College Readiness

1. “Girls, when I was growing up, my parents used to say to me, ‘Tom, finish your dinner -- people in China and India are starving.’ My advice to you is: Girls, finish your homework -- people in China and India are starving for your jobs.” Tom Friedman to his teenage daughters

2. College Readiness National Efforts, State Efforts & The Role of Maine’s Colleges and Universities Maine Higher Education Council

3. Why is Readiness Important? • Unprepared students • Remediation costs millions of dollars • World is becoming “flat” and US students are losing ground to their peers around the world • Increasing pressure from USDOE, MDOE, and Legislature for HE to be “accountable” and “transparent” • Remediation hurts Retention Maine Higher Education Council

4. Post-Secondary Education Source: Kirst, M. (2004). The high school/college disconnect. Educational Leadership, 62(3), 51-55. Maine Higher Education Council

5. “Readiness” EffortsAt the National Level • Stanford University’s Bridge Project • USDOE Commission on the Future of Higher Education • $24 million National Governor’s Association (NGA) Grant • Achieve/American Diploma Project (ADP) • College Ready New England -- NEBHE • Data Quality Campaign • Examples of model states Maine Higher Education Council

6. Stanford University’sBridge Project • Led by Michael Kirst, leading researcher at Stanford • 6-year study to analyze high school exit/college entrance policies • Strongly advocate: • Align exit standards/assessments with college placement exams • Longitudinal K-16 data • Colleges publicize their academic standards • P – 16 governance structure • Education policy makers rely heavily on their findings and recommendations Maine Higher Education Council

7. USDOE Commission on the Future of Higher Education • Formed in 2005 • Series of public hearings and issue papers • Final Report released in September • Secretary Spellings priorities include: • Preparing students better for college • Addressing the affordability issue • Holding colleges “accountable” for student records and outcome data Maine Higher Education Council

8. NGA Grant • $24 million dollars to improve high school and college-ready graduation rates in 26 states • Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation • Maine receives $1.9 million Maine Higher Education Council

9. NGA Grant • All recipient states agree to: • Set 10-year performance goals for improving the high school graduation and college readiness rates (disaggregated by student race/ethnicity and family income), and publicly report the goals along with baseline and improvement data. • Commit to adopting a longitudinal, 4-year cohort high school graduation measure that tracks individual students and permits valid comparisons among states. • Commit to actively participate in the National Education Data Partnership initiative. • Create and execute a communications plan to build and sustain public will for high school redesign. • Demonstrate an on-going commitment to an aligned governance structure for P-16 education. Maine Higher Education Council

10. Achieve/ADP • Achieve is a non-profit started by Governors and business leaders in 1996 • Goal is to “help states raise standards to prepare all young people for postsecondary” • Achieve created the American Diploma Project • The ADP Network is 26 States, including Maine • Network states have committed to four policy actions to better prepare students for college, career, and citizenship Maine Higher Education Council

11. Achieve/ADP Goals • Align high school standards and assessments with the knowledge and skills required for success after high school. • Require all students to take challenging courses that actually prepare them for life after high school. • Streamline the assessment system so that the tests students take in high school also can serve as admissions, placement and hiring tests for college and work. • Hold high schools accountable for graduating students who are ready for college and careers, and hold postsecondary institutions accountable for students’ success once enrolled. Maine Higher Education Council

12. College Ready New England • An initiative of the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) • Specific goals: • Increase # of high school graduates • Increase # of high school graduates who are prepared for college or career success • Increase the # of learners enrolling in college, both two- and four-year • Increase the # of college graduates, both two- and four-year Maine Higher Education Council

13. The Data Quality Campaign • Last year, 10 national organizations joined to form the Data Quality Campaign • Goal is to support states in their efforts to build and use linked data systems • Help states address political, financial, technical issues • Believe data supports critical feedback loop to high schools, state, and others Maine Higher Education Council

14. Examples of Model States • CA and IN have already aligned high school standards with postsecondary and workplace expectations • TX, LA, and FL have longitudinal P-16 data systems in place • One state, Oklahoma, holds its high schools accountable for the percentage of graduates who require remediation Maine Higher Education Council

