Closing the Expectations Gap. Fifth Annual 50-state progress report

Transcription

1 2010 Closing Expectations Gap Fifth Annual 50-state progress report on Alignment of High School Policies with Dems of College Careers

2 2008 Closing e xpec tations g ap Closing Expectations Gap Closing Expectations Gap is Achieve s annual report on progress states are making on aligning high school policies with dems of college careers. To download copies of previous years reports, visit Closing Expectations Gap 2006 An Annual 50-State Progress Report on Alignment of High School Policies with Dems of College Work Closing Expectations Gap 2007 An Annual 50-State Progress Report on Alignment of High School Policies with Dems of College Work Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryl Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Isl South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming 2008 Closing Expectations Gap An Annual 50-State Progress Report on Alignment of High School Policies with Dems of College Careers 2009 Closing Expectations Gap Fourth Annual 50-State Progress Report on Alignment of High School Policies with Dems of College Careers American Diploma Project Network American Diploma Project Network American Diploma Project Network 1 About Achieve Created by nation s governors business leaders, Achieve is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that helps states raise academic stards, improve assessments strengn accountability to prepare all young people for college, careers citizenship. Achieve has helped more than half states benchmark ir academic stards, tests accountability systems against best examples in United States around world. Achieve also serves as a significant national voice for quality in stards-based education reform regularly convenes governors, CEOs or influential leaders. In 2005, Achieve co-sponsored National Education Summit on High Schools. Forty-five governors attended Summit along with corporate CEOs K 12 postsecondary leaders. The Summit made case that our high schools are not adequately preparing students for college 21st-century jobs that aggressive state action would be needed to address expectations gap. As a result of Summit, 13 states formed American Diploma Project Network a coalition of states committed to aligning high school stards, assessments, graduation requirements accountability systems with dems of college workplace. The coalition has since grown to 35 states that educate more than 85 percent of all public school children in United States. For more information, visit Achieve at Published in March Copyright 2010 Achieve, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy or recording, or any information retrieval system, without permission from Achieve, Inc. Editorial assistance design: KSA-Plus Communications, Inc. 2 Achieve, Inc.

3 Contents Executive Summary 2 Overview of Key Survey Results for Each State 5 Introduction 7 Stards 9 Graduation Requirements 11 Assessments 14 P 20 Data Systems 17 Accountability 19 Conclusion 23 Endnotes 23 Appendix A: Achieve Resources 24 Appendix B: Overview of ADP Assessment Consortium Use of ADP Algebra II Exam 26 Appendix C: Methodology closing expectations gap

4 Executive Summary Executive Summary Since Achieve launched American Diploma Project (ADP) Network at National Education Summit on High Schools in February 2005, state leaders across country have been hard at work aligning ir stards, graduation requirements, assessments accountability systems with expectations of colleges employers. To monitor state progress in adopting college career readiness agenda, Achieve conducts an annual survey of all 50 states District of Columbia on key college- career-ready policies that form basis for ADP Network. K 12 education chiefs from all 50 states District of Columbia responded to this year s survey. State Progress on Adopting College- Career-Ready Policies Stards Graduation Requirements Assessments P 20 Data Systems Accountability Number of states Key Findings In place in 2005 In place between Summit 2009 In place in 2010 Stards At time of National Education Summit on High Schools, three states had aligned ir high school stards in English mamatics with postsecondary workplace expectations. Five years later, 31 states report that y have college- career-ready stards, including eight that adopted aligned high school stards in past year. What started off as isolated efforts among individual states just five years ago has become a national movement producing a national consensus: Stards must be aligned to college- career-ready expectations. Moreover, as states began to focus ir end-of-high-school expectations on college career readiness, those expectations became increasingly consistent across states. This growing consensus strong foundation has spurred state-led Common Core State Stards Initiative through which states have Stards committed to develop not Pre-Summit 2010 only end-of-high-school but VT ME VT ME MT ND MT ND also K 12 content stards NY MA NY MA in English mamatics IL IN WV IL IN VA MD WV VA MD MO KS KS MO that are rigorous, focused AZ NM AZ NM MS AL MS AL internationally TX LA TX LA benchmarked (see In place 2 Achieve, Inc.

5 Graduation Requirements On eve of National Education Summit in 2005, only Graduation Requirements three states had established graduation requirements that Pre-Summit 2010 require all students to complete a curriculum that will VT ME MT ND MT ND NY MA prepare m for college career, including four years of IL IN challenging mamatics content of which is at least WV VA MD KS MO KS to level of what is typically taught in an Algebra II course AZ NM AZ NM MS AL TX LA TX or its equivalent four years of grade-level English. Today, 20 states District of Columbia require all students to complete a college- career-ready curriculum In place to earn a high school diploma. The only new state in 2009 to raise its graduation requirements to this level was Nebraska. Raising graduation requirements is an important way to ensure that college- career-ready stards are implemented in classrooms. It also ensures that all students have access to rigorous courses that in past have been available only to some students. In addition, raising graduation requirements requires states to have necessary teacher student supports in place to ensure students can meet se ambitious goals. MO LA IL MS IN AL WV VA VT NY ME MA MD Assessments Five years ago, three states administered assessments to high school students that postsecondary institutions use to make decisions about ir readiness for college. Since Summit, additional states have begun administering assessments that reflect expectations of colleges employers produce results in reading, writing mamatics that signal wher a high school graduate is ready to succeed. On fifth anniversary of National Education Summit, 14 states now administer college- career-ready high school assessments, including four new states in past year. Assessments Pre-Summit VT ME MT ND MT NY MA IL IN WV MD VA KS MO AZ NM AZ NM MS AL TX LA In place 2010 VT ME ND NY MA IL IN WV VA MD KS MO MS AL TX LA P 20 Data Systems Every state in country is working to develop longitudinal P 20 Data Systems data systems that link student-level data from state s Pre-Summit K 12 system with data from state s postsecondary VT ME MT ND institutions. At time of National Education Summit NY MA IL IN in 2005, only three states had operational P 20 longitudinal WV VA MD KS MO data systems. Today, 16 states report that y have begun AZ NM AZ MS AL annually matching K 12 postsecondary student-level TX LA data, including five new states in past year. With all 50 states District of Columbia working on such systems, In place policymakers have begun to focus on how data can be used to improve student learning postsecondary success in both college workplace. MT NM 2010 VT ME ND NY MA IL IN WV VA MD KS MO MS AL TX LA 2010 closing expectations gap 3

