Karen J. Wheeler, Ph.D. Associate Director State of Arkansas Higher Education M arch 2011

Interim Director Sen. Shane Broadway Oversight of staff whose jobs are to carry out the policy directives of the AHECB and to develop funding recommendations Co-sponsor of Arkansas Scholarship Lottery legislation Served on the education committee each term except as Speaker of the House Joined agency in January as Deputy Director

Color Palette In September 2010, AR ranked 50 th nationally in percent of adults that have completed a bachelor’s degree (18.9%) 1 Median household income has risen to $37,823 1 but lags behind the national average of $50,221 2 Arkansas & Higher Education 1. September 2010, American Community Survey, Table B1002, via 2. U.S. Census Bureau, SF & American Community Survey, R1901, 2009.

College Going Rates Source: ADHE SIS; NCES, Digest of Education Statistics 2009; Table 191 (federal calculation).

50.8 percent increase in enrollment Source: ADHE SIS, Unduplicated Enrollment for Public Institutions

2010 College going rate by county Source: 2010, Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Note: Rates based on first-time entering freshmen & first-time enrollment.

2010 College going rate by school district Source: 2010, Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Note: Rates based on first-time entering freshmen & first-time enrollment.

Public Four-Year Colleges and Universities Degrees and Certificates Conferred Source: SREB Indicators Report; December 2010.

Public Two-Year Colleges Degrees and Certificates Conferred Source: SREB Indicators Report; December 2010.

Source: ADHE SIS, Credentials Awarded, Public Institutions Only 84% - Total Credentials Awarded 283% - Certificates of Proficiency 243% - Technical Certificates 135% - Associate Degrees 35% - Baccalaureate Degrees 67% - Master Degrees 87% - Doctoral Degrees % Increase

2010 Remediation rate by county (any subject) Source: 2010, Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Note: Rates based on reported number of placement test-takers (ACT, SAT, Asset, or Compass) & number of first-time entering freshmen.

2010 Remediation rate by county (Math) Source: 2010, Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Note: Rates based on reported number of placement test-takers (ACT, SAT, Asset, or Compass) & number of first-time entering freshmen.

2010 Remediation rate by county (English) Source: 2010, Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Note: Rates based on reported number of placement test-takers (ACT, SAT, Asset, or Compass) & number of first-time entering freshmen.

2010 Remediation rate by county (Reading) Source: 2010, Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Note: Rates based on reported number of placement test-takers (ACT, SAT, Asset, or Compass) & number of first-time entering freshmen.

Arkansas Higher Education Initiatives

Achieving the Dream

Color Palette A Two-Year College National Initiative that focuses on college students.  Pulaski Technical College, Phillips County College-UA, National Park Community College, Ouachita Technical College  AR Student Success Symposium  AATYC partnership and Student Success Center Achieving the Dream

AtD acts on multiple fronts:  Providing planning and implementation grants to colleges and state policy efforts;  Helping colleges develop and implement strategies to improve student success and build a culture of evidence in which decisions are based on data about student achievement;  Conducting research about effective practices and student achievement at community colleges; Achieving the Dream

Arkansas Progress and Accomplishments  May 2010 – two-year college presidents & chancellors unanimously adopted statewide student success and institutional measures;  Strong collaboration between ADHE and AATYC  Integrated AtD success into other statewide initiatives including Student Success Center and additional funding opportunities Achieving the Dream

Complete College America

Established in 2009 Only national nonprofit organization focused solely on working to dramatically increase the number of young adults with a college degree or credential Five national foundations are providing multi-year support and an initial $12 million  Carnegie Corporation of New York  Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation  Ford Foundation  W.K. Kellogg Foundation  Lumina Foundation for Education

Arkansas Connecticut Georgia Hawai’i Idaho Illinois Indiana Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota Nevada Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont West Virginia 23 Charter Members

Complete College America State Job Growth and Education Demands: Employment projections anticipate that 54% of Arkansas’s jobs will require college education by the end of the decade.

