ADP Overview

2. ADP Overview • Introduction to Achieve • Overview of American Diploma Project Network • Examples of Achieve Support to ADP Network States • The Alignment Institute

3. Achieve, Inc. • Achieve, Inc. was created by the nation’s governors and business leaders in 1996 following a National Education Summit. • Achieve is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that helps states raise academic standards, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability to prepare all young people for postsecondary education, work and citizenship. • Achieve and NGA co-sponsored the 2005 National Education Summit on High Schools. • Education Week identified Achieve as one of the most influential education policy organizations.

4. Achieve’s Work • Reviews of State Standards • Rigor • Coherence • Focus • Specificity • Clarity • Measurability • Reviews of State Assessments • Alignment with State Standards • Cut score analysis • State Policy Audits

5. Achieve’s Work National Leadership for Standards-Based Reform: • National Education Summits with governors, business and education leaders in 1999, 2001, 2005 • Policy Forums for K-12 education leaders on selected issues • Issue Briefs on key policy issues

6. Overview of American Diploma Project Network

7. Why ADP? • 30% of first year students in postsecondary education are required to take remedial courses • 40% - 45% of recent high school graduates report significant gaps in their skills, both in college and the workplace • Faculty estimate 42% of first year students in credit-bearing courses are academically unprepared • Employers estimate 45% of recent high school graduates lack skills to advance • ACT estimates only half of college-bound students are ready for college-level reading

8. History of the American Diploma Project Phase 1: 2002 - 2005 • Partnership of Achieve, Education Trust, Fordham Foundation and National Alliance of Business • Initial ADP research study conducted in Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas. • Involved wide variety of K-12, higher education and business representatives. • Examined the work high school graduates do in the college classroom and on the job, and the preparation they needed to do the work. • Identified “must-have” knowledge and skills graduates will need to be successful in college and the workplace.

9. College Ready = Work Ready • ADP research found a common core of knowledge & skills in math and English that are necessary for success in postsecondary education and in “good jobs”. • ACT Study Ready for College Ready for Work: Same or Different?: • whether planning to enter college or workforce training programs after graduation, high school students need to be educated to a comparable level of readiness in reading and mathematics.

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

11. In math: Four courses Content equivalent to Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, 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:

12. ADP Research Documents an Expectations Gap • Academic standards not aligned • Graduation requirements too low • Assessments not meaningfully connected with students’ college or career aspirations • RESULT: In nearly every state, students can earn a high school diploma without the skills necessary for success in college and work.

13. Even though most states had courses required for high school graduation in 2004 . . .

14. Of these states, only 20 required Algebra I . . .

15. Only 13 also required Geometry . . .

16. and only 3 states required Algebra II in 2004

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. If high school had demanded more, graduates would have worked harder • Would have worked harder 82% 80% • Strongly feel would have worked harder • Wouldn’t have worked harder 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.

20. Majority of graduates would have taken harder courses Knowing what you know today about the expectations of college/work … Would have taken more challenging courses in at least one area Math Science English Would have taken more challenging courses in: 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.

21. Formation of ADP Network: ADP Phase II • Formed at the request of states (OH, KY, AR, MI) • States wanted ADP Network to provide: • Legitimacy and political cover • External pressure to move agenda forward • Networking with leaders from like-minded states • Leadership on policy agenda • States committed to address ADP policy agenda • Commitment by governor, chief state school officer, state higher education leader, leading CEO • Launched with 13 states at 2005 National Education Summit on High Schools

22. ADP Network has doubled in size: 29 States are now members

23. ADP States’ Four Policy Commitments • Align high school standards and assessments with the knowledge and skills required for success in postsecondary education and work. • Require all students to take a college- and work-ready curriculum aligned with standards to graduate from high school. • Administer a college- and work-ready assessment, aligned to state standards, to high school students so they get clear and timely information and are able to address critical skill deficiencies while still in high school. • Hold high schools accountable for graduating students who are college ready, and hold postsecondary institutions accountable for their success once enrolled.

24. Commitment #1:Aligning Standards • Align high school standards and assessments with the knowledge and skills required for success in postsecondary education and work. • Aligned with expectations of postsecondary education and employers, • Endorsed by postsecondary education and business, • Adopted by K-12 and higher education governing bodies • Incorporated in high school curriculum, graduation requirements and assessments • Incorporated in postsecondary assessments and practices used for placing students in entry-level coursework

25. Commitment #2:Rigorous Graduation Requirements • Require all students to take a college- and work-ready curriculum aligned with standards to graduate from high school. In English: • Four courses • Content equivalent to four years of grade-level English or higher (i.e., honors or AP English) In math: • Four courses • Content equivalent to Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and a fourth course such as Statistics or Precalculus

26. Commitment #3:College-Ready Assessments • Administer a college- and work-ready assessment, aligned to state standards, to high school students so they get clear and timely information and are able to address critical skill deficiencies while still in high school.

