The American Diploma Project Creating a High School Diploma that Counts: The National Context Briefing for Policy Makers hosted by the Hawaii Business Roundtable & Hawaii P-20 Initiative January 11, 2008 1
A high school diploma is not the last education stop required Share of new jobs, 2000 10 10% 31% High school dropout 22% High school diploma Some postsecondary Bachelor's degree n Jobs that require at least some postsecondary education or equivalent skills will make up more than two-thirds of new jobs. 36% Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K 16 Reform, Educational Testing Service, 2003. 2
60% 40% Jobs in today s s workforce require more education & training Change in the distribution of education / skill level in jobs, 1973 v. 2001-23% -9% +16% +16% 20% 32% 40% 31% 28% 32% 0% 9% High school dropouts High school graduates 12% Some college/ associate degree 16% Bachelor's degree & higher Employment share, 1973 Employment share, 2001 Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K 16 Reform, Educational Testing Service, 2003. 3
Unskilled jobs are disappearing and demand for higher skills is rising 100% 16% 19% 23% 75% 10% 50% 73% 40% 47% Professional Skilled Unskilled 25% 40% 30% 0% 1950 1994 2002 6 Source: U.S. Bureau of Census and Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Center for Workforce Information and Analysis (Pennsylvania statewide) 4
How does earning power differ between H.S. & college graduates? Educational Attainment and Median Earnings Education Annual Lifetime H.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 5
Even the college-bound aren t necessarily college-ready Percentage of U.S. first-year students in two-year and four-year institutions requiring remediation Reading Writing Math Reading, writing or math 11% 14% 22% 28% n Nearly three in 10 first-year students are placed immediately into a remedial college course. 0% 20% 40% 60% Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Remedial Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in Fall 2000, 2003. 6
College instructors/employers confirm high school graduates lack of preparation Average estimated proportions of recent high school graduates who are not prepared 42% 45% High school graduates not prepared for college-level classes High school graduates not prepared to advance beyond entry-level jobs 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. 7
If high school had demanded more, graduates would have worked harder 82% 18% 64% 80% 17% 63% Would have worked harder Strongly feel would have worked harder Wouldn t have worked harder 15% 18% High school graduates who went to college High school graduates 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. 8
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 at least one area College students Students who did not go to college 62% 72% Would have taken more challenging courses in: Math Science 34% 32% 41% 48% English 29% 38% 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. 9
Why aren t t students prepared? The Expectations Gap n Academic standards not aligned between high school and higher education n Graduation requirements are too low n Assessments aren t meaningfully connected with students college or career aspirations n The Result: In nearly every state, students can earn a diploma without getting the skills necessary for success in college and work. 10
American Diploma Project Network What does it take to be prepared for postsecondary education and work? 11
College Ready = Work Ready n ADP research found a common core of knowledge & skills in math and English that are necessary for success in postsecondary education and in good jobs. l pays enough to support a family well above the poverty level, l provides benefits, & l offers clear pathways for career advancement through further education & training. n ACT s Ready for College, Ready for Work: Same or Different?: l whether planning to enter college or workforce training programs after graduation, high school students need a comparable level of readiness in reading and mathematics. 12
To be college and work ready, students need to complete a rigorous sequence of courses To learn the content and skills in the ADP benchmarks, high school graduates need the content typically taught in: n In math: n In English: l Four courses l Four courses l Content equivalent l Content equivalent to Algebra I and II, to four years gradelevel English or Geometry, and a fourth course such higher (i.e., honors as Statistics or or AP English) Precalculus 13
Closing the expectations gap requires states to take action n Align high school standards and assessments with the knowledge and skills required for success in postsecondary education and work. n 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. n Require all students to take a college- and work-ready curriculum to earn a high school diploma. n Hold high schools accountable for graduating students who are college ready, and hold postsecondary institutions accountable for their success once enrolled. 14
The American Diploma Project: 30 States Raising Achievement n Partners: Education Trust, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, National Alliance of Business n Two years of research resulted in career- and college-ready benchmarks: The math & English skills high school graduates need for success n Key reports: exit exams (2004), course requirements (2004), poll (2005), 50 state progress (2006, 2007), admissions tests (2007) 15
ADP Network: 30 states committed to improving student achievement CA OR WA NV ID UT MT WY CO ND SD NE KS MN IA MO WI IL MI OH IN KY WV NY PA VA VT NH ME RI CT NJ DE MD MA AZ NM OK AR TN NC SC TX LA MS AL GA AK FL HI 16
45 states set graduation course requirements CA OR WA NV ID UT MT WY CO ND SD NE KS MN IA MO WI IL MI OH IN KY WV NY PA VA VT NH ME RI CT NJ DE MD MA AZ NM OK AR TN NC SC TX LA MS AL GA AK FL HI 17
26 states require students to complete Algebra I CA OR WA NV ID UT MT WY CO ND SD NE KS MN IA MO WI IL MI OH IN KY WV NY PA VA VT NH ME RI CT NJ DE MD MA AZ NM OK AR TN NC SC TX LA MS AL GA AK FL HI 18
Plus, more states plan to require all students to take Algebra II CA OR WA NV ID UT MT WY CO ND SD NE KS MN IA MO WI IL IN M I OH KY WV PA VA NY M E VT NH MA NJ DE MD RI CT AZ NM OK AR TN NC SC TX LA MS AL GA AK FL HI LEGEND College- and work-ready diploma in place Plans to Raise Graduation Requirements 19