6 Accountability At time of Summit, no state had a comprehensive college- career-ready accountability system, re has been little progress in this area in five years since Summit. Accountability systems ought to reflect goal of college career readiness for all students in doing so measure incentivize improvement toward that goal. Designing an accountability system focused on preparing all students for success in postsecondary education training requires comprehensively using a much richer set of indicators. Achieve asked states about ir inclusion of four critical college- careerready indicators in ir accountability systems: percentage of high school graduates who earn a college- career-ready diploma, obtain a readiness score on a college- career-ready high school assessment, earn college credit while still in high school, require remediation upon entering college. Achieve also asked states about ways y use each of college- career-ready indicators, including reporting publicly at school level, setting statewide goals, providing incentives for improvement, factoring college career readiness into state accountability formula. While 22 states use at least one of se indicators, only one state, Texas, makes full use of all indicators in its accountability system. AZ Pre-Summit MT NM ND KS TX MO LA IL MS IN AL WV VA Accountability VT NY ME MA MD In place AZ MT NM 2010 VT ME ND NY MA IL IN WV VA MD KS MO MS AL TX LA 4 Achieve, Inc.

7 Overview of Key Survey Results for Each State Align high school stards with expectations of college careers Align high school graduation requirements with college- careerready expectations Develop college career-ready assessment systems Develop P 20 longitudinal data systems Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryl Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Isl South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming TOTAL State ADP Network member Develop accountability reporting systems that promote college career readiness closing expectations gap 5

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9 Introduction Introduction In 2004, states were becoming increasingly aware that ir high schools, which had changed little since mid-20th century, were not producing 21st-century graduates needed to compete succeed after high school in an increasingly complex interconnected world. Around same time, Achieve conducted studies of employers two- fouryear college faculty that confirmed what states suspected: There was a sizeable gap between what students knew leaving high school actual knowledge skills y need to be successful in college careers. Achieve called this disconnect expectations gap issued a challenge to national state leaders to take action to close gap by adopting implementing college- career-ready policies for all high school graduates. 1 In 2005, Achieve sponsored, in partnership with National Governors Association, National Education Summit on High Schools. Forty-five governors attended Summit, as did corporate CEOs education leaders from both K 12 higher education. These leaders confronted alarming statistics about preparation of high school students for postsecondary success in an increasingly competitive global economy, including low high school graduation rates, high college remediation rates, increased education skill requirements of new growing occupations, decrease in well-paying jobs for which a high school education alone is sufficient. The leaders widely acknowledged that if states did not dramatically raise expectations achievement in ir high schools, America s ability to compete could be at risk. At end of Summit, Achieve 13 states launched American Diploma Project (ADP) Network committed to closing expectations gap by adopting following college- careerready policies: Aligning high school academic content stards in English mamatics with dems of college careers; Establishing graduation requirements that require all students to complete a college- career-ready curriculum; Developing statewide high school assessment systems anchored to college- career-ready expectations; Creating comprehensive accountability reporting systems that promote college career readiness for all students. Today, ADP Network includes 35 states educating 85 percent of nation s students. ADP Network States AZ MT NM ND KS TX MO LA IL MS IN AL WV VA VT NY ME MA MD ADP Network state Progress since Summit It has been five years since Summit, this is fifth year that Achieve has reported on progress states have made on college- career-ready policy agenda. Without question, significant progress has been achieved. Still, more significant change, five years later, is environment in which states are doing that work. It is hard to conceive of now, but when small group of state leaders who formed ADP Network began ir work in earnest, notion that state education systems should be geared toward end goal of all students graduating from high school college career ready was a radical one. In just five years, it has become new norm closing expectations gap 7

