High School Graduation ≠ College Readiness

1. Deborah Davis Adjunct Faculty Shawnee State University High School Graduation ≠College Readiness

2. Shawnee State University Freshman from the local area are more success full if AP/POP courses are part of their High School Curriculum. • I see freshmen at Shawnee in English Composition who need far more remediation than seems reasonable. • Local students are frequently no supported in pursuing AP/PSEOP programs. • Those students who participate in AP/PSEOP programs seem far more prepared. • Therefore, College Prep, in this area, should be harder. RESEARCH TOPIC

3. Selected Scioto County students who complete AP/PSEOP coursework are much more prepared to successfully complete college classes. • College Readiness (too broad) • Scioto County Students (too broad) • Students in Scioto County are not encouraged to take AP/PSEOP courses (impracticable) • Those students who participate in AP/PSEOP programs seem far more prepared (true, but) • College students who take advanced coursework are better prepared (yet, but) • Scioto County Students are not ready for college (closer, but still too broad. • Scioto County students who take advanced coursework are better prepared (aha!) INTRODUCTION

4. Three Articles from Educational Journals are reviewed for College Readiness issues. • Cline, Z, Bissell, J, Hafner, A, & Katz, M. (2007). Closing the college readiness gap. Leadership, 37(2), 30-33. • Conley, DT. (2008). Rethinking college readiness. New Directions for Higher Education, 144(WI), 3-13. • Katsinas, SG., & Bush, VB. (2006). Assessing what matters: improving college readiness 50 years beyond Brown. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 30, 771-786. LITERATURE REVIEW - 1

5. What Is Readiness? • Cline – • “preparing students to succeed in college-level work rather than on fulfilling basic eligibility requirements that are primarily course- and grade-based” (p. 30). • “50 percent of entering freshmen system wide [who] need remediation in English or mathematics.” That 50 percent is out of the 33 percent of high school seniors “should be eligible to enter the California State University system” (p. 30). • Conley – • “the degree to which previous educational and personal experiences have equipped them for the expectations and demands they will encounter in college (p. 7) • “four facets: key cognitive strategies, key content knowledge, academic behaviors, and contextual skills and knowledge” (p. 3). • Katsinas & Bush • “a seamless system that improves articulation and degree completion, and that promotes a positive trajectory from our nation’s secondary schools into higher education” (p. 772). LITERATURE REVIEW - 2

6. Why Is There A Gap? • Cline – • “Statistics show that the dropout rate at the university level is significantly higher among those who arrive at college academically under prepared” (p. 30). • students “often struggle in their first year as they attempt to meet strict college readiness requirements, often requiring a year or more of remediation” (p. 31) • Conley – • “In short, the differences in expectations between high school and college are manifold and significant” (p. 6). • Katsinas & Bush • Alack of college level course work leads to the natural consequence of an unprepared graduate (p. 777). LITERATURE REVIEW - 3

7. What Can Be Done? • Cline – • This broad program encompasses curriculum options, professional development for educators, and assessment methods (p. 31). “Students are encouraged to think rhetorically,” and they develop an ability to respond appropriately (p. 31). Assessments improved markedly under the new curriculum as administered by the newly trained educators. Students were better prepared for college, and more successful, requiring little to no remediation (p. 32). • Conley – • Students need to be challenged throughout their academic careers. Key cognitive strategies, academic knowledge, academic behaviors, and information and its access, are critical elements to success (p. 7-10). “College knowledge is distributed inequitably in society” (p. 10). • Students who want to be college ready need to be set a standard of readiness, not just eligibility. • Katsinas & Bush • “About 2/3 of high school graduates go on to college” (p. 780). . . . “the assessment mechanism drives system performance” (p. 781). The intense problem, also presented, is “the internal pressure” and focus on “micro-outcomes such as standardized, in-classroom test scores” (p. 781). • Recommends an emphasis on “larger macro level indicators associated with . . . Positive outcomes of high school” (p. 781). LITERATURE REVIEW - 4

8. Are Shawnee State Incoming Freshmen from Scioto County schools more likely to have a successful Freshman year if they take AP/PSEOP coursework in high school? Shawnee State Incoming Freshmen from Scioto County schools are more likely to have a successful Freshman year if they take AP/PSEOP coursework in high school. RESEARCH QUESTION RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

9. What is the Impact? • Impact to the high schools? • It is my fervent hope that the study will aid local high schools in encouraging their AP and PSEOP programs for their students who desire to succeed at University. • Impact to the University? • I would love to see this University putting forward a more positive view of the PSEOP and AP program to the local high schools. • Impact to me? • It is my desire to gain a better understanding of the transition between college and high school so that I may better support my students during their freshman year. IMPACT OF STUDY ON MY PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

10. What Type of Research? • Quantitative • I intend to compare statistics of college bound graduates from local high schools and from SSU freshman for an analysis of success rates. • Qualitative • I intend to extensively interview a few students who were and were not successful at college regarding their preparatory experience and impact. Research type

11. What Method of Data Collection? • Surveys • I will include my existing survey information from educators as precatory information • I will survey high school guidance counselors in the area for perspectives on programs • I will survey SSU admissions counselors for perspectives on programs • Statistics • I hope to garner data from local high schools regarding the numbers of college prep students, AP/POP students, and what they may have on college freshman success rates from their schools. • I hope to garner data from SSU regarding successful completion of freshman coursework. Procedure

12. What Permissions are Needed For this Study? • ??????????? • I do not know • _______________________________ • _______________________________ • ??????????? • ______________________________ • ______________________________ • It is my hope that by using anonymous data for much of my study, permissions will be minimized. For the interview/analysis, I know something is required. PERMISSIONS

13. What Schedule is Intended For this Study? • Literature • Gather resources for 10 articles and review by 20 July 2010 • Surveys • Publish before 1 September 2010 • Gather data by 1 October 2010 • Analyze data by 1 November 2010 • Interviews • Identify subjects by 1 September 2010 • Baseline Interviews by 1 October 2010 • General write-up of interviews by 1 November 2010 • Compilation • Data assembly by 1 December 2010 • Compilation/review January-February 2011 • Publication April 2011 TIMELINE

14. THIS HAS BEEN AN EFFORT BY Deborah R. Davis Adjunct Professor of English Composition at Shawnee State University since 2005. A.S, Computer Science - Programming – Control Data Institute A.S. Computer Science – Program Management – National Defense University A.B. English – California State University Dominguez Hills with Minor in Western Civ/PoliSci M.A. (wop) Comparative Literature – San Diego State University J.D. Family & Military Law – California Western School of Law Major, United States Marine Corps (Reserve), Retired