A growing number of states have policies that help prepare H.S. graduates for college and work Aligned standards 5 7 32 Rigorous graduation course requirements 8 6 16 High school tests used by colleges 5 4 21 High schools accountable for college readiness 4 5 8 P-16 longitudinal data systems 3 2 42 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 2006 2007 In process/planned Source: Achieve Survey/Research, 2007. 20
Concerns and questions. n Can students achieve at this level? n Will our drop out rates increase due to too much rigor? n Do our schools and teachers have the capacity to deliver? 21
Indiana s s Core 40: more challenging courses yield results 100% High School Graduates Enrolling in Postsecondary Education Next Fall 75% 50% 25% 43% 38% 50% 54% 58% 59% 60% 62% 57% 57% Indiana Nation 0% 1986 1992 1996 2000 2002 40 th in nation 10 th in nation 22
Indiana s s Core 40: All students benefit from a more rigorous curriculum 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 22.5% 41.0% 50.0% 28.8% 42.0% 53.0% 44.9% 60.0% 71.0% 36.3% 55.0% 66.0% 1998 2001 2006 10% 0% African American Hispanic White Multi-racial Source: Indiana Source: Commission Indiana Department for Higher of Education, Education. Data Warehouse, Student Information Systems, annual data provided by Indiana s public colleges and universities. 23
San Jose, CA Unified School District Many More Grads Now Complete A-G San Jose USD State Percent completing A-G courses 75% 50% 25% 37% 36% 65% 34% 0% 2000-1 2003-4 Source: California Department of Education, DataQuest Web site, http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/. 24
San Jose Graduation Rates Increased 96% San Jose USD State Four-year graduation rate 94% 92% 90% 88% 86% 84% 82% 80% 2000-1 2001-2 2002-3 2003-4 Source: California Department of Education, DataQuest Web site, http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/. 25
Hawaii The Rising Tide n Positioned well to make significant progress and advance your position among the states n Agenda you are contemplating is multi-faceted and student centered n Participation in the multi-state Algebra II End of Course exam project is thoughtful and incorporates both K12 and higher education partners n Learning from and working with other states in crafting solutions don t have to go it alone 26
Jennifer Vranek Senior Policy Associate jennifer@educationfirstconsulting.com Susan R. Bodary Senior Policy Associate bodarysr@notes.udayton.edu 27
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Blue-collar jobs require high-level skills n Requirements for draftsmen: l Recommended high school courses include Geometry and Trigonometry. l Draftsmen may wish to seek additional study in mathematics and computer-aided design to keep up with technological progress within the industry. n Requirements for electricians: l Recommended high school courses include Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Physics. Sources: American Diploma Project, 2002; The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) http://www.agc.org/page.ww?section=about+agc&name=about+agc. 29
Blue-collar jobs require high-level skills, cont. n Requirements for iron workers: l Recommended high school courses include Algebra, Geometry and Physics. n Requirements for sheet metal workers: l Four or five years of apprenticeship l Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and technical reading n Requirements for tool and die makers l Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or postsecondary training l Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics 30
Jobs For the Future: Career Advancement Opportunities For Low/Moderate Skill Workers The right jobs are those that: n Offer reasonable wages, around $25,000 annually. n Are stable and not highly subject to export abroad; and n Can be accessed with only a high school diploma or a short-term vocational training experience. 31
Jobs For the Future: Career Advancement Opportunities for Low/Moderate Skill Workers Registered nurses n n Wage range l $40,100 $57,500 Education profile l some college/college Licensed Practical Nurses n n Wage range l $26,400 $37,000 Education profile l high school/some college LPN programs are academically demanding, and the bar for entry is high. In addition to requiring a high school diploma or equivalent, programs generally require students to score at the 11 th grade level on entrance exams in reading and math. 32
Jobs For the Future: Career Advancement Opportunities For Low/Moderate Skill Workers Automotive and Truck Technicians n n Wage range l $22,080 $41,270 Education profile l high school/some college Community college entrance requirements for degree programs require demonstrated competence in college-level English and algebra and/or relatively high ACT or SAT scores 33
ADP states share resources and best practices and build support for change n Networking with state policy and business leaders in other states sharing a common policy agenda. n Annual convening of every participating state s ADP leadership team to share strategies for addressing priority policy design, implementation and advocacy needs. n Invitational summits/convenings for constituencies to buttress the case for ADP and engage more leaders (e.g., college presidents, state boards of ed). n Invitational workshops on ADP topics to develop/refine policies and plans and share strategies across states. 34
How does Achieve help states? n Keep national spotlight on work and college readiness n Advocacy tools for state and local advocates: www.achieve.org n Business leaders toolkit: www.biztools4schools.com n Annual 50 state report: Closing the Expectations Gap n Strategic partnerships to mobilize key constituencies n Dedicated lead point of contact for each state for ongoing advice and technical assistance n Hosts cross-state institutes for interested states on particular topics (such as Standards Alignment) 35
Additional Achieve research and development to support ADP states n To help states raise graduation requirements and graduation rates: l Identifying Potential Dropouts: Key Lessons for Building an Early Warning Data System l Policy audits of state approaches to dropout prevention, intervention and recovery n To help states make well informed choices of college-ready assessments: l Study of widely used college admissions and placement exams n To help states improve science achievement: l Work underway to develop science benchmarks and other tools to focus science standards and improve assessments 36