American Diploma Project

2. American Diploma Project • How well prepared are our students for the world after high school? • What does it mean to be prepared for college and work? • Do we expect all of our students to be prepared? • Closing the expectations gap — what will it take?

3. American Diploma Project How well prepared are our students?

4. A high school diploma is not the last educational stop required Share of new jobs, 2000–10 • Jobs that require at least some postsecondary education will make up more than two-thirds of new jobs. Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K–16 Reform, Educational Testing Service, 2003.

5. Too many U.S. students drop out of the education pipeline Source: National Center for Public Policy & Higher Education, Policy Alert, April 2004. Data are estimates of pipeline progress rather than actual cohort.

6. How does Arkansas stack up? Source: National Center for Public Policy & Higher Education, Policy Alert, April 2004. Data are estimates of pipeline progress rather than actual cohort.

7. Only about half of African American and Latino students graduate from high school in four years On-time high school graduation, 2002 Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.

8. How does Arkansas stack up? On-time high school graduation, 2002 N/A Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.

9. U.S. high school graduation rates have dropped over past 20 years Public high school graduation rates, 1981–2000 Source: Mortenson, T., “Chance for College by Age 19 by State in 2000,” Postsecondary Education Opportunity: The Environmental Scanning Research Letter of Opportunity for Postsecondary Education, No. 123, The Mortenson Research Center on Public Policy, September 2002.

10. High school graduation rate: United States trails most countries Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Education at a Glance 2004, 2004.

11. Very few high school graduates are “college ready” Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.

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

13. Too few minority students in U.S. graduate from high school “college ready” Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.

14. How does Arkansas stack up? N/A Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.

15. College bound does not necessarily mean college ready Percentage of U.S. first-year students in two-year and four-year institutions requiring remediation • Nearly three in 10 first-year students are placed immediately into a remedial college course. Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Remedial Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in Fall 2000, 2003.

16. Most U.S. college students who take remedial courses fail to earn degrees Percentage not earning degree by type of remedial coursework • Many college students who need remediation, especially in reading and math, do not earn either an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree. Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 2004.

17. Many high school graduates cite gaps in preparation How well did your high school education prepare you for college or the work/jobs you hope to get in the future? • Very well: generally able to do what’s expected • Somewhat well: some gaps • Not well: large gaps/struggling • Extremely well: prepared for everything 61% 53% 46% 39% High school graduates who went to college High school graduates who did not go to college Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.

18. College instructors/employers confirm high school graduates’ lack of preparation Average estimated proportions of recent high school graduates who are not prepared 45% 42% High school graduates not prepared for college-level classes High school graduates not prepared to advance beyond entry-level jobs Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.

19. American Diploma Project What does it take to be prepared for postsecondary education and work?

20. American Diploma Project • Partnership of Achieve, Inc.; The Education Trust; and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. • Partnered with Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas. • Involved wide variety of K–12, higher education and business representatives. • Created end-of-high-school benchmarks to convey the knowledge and skills graduates will need to be successful in college and the workplace. • Key finding: Unprecedented convergence of skills required for success in college and work.

21. Today’s graduates need more knowledge and skills • Highly Paid Professional Jobs Earnings: $40,000+ Projected Job Growth Rate: 20% • Well-Paid, Skilled Jobs Earnings: $25,000–$40,000 Projected Job Growth Rate: 12% • Low-Paid or Low-Skilled Jobs Earnings: Less than $25,000 Projected Job Growth Rate: 15% 25% 37% 38% Share of Jobs Source: American Diploma Project, 2002.

22. What does it take to succeed in “good” jobs? ADP research found that: • 84 percent of highly paid professionals (top tier of pyramid) took Algebra II or higher in high school. • Employees in vast majority of good jobs took four years of grade-level English. • Employers emphasize importance of workers being able to think creatively and logically and to identify and solve problems. • Fastest growing occupations require some education beyond high school (e.g., certificate, bachelor’s degree, associate degree, on-the-job training).

23. Even blue-collar jobs require high-level skills • Requirements for tool and die makers • Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or postsecondary training • Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics • Requirements for sheet metal workers • Four or five years of apprenticeship • Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and technical reading Source: American Diploma Project, 2002.

