Aligning K-12 Policy and Practice with the Demands of College and Careers Michael Cohen President, Achieve January 30, 2014

Importance of Education in a Global Economy

3 Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. et al. (June 2010). Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/FullReport.pdf Education and Training Requirements Increasing Over Time

4 Source: OECD (2013), Education at a Glance 2013: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing. National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, analysis of 2011 American Community Survey. International Advantage: America’s International Edge is Slipping in High School Graduation Rates

5 Source: OECD (2013), Education at a Glance 2013: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing. National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, analysis of 2011 American Community Survey. International Advantage: America’s International Edge is Slipping in Postsecondary Degree Attainment

How Does Nebraska Measure Up?

High School Graduation 7 Source: USED (2011). State Four-Year Regulatory Adjusted Cohort High School Graduation Rates in

College Enrollment 8 Source: National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, analysis of 2011 American Community Survey.

Postsecondary Completion 9 Source: National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, analysis of 2011 American Community Survey.

30% of first year students in postsecondary education are required to take remedial courses 40% - 45% of recent high school graduates report significant gaps in their skills, both in college and the workplace Faculty estimate 42% of first year students in credit-bearing courses are academically unprepared Employers estimate 45% of recent high school graduates lack skills to advance ACT estimates only half of college-bound students are ready for college-level reading Too Many Students Graduate from High School Unprepared for College and Work 10

Too Many Students Are Not College- and Career-Ready: Students Meeting College Readiness Benchmark 11 Source: ACT (2013). College Readiness Benchmark Attainment by State. Note: Approximately 84% of Nebraska’s high school students took the ACT in A benchmark score indicates a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college courses.

Enrollment in College Does NOT Equal College Readiness 12Source: Percent of Students in Two-Year and Four-Year Institutions Requiring Remediation

Student Achievement 13 Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress (2013). Analysis of data downloaded from g/ Mathematics Proficiency on NAEP in Nebraska as Compared Nationally and with Top Performing States 4 th Grade 8 th Grade

Student Achievement 14 Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress (2013). Analysis of data downloaded from g/ Reading Proficiency on NAEP in Nebraska as Compared Nationally and with Top Performing States 4 th Grade 8 th Grade

Student Achievement 15 Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress (2013). Analysis of data downloaded from g/ and Nebraska Public Schools State of the Schools Report.. Proficiency on Nebraska State Assessment (NeSA) as Compared with NAEP

Expectations Gap

17 Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies (2005). Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? Washington, DC: Achieve. Desire for High Expectations: The 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 Math Science English

Graduates Consistently Regret Not Having Worked Harder – Or Having Been More Challenged – in High School 18 Source: College Board (2011). One Year Out: Findings From A National Survey Among Members Of The High School Graduating Class Of

We haven’t expected all students to graduate from high school college- and career-ready State standards reflect consensus about what is desirable, not what is essential Only two states required algebra II for gradation State tests measure 8 th and 9 th grade knowledge and skills High school accountability rarely focuses on graduation rates or on college and work readiness 2004 American Diploma Project Research Documents an Expectations Gap 19

Closing Expectations Gap

The College- and Career-Ready Agenda 21 Align high school standards with the demands of college and careers. Require students to take a college- and career-ready course of study to earn a high school diploma. Build college- and career-ready measures into statewide high school assessment systems. Develop reporting and accountability systems that promote college and career readiness.

All 50 States and DC Have Aligned College- and Career-Ready Standards 22 Adopted CCSS Adopted CCSS in (ELA) only Developed by state Source: Achieve (2013). Closing the Expectations Gap.

While Nebraska gets credit for having developed college- and career-ready standards, the state’s own experts question their quality: NE contracted with McREL to compare the state’s existing standards to the CCSS. The results of their study demonstrate that the CCSS in math are generally more rigorous than NE’s current standards. In a review of the ELA standards currently underway in the state through the State Board of Education, Nebraska postsecondary faculty find fault with the level of rigor expected of K-12 students. Many reviewers don’t believe the current demands in the ELA standards will produce students prepared for the level of work expected of first year college students. Are educators being elevated as a key voice for raising expectations for all students? State of Nebraska’s College- and Career-Ready Standards 23 Source: Profs say students must know how — and when — to write at a higher level of formality Retrieved at of the Common Core Standards to the Nebraska Standards for Mathematics, Grades K–12. Retrieved at

Assessments Aligned with College- and Career-Ready Expectations 24 Source: ACT (2013). College Readiness Benchmark Attainment by State. and Nebraska Public Schools State of the Schools Report. High School Proficiency on NeSA as Compared with ACT Benchmarks of College Readiness

As of 2013, 19 States and DC Adopted Policies that Require Students to Default Into a College- and Career-Ready Course of Study 25 Mandatory Requirements Default Requirements DC Source: Achieve (2013). Closing the Expectations Gap.

In 2013, Four States Incorporated Indicators that Demonstrate College- and Career- Readiness into their Accountability Systems 26 Source: Achieve (2013). Closing the Expectations Gap.

Indicators that Value College & Career Readiness 27 Along the way toward college and career readiness Meeting college and career readiness Exceeding college- and career readiness Course completion and success Timely credit accumulation Credit recovery Completion of college & career ready course of study Participation in AP, IB and dual enrollment Achievement Performance on aligned assessments early in high school * Grades Meeting standards on anchor assessment Postsecondary remediation rates College-level performance on AP and/or IB exams Attainment Graduation Earning a college- and career-ready diploma Earning dual enrollment credits Application to and enrollment in postsecondary

Summary

29 State Test Data vs. NAEP Need Data on Remediation Rates Standards Revision Process Aligning Expectations to College and Career Readiness Ensure Accountability Indicators Reflect your State’s Education Mission to Prepare Nebraska Students for College and Careers Towards a College- and Career-Ready Nebraska