10 This paradigm shift is evident not just in state policy advances reported here but in national conversation as well. College career readiness for all is embraced by Obama administration, political leaders of all stripes, business community leaders, philanthropic community. The notion that all students can should graduate ready for college careers is evident in key policies not just at state level but at federal level as well. The American Recovery Reinvestment Act, Race to Top grant competition, discussions about reauthorization of Elementary Secondary Education Act all clearly seek to anchor state education systems in goal of graduating students ready for college careers by providing incentives for right policies programs. Much, if not all, of this shift can be attributed to leadership exhibited by states. The high school reform movement subsequent college- career-ready policy agenda was created by state leaders. The progress made by states on individual college- career-ready policies, as well as shift toward common stards multistate assessment partnerships, demonstrates that a state-led effort can is shaping national education agenda. For example, as states started to align ir stards to college- career-ready expectations, often with or states always in conjunction with ir own K 12, higher education employer communities, end-of-high-school expectations in mamatics English became increasingly consistent across states, as Achieve first reported in This growing consensus foundation it created have spurred state-led Common Core State Stards Initiative through which 48 states District of Columbia have signed on to develop consistent, college- career-ready, internationally benchmarked stards. This effort would not have been possible if not for precedent of states working toger to close expectations gap develop adopt college- career-ready stards. Anor significant trend that has emerged over past five years is increase in multistate collaboration, as states look for economical practical solutions to common issues challenges. Nowhere is this trend more evident than in emergence of assessment coalitions in which groups of states facing significant budget, procurement, legal policy challenges have come toger to create common assessments. The New Engl Common Assessments Program (P) ADP Assessment Consortium have led way in this area shown that multistate partnerships are not just possible but also beneficial in advancing states shared goals. Federal incentives to support multistate consortia, particularly in assessment, are certain to furr support encourage this type of cross-state collaboration. In particular, U.S. Department of Education has dedicated $350 million to development of common assessments that reflect common, college- career-ready state stards allow for comparisons across states. Meeting Our Common Goal There is still much work to be done to ensure that all students have a K 12 education that will enable m to reach ir full potential prepare m for real world y will enter after high school graduation. Yet we seem, as a nation, to have finally set our sights on a common goal: Provide all students an education that will prepare m for college, career life ensure that quality of a child s education is not determined by state, city or zip code in which he or she lives. With state federal policy finally converging around college- career-ready agenda, with growing public political will to see agenda through, we st at a defining moment in education reform. We hope to report in next five years that implementation of shared goal of college career readiness for all is well under way that we are graduating more students from high school, better prepared than ever before. 8 Achieve, Inc.

11 Stards: Align Stards: High School Align High Stards School with Stards Expectations with of Expectations College Careers of College Careers Academic content stards serve as foundation of state education systems. Stards provide underpinning for decisions regarding curriculum, instruction assessment, y communicate core knowledge skills to teachers, parents students. For states high school stards to reflect an understing of skills knowledge students need to be successful when y leave high school, stards must be anchored to expectations of real world. In 2004, Achieve, The Education Trust, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation National Alliance of Business released ADP benchmarks in English mamatics. The benchmarks identify knowledge skills high school graduates must possess in English mamatics to be successful in first-year, credit-bearing college courses /or to qualify for postsecondary education or training needed for good entry-level jobs with a clear pathway to advancement. 3 The initiative identified a much more rigorous focused set of expectations in English mamatics than most states had in place at time. The Question: In survey, Achieve asked states wher y have developed adopted high school academic content stards in English mamatics aligned to college- career-ready expectations. Achieve also asked states about ir process for developing such stards additional steps taken to ensure that resulting stards reflect real-world expectations that await high school graduates. The Criteria: Achieve considers state stards to be aligned with college- career-ready expectations if stards writing process is guided by expectations of state s postsecondary business communities, if those communities verify that resulting stards articulate knowledge skills required for success in college workplace, if an external organization verifies stards alignment to college- career-ready expectations. Stards: Pre-Summit Stards: 2010 AZ MT NM ND KS MO IL MS VT NY IN WV VA AL ME MA MD * * AZ* MT NM ND KS * MO IL VT ME NY** MA IN WV VA MD MS AL** TX LA TX LA Aligned stards formally verified by Achieve Aligned stards not verified by Achieve * Only mamatics stards aligned ** Only one content area verified by Achieve: NY (English), AL (Mamatics) 2010 closing expectations gap 9

12 Progress since Summit Only three states reported that y had adopted stards aligned to college- career-ready expectations prior to Summit in February 2005: California, Indiana Nebraska. By February 2009, 23 states had adopted aligned stards. In past year, eight additional states adopted college- career-ready stards, bringing total number of states with stards aligned to dems of real world to 31 (23 of which have had Achieve verify that alignment). The eight new states added since February 2009 are Alabama, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina Virginia. Of remaining states, 11 reported that y are in process of aligning ir stards to college- career-ready expectations: Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Utah Wisconsin. The Trend Overall, widespread adoption of college- career-ready state stards reflects a national consensus that high school expectations must be aligned with expectations students will be required to meet after graduation. The Common Core State Stards Initiative builds on this consensus (see below). College- Career-Ready Stards: Five-Year Progress Number of states with stards in place Year Common Core State Stards Initiative Common Core State Stards Initiative The Common Core State Stards Initiative an effort led The by Common Council Core of Chief State State Stards School Initiative Officers an effort National led by Governors Council Association of Chief in State partnership School Officers with Achieve National is a Governors state-led effort Association designed in partnership to produce common with Achieve K 12 stards is a state-led in English effort mamatics designed to that produce reflect common college K 12 stards career readiness; English are internationally mamatics that benchmarked; reflect college are grounded career in readiness; evidence; are are internationally focused, rigorous benchmarked; teachable. are grounded Forty-eight in evidence; states are District focused, of Columbia rigorous have committed teachable. Forty-eight to developing such stards District of Columbia will decide have in committed coming to months devel- states oping wher such stards when to adopt will decide final Common in coming Core State months Stards, wher which when are to expected adopt to final be released Common in Core April State Stards, which are expected to be released in April The Common Core State Stards Initiative was built on The strong Common foundation Core State laid Stards by Achieve s Initiative work was over built on past five strong years helping foundation states laid to by develop Achieve s work adopt over stards past five aligned years to helping college- states career-ready to develop expectations. adopt stards In 2009, aligned idea to of college- common stards career-ready shifted expectations. from being a In byproduct of idea state s of common policy work stards to a priority shifted in from being of itself. a byprod- States 2009, uct now of see state s common policy stards work to a as priority a top priority in that of itself. can ensure States now consistency see common of real-world stards expectations as a top priority across that local, can state ensure consistency national boundaries of real-world provide expectations a foundation across local, for future state collaborative boundaries work. provide a foundation for future col- national laborative work. 10 Achieve, Inc.

