Curriculum for College and Career Readiness

Committee Meeting

EMC CorporationMay 22, 2006

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Agenda

• Welcome and introductions• Why are we here?

– Purpose of the task force– Context for our work– Relevant data – Related initiatives

• What are the challenges?– Michael Cohen, President, Achieve, Inc.

Washington D.C.

• What are your perspectives?• Next steps

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• Advise the Department of Education, the Board of Higher Education, and the University of Massachusetts Presidents Office on a course of studies all students should complete in high school that will increase the likelihood that they graduate prepared for college and workplaces that require individuals with similar skills and knowledge as college entrants.

Purpose/Role of the Committee

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Related State, National, and Regional Initiatives• Massachusetts Board/Department of

Education– Competency Determination Graduation

Requirement• MA Board of Higher Education

– STEM Pipeline• National Governors Association (NGA)

– State Honors Grant Program: Redesigning the American High School

• Achieve Inc., Washington D.C.– American Diploma Project

• U.S. Department of Education– Academic Competitiveness Grant Program

• New England Board of Education– College Ready New England Initiative

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What’s the good news?

• MA 4th and 8th grade NAEP reading and math results are among the highest in nation.

• More than half of tenth graders are Proficient or Advanced in both ELA and Math.

• For the past two years, over 80% of 10th graders have earned a CD on their first attempt, up from 68% in 2001, 48% in 2000.

• 2005 marked the 14th year in a row that SAT results have improved. MA SAT scores exceed the regional and national average.

Context: Student Achievement

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What’s the problem?

• Achievement Gap– MCAS scores have improved in almost every grade and

every subject, but the achievement gap is wide.

• High School Graduation Rate – Graduation rates are unacceptably low for all student

groups, especially black and Hispanic students.

• College/Career Readiness – Too few high school graduates are prepared for

college/careers.– Too many students are not completing college.

• Global Competition – While at the top nationally, MA students are not at the

top on international measures of performance.

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High School Achievement GapGrade 10 English Language Arts and Mathematics

Percentage of Student Proficient or Advanced2001 and 2005

37.9%

11.0%

45.0%

12.7%10.2%

42.9%

53.5%

25.6%22.7%

20.8%

60.9%59.8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

All Low Income Asian Black Hispanic White

Student Group

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Percentage of 9th Grade Students Graduating from High School, 2002

Source: Manhattan InstitutePublic High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005

46%

59%

81%

52%

78%

56%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Latino AfricanAmerican

WhitePerc

enta

ge o

f 9t

h g

rade

stu

dents

MassachusettsUnited States

Graduation Rates

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Too few students graduate college-ready

14%

29%

43%

20% 23%

40%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Latino African American White

Perc

enta

ge o

f 9th

gra

de s

tudents

gra

duating o

n t

ime c

olle

ge r

eady

MassachusettsUnited States

Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.

College-Readiness Rates

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College-Bound Does Not Mean College-ReadyNearly three in ten, first-year students are placed immediately into a remedial college course.

Percentage of U.S. first-year students in two-year and four-year institutions requiring remediation

28%

22%

14%

11%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Reading, Writing or Math

Math

Writing

Reading

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Remedial Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in Fall 2000, 2003.

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Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 2004.

Many college students who need remediation, especially in reading and math, do not earn an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree.

Percentage of college students not earning degree by type of remedial coursework

76%

63%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Remedial reading Remedial math

Remedial Coursework Does Not Lead to Degree

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New Jobs Will Require More EducationJobs requiring at least some postsecondary education will make up more than two-thirds of new jobs.

10%

22%

36%

31%

0%

20%

40%

60%

High schooldropout

High schooldiploma

Somepostsecondary

Bachelor'sdegree

Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K–16 Reform, Educational Testing Service, 2003.

Share of new jobs, 2000–2010

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New Job Growth Along Educational Spectrum

34%22%

32% 62%

34%16%

Current Jobs New Jobs

One or more monthsof on-the-jobtraining

Associate's Degreeor higher

Short-term on-the-job training

According to the Massachusetts Division of Career Services, jobs requiring at least an associate’s degree or higher will account for 62% of all new jobs.

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Comparing Course Requirements

Current Massachuset

ts for HS Graduation

(MGL)

Four-Year Public Higher Education for College

Admittance (BHE)

English 4

Math 3 years, including Algebra II

Social Studies/US History

1 3

Science 3 years (2 with lab)

Foreign Language 2 years in a single language

Health/PE 1

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Schools Graduation Requirements

15.4%

62.9%

13.1%

27.0%

13.9%

59.1%

2 yrs 3 yrs 4 yrs

MathScience

Percentage of Local, Regional, and Vocational High Schools Requiring Math and Science to Graduate

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NGA State Honors Grant

• Goal– Increase high school graduation rate– Increase the proportion of high school

students who are college and career ready

• Strategies– Strengthen the value of the high school

diploma.– Close the college completion gap of white

and minority students– Use data to hold ourselves accountable

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Strategy 1: Strengthen Value of the High School Diploma• Develop a Recommended Curriculum for

College and Work Readiness.• Align high school standards with what

is expected of students in their freshman year of college.

• Develop an optional Algebra II test.• Redesign and restore dual enrollment.

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Strategy 2: Close the College Completion Gap• Develop a Career and Education

Planning website and informational materials for students and their parents.

• Develop a public awareness and understanding campaign that targets especially needy communities with the message that just getting by in high school is no longer enough.

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Strategy 3: Use Data to Hold Ourselves Accountable • Develop a K-16 data system to measure

and improve student performance over time: – Provides ability to use results for increased

alignment at the secondary and college level.

– Provides data that high schools can use to better prepare students.

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Alignment Initiative• Massachusetts is partnering with

Achieve in the American Diploma Project (ADP)

• One of the goals of ADP is to determine if state standards are aligned with expectations for college and a career.

• Over the past four months conducted four regional focus groups with 30 + college math and English faculty (2-yr, 4-yr, public and private).

• Determine appropriateness of standards in preparing students to succeed in

college 101 English and math classes.• Examine trends in student preparation.

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Bottom Line Math Findings

• Massachusetts standards for grades 9-12 are fine. “If kids knew the math standards they would exceed (college) entry level expectations and be ready for calculus.”

• The problem is that many students do not have a deep understanding of some standards and have not mastered basic skills – arithmetic, number sense, algebra and fractions.

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Math Recommendations• Reduce reliance on calculators in lower

grades so that students can understand and master key problem solving skills.

• Help students know where they stand prior to their senior year by:

- Increased administration of Accuplacer in HS.

- Development and administration of a voluntary Algebra II assessment to help determine college readiness.

• Consider development of a senior year transition math course designed to address math deficiencies.

• Require a 4th year of college prep math in HS.

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Bottom Line English Language Arts Findings• Standards are excellent and sufficient for

college readiness, but don’t appear to be used in grades 11&12.

• Reading – high school focuses on elements of narrative genre, while higher education focuses on short essays on a topic from a variety of sources.

• Writing – high school focus upon five-paragraph essay, while higher education is focused upon persuasive/argumentative writing from multiple sources for identified audiences and purposes.

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English Language Arts Recommendations• Increase emphasis in high school on

persuasive/argumentative writing.• Increase number of writing

assignments across the high school curriculum.

• Make available examples of high school and college syllabi, course assignments, and student work course.

• Convene regional teams of HS and College English and math teachers for curricula alignment.