CCA Strategies to Increase College Completion Time Choice Structure

Accelerate Success Require students to have graduation plans and declare majors early Improve transfer policies Develop common course-numbering system Provide incentives for full-time attendance Use technology to reduce seat time Review programs that exceed 120 credit hours

Ways to Transform Remediation Tailored Approach: For students near college-ready: Let them start! For students one or two levels below college- level: Compress and accelerate remediation For students significantly behind: Focus on career readiness integrated with basic skills

NCHEMS Report

National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) conducted a comprehensive analysis of Arkansas higher education policies in Fall  Analyzed data on the state’s educational attainment, economy, and higher education performance  Reviewed existing statutes and policies  Reviewed previous studies and task force reports  Interviewed hundreds of stakeholders (institutional, Governor’s office, legislative, non-profit, economic development entities, Governor’s cabinet)

NCHEMS Observations/Findings Arkansas needs a clear statement of long-term goals for competitiveness in educational attainment that are: – (1) linked to the future competitiveness of the state’s economy, and – (2) reflect the realities of the current workforce. Despite many well-intentioned state laws and policies, a significant gap remains between policy intent and the realities of implementation at the classroom level – both K-12 & college

NCHEMS Observations/Findings State finance policies are not fully aligned with state priorities; few incentives for increased degree production and completion Need to target adults who have serious deficits in the basic skills needed for further education to earn a living wage job Establish an overarching goal to increase the competitiveness of the Arkansas workforce by doubling the number of quality degrees granted by 2025 to 34,400

Compact with Arkansas

In March 2011, four-year presidents and chancellors pledged 16 points to the People of Arkansas, Boards of Trustees, AHECB, General Assembly, the Governor, and other Constitutional Officers

Transparent and accountable decision making Prudent fiscal management Clear measures of institutional performance Doubling, by 2025, the number of college degrees produced by the Compact’s partners Keep tuition and fees low without sacrificing academic quality Create a seamless process for transferring Increase efforts to address the needs of non-traditional students Compact with Arkansas

Arkansas’s College and Career Coaches

Color Palette 3-year pilot program  Motivate/support high school students  Gives support needed to increase students’ knowledge and skills so they are prepared for the next level of education and/or training Arkansas’s College & Career Coaches

Currently 45 College and Career Coaches with 3 new additions to Pulaski County in Co-located through 12 Two-Year Colleges and 1 Adult Education Resource Center Serving 56 school districts in 21 poorest counties ACT Enrichment and Remediation program Program Structure

Career Coach Counties

Career Coach Measures Proposed Performance Measures:  High School Graduation Rate  Smart Core Opt-Out Rate  College-Going Rate  Reduced Remediation  Increased ACT Scores  Increased Applications for State and Federal Aid

Career Coach/Student Contacts 4,892 (93%) of Seniors developed or revised their Career Plan prior to graduation Of those 4,892, 100% received information and/or assistance with the College Admissions and Financial Aid process (January – May 2010)

Career Coach Outcomes After only 24 hours of instruction in the Summer ACT Academy  474/586 (81%) completed the program.  Of the completers, 331 (64%) increased their ACT Composite Score by at least one point.  87% of those who increased their ACT composite attained a score of 19 or higher.

Career Coach Outcomes  Non-Career Coach Counties: Financial aid applications increased by 63.15% from the previous year ( to )  Career Coach Counties: Financial aid applications increased by 91.9% from the previous year ( to ).