13 Graduation Graduation Requirements: Requirements: Align High Align High School School Graduation Graduation Requirements Requirements with Collegewith College Career Career- Ready Ready Expectations Expectations Many of states that have adopted college- career-ready content stards also have raised ir graduation requirements to college- career-ready level. Taking a rigorous course of study in high school aligned to college career expectations is one of strongest predictors of wher a student ultimately will meet his or her postsecondary goals. A college- career-ready curriculum is more than just number or names of required courses; more important are content rigor of those courses. Specifically, Achieve considers high school graduation requirements to be at college- career-ready level if students are required to complete a curriculum consistent with ADP recommendations. Readiness for college careers depends on more than mastery of English mamatics content, but se two content areas are important foundational subjects for study of or academic disciplines contextualized learning. The Question: In survey, Achieve asked states wher y require all students to complete a college- career-ready curriculum to earn a high school diploma. Achieve also asked states how y ensure that courses students take are aligned with state s academic content stards that content of courses is consistent equally rigorous across schools districts. The Criteria: Achieve s ADP research shows that for high school graduates to be prepared for success in college careers, y need to take four years of challenging mamatics including content typically taught in an Algebra II course or its equivalent four years of grade-level English aligned with college- career-ready stards. Graduation Requirements: Pre-Summit Graduation Requirements: 2010 AZ MT NM ND KS MO IL MS VT NY IN WV VA AL ME MA MD AZ MT NM ND KS MO IL MS VT NY IN WV VA AL ME MA MD TX LA TX LA Default college- career-ready diploma with minimum opt-out Default college- career-ready diploma with personal modification opt-out Matory college- career-ready diploma 2010 closing expectations gap 11

14 Progress since Summit In early 2005, only three states had graduation requirements at level necessary to prepare all students for success in college workplace. Five years later, 20 states District of Columbia have adopted college- career-ready graduation requirements Nebraska was only state in 2009 to raise its graduation requirements to this level. Beyond states that have already adopted a college- career-ready curriculum for all students, three additional states have proposals under consideration that, if adopted, would establish new rigorous high school requirements at ADP-recommended level: Florida, Hawaii Maryl. The Trend The initial surge in number of states requiring students to complete a college- career-ready curriculum has slowed in recent years, but number of students facing college career-ready graduation requirements in se states continues to grow. By fall 2010, first cohort of students in all but two of se states will have entered high school be required to meet college- career-ready expectations to graduate. As an increasing number of students face more rigorous requirements, states must confront capacity challenges associated with offering more courses of greater rigor to more students. Students who arrive at high school unprepared also need additional supports transition programs designed to help m catch up complete a college- careerready course of study by end of 12th grade. In addition, states have begun implementing strategies to ensure that students are in fact taking courses that cover college- career-ready content y need. End-ofcourse testing curriculum audits are two important Number of states with requirements in place College- Career-Ready Graduation Requirements: Five-Year Progress Year increasingly common approaches to addressing issue of consistency rigor. Finally, political challenges states face in ir attempts to raise graduation requirements do not end when governor signs new requirements into law or state board adopts m. Without a well-developed, comprehensive implementation plan that includes student teacher supports a communications outreach strategy to students, parents or stakeholders, states are likely to be caught in a continuous struggle to protect ir new requirements from attempts to backslide return to previous status quo. 12 Achieve, Inc.

15 First Cohort of Students To Graduate under New Requirements State First cohort State First cohort Texas 2008/ Mississippi 2012 Arkansas 2010 Alabama 2013 New York 2010 Arizona 2013 Oklahoma 2010 New Mexico 2013 South Dakota 2010/ North Carolina 2013 Delaware 2011 Tennessee 2013 District of Columbia 2011 Washington 2013 Indiana 2011 Ohio 2014 Michigan 2011 Minnesota 2015 Georgia 2012 Nebraska 2015 Kentucky 2012 Default college- career-ready diploma with minimum opt-out Default college- career-ready diploma with personal modification opt-out Matory college- career-ready diploma Raising Course Requirements Raising Course Requirements States raising ir course requirements to level recommended raising by ADP ir have course structured requirements requirements to level in recom- one of States mended two ways: by ADP have structured requirements in one of two ways: Matory Matory The most direct approach is to establish matory requirements most that direct result approach in students is to earning establish a high matory school diploma require- The ments only if that y result complete in students required earning courses a high (or school in diploma case only of New if y York, complete pass required required end-of-course courses (or assessments). in case of Seven New states York, pass District required of end-of-course Columbia have assessments). set matory course states requirements, District including of Columbia Nebraska, have which set ma- now Seven requires tory course districts requirements, to establish including college- Nebraska, career-ready which now graduation requirements districts to establish for all students college- starting career-ready with graduat- gradu- requires ation ing class requirements of for all students starting with graduating class of Default Default An alternative approach to raising graduation requirements An is to alternative automatically approach enroll to all raising students graduation in default requirements collegeis to career-ready automatically curriculum enroll all students but allow in students default to opt college- out of requirements career-ready curriculum if ir parents but allow sign a students waiver. There to opt are out two of requirements if ir parents sign a waiver. There are two main ways states establish a default diploma: eir with a main minimum ways states diploma establish opt-out a default or a personal diploma: modification eir with a minimum opt-out. diploma opt-out or a personal modification opt-out. Minimum Diploma: States offer a separate minimum diploma for Minimum students Diploma: who opt States out of offer a default separate college- minimum diploma for career-ready students who curriculum. opt out It s of important default that college- seven states career-ready with a minimum curriculum. diploma It s opt-out important carefully that monitor six states which with students a minimum which diploma schools earn opt-out which carefully diploma monitor ensure which that students all students in which have access schools to earn a rigorous which curriculum. diploma to ensure that all students have access to a rigorous curriculum. Personal Modification: States allow students to opt out of individual Personal Modification: courses typically States allow advanced-level students to mamatics opt out of or individual science courses courses but typically award students advanced-level same mamatics diploma as or those science who courses complete but full award set students of college- same career-ready diploma as graduation those who requirements. complete For full set six of states college- with a careerready modification graduation opt-out, requirements. it is critical For that y seven track states student-level with personal a course-taking personal modification data so y opt-out, know it which is critical students that in y which track student-level schools are completing course-taking courses data so that y prepare know which m students for success which in college schools are completing workplace. courses that prepare in m for success in college workplace closing expectations gap 13