24. In English, the benchmarks cover: Language Communication Writing Research Logic Informational text Media Literature In math, the benchmarks cover: Number sense and numerical operations Algebra Geometry Data interpretations, statistics and probability Math reasoning skills ADP expectations ensure high school graduates are prepared to succeed

25. Whether graduates are going to college or work, they need the same skills • Machine Operator • Eastman Chemical Company • Required Skills: • Add, subtract, multiply, divide and simplify rational expressions • Calculate and apply ratios, proportions and percentages to solve problems • Recognize and solve problems using a linear equation and one variable • Apply units correctly in expressions involving measurements • Determine the perimeter and the circumference of geometric shapes • CollegeAlgebra • Required Skills: • Add, subtract, multiply, divide and simplify rational expressions • Understand functional notation • Solve systems of two linear equations in two variables • Solve quadratic equations in one variable • Graph a linear equation and quadratic function • Determine the perimeter and the circumference of geometric shapes • Represent geometric objects and figures algebraically

26. In math: Four courses Content equivalent to Algebra I and II, Geometry, and a fourth course such as Statistics or Precalculus In English: Four courses Content equivalent to four years of grade-level English or higher (i.e., honors or AP English) To be college and work ready, students need to complete a rigorous sequence of courses To cover the content in the ADP benchmarks, high school graduates need:

27. American Diploma Project What do we expect of our high school graduates? • Standards • Course-taking requirements • Assessments

28. State high school standards not always anchored in real-world expectations • In most states, standards reflect a consensus among discipline-based experts about what would be important for young people to learn – not a reflection of what would be essential to know to succeed at the next level. • Few states’ postsecondary faculty and employers have verified that state high school standards reflect their expectations.

29. Do state graduation requirements reflect “college- and work-ready” content? To answer this question, Achieve: • Reviewed minimum high school course requirements in all 50 states. • Compared each state’s requirements to what students need to be successful in college and the workplace.

30. 42 states require students to take certain courses to graduate from high school Source: Achieve, Inc., The Expectations Gap: A 50-State Review of High School Graduation Requirements, 2004.

31. 20 states require Algebra I Source: Achieve, Inc., The Expectations Gap: A 50-State Review of High School Graduation Requirements, 2004.

32. 13 states require Geometry Source: Achieve, Inc., The Expectations Gap: A 50-State Review of High School Graduation Requirements, 2004.

33. Only 3 states require Algebra II Source: Achieve, Inc., The Expectations Gap: A 50-State Review of High School Graduation Requirements, 2004.

34. A strong high school curriculum* improves college completion and narrows gaps 13% 30% *Completing at least Algebra II plus other courses. Source: Adapted from Adelman, Clifford, U.S. Department of Education, Answers in the Toolbox, 1999.

35. Only four in 10 high school students complete a college- and work-ready math curriculum Taking a math course beyond Algebra II* by graduation (2002) *Trigonometry or Precalculus. Source: Council of Chief State School Officers, State Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education 2002, 2003, p. 27.

36. How does Arkansas stack up? Taking a math course beyond Algebra II* by graduation (2002) *Trigonometry or Precalculus. Source: Council of Chief State School Officers, State Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education 2002, 2003, p. 27.

37. Do assessments measure “college-ready” skills? • Half the states require students to pass one or more exams to earn a high school diploma. What does it take to pass these tests?

38. The tests Achieve analyzed Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.

39. Good news: States are measuring algebra and geometry Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.

40. Bad news: States tend to measure lower-level content Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.

41. Students can pass state math tests knowing content typically taught in 7th and 8th grade internationally Grade when most international students cover content required to pass state math tests FL MD MA NJ OH TX Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.

42. Reading tests downplay higher-level skills Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.

43. Students can pass state English tests with skills ACT expects of 8th and 9th graders ACT (11th/12th) ACT PLAN (10th) ACT EXPLORE (8th/9th) FL MD MA NJ OH TX Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.

44. American Diploma Project What do recent high school graduates tell us about the expectations they faced?

45. Most high school graduates were moderately challenged All high school graduates College students Students who did not go to college Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.

46. Graduates who faced high expectations in high school twice as likely to feel prepared for future Percentage saying they were extremely/very well prepared Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.

47. Algebra II critical for collegeandwork High school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.

48. Writing critical for college and work High school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.

49. Knowing what they know today, high school graduates would have worked harder Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.

50. If high school had demanded more, graduates would have worked harder • Would have worked harder • Strongly feel I would have worked harder • Wouldn’t have worked harder 82% 80% High school graduates who did not go to college High school graduates who went to college Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.