The High School – College Disconnect

G. Donald Allen

Department of Mathematics

Texas A&M University

presented to: The Coastal Bend Mathematics Collaborative, 11/14/05

Why are we here?

To consider the connections and disconnections between secondary and postsecondary institutions.

To develop an awareness of K-12 issues. To develop an awareness of college realities for

our students. To find common ground across the bridge

between high school and college.

Where do we stand?

Enrollment in college has remained steady at 44% of the graduating class.

Texas sends fewer students to college than other states (33% of 9th graders)

72% of growth in college enrollment is in two year colleges. (565k vs 483k)

College readiness is a focus area by the THECB Texas now has an Educator Quality and P-16

Initiatives division of TEA

Two-year colleges had 88,007 additional students, 2000 to 2003

Universities increased by 58,192 from 2000 to 2003

Where do we stand?

Value Added in High School Declined During the Nineties

Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate Strong Math Skills.

Low-Income Students More Likely to End Up in 2-Year Colleges and Proprietary Institutions: 1995-96

21

4

50

42

19.2

34.2

10

20.1

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Low-income

Middle- andUpper-income

For Profit 2-Year Public 4-yr Private 4-yr

Source: American Council on Education, Center for Policy Analysis, Crucial Choices: How Students’ Financial Decisions Affect Their Academic Success using The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study: 1995-96 (NPSAS) & Beginning Postsecondary Students 1996/98 (BPS)

College Freshmen Not Returning for Sophomore Year 4 yr colleges 26% 2 yr colleges 45%

Retention is a priority on most campuses

Graduating…

The statewide six-year graduation rate is 52 percent, while the national rate is about 55 percent.

Nationwide, only half (52%) of full-time, first-time freshmen at four-year institutions earn a bachelor’s degree within five years

Comparisons

White African American Latino

Graduate from high school 93 87 63Complete some college 65 51 32Obtain a bachelor's degree 32 17 11

Of every 100 kindergarten children…

BUT… About 40% of white students, 23% of African-American students, and 20% of Hispanic students who started public high school graduated college-ready in 2002.

What is College Readiness?

Dual credit courses Texas Success Initiative (TSI) (formerly

TASP)THEA, ASSET, COMPASS and

ACCUPLACER Standards for test exemption: SAT – 1070

combined; ACT – 23 composite; TAKS – 2200 in math

Texas Success Initiative

Effective September 1, 2003, the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) ceased to exist,

Texas Success Initiative (TSI) was implemented for all public colleges and universities.

TSI is focused on using a statewide standard for assessing college level readiness skills of all entering undergraduate students at public colleges and universities.

New students are assessed on their reading, writing and math skills, then academically advised and placed in developmental level courses if necessary.

Why higher education?

70% of the 30 fastest-growing jobs will require an education beyond high school.

40% of all new jobs will require at least an associate’s degree.

Bureau of Census & Education Trust,1999

More Data…

2.5 million students graduate from high school annually

70% go on to post-secondary education within two years

50% of those take remedial courses – often in several subjects

College is important for life…

With a high school diploma, $24,267 With an associate’s degree, $26,693 With a bachelor’s degree, $40,314

U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2001

Salaries for adults aged 25

Today’s topics

Assessment in high school vs. college computational vs. analytical questions calculators, yes or no? test taking strategizing

Placement exams vs. TAKS vs. College Exams Scoring correction awareness Critical transition points

Today’s topics

College readiness Local college-high school liaisons Forming P-16 initiatives Workshop deliverables

Scoring Correction – a little math Assume multiple choice test of n questions with

four distractors. The student gets m correct, w wrong: m + w = n.

Grade = m - or is it? g = number guessed at. w=3/4 g. (g = 4/3 w). True score = n – g = n - 4/3w = m - w/3. Example n=100. m = 75. True score is

75 – 25/3 ~ 67

Ex. On any such multiple choice test, a grade of 85% is required to be equivalent to a corrected score of 80%. A grade of 77% ~ corrected score of 78%.

What sort of placement instruments do we use? High school grades? TAKS raw score. High school rank? SAT, THEA, Accuplacer, Compass, ACT? Internal placement exam?

Is there any consistency?

Accuplacer – an adaptive test

This means that the computer automatically determines which questions are presented based on prior responses.

This technique selects just the right questions to ask without being too easy or too difficult.

The test is not timed. After you answer each question, the computer calculates

a score based on all of the answers given and uses this score to select the next question.

Questions must be answered in the order given.

Critical transition points

When do students get turned on to mathematics (and why)?

Applications? Teacher? Career day? Love of subject?

When do students get turned off to mathematics (and why)?

Fear or anxiety of subject? Teacher?

Placement Exams

Test for reliability and validity Tracking students ACCUPLACER is the computer adaptive

testing system approved by the Texas State Legislature as an alternative assessment tool for initial THEA testing.

Test equivalencies (for TSI)

Test Math

THEA 230

ACCUPLACER 63 elem alg

ASSET 38 elem alg

COMPASS 39 alg

Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

Minimum passing standards for WTAMU admission

Test equivalencies (for TSI)

Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

Minimum passing standards for Del Mar admission

Test MathTHEA 230

ACCUPLACER 63 elem algASSET 38 elem alg

COMPASS 39 alg

Minimum passing scores for College Algebra at UH

Test MathTHEA 250SAT 530ACT 21