Analyzing the Alignment of High School Graduation & College - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Analyzing the Alignment of High School Graduation & College Admissions Requirements in Indiana

Jennifer Sattem Vice President, Policy & Research March 14, 2019

Overview

• Nationally, high school graduation rates continue to rise, but

college and career readiness indicators remain flat.

• A majority of states are now offering students more than one

pathway to graduation.

• High school graduation requirements are powerful levers to

increasing the number and diversity of students who complete a college- and career- ready course of study.

Source: https://completecollege.org/data-dashboard/

Students who enter college in need of remediation are less likely to complete a degree.

College completion matters

According to the Third Way, if the the college graduation rate was the same as the high school graduation rate nationally (84%), for just one graduating class, there would be:

• 1.3 million more college degree holders
• A net increase of 107,400 new individuals in the workforce and a

reduction in the number of people in poverty

• An increase in earnings. Two-year degree holders earn an average of

$4,849 more a year and four-year degree holders earn an average of $19,034 more a year than those who do not complete a degree

• An increase of more than $90 billion in local, state, and federal tax

revenue over the course of their lifetime

Source: https://www.thirdway.org/infographic/what-is-the-ripple-effect-of-graduating-more-college-students

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What can states do to prepare more students? How can states better align their systems?

What is a pathway?

States are recognizing that not all students have the same postsecondary destination or the same pathway to that destination, but pathway means different things in every state. Various approaches to pathways include:

– A single discrete diploma with multiple sets of pathways or requirements to get that diploma, including adding assessments or

• ther learning experiences

– Multiple diplomas with different sets of requirements – Defined career and technical education pathways – Multiple variations of the above

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The structure of state graduation requirements matter

1 2 3 4 5 6

Nationally, states

• ffer more than 100

different high school graduation options for students. States may offer discrete diplomas, or endorsements/ designations on top of a single diploma. Many states still have different sets of expectations for students in order to complete high school. 29 states offer at least two graduation

• ptions for students,

with a few offering students five or more

• ptions.

When the default

• ption is aligned to a

college- and career- ready (CCR) course of study, more students complete a CCR course of study. Only 10 of the 29 states with more than

• ne diploma option

report student participation rates within each of these state-defined options.

High school course requirements matter

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Honors Core 40 General Not Enrolled in Postsecondary Institution Enrolled in Postsecondary Institution 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Honors Core 40 General Did not need remediation Needed remediation

Indiana High School Graduates, 2016

Source: Indiana Commission for Higher Education. “College Readiness Report, 2018.” https://www.in.gov/che/files/College%20Readiness%202018.pdf Percent of graduates enrolled in college, by diploma Percent of students enrolling in Indiana public colleges in need of remediation

How do state high school graduation requirements compare to college admissions requirements?

• https://highschool.achieve.org
• The data explorer focuses on mathematics and science

requirements for high school graduation and for admission at public, four-year college options in each state that serve some

• f the largest populations of first-time, in-state students.
• This illustrates the alignment (or gaps) between what is

expected of students to graduate high school and the four- year universities that large numbers of students in each state aspire to enter.

In over half of f states, the graduation pathway students are automatically expected to complete puts the burden on individual students to choose more rigorous coursework that will give them the academic preparation needed to meet the math re requirements of postsecondary institutions we looked at in their state.

In 29 states, completing the state’s required math coursework for graduation will not necessarily prepare a student for postsecondary admissions requirements. In the remaining 21 states, completing the state’s required math coursework meets postsecondary admissions requirements.

In ju just under half of f states, the graduation pathway students are automatically expected to complete puts the burden on individual students to choose more rigorous coursework that will give them the academic preparation needed to meet the science re requirements of postsecondary institutions we looked at in their state.

In 24 states, completing the state’s required science coursework for graduation will not necessarily prepare a student for postsecondary admissions requirements. In the remaining 26 states, completing the state’s required science coursework meets postsecondary admissions requirements.

Key Disconnects in Course Requirements

…… ……

Postsecondary admissions requirements findings

• Mathematics

– Number of courses

• 63 institutions require 3 math courses
• 35 institutions require 4 math courses

– Content of the courses

• 73 institutions require Algebra II or equivalent, or two

years of Algebra

• 20 of those institutions require a course beyond

Algebra II

Achieve looked at admissions requirements at 98 public, 4-year colleges or universities in 50 states. The University of the District

• f Columbia, DC’s only four-year institution, does not specify course requirements for admission. Thus, the District of Columbia

was not included in this analysis.