27. Examples: College-Ready Assessments • California State University System – augmented state high school assessment • City University of New York – uses higher-than-passing cut scores on selected NYS Regents Exams – End of Course Exams • Texas – uses higher-than-passing cut score on high school graduation exam (TAKS) • Oklahoma, Missouri and others – considering using ACT as part of high school assessment system

28. Commitment #4: High School and College Accountability • Hold high schools accountable for graduating students who are college ready, and hold postsecondary institutions accountable for their success once enrolled. • P-16 longitudinal data system with unit student records • NGA graduation rate used for high school accountability • Postsecondary feedback reports to high schools on success of their graduates in postsecondary • Public reporting of remediation rates, first year success, time to degree and college graduation

29. Progress Since 2005 Summit

30. States with College & Work Ready Graduation Requirements

31. ADP Alignment Institute Examples of Achieve Support to ADP Network States

32. Achieve Supports Standards Alignment in 24 States

33. Examples of Research & Development Support from Achieve • To help states align standards • K-12 grade-by-grade and course-by-course math benchmarks • To help states raise graduation requirements and graduation rates: • Identifying Potential Dropouts: Key Lessons for Building an Early Warning Data System • Policy audits of state approaches to dropout prevention, intervention and recovery conducted with JFF • To help states make well informed choices of college-ready assessments: • Study of widely used college admissions and placement exams • To help states improve high school assessments: • Common End-of-Algebra II exam

34. ADP Algebra II End-of-Course Exam • Nine states are developing a common EOC exam in Algebra II • Test content aligned with ADP math benchmarks • Purposes of the test: • To ensure consistent content and rigor in Algebra II courses within and among states • To provide for comparisons in performance among the states • To be used for postsecondary placement purposes • Test will be administered no later than Spring 2008 • Additional states will be able to use this exam

35. States working together to develop a common Algebra II EOC test

36. Examples of Advocacy Support • Building Support in Higher Education • Campaign aimed at engaging college presidents started in June 2006 • In partnership with American Council on Education, State Higher Education Executive Officers and National Association of System Heads • Mobilizing Business Community • US Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable • Business Leaders Toolkit www.biztools4schools.org

37. Mobilizing Higher Education Community • Partnership with American Council on Education (ACE), State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), and National Association of System Heads • January ‘07 Summit on ADP for postsecondary leaders from ADP states • Follow-up meetings on specific ADP issues • Fall meeting with higher ed leaders in Algebra II states • Key publications: • Op-ed in Chronicle of Higher Education (Dec. ’06) • Special issue of ACE magazine Presidency (Jan. ’07)

38. Making the Case for Reform:New Advocacy Tools and Web Site • The Achieve website is a one-stop resource for tools, survey data, examples and other advocacy materials. www.biztools4schools.org

39. Examples of Networking Activities • Annual ADP Leadership Team Meeting • Hs grad requirements meeting for 17 states • Monthly conference calls • Additional issue-specific meetings (quarterly) • Alignment Institutes

40. Alignment Institutes

41. ADP Alignment Institute Purpose is to help states develop college- and work- ready standards that are: • Aligned with expectations of postsecondary education and employers, • Endorsed by postsecondary education and business, • Adopted by K-12 and higher education governing bodies • Incorporated in high school curriculum, graduation requirements and assessments • Incorporated in postsecondary assessments and practices used for placing students in entry-level coursework

42. Georgia Board of Regents Worked with K-12 to identify college- and work- ready standards drawing on faculty teams from every 2- and 4- year campus to develop: • Course descriptions for high school graduation requirements • Early college and dual credit agreements based on standards • A common entry level for placement in mathematics across all campuses • Supplementary college-ready assessment items for the high school exam that to be used for college placement

43. Aligning Standards: Emerging Lessons • Higher education must: • Be transparent: provide a clear definition of knowledge and skills needed to enter and succeed in college level courses • Speak with one voice: adopt uniform placement policies statewide, especially for open door and broad access institutions • Involve faculty heavily in determining standards

44. Aligning Standards: Emerging Lessons • Defining “work-readiness” is significantly more difficult than defining “college-readiness” • Focus on good jobs that pay well and provide opportunities for advancement • Don’t ask employers to translate their job requirements into standards and curriculum – better to ask them to react to draft standards and identify gaps and priorities • Use examples of real work tasks – technical manuals, writing samples, etc. • Look at skills needed to enter job training and workforce development programs at 2-year institutions