The Emergence of State PK-20 Councils

1. The Emergence of State PK-20 Councils Hans P. L’Orange State Higher Education Executive Officers April 6, 2009

2. Who I AmWhere I’m From • Vice President for Research and Information Resources • Director of the SHEEO/NCES Network • SHEEO – State Higher Education Executive Officers

3. What the heck is SHEEO? • National association of state higher education coordinating and governing boards • SHEEO’s mission is to assist its members and the states in developing and sustaining excellent systems of higher education

4. Transition and Completion Measures from High School to College Completion for the U.S. – 2004 100% 78 % 80% 69 % 69 % 65 % 63 % 62 % 58 % 60% 57 % 55 % 48 % 46 % 40 % 40% 37 % 33 % 31 % 30 % 29 % 24 % 20% Not Available 0% Graduating from High Attending College Directly Three-Year Graduation Rate Six-Year Graduation Rate at School Within Four Years Out of High School at Two-Year Colleges Four-Year Colleges Roughly half of Hispanics and African-Americans don’t complete high school within four years. White African-American Hispanic /Latino Native American Asian /Pacific Islander Source: National Center for Education Statistics; Common Core Data, Digest of Education Statistics, and IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey

5. Projected Change in U.S. Population by Age and Race/Ethnicity From 2000 to 2020 (In Millions) White African-American Hispanic /Latino Asian /Pacific Islander 15 The majority of expected growth in our young population from 2000 to 2020 is among segments of our population that have the lowest levels of education – while whites are projected to decline. 12.40 10 7.32 7.12 6.50 5.49 5 3.69 2.97 2.79 2.29 2.03 1.87 1.57 1.41 1.20 1.11 0.42 0.33 0 0 to 17 18 to 24 25 to 44 45 to 64 65 and Older -0.88 -1.83 -5 -6.59 -10 Note: Projections based on the 2000 Census are not available for Native Americans Source: US Census Bureau, Population Projections based on the 2000 Decennial Census

6. Framing thoughts… Higher education is moving from an outdated sorting and selecting system to…… ….an environment designed to increase overall capacity across the system….. …. benefiting students, states, and the nation.

7. What is PK-20? • Integrated system of education designed to raise student achievement at all levels “If people begin to see the educational system as a single entity through which people move, they may begin to behave as if all education were related.” Harold Hodgkinson All One System

8. Why is this Important?Why do PK-12 and Postsecondary Need to Work Together? • Success in PK-12 carries over to higher education • Postsecondary students become P-12’s teachers • Share a common goal of student success • Integration and/or alignment of separate systems make the entire enterprise more efficient, productive and successful

9. Technical Electronic transcripts / E-transcripts High School Feedback reports Aligned data initiatives (e.g. high school places unique number on transcripts) Single data systems Political Changes to state law to allow record sharing (VA) Sharing data based on a culture of collaboration (LA) Statewide groups to discuss P-20 data systems PK-16/20 Councils in 38 States Multiple Approaches to PK-12 and Postsecondary Alignment

10. Unpacking the PK-20 Components • Early Learning (the “P”) • Often overlooked • Research shows that the average cognitive score of high-income students before they reach kindergarten is 60% higher than children from low-income groups. • These same children often end up in “low resource schools.” • They may never catch up

11. Unpacking the PK-20 Components • K-12 – traditional elementary and secondary education • Preparation for college and workforce of growing concern • Only 38% of 9th graders persist through high school and directly enter college • 40% of students in four-year colleges require remediation (unprepared for college work)

12. Unpacking the PK-20 Components • Postsecondary Education • College completion rates are even worse • Only 18 of every 100 9th graders go on to complete a college degree (2-yr or 4-yr) “on time” • So how many adults have a college degree?