Postsecondary admissions requirements findings

• Science

– Number of Courses

• 22 institutions require 2 science courses
• 70 institutions require 3 science courses
• 6 institutions require 4 science courses

– Content of the courses

• 65 institutions specify lab science

Postsecondary admissions requirements findings

• Computer Science
• 4 institutions allow computer science to count toward

science requirements

• 3 institutions allow computer science to count toward

math requirements

• 1 institution allows computer science to count toward

math or science requirements

• 5 institutions allow computer science to count toward

foreign language or elective credits

Graduation Pathways in Indiana

Graduation Pathways in Indiana

Ensure that every Hoosier student graduates from high school with:

• 1. A strong foundation of academic and technical skills,
• 2. A broad awareness of and engagement with individual career

interests and associated career options, and

• 3. Demonstrable employability skills that lead directly to

meaningful opportunities for postsecondary education, training, and gainful employment.

Indiana’s new graduation pathways

Earn a high school diploma Demonstrate employability skills Demonstrate postsecondary-ready competencies

Students must still earn one

• f the following diplomas:

1. General Diploma 2. Core 40 Diploma 3. Academic Honors or Technical Honors Diploma Students must complete one

• f the following:

1. A project-based learning experience 2. A service-based learning experience 3. A work-based learning experience Students must meet a defined benchmark on a number of different assessments such as the ACT, SAT, AP or IB exams. Or students may meet other benchmarks approved by the state for industry recognized credential, apprenticeships, or CTE programs. The state may also approve locally-defined pathways.

Students must complete all three of the following:

How do Indiana’s high school course requirements for graduation compare to college admissions requirements?

Math Requirements

Does General Diploma Completion Make Student Eligible for Admission? Does Core 40 Completion Make Student Eligible for Admission? Does Core 40 with Academic Honors Completion Make Student Eligible for Admission? Does Core 40 with Technical Honors Completion Make Student Eligible for Admission? Ball State University Indiana University Bloomington Indiana State University Ivy Tech Community College* Purdue University- Main Campus

• *At Ivy Tech, Achieve looked at whether completion would exempt the student from placement testing.

Science Requirements

• *At Ivy Tech, Achieve looked at whether completion would exempt the student from placement testing.

Does General Diploma Completion Make Student Eligible for Admission? Does Core 40 Completion Make Student Eligible for Admission? Does Core 40 with Academic Honors Completion Make Student Eligible for Admission? Does Core 40 with Technical Honors Completion Make Student Eligible for Admission? Ball State University Indiana University Bloomington Indiana State University Ivy Tech Community College* Purdue University- Main Campus

• The higher education institution specifies a higher number of

courses than what is required for high school graduation.

• The higher education institution may specify a number of

higher-level math courses not required by K-12.

• The higher education institution may specify laboratory

science courses not specified for high school graduation.

Where is the misalignment?

States must strive for alignment between all high school pathways and requirements for 4-year, 2-year, and career training programs. Without such tight alignment and the transparency it allows, we risk a system in which multiple pathways reinforce historic tracking based on race and income, and we will leave too many students without a credential of value.

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Do students and their parents have transparent information on and understand the long-term impact of various high school graduation options and where they lead? If some options open doors to four-year institutions in the state and some do not, are all districts and schools offering all options? Or are there different levels of access to certain graduation options or courses? Do school-level leaders, including guidance counselors, have the right information to help students make the right choices while in high school to best prepare them to meet their post high school goals?

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Do the admissions requirements on your website clearly signal to students the courses they need to enter our higher education system? Are there places in the admissions requirements which would benefit from additional specificity

• r clarity in the language? Or in a specific set of

courses that do (or do not) meet admissions requirements?

How can Indiana help students and their parents understand their options in an increasingly complicated high school graduation landscape?

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K-12 System

All students should be in a high school pathway that is aligned to the requirements of a 4-year, 2- year, or career program. Ensure students and parents understand the long term impact of their graduation pathway. Continue to report graduation rates by different diploma pathway.

Postsecondary System

Provide access to admissions requirements that clearly signal the requirements for admission, including courses and assessments. Provide on-ramps and support to students who wish to pursue other pathways.

Recommendations

States must help create seamless transitions for students after they graduate high school, regardless of the path they choose. This requires tight alignment between K-12 and the various postsecondary systems in each state, and appropriate information provided to stakeholders—students, families, school counselors and administrators—to help guide these transitions.

Thank You!

Jennifer Sattem Vice President, Policy & Research jsattem@achieve.org

https://highschool.achieve.org