15. Other states are providing reports on student success in college Some examples: • Oregon’s Freshman Profile Report is sent to every high school principal and counselor. The report: • Describes the performance of each school’s graduates on college-entry requirements, performance in the first year of college and persistence to second year. • Allows educators and the public to compare two years of data for students from any high school in the state. • Louisiana provides annual reports on each high school’s graduates in the first year of college. It also is developing an early warning system that will signal when middle and high school students need intensive “catch-up” support. Maine Higher Education Council

16. What’s Going OnIn Maine? • DOE • UMS • MCCS Early College for ME • Maine Compact for Higher Education • Mitchell Institute/Maine Great Schools Project • MELMAC Maine Higher Education Council

17. What’s Going on in Maine(cont.) • DOE • Revised Maine Learning Results • Convened Postsecondary Ed Task Force for input • Content areas proposed in September • These revisions reflect UMS “college ready” expectations • Core curriculum bill to legislature in January • English and Math requirements fully implemented 2010 • Participates as an Achieve/ADP state • Will be hosting Early College information on website • Fiscal agent for $1.9 million in NGA grant to support “readiness” Maine Higher Education Council

18. What’s Going on in Maine (cont.) NGA Grant • Maine is one of 10 states awarded Phase One Honor States High School Grants • $ 1.9 million, administered by MDOE • Specifically, Maine is using the money to fund: • Maine Compact Readiness Campaign ($725K) • Early College -- ACE ($500K) • Early College for ME – MCCS ($150) • Early College distance education – UM Academ-e ($ ) • Readiness communities • High school curriculum reform - DOE Maine Higher Education Council

19. What’s Going on in Maine(cont.) • UMS • The 7 UMS campuses have agreed on what comprises an optimal, college-ready high school transcript. • 4 years English • 4 years math • 3 years history and social science • 3 years lab science, including biology, chemistry, and physics • 2 years foreign language • These recommendations influenced the proposed MLR • Participating in Early College • College Ready spot on their web site • Pathways to Writing Proposal • MELMAC Project on Math • Promoting HS to College Conversations Maine Higher Education Council

20. What’s Going on in Maine(cont.) • MCCS Early College for ME • Offered in 74 high schools; 1400 participants • Combines advising, Early College courses in high school, and scholarships • 100% start rate once awarded a scholarship • 71% of students enrolled in ’03 and ’04 are still enrolled, graduated, or have transferred to a 4-year college Maine Higher Education Council

21. What’s Going on in Maine(cont.) • Maine Compact Readiness Campaign • TV/Internet campaign called “KickStart” targeted at 8th graders • 50 community partnerships to ensure high schools are graduating students “ready” • Statewide partnership of 15+ “stakeholders” to coordinate efforts and sustain momentum Maine Higher Education Council

22. What’s Going on in Maine(cont.) • Maine Great Schools Project • High School reform initiative • Works with individual schools • Funded by Gates/NGA and housed at the Mitchell Institute • Administers the ACE Program (Early College) • Wants to expand Early College statewide Maine Higher Education Council

23. What’s Going on in Maine (cont.) • MELMAC Education Foundation Grants to high schools and communities Connect Aspirations to a Plan • Targets middle and high school students • Goal to increase college enrollment Supporting Early Success in College • Targets first year Maine college age students < 25 • Goal to increase retention and graduation rates Results: Increased enrollment Maine Higher Education Council

24. In Conclusion… • Much going on nationally, especially research, policy setting, and money • Much going on in Maine, especially high school curriculum reform, changing expectations through the media, early college programs, and the start of K-12/postsecondary discussions • Many recommendations for higher education’s role have come about as a result Maine Higher Education Council

25. Recommendations for Higher Ed • Support high school reform • Align high school graduation requirements and exit exams with college placement tests • Communicate • Link data systems between K-12 and postsecondary • Expand Early College • Lobby legislature • Connect Governance Structures/Establish P-16 Councils Maine Higher Education Council

26. Next Steps • Consider the recommendations and related action items • Determine which are appropriate for MHEC • Brainstorm additional ideas • Narrow the focus to short-term & long-term goals • Prioritize • Establish MHEC’s 2006-07 Agenda Maine Higher Education Council

27. Maine Graduation Requirements