Tony Newberry, President Jefferson Community and Technical College

1. From GEDs to College Degrees:The Adult Education Transitions Collaboration between Jefferson County Public Schools and Jefferson Community and Technical College Tony Newberry, President Jefferson Community and Technical College Kentucky Community and Technical College System Julie Scoskie, Director Jefferson County Public Schools Adult and Continuing Education

2. Origins of the Partnership • Policy environment & political imperatives • Internal issues The Transitions Program • How it works • The impact on students • Plans for the future Questions and Conversation

3. Context for Collaboration House Bill 1 (1997): Post-Secondary Education Reform in Kentucky Senate Bill 1 (2000): The Restructuring of Adult Education Result: Aggressive enrollment and attainment goals

4. Local Imperatives Merged Government and the Brookings Report Historic Opportunity “The Louisville region stands at a historic juncture. As merger creates the 16th largest municipality in the U.S., the new city has an opportunity to seize the moment, ‘get it right,’ and chart its destiny as one of the most progressive American cities.” Serious Challenges The new city faces serious human capital and quality of life challenges that threaten future competitiveness, including: • A workforce severely limited in size and skill • Low educational attainment which limits competitiveness in the “knowledge economy”

5. The Solution: Build a State of the Art Workforce Development System • Focus on the New Economy and high-skilled, high-wage jobs • Provide “career ladders” for lower skilled adults • Upgrade the region’s community and technical colleges • Make adult education, colleges, universities full partners in Louisville’s long-term economic development strategy • Promote educational attainment all along the line, from GEDs to Ph.Ds.

6. State-wide Concerns: The “Pipeline Leakage” Problem For every 100 Kentucky 9th graders: • 65 graduate from high school • 37 enter college • 24 are still enrolled in sophomore year • 12 graduate with a four-year degree in 6 years Source: Tom Mortenson, Public School Graduation and College-Going Rates of Students Directly from High School, 2004; NCES, IPEDS Fall 2004 Retention rates and 2004 Graduation Rate Survey; U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 American Community Survey (ACS)

7. 83% OF ENTERING KCTCS STUDENTS ARE UNDERPREPARED FOR COLLEGE

8. CORE RECOMMENDATIONS • Remediation is a shared responsibility – P-12 and higher education • Create an integrated accountability system tied to performance funding [P-16]. • Fund infrastructure improvement. • Align college readiness standards and link those standards to educator professional development. • Better link educator preparation to college readiness. • Develop early student interventions. • KY Developmental Education Task Force 2007 • Kentucky must reduce the number of underprepared students coming to college.

9. Other Major State Reports in 2007 • Council on Post-Secondary Education’s “Double the Numbers” College Graduates Plan • Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Task Force on Postsecondary Education • KCTCS In the Eye of the Storm: Kentucky’s Looming Workforce Crisis

10. Reinforcement from National Studies and Reports • Robert McCabe, No One to Waste: A Report to Public Decision-Makers and Community College Leaders (AACC, 2000) • Robert McCabe, Yes, We Can! (League for Innovation and AACC, 2003) • Crisis at the Core: Preparing All Students for College and Work (ACT, Inc. – 2005) • Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or Different (ACT, Inc. – 2006)

11. Reinforcement from a Host of National Studies & Reports • Tough Choices or Tough Times (National Center on Education and the Economy – 2007) • America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future (Educational Testing Service – 2007) • Are They Really Ready for Work? Employers Perspectives on . . . New Entrants into the 21st Century Workforce (The Conference Board, et al., -- 2007) • Winning the Skills Race and Strengthening America’s Middle Class: Action Agenda for Community Colleges (College Board, 2008)

12. Educational Enrichment Services Program • How it started • How it works • Impact on students

13. Why Partner? • To end competition and avoid duplication of services • To stretch limited resources • To meet aggressive state-mandated enrollment goals • To address retention challenges

14. Self-Evaluation • Confluence of events: Go Higher! campaign, Beyond Merger, Brookings Report, and Local Workforce Investment Board • We asked ourselves how education was faring in our community • 1 in 5 students lacked a high school credential • 70% of entering students needed a remedial course • What are your educational challenges? • What are your resources? • What are your relationships like with other educational institutions?