16 ASSESSMENTS: ASSESSMENTS: Develop Develop College- College- Career-Ready Career-Ready Assessment Assessment Systems Systems Most high school assessments required for all students particularly those high-stakes tests required for graduation measure knowledge skills students learn early in high school or even in middle school. These tests fail to assess advanced high school content students need to be successful in college or postsecondary education training opportunities. As such, y have limited capacity to signal wher a student will leave high school ready to succeed. State assessments at high school level must do a better job of measuring real-world knowledge skills that students need to be successful after high school. Achieve recommends that every state build anchor assessments, capable of measuring college career readiness, into ir high school assessment systems. Achieve also recommends that states align rest of K 12 assessment system with anchor assessments so that proficient means prepared all way through grades. The goal is to signal, at each stage of schooling, wher students are on a path to college career readiness. The Question: In survey, Achieve asked states wher y administer to all students an assessment of college- career-ready knowledge skills capable of producing a readiness score that postsecondary institutions use to make placement decisions or that state s business community uses for hiring or placement decisions. 7 The Criteria: To meet Achieve s criteria for having a college- career-ready assessment, states must have a component of ir high school assessment system that measures all students on college- career-ready content in English mamatics. The assessment must have credibility with postsecondary institutions employers, so that achieving a certain score signals being truly prepared for success after high school. Assessments: Pre-Summit Assessments: 2010 AZ MT NM ND KS MO IL MS VT NY IN WV VA AL ME MA MD AZ MT NM ND KS MO IL MS VT NY IN WV VA AL ME MA MD TX LA TX LA In place 14 Achieve, Inc.

17 Progress since Summit Prior to 2005 Summit, three states administered a test capable of measuring college career readiness with an established cut score used by postsecondary institutions to place students into first-year credit-bearing mamatics English courses: California, Colorado Illinois. In 2010, 14 states will administer college- career-ready assessments, including four new states in 2009: Alabama, Hawaii, Louisiana West Virginia. Six of 14 states measure college career readiness of students using a high school assessment developed in state or by ADP Assessment Consortium: California, Georgia, Hawaii, New York, Texas West Virginia. Eight states require all students to take a national college admissions exam: Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan Tennessee. Nine additional states have committed to administering college- career-ready assessments in coming years. See table on page 16 for details about assessment policies being developed in se states. 8 Only three states in ADP Assessment Consortium that are administering end-of-course exam statewide are included in this table; for information on all 15 states in consortium, see Appendix B. The Trend Increasingly, states are developing multiple college- career-ready measures within ir assessment systems. State systems are beginning to include both national college admissions tests advanced level end-of-course exams. For some states, A or SAT serves as only one assessment within a larger high school assessment system along with or assessments, such as WorkKeys statedeveloped tests designed to more fully assess state stards. College- Career-Ready Assessments: Five-Year Progress Number of states with assessments in place Year Among states making changes to ir assessment systems, most common approach is development of new end-of-course assessments. End-of-course assessments can help ensure consistency of rigor between within schools, as well as throughout a state, can more accurately measure students mastery of specific content than largescale, comprehensive assessments, which typically measure broader often lower-level content. If tests adequately measure students mastery of states college- career-ready stards, postsecondary institutions will be able to use test results to make placement determinations. Strong alignment between high school assessments postsecondary employer expectations clearly communicates expectations creates incentives for students, schools districts. Assessment systems anchored in college- career-ready expectations can assess wher or not students in lower grades are on track progressing toward college career readiness by end of high school closing expectations gap 15

