curriculum

Study how other states rolled out and phased in new requirements Start with “recommended” then shift to required Postsecondary and business offer incentives Collect course taking data from districts and publicly

report on progress

Consider default strategy with opt outprovision


For more information,please visit Achieve, Inc., on the Web at

http://www.achieve.org

Creating a High School Diploma That Counts

creating a high school diploma that counts. 2 american diploma project network american diploma...

Documents

high school diploma

high school graduates

time high school graduation

education pipeline source

half of african american

college ready source

collegereadiness rates

public policy higher