Southern Regional Education Board HSTW High Schools That Work Follow-Up Study of 2002 High School Graduates Implications for Improving the Transition from High School to College and Careers Gene Bottoms Senior Vice President

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Major Questions Answered Who participated in the study? What have graduates been doing since high school? How well were graduates prepared for college, careers or both? What do graduates say their high schools should have done differently? What actions can schools take to better prepare future graduates?

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Who was more likely to participate in the follow-up study? Female students, non-minority students and students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds Completed a career/technical concentration Completed the HSTW-recommended academic core Met the HSTW performance goals in reading, mathematics and science Planned to pursue postsecondary studies after high school.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Academic Profile of 2002 Graduates Academic ProfileStudents in Follow- up All Students in Assessment CT Concentration Completed80%77% HSTW-recommended Curriculum Completed all 3 parts2624 Completed 2 or 3 parts6055 Met Performance Goal for: Reading, Mathematics and Science 65/65/5654/56/46 Received HSTW Award of Educational Achievement 2618

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW What have 2002 graduates been doing since high school? 78% had taken courses at some kind of postsecondary institution, and 59% were currently enrolled; 90% had worked in some type of job, and 66% were currently employed; and 3% had entered military service.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Post-high School Activities for All Graduates and CT Graduates ActivityAll Graduates CT Graduates School 78% 77% Work9088 Military34 Training Program 11

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Post-high School Activities Differ Between Male and Female Graduates 83% of females have taken courses at some type of postsecondary institution, compared to 74% of males. 64% of females are presently enrolled in further study, compared to 53% of males. 59% of females have taken courses at college and universities, compared to 53% of males. 31% of females have worked full-time since graduation, compared to 50% of males.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Comparison of Post-high School Activities by Completing and Not Completing HSTW Curriculum 90% of completers have taken postsecondary courses, compared to 75% of non-completers. 77% of completers are presently enrolled in further study, compared to 52% of non- completers. 68% of completers have taken courses at colleges and universities, compared to 51% of non-completers. 30% of completers who have worked since graduation work full-time, compared to 43% of non-completers.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Graduates’ Current and Past Activities by Gender ActivityAll Graduates MaleFemale Unemployed since graduation 24% 25% Mean number of weeks unemployed 12 wks13 wks12 wks Mean hourly wage employed$8.48$9.20$7.98 Mean hourly wage: Working full-time$9.44$10.42$8.49 Working half-time$7.90 $8.06$7.76 Working part-time$7.79 $7.87$7.66

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Graduates’ Current and Past Activities by HSTW-recommended Academic Core ActivityAll Graduates Completed Ac Core Did Not Complete Ac Core Unemployed since graduation 24%22%25% Mean number of weeks unemployed 12 wks Mean hourly wage employed since graduation $8.48$8.09$8.66 Mean hourly wage: Working full-time$9.44$9.26$9.62 Working half-time$7.90$7.69$7.95 Working part-time$7.79$7.45$7.86

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Graduates Who Went on for Further Study 58% were enrolled at four-year institutions – 29% were at two- year institutions. 82% were currently enrolled at the same institution they entered after high school. 87% were full-time students.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Of Those Who Were Employed Since High School: 77% were currently working. 39% worked full-time, and 19% more male graduates than female graduates worked full-time. 65% have had two or more jobs, and 28% have had three or more since high school. 11% have participated in an apprenticeship or formal job-training program.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Of Those Who Were Employed Since High School: 34% were employed in business, marketing and information technology- related fields, and 10% in health services. 39% were working and going to school, 25% were only working and 19% were only going to school, and the remaining percentage either had entered the military or their current activities were unknown.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Career Fields Studies in High School for Work and Study Since Graduation ActivityHS CT Field Field of Work Field of Study Agriculture 10% 4% 3% Business, Marketing and Information Technology Manufacturing, Construction, Transportation and Trade- related Occupations Health-science Occupations Technical Fields 7 411

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW CT Areas in High School and Work and Study Since Graduation ActivityHS CT Field Field of Work Field of Study Family and Consumer Science 9%2% Art, A/V Technology and Communications 515 Personal Services Occupations 321 Community Protection and Public Service 224 Education and Training0512 Other122614

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW How well were graduates prepared for college, careers or both? 31% needed remedial course work. 43% took remedial courses in more than one content area. Of those enrolled in developmental courses, 83% took a remedial course in mathematics and half as many took one in English. 34% of students who did not complete the HSTW-recommended academic core took remedial courses, compared to 24% of completers.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW High School Course-taking Patterns Affect Students’ Success at the Postsecondary Level Of students who completed four or more credits of college-preparatory mathematics, 81% did not need a remedial mathematics course. Of students who completed four credits in college-preparatory English, 90% did not need a remedial English course. 13% more graduates who failed to complete the HSTW-recommended academic core were employed full-time than were completers.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Remediation in Postsecondary Studies Comparison of All Graduates to CT Graduates All Graduates CT Graduates Took remedial, developmental or support course work 31% Of all graduates in postsecondary studies, the percentages who took remedial course work in: Mathematics25 Reading 7 7 English/Language Arts1312 Science 3 2