18 Status State Assessment Administered Postsecondary use Assessments in Use Assessments under Development 9 Alabama A 2014 In Use California California Stards Test (CST)/Early Assessment Program (EAP) In Use In Use Colorado A In Use In Use Georgia Georgia High School Graduation Test (ELA) In Use In Use Georgia High School Graduation Test (Mamatics) Hawaii ADP Common Algebra II End-of-Course Exam In Use In Use Illinois A/WorkKeys In Use In Use Kentucky A In Use In Use Louisiana A/WorkKeys 2012 In Use End-of-Course Exam English III 2012 TBD Maine SAT In Use In Use Michigan A/WorkKeys In Use In Use New York Regents End-of-Course Exams In Use In Use Tennessee Texas* A In Use In Use End-of-Course Exams (Algebra II, English III) Texas Assessment of Knowledge Skills (TS) In Use In Use End-of-Course Exams (Algebra II, English III) Algebra II: 2011 English III:2012 West Virginia WESTEST In Use 2011 Arkansas ADP Common Algebra II End-of-Course Exam In Use TBD Indiana ADP Common Algebra II End-of-Course Exam In Use TBD Minnesota College- Career-Ready Assessments TBD: ADP Algebra II End-of-Course Exam & Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (M) Mississippi A (Pilot) 10 TBD TBD North Carolina State Algebra II End-of-Course Exam In Use TBD Ohio Nationally stardized college admissions exam TBD TBD Oklahoma End-of-Instruction Exams (Algebra II, English III) In Use TBD Oregon Oregon Assessment of Knowledge Skills (OS) 11 In Use 2012 Utah A TBD In Use TBD 2015 TBD *Texas is developing state end-of-course assessments that will replace TS. 16 Achieve, Inc.

19 P 20 Data P 20 Data Systems: Systems: Develop P 20 Develop P 20 Longitudinal Longitudinal Data Systems Data Systems Critical to success of college- career-ready agenda is ability of states to collect, coordinate use secondary postsecondary data to improve readiness of graduates to succeed in college workplace. At National Education Summit in 2005, state leaders were urged to develop P 20 longitudinal data systems that track meaningful indicators of college career readiness for individual students. Collecting data is no longer only critical focus of state P 20 longitudinal data systems; states also must use data effectively. The work of Data Quality Campaign (DQC) of which Achieve is a Managing Partner has exped beyond helping states implement 10 Essential Elements of a comprehensive longitudinal data system. The DQC now also has identified 10 State Actions necessary to ensure key stakeholders including state policymakers classroom teachers use data effectively. 12 The Question: In survey, Achieve asked states wher y annually match student-level records from K 12 with similar data from ir postsecondary system(s). Given that P 20 longitudinal data systems require a long-term, sustainable investment from states, Achieve also asked states about ir timeline for developing such a data system reviewed state responses to DQC survey about technical, policy legal barriers that y must overcome to begin linking ir data systems. The Criteria: Achieve considers a state to have an operational P 20 longitudinal data system when it has unique student identifiers to track each student through beyond K 12 system, has overcome all barriers to matching, has capacity to match records between K 12 postsecondary, has begun to match records at least annually. P 20 Data Systems: Pre-Summit P 20 Data Systems: 2010 AZ MT NM ND KS MO IL MS VT NY IN WV VA AL ME MA MD AZ MT NM ND KS MO IL MS VT NY IN WV VA AL ME MA MD TX LA TX LA In place 2010 closing expectations gap 17

20 Progress since Summit At time of Summit in February 2005, only three states had operational P 20 longitudinal data systems: Florida, Louisiana Texas. By February 2009, 11 states reported having a longitudinal data system in place. In past year, five additional states Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Nevada Pennsylvania began matching studentlevel records through a P 20 longitudinal data system, bringing total number of matching states to 16. All or states District of Columbia are now working to develop ir P 20 longitudinal data systems. Federal grants to states support from or sectors have enabled states to make a sustained effort to build technical capacity while DQC ors have been working with states to overcome or barriers to matching of studentlevel data. The Trend Five years after 2005 Summit, every state in nation District of Columbia has developed or is developing a P 20 longitudinal data system. States are now shifting ir attention from building infrastructure needed to collect data to adopting policies practices to use data at district school levels. As technical barriers to matching are overcome, states must focus on policy challenges related to dissemination of data to key stakeholders professional development necessary to maximize data use to improve instruction strengn preparation of students for success after high school. Number of states with system in place P 20 Longitudinal Data Systems: Five-Year Progress Year Data Quality Campaign In January 2010, Data Quality Campaign (DQC) released Inaugural Overview of States Actions To Leverage Data To Improve Student Success. Every state has made a commitment to build a longitudinal data system that includes DQC s 10 Essential Elements by 2011 including a unique statewide student identifier, student-level course-taking information, college readiness test scores, high school graduation data, matching data between K 12 postsecondary systems most recent DQC data suggest that states are on track to meet this goal InAuguRAl OvERvIEw Of States Actions T o leverage Data To Improve Student Success Progress Report on State Data Systems use 16 Because many states have in place Essential Elements critical to building a robust data system, DQC also recommends 10 Actions states must take to change how data are used to inform decisions policies to continuously improve student performance. States must leverage se Actions to exp access, understing use of state longitudinal data by policymakers, education administrators, teachers, parents, students researchers. These 10 Actions include annually matching data across systems, establishing accessible state data repositories communicating availability of longitudinal data for continuous improvement. For individual state progress on implementing 10 Essential Elements Actions, visit 18 Achieve, Inc.