13. Ultimate goal of PK-20 – bring the separate components together • Establishing a Council sets formal expectations and a venue for collaboration • Broad-based participation helps states reach consensus among key players • Focused agenda reduces duplication • Establishes specific performance goals across all levels of education • Focuses on what students need to become successful rather than what institutions and practitioners want • Actors, agenda, and appropriations

14. Current Status in the States • 40 Councils in 38 states • Up from 25 councils in 2000 • 4 states without a council have a consolidated governance structure with similar functions • No two are alike • Some chaired by governor, others by education • Some have statutory authority & line-item funding • Some travel by minivan, others by charted buses

15. Current Status in the States(by the numbers) • 29 meet at least quarterly • 16 have established specific numerical goals • 26 have dedicated source(s) of funding • 21 supported by at least 0.5 fte staff • 8 are chaired by the governor • 5 - 52 members (22 average) • 31 are advisory only • 17 created in the last 3 years

16. Georgia – the first Alliance of Education Agency Heads Georgia P-16 Council (1996) Education Coordinating Council (2000) Alliance (2006) 7 formal members (early learning, K-12, Postsecondary, government) but many others are involved Informally established (not permanent) and advisory 16 local councils

17. Georgia Initiatives • Increase high school graduation rate, decrease high school drop-out rate, and increase postsecondary enrollment • Strengthen teacher quality, recruitment, and retention • Improve workforce readiness skills • Develop strong education leaders, particularly at the building level • Improve SAT/ACT scores of Georgia’s students

18. Colorado – one of the newest The Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council All members appointed by and serve at the Gov’s pleasure 31 voting members (early learning, K-12, Postsec, Lt. Gov, business, foundations) Permanent and advisory; meets quarterly Subcommittees on P-3, data and accountability, dropout prevention and recovery, educator recruitment, preparation and retention (K-12), preparation and transition (postsecondary)

19. Colorado Policy Changes • Data Protocol Development Council - design and implement a protocol for collecting, storing and sharing data • School Counselor Corps Grant Program - provide districts with grants to improve counseling in HS • Public School Finance Act - increase funding for the CO Preschool Program and full-day kindergarten • Preschool to Postsecondary Education Alignment Act - numerous readiness and alignment provisions; review postsec admissions standards; regional P-20 meetings annually

20. Multiple Actors • Not too big and not too small (Goldilocks) • The right players means all three education sectors plus… • Legislative and gubernatorial support • Business community • Get some shared clarity on the mission and roles • Meet at least quarterly

21. Set an Agenda • Don’t get too broad (5 issues or fewer) • Be specific (more than “improving student success”) • Focus on the things each agency can’t do alone • Have specific, measurable goals

22. Georgia's Balanced Scorecard

23. Appropriations and Resources • 1/2 receive legislative appropriations or have money built into agency budgets • 10 states receive some external support • Some receive private funds (AZ, CO, CA) • Funding from multiple sources • Wyoming: “Sustainability subcommittee” working to secure funding from three separate streams - government, foundations, and business community • Human resource are just as critical

24. Additional Attributes for Success • Commitment to long-term reform • Change takes time • Representation from key stakeholder groups • It takes strong leadership and broad participation • Coordinated initiatives • Little is accomplished with similar initiatives working in isolation • Integrated reform efforts • Avoid completion

25. Some Outstanding PK-20 Questions • Does it matter where the council “lives”? • Does it matter who provides the staffing? • Does it matter where the funding comes from? • What’s the impact / role of local or regional councils? • Does politics trump everything else?

26. The Role of Data in PK-12 and Postsecondary Alignment • Identifying shared benefits • Reconciling technical and political differences • Assuring student privacy • Designing a usable system • Planning for sustainability

27. SHEEO/NCHEMS Recommended Guiding Principles • Reinforce state capacity to conduct analysis supporting state-level policymaking. • Develop common approaches that work regardless of who “owns” the data. • Keep it simple! • Allow for incremental development. • Don’t start with “flash point” topics. • Develop everything in an open and transparent environment.

28. Thank You! Hans P. L’Orange hans@sheeo.org