Say Go College Week

Say Go College Week 2011 Governor Mike Beebe – North Little Rock High School

Say Go College Week 2011 Funds provided through CACG Grass-roots outreach to high school students, parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators with the goals of encouraging more high school students to attend college Includes social media, earned media coverage, advertising placement, rallies/special events

More than 80 high schools were visited during Fall 2010 semester pre-event Stone Ward & ADHE visited 19 high schools during the event week (Feb.14-20, 2011)  Gov. Mike Beebe kicked-off the event Monday the 14 th 37 locations across the state hosted College Goal Sunday workshops to help approximately 2,000 students with the FAFSA Say Go College Week 2011

Grant Opportunities

Collaboration between USDOE and USDOL. Each state guaranteed minimum of $2.5 million and maximum of $20 million to be distributed over a 3-year period. Program is designed to meet industry needs while accelerating learning and improving retention/graduation. AATYC and ADHE are collaborating with two-year colleges to address developmental education, time-to- degree, and student support. Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Program (C3T or TAA)

Complete College America: Completion Innovation Challenge ($1 million Award over 18 months) Real change and lasting impact Reducing time-to-degree and accelerating success Transforming remediation Restructuring delivery for today’s students Use of transformative technology Demonstrate how plans will substantially increase the number of completed awards of labor market value.

Fund of Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE): Comprehensive Program ($750k over 3-year period) Priority 1—Increase Postsecondary Success  Increase the number and proportion of high-need students who persist in and complete college or other postsecondary education and training.  Increase the number and proportion of postsecondary students who complete college or other postsecondary education and training and who are demonstrably prepared for successful employment, active participation in civic life, and lifelong learning. Priority 2—Data-Based Decision-Making  Collect (or obtain), analyze, and use high-quality and timely data to improve postsecondary student outcomes relating to enrollment, persistence, and completion and leading to career success

Legislative Update

HB 2032: An Act to Improve the Teaching Techniques of Remedial Education Courses Amends A.C.A. Section concerning the testing of entering freshmen for remedial courses.  AHECB shall determine the test or other criteria to be used.  AHECB shall determine the minimum scores or criteria below which students must take remedial courses  Directs AHECB to set minimum scores or criteria to allow simultaneous enrollment in college-level credit and remedial courses

HB 2050: An Act Concerning Admission Standards for State- Supported Institutions of Higher Education Amends ACA and addresses ability-to-benefit related to college enrollment.  : Students who score below 15 (ACT or comparable test) may be reassessed to determine “ability-to-benefit”.  : Students with a high school diploma/GED who score below federally-determined “ability-to-benefit” score may only be enrolled in specific programs until proficiency that would predict academic success has been demonstrated.  AHECB will provide a list of approved assessment tools and scores. Does not affect an institutions’ ability to set a higher admission standard

SB 766: An Act to Promote Accountability and Efficiency at State- Supported Institutions of Higher and to Clarify Funding Formula Calculations for State-Supported Institutions of Higher Education Repeals A.C.A (higher education funding formula) and amends A.C.A (higher education funding formula)  Funding formula will have a needs-based and outcome component.  Phase-in for outcome component will begin FY2014 at a rate of 5% per year and increase each year until reaching 25% in FY2018.  Total state funding received shall be subject to the calculation.  Outcome measures based on institutional mission and increased degree production.  New formula by December 31, 2011.

HB 1454: An Act to Amend the Comprehensive Arkansas Higher Education Annual Report  Moves ADHE deadline for Comprehensive Report from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15 each year.  Amended which reports must be submitted by ADHE to the legislature on the following basis: annual, biennial, and every five years.  All reports required from the institutions for inclusion in the AHE Comprehensive Report must be received by Nov. 15 (was Oct. 15).  Must include annual cost of remediation.

Act 747: An Act to Enhance the Opportunity for Successful Degree Completion by Strengthening the Transfer of courses between Institutions of Higher Education.  State minimum core curriculum (SMCC) means 60 ours of lower-division coursework that include 35 general education core, major program prerequisites, and elective requirements.  Will satisfy requirements of an AA, AS, AAT, and selected baccalaureate degrees.  The AHECB will select the bachelor programs of study that shall be included in the SMCC based on demand.  SMCC may vary based on program of study.  Seamless transfer for designated programs of study.  Sets maximum hours at 60/120 with some exceptions.

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