Why are we driving to 55? A minimum of 55% of Tennessee jobs will require some form of postsecondary education by 2025 (Carnevale, Smith, & Strohl, 2010). Currently, in Tennessee, 32% of those between ages 25 and 64 hold at least a two-year degree (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011a). If we continue on our current trajectory, we will reach 39% by 2025, which means we will fall 16 percentage points short of our goal (Lumina, 2012). To reach 55%, we need 494,000 additional degrees--of which technical certificates and two-year degrees are a key part (NCHEMS & CLASP, 2013). 2

To meet workforce demands, at least 55 percent of jobs will require a credential or degree beyond the high school level by 2025.

Aligning Degrees with Demand One of the most critical parts of the Drive to 55 is matching educational attainment with workforce demand. It’s not just 55% of anything but 55% of certificates and degrees in high- demand fields. Using workforce data, we have been able to identify skills gaps through to 2025—both regionally and statewide. This data must be used to drive regional decisions about program development so that students earn degrees in fields that will lead to a job. 4

Example: Accounting In the case of this type of accountant, which only requires a bachelor’s degree, there will be 840 openings in the next 13 years with an average annual income of $56,000. Current projections say that the number of postsecondary graduates with just a bachelor’s degree in accounting will be 114. The Career Path Projections tool on the D55 website allows us to know where there is job demand and how many degrees we will produce in each area.

What we’ve already accomplished 6 Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 was a comprehensive reform agenda to transform public higher education through various policies at the state and institutional level including: - Outcomes-based funding formula - General education 41-hour core - Transfer and articulation agreements SAILS Introduces the college developmental math curriculum in the high school senior year. Ninety percent of students in the pilot program completed SAILS and will not have to take remedial math in college. WGU Tennessee Is an online competency-based university that provides an efficient and cost-effective way for adults with some college but no degree to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree. MOOC Partnerships with companies like Coursera and EdX will allow our institutions to build innovative online classes for students that allow for differentiated learning. Advising and Mentoring Programs like TNAchieves and the Ayers Foundation Scholars Program serve high school students who might otherwise not know how to navigate the pathway to postsecondary.

Drive to 55 Strategies 1.Get students ready. Reduce the need for remedial courses; boost participation in early college opportunities. 2.Get students in. Improve mentoring and guidance. Reduce financial barriers, especially to community colleges and colleges of applied technology. 3.Get students out. Building on the success of the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010, enhance programs to increase graduation rates. Once students get in, they must also get out—on time and with as little debt as possible. 4.Finish. Create new programs for the 900,000 to 1 million adults with some college but no degree (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011b). 5.Create alignment and accountability. Ensure all departments, educational institutions, and employers work together to identify skills gaps of the future and proactively fill them. Furthermore, measure investments to increase accountability and value. 7

Project Strong Start: Mission Prepare high school graduates to be ready for postsecondary and a career The state’s current college-going rate is 60%--that means that each year, more than 20,000 high school graduates do not go on to postsecondary (THEC, 2011). Amongst the small percentage of students who participate in early college opportunities, the college-going rate is roughly 95% (THEC, 2012a). 67% of first-time full-time freshmen entering Tennessee’s public community colleges must enroll in a remedial course (THEC, 2013). In 2007, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave Tennessee an “F” as a result of its low academic standards in K-12. In order to address the preparedness of students graduating from Tennessee high schools, we are implementing the Common Core State Standards. 8 Preparation

Over half of Tennessee students are eligible for federal financial assistance, which is awarded based on a family’s financial need (THEC, 2012b). The model off of which Tennessee’s college mentoring corps is based has seen an 8 to 12 percentage point increase in college-going rates in schools served by mentors (NCAC, 2013). Leverage gateway Community Colleges and Colleges of Applied Technology. 9 Access Provide greater access to postsecondary education

10 Completion Ensure that our students graduate Tennessee’s graduation rate within six years is 27% for community colleges and 54% for universities (THEC, 2013).

11 Adult Students Encourage adults to earn a certificate or degree There are roughly 900,000 to 1 million Tennesseans with some college education but no degree (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011b). Even if every high school student went on to college, it would add only 240,000 degrees— less than half of the 494,000 we need (NCHEMS & CLASP, 2013). An adult with a bachelor’s degree will earn, on average, 84 percent more than a high school graduate. Over a lifetime, this equates to almost $1 million in earnings (Carnevale, Rose, & Cheah, 2011). The bottom line: We cannot succeed without adults returning to finish what they started

There is a relationship between college education and earnings.

13 Accountability and Alignment Ensure accountability and alignment Utilize job placement in major and income earned as measurements to assess the performance of and investments in postsecondary. Align state government agencies with education and business entities to ensure that we are producing job skills that the market demands.

Start your Engines.

References Carnevale, A., Rose, S., & Cheah, B. (2011, August). The college payoff: Education, occupations, lifetime earnings. Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. Retrieved from Carnevale, A., Smith, N., & Strohl, J. (2010, June). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. Retrieved from Lumina Foundation. (2012). A stronger nation through higher education: Tennessee. Retrieved from NCAC. (2013). National College Advising Corps: Success and results. Retrieved from NCHEMS & CLASP. (2013). Calculating the economic value of increasing college credentials by 2025: Tennessee. Retrieved from Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). (2011). THEC student information system: College-going rate. Retrieved from Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). (2012a) Tennessee education lottery scholarship special report: An examination of grant and loan forgiveness programs for special populations. Retrieved from Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). (2012b). The lottery scholarship’s FAFSA requirement and its impact on Pell grants for Tennesseans. Retrieved from Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). (2013). Tennessee higher education fact book: Retrieved from U.S. Census Bureau. (2011a). American community survey: Percent of adults 25 to 64 with an associates degree or higher. Retrieved on NCHMES website from U.S. Census Bureau. (2011b). American community survey 1-year estimates: Tennessee educational attainment. Retrieved August 15, 2013 from 15