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Relationship of High School Academic Rigor to Remedial Course Work in Postsecondary Studies Pursued PSE ActivityCompleted Academic Core Did Not Complete Academic Core Took remedial, developmental or support course work 24%34% Of all graduates pursuing postsecondary education, the percentages who took remedial course work in: Mathematics2028 Reading77 English/Language Arts814 Science33

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Mathematics Courses Taken in High School and Remedial Mathematics Study 81% of graduates who had completed four or more credits of college-preparatory mathematics in high school did not need to take remedial course work in mathematics upon entering college. 80% of graduates who had taken a semester or more of Algebra I in middle grades did not need courses in remedial mathematics. 77% of graduates who had completed four years of mathematics in high school did not need remedial course work in mathematics. 76% of students who had completed the 2002 HSTW- recommended curriculum in mathematics did not need to take remedial course work in their mathematics studies.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Relationship of High School English Experiences to Remedial Course Work 90% of graduates who completed four credits in college-preparatory English did not require remedial course work in English. 90% of graduates who prepared short papers each week in their high school English/language arts classes did not require remedial course work in English.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Graduates Say Their High Schools Should Have: Placed more emphasis on mathematics; Provided them with information and counseling that would have helped them continue their education; Placed more emphasis on verbal communication skills; Placed more emphasis on career/technical programs; and Assisted them in meeting high academic standards.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Graduates Say Their High School Should Have: Agree Strongly or Somewhat Placed more emphasis on oral communication skills. 71% Placed more emphasis on career/technical programs. 62 Expected me to read in all my classes.56 Assisted me in meeting high academic standards. 63 Required me to take more courses at a high level. 56 Placed more emphasis on mathematics.64 Provided information and counseling about continuing my education. 72

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW CT Students Thought Their CT Teachers Should Have Placed More Emphasis On: Using mathematics in specific career/technical areas; Reading and interpreting technical books and manuals; Writing technical and service reports and business letters; Meeting high expectations; and Showing how science is used in specific career/technical areas.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Actions Schools Can Take to Better Prepare Future Graduates Improve students’ academic preparation for postsecondary studies and a good job. Emphasize instructional practices in mathematics that connect mathematics concepts to real-life situations and workplace settings and that require students to complete challenging mathematics assignments. Have all students complete four years of college- preparatory English courses that involve students reading 10 or more books annually, writing short papers weekly, and completing at least one major research paper annually. Have all students read and write for learning in all courses.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Actions Schools Can Take to Better Prepare Future Graduates Use the senior year to get students ready for postsecondary studies and a good job. Require college-ready seniors to earn college-level credits in academic and career/technical courses. Require students who are not college-ready to take catch-up courses in mathematics and/or English. Have students who have decided not to go on to further study complete courses in a high-quality career/technical program that can lead to an employer certification, a postsecondary certificate or an associate’s degree.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Actions Schools Can Take to Better Prepare Future Graduates Involve students and their parents in planning for future career and educational opportunities. Provide information to students and parents throughout high school that helps them understand what is required for future career and educational opportunities and how to best prepare for them. Develop a six-year program of study starting no later than the end of the ninth grade that integrates rigorous academic curriculum with opportunities to complete AP courses in mathematics, science or humanities or to complete high-quality career/technical courses in a broad career field.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Actions Schools Can Take to Better Prepare Future Graduates Improve the quality of high school career/technical studies. Place more emphasis on providing students access to high-quality career/technical programs in high school and with employers and postsecondary institutions that lead to a recognized credential. Provide opportunities for career/technical teachers to revise their assignments and assessments so that their classes become places where students use mathematics, literacy and science concepts to perform real-world tasks.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Actions Schools Can Take to Better Prepare Future Graduates Improve the quality of mathematics instruction. Provide mathematics teachers instruction and coaching on how to teach in ways that improve mathematics reasoning skills and the understanding of mathematics concepts. Provide time for science, mathematics and career/technical teachers to align their curriculum and instruction in ways that enable students to apply what they are learning in mathematics classes to solve problems in science and career/technical labs.

Southern Regional Education Board HSTW Actions Schools Can Take to Better Prepare Future Graduates (cont’d) Improve the quality of mathematics instruction (cont’d). Assist mathematics teachers to align their curriculum to essential standards of readiness for college and careers and to develop multi-day units aimed at aligning teacher assignments, student work and classroom assessments to standards.