21 Accountability: Develop Accountability: Accountability Develop Accountability Reporting Systems Reporting That Systems Promote That College Promote College Career Readiness Career Readiness Accountability systems focus efforts of teachers, students, parents, administrators policymakers to ensure that students schools meet established goals. The goals for state high school accountability systems in place today are largely based on student achievement results from stardized tests that typically measure 8th 9th grade content do not fully reflect dems of college careers. Such systems send wrong messages set low expectations for our high schools students y serve. It is important for states to rethink ir K 12 accountability systems anchor m in goal of graduating all students on time, ready to succeed in college careers. 13 Policymakers must fundamentally reformulate indicators y use to measure progress incentives y provide schools to improve. Without a coordinated framework that sets right expectations sends right signals, educators school systems will not aim high enough for ir students, many will continue to leave our schools unprepared for ir next steps. The Question: In survey, Achieve asked states wher y collect school-by-school data on a fundamental set of college- career-ready indicators, more important, wher those indicators are used to drive improvement in schools school systems. Key College- Career-Ready Indicators: An effective accountability system uses a coherent, purposeful progression of college- career-ready indicators to focus resources drive improvement. To better underst extent to which states are making college career readiness a priority for ir students schools, Achieve asked states wher y have incorporated a select set of college- career-ready indicators into ir data, reporting accountability systems: Earning a college- career-ready diploma: The percentage of students who graduate from high school with a college- career-ready diploma, as defined by ADP. States need to know which students which groups of students are leaving high school with this valuable credential which are not. Scoring college-ready on a high school assessment: The percentage of students who score at college-ready level on high school assessments anchored to college- career-ready stards. Such assessments will signal which students are prepared for postsecondary success which will require additional support before leaving high school. Accountability: Pre-Summit Accountability: 2010 AZ MT NM ND KS MO IL MS VT NY IN WV VA AL ME MA MD AZ MT NM ND KS MO IL MS VT NY IN WV VA AL ME MA MD TX LA TX LA In place 2010 closing expectations gap 19

22 Earning college credit while in high school: The percentage of high school students earning college credit through Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) /or dual enrollment. Just as states must know wher students are progressing toward reaching certain benchmarks of college career readiness, y also need to know wher high school students are exceeding those goals by taking advanced courses that furr solidify ir transition to college put m a step ahead once y arrive. Requiring remedial courses in college: The percentage of high school graduates who upon entrance to a postsecondary institution are placed into a remedial course in reading, writing or mamatics. With vast majority of high school students intending to pursue a college degree with so many of those students entering college unprepared for college-level work, states must know wher high schools are preparing students to achieve ir goals. Tracking of College- Career-Ready Indicators Indicators: The percentage of high school students Number of states that include indicators in ir data system Earning a college- career-ready diploma 15 Scoring college ready on a high school assessment 20 Earning college credit while in high school 19 Requiring remedial courses in college 22 Use of Indicators: Including college- career-ready indicators in state s longitudinal data system is only first step. For indicators to be meaningful drive improvement in system, y must be put to good use. To that end, Achieve asked policymakers wher y currently use or intend to use a select set of college- careerready indicators to raise public awareness drive school improvement: Publicly report: The state publicly reports at school level (e.g., in a school-by-school report card) percentage of students who satisfy requirements of each indicator. Accountability begins with publicly reporting critical information about school performance, allowing parents, students, community leaders public to know wher high schools are preparing students for success in college careers. Set performance goals: The state has publicly set statewide performance goals for increasing percentage of students who satisfy requirements of each indicator has defined a date for achieving those goals. Accountability systems must set high expectations for performance to motivate schools to improve. Provide incentives to improve: The state has established incentives to reward schools districts for increasing percentage of students who satisfy requirements of each indicator. Accountability systems should not only lead to sanctions punitive actions but also include recognition or positive incentives to drive improvement. Factor into accountability formula: The state factors percentage of students who satisfy requirements of each indicator into its high school accountability formula. Accountability systems ought to include a range of indicators employ metrics that are weighted most heavily toward indicators of meeting college career readiness. The Criteria: Achieve considers a state to have a comprehensive approach to college- career-ready accountability if it collects reports right data in right way, sets clear targets for schools to improve, provides clear incentives consequences that drive schools to improve performance meet targets. For this year s report, Achieve established following threshold for combining indicators ir uses in state accountability systems: For uses: For each college- career-ready indicator, state publicly reports sets a statewide performance goal eir provides incentives for improvement or factors improvement into its accountability formula. For indicators: The state includes college- careerready diploma a college- career-ready assessment eir uses earning college credit while in high school or college remediation indicators in its reporting accountability system. For additional information on accountability criteria, see Appendix C. 20 Achieve, Inc.