15. JCTC Student Characteristics 15,478 students on 5 campuses, 7 corrections facilities, and 24 dual credit locations 42 percent are first generation college students.* 41 percent could not have attended college if not for Jefferson’s financial aid opportunities.* 70 percent work more than 20 hours per week & 69 percent attend part-time* The average age is 25.6. 52.7 percent are women. 21.6 percent (2924) of those students who declare ethnicity are African-American. English as a Second Language enrollments are growing, with nearly 40 language groups represented on campus. Average ACT Composite Score is 18.2. 66.3 percent of first time students need help with developmental mathematics. 10 percent (1,592 in Fall ’07) are GED recipients. *Source: ACT Faces of the Future Survey, conducted Fall 2007.

16. College and Workforce Readiness First-Time Freshmen Testing into Developmental Courses – Fall 2007 • 76%of FTF test into at least 1 developmental course • 64% test into developmental math • 32% test into developmental English • 10% test into developmental reading • 65% of 2007 high school graduates entering JCTC tested into developmental courses Total First-Time Freshmen: 2,160

17. JCPS Adult Education Profile 2006-07 13,776 students

18. How We Collaborate: Rethinking the Revolving Doors PHASE I: Moving JCTC students in need of basic skills into adult education services PHASE II: Moving JCPS students from adult education into college classes Continually moving students in the right direction

19. PHASE I: • Development of formal MOU • Referral system based on Compass cut scores (< 27 in math; < 21 in writing; < 45 in reading) • Deliver AE services on campus for seamless transition • Allow students to take EES along with other college courses • Provide COMPASS Preparation classes

20. Factors for Success • Monthly communication meetings • Faculty/staff cooperation • Common data system • Tailored curricula • Community awareness • Continuous improvement based on expanding populations e.g. ESL

21. EES Students Average Age:25.31 Gender: F:62.77%M: 37.23% Race: Asian:1.78% American Indian:.71% Black:50.26% Hispanic:3.13% Not Specified:26.77% White:30.64% JCTC Students Average Age:26.4 Gender: F:54.16%M: 45.81% Race: Asian:1.22% American Indian:.28% Black: 17.69% Hispanic:2.09% Not Specified:31.3% White:62.54% PHASE I: Data captured: Jan. 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2007

22. Results Phase I • Results of EES Fall 2003 to Fall 2007: • English: 82% EES Completion Rate 89% Eligible to Move to Next Course or higher • Math: 79% EES Completion Rate 90% Eligible to Move to Next Course or Higher 53% 70%

23. Results Phase I:Tracking the original 262 EES Students from Fall, 2003 • Spring 2006: 52.29% (137) still enrolled • (compared to 21.03% of all 1st time students from Fall, 2003) • Fall 2007: 37% (97) still enrolled • (compared to 11.25% of all 1st time students from Fall, 2003)

27. PHASE II: Focus on College Success • Short-term transitional class between GED certification and beginning of college • Annual scholarship awarded to outstanding GED student • eFree GED • Separate orientation and admission process • Award one credit hour of GE 100 (Intro to College) • Improved data tracking • Improved intervention and support system (based on successful Career Pathways and Success Now Learning Communities)

28. Benefits • Leveraging resources e.g. professional development, facilities, technology • More efficient service for students through a comprehensive, seamless system which reduces duplicated efforts • Tuition saved for students* • Joint marketing *Tuition saved in 2006-07: $397,653

29. Recognition • KEWA (KentuckianaWorks Excellence in Workforce Achievement) for Innovative Program/Partnerships http://www.kentuckianaworks.org • Featured at National Governors Association • Featured at American Association for Adult and Continuing Education • Profiled by Dr. Forrest Chisman from the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy http://www.caalusa.org • Selected as a model program for visitation by Boston’s Jobs for the Future Program and the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) • Cited in June/July 2005 issue of the Community College Journal • US Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education http://www.c-pal.net

30. Questions?To find out more: http://www.ged4u.com Click on “Transition to Postsecondary Education”