23 School Statewide High School Completers ,303 Non-completers Total ,791 College Enrollment Nationwide (percent of completers), Fall (47%) 5,796 (51%) 2-year college 174 (36%) 3,499 (31%) 4-year college 51 (11%) 2,297 (20%) Advanced Placement (AP), Number of students taking AP exams 2 2,932 Number of exams taken 4 4,498 Exams scored 3 of 5 or better 2 1,931 Running Start Participants, Summer 2007 Spring (3%) 487 (4%) University of Hawai i College credits attempted 54 2,152 University of Hawai i College credits earned 48 1,976 College Board SAT, Graduating Seniors 2008 Number of students taking SAT 136 4,961 Critical Reading (average score) Mamatics (average score) Writing (average score) BOE Recognition Diploma Awarded, (32%) 3,637 (31%) Hawai i State Assessment Reading, Spring 2006 percent proficient 33% 47% Mamatics, Spring 2006 percent proficient 15% 27% Science, Fall 2007 percent proficient 14% 27% High School Diplomas Awarded, ,087 On-time graduation rate (2008 graduates) 76% 80% June 2008 graduates enrolled at University of Hawai i 172 3,379 Community Colleges (UHCC), Fall 2008 Number of students enrolled in remedial or developmental 97 (56%) 1,680 (50%) mamatics (of those enrolled at UHCCs) Number of students enrolled in remedial or developmental 78 (45%) 1,645 (49%) English (of those enrolled at UHCCs) These data represent graduates confirmed college enrollment following high school graduation are based on reports provided by National Student Clearinghouse. Hawai i P-20 recommends that schools may estimate ir actual college going rates to be approximately six percentage points higher than confirmed Clearinghouse enrollments. For furr explanation, see technical report at Progress since Summit Five years ago, no state had a comprehensive approach to college- career-ready accountability. With passage of HB 3 in June 2009, Texas became only state that meets minimum criteria Achieve believes necessary to measure provide incentives for college career readiness. Making wide use of four critical indicators Achieve asked about in its survey, Texas has strengned its accountability system, its plans moving forward will furr deepen state s commitment to college career readiness. The Trend Progress on accountability has been slow in states. Although many states have moved aggressively to raise stards, few have incorporated those stards into ir high school accountability systems. While Texas has most comprehensive approach to college- career-ready accountability, a growing number of states are beginning to use multiple indicators in multiple ways. (For details, see Accountability Overview on page 22.) Achieve hopes to see furr progress in year ahead. Emerging Best Practices in Accountability Emerging Best Practices in Accountability Public Reporting: Hawaii s College College Career Indicators Report Class of 2008 Public Reporting: Hawaii s College Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School Career Readiness Indicators Complex Area: Farrington-Kaiser-Kalani June Graduates Statistics, 2008 Report Career For Readiness every high Indicators school in Exceeding College Career Readiness Report state, Hawaii For every reports high school number in of high state, school Hawaii graduates reports number details of high school graduates details Meeting College Career Readiness percentage of students earning percentage ADP-level Board of students of Education earning Approaching College Career Readiness Recognition ADP-level (Step-Up) Board of Diploma, Education Recognition percentages (Step-Up) of students Diploma, enrolling in percentages two- four-year of students colleges, enrolling in two- percentages four-year of last year s colleges, graduates percentages enrolled in remedial of last year s courses graduates at state s enrolled two-year in remedial community courses at colleges. state s These two-year two-page community reports colleges. include additional These two-page indicators around include exceeding, additional meeting indicators around approaching exceeding, college meet- reports ing career readiness. approaching To view college examples of se reports, visit career readiness. To view examples of se reports, visit Statewide Goals: Louisiana In January 2010, Louisiana Statewide Board of Elementary Goals: Louisiana Secondary In January Education 2010, adopted Louisiana a set of Board revised of Elementary refined goals Secondary designed Education to measure adopted provided a set of revised incentives for refined college goals designed career readiness. to measure Louisiana provided has incentives published baseline for college data career identified readiness. numeric Louisiana improvement has published targets for baseline each goal. data For example, identified Louisiana numeric has set improvement a goal to targets increase for each percentage goal. For of example, high school Louisiana graduates has set completing a goal to increase college- percentage career-ready of high course school of graduates study (LA-Core completing 4) from 58.5 college- percent in 2006 career-ready to 72.5 percent course in of study The (LA-Core state is 4) working to percent identify in actionable 2006 to 72.5 strategies percent anchored in The in se state goals is work- to from 58.5 ing catalyze to identify monitor actionable improvement. strategies anchored in se goals to catalyze monitor improvement. Incentives: Arkansas Smart Core Incentive Program Incentives: April 2009, Arkansas Smart Governor Core Incentive Mike Beebe Program signed into In law April Act 2009, 1481, Arkansas creating Governor Arkansas Mike Smart Beebe Core signed Incentive into law Funding Act 1481, Program. creating This program Arkansas will Smart provide Core financial Incentive Funding rewards to Program. schools This in which program 90 percent will provide of financial students have rewards completed to schools ADP-level in which Smart 90 percent Core curriculum. of students Schools have also completed must have maintained ADP-level an Smart overall Core graduation curriculum. rate Schools above also must state have average maintained for previous an overall three graduation years. Monetary rate above incentives range average between for $50 previous $125 three per years. Smart Monetary Core graduate, incen- state tives depending range on between percentage $50 $125 of graduating per Smart students Core graduate, who depending complete on Smart percentage Core curriculum of graduating earn students Smart who complete Core diploma Smart in Core preceding curriculum year. The program earn is Smart in effect Core through diploma in preceding year. The program is in effect through Accountability Formula: Florida The Florida Board of Accountability Education approved Formula: changes Florida to The state s Florida high Board school of Education accountability approved system changes in September to state s These high changes school move accountability state s accountability system in September formula from one These based changes purely move on Florida s state s Comprehensive accountability formula Assessment from Test one (FT) based purely assessment on Florida s results to Comprehensive one that incorporates Assessment high Test school (FT) cohort assessment graduation rate, to one advanced that incorporates high school course-taking high school cohort success, gradu- results ation performance rate, advanced on measures high school of course-taking college readiness. success, For measures performance of college on readiness, measures schools of college will readiness. earn weighted For measures credits for of college number readiness, of students schools scoring will ready earn weighted on credits SAT, A for /or number state s of students College scoring Entry-Level ready Placement on Test (CPT). SAT, A For /or measures state s on accelerated College Entry-Level courses, Placement schools will Test (CPT). earn weighted For measures credits for on accelerated number of courses, exams schools students will take earn weighted number credits of successful for student number outcomes of exams students (e.g., earning take college credit, number passing of successful industry student certification). outcomes The Florida (e.g., earning Department of credit, Education passing produced industry a certification). presentation The outlining Florida its Depart- college ment new accountability of Education produced system: a presentation outlining its new 2009_09_15/109981presentation.pdf. accountability system: _09_15/109981presentation.pdf closing expectations gap 21