Rising to the Challenge PowerPoint

Peter D

HART

RESEARCH A S S OC I A T ES

&

PUBLIC OPINION STRATEGIES

Rising to the Challenge Are High School Graduates Prepared For College & Work?

Key findings from surveys among public high school graduates, college instructors, and employers Conducted December 2004–January 2005 for

Research Methods 

Telephone surveys among the following populations: 

1,487 public high school graduates from Classes of 2002, 2003, 2004, conducted December 4–21, 2004, including:  861

current students at two- and four-year colleges and universities (353 of whom have taken a remedial course)  626 graduates who are not currently enrolled in college, including 267 who attended college in the past but withdrew  303 African Americans and 287 Hispanic Americans 

400 employers who make personnel decisions (owners, CEOs, presidents, human resources professionals), conducted December 10–16, 2004



300 instructors who teach first-year students at two-year and four-year colleges and universities

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Key Points 

As many as four in ten graduates are not prepared:  39% of college students and high school graduates with no further education say they have gaps in the skills and abilities expected today.  35% of college students and 39% of non-students say they have large gaps in preparation in at least one crucial skill; 86% of both college students and non-students say they have some gaps.  College instructors estimate that 42% of their students are not adequately prepared.  Employers estimate that 39% of high school graduates who have no further education are not prepared for their current job and that 45% are unprepared for advancement.

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Key Points 

All groups call for higher standards:  Only 24% of high school graduates say they faced high expectations and were challenged in high school. Those who faced high expectations in high school are much more likely to feel prepared for the expectations they now face.  Knowing what they know today, 65% of college students and 77% of non-students say they would have worked harder in high school.  62% of college students and 72% of non-students would have taken at least one more difficult course.  High school graduates, college instructors, and employers strongly embrace reforms that raise standards and requirements for graduation.

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Many Grads Cite Gaps In Preparation How well did your high school education prepare you for college-level work/jobs you hope to get in the future?

Extremely well: prepared for everything Not well: large gaps/struggling

Very well: generally able to do what's expected Somewhat well: some gaps

61% 53% 46% 39% College instructors estimate that 42% of recent high school graduates are not prepared for collegelevel classes.

15% 7%

College students

Employers estimate that 45% of recent high school graduates are not prepared with skills to advance beyond entry level jobs.

11%

12%

Non-students

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Most Grads Cite Gaps In At Least One Skill

(In each area, % saying there are at least some gaps in their preparation) 35% of college students report large gaps in at least one area, 86% report some gaps in at least one area.

College students Non-students

Oral communication/ public speaking Science

11% 14%

Mathematics

13% 16%

Doing research

10% 13%

Quality of writing that is expected

9% 10%

Reading/understanding complicated materials

45% 46%

12% large gaps/struggling 15% large gaps/struggling

5% 9%

44% 51% 42% 41% 40% 45% 35% 38% 29% 33%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Employers/College Instructors Say Many Not Prepared In Math/Writing (Employers’/instructors’ average estimates of percentages of public HS graduates NOT prepared in each subject) Employers 41%

Ability to do math

38%

Quality of writing

Instructors Ability to do math Quality of writing

50% 50%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Few Employers Feel High School Graduates Prepared For Advancement Extremely/very well prepared for typical job in my company Extremely/very well prepared for advancement in my company

Applicants with no high school degree Recent public high school grads who have no further education/training Recent grads of two-year college or training program Recent graduates of fouryear colleges

10% 10% 25% 18% 74% 75% 75% 78%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

College Instructors Are Harshest Critics Of High School Do public high schools adequately prepare graduates to meet the expectations they face in college

In first-year classes, how much class time do you spend reviewing material and skills that should have been taught in high school?

70%

65%

Some class time

Do not adequately prepare graduates 28%

Adequately prepare graduates

28% Significant amount of class time (24%)

Very little class time NoEmployers class time

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Employers/Instructors Dissatisfied With High Schools’ Skills Prep (In each area, % saying they are somewhat/very dissatisfied with the job public high schools are doing preparing graduates) College instructors

Employers

Reading/understanding complicated materials

25% very dissatisfied

Quality of writing that is expected

22% very dissatisfied

Doing research

24% very dissatisfied

Mathematics

20% very dissatisfied

41% 62% 40% 59% 29% 52% 32% 40%

Oral communication/ public speaking Science

70%

34% 36% 24%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Employers/Instructors Dissatisfied With High Schools’ Skills Prep (In each area, % saying they are somewhat/very dissatisfied with the job public high schools are doing preparing graduates) College instructors

Employers

Thinking analytically

29% very dissatisfied

Work and study habits

22% very dissatisfied 16% very dissatisfied

Applying what is learned in school to solving problems

17% very dissatisfied

Computer skills

66% 42%

65% 50%

55% 39%

20% 17%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Few Say Expectations Were High Academic expectations of me in high school were: High/I was significantly challenged Moderate/I was somewhat challenged Low/pretty easy to slide by 57%

56%

24%

53%

26% 20%

Expectations were high

26% 17%

20%

All HS graduates

24%

Below average income Average income Above average income

23% 23% 24%

City Suburbs Small town/rural

23% 31% 20%

General studies in HS College prep in HS

17% 30%

All high school College students Non-students graduates How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Grads Who Faced High Expectations Twice As Likely To Feel Prepared (% saying they were extremely/very well prepared for college/future job) College students whose high schools held them to: High expectations

80%

Moderate expectations Low expectations

58% 37%

Non-students whose high schools held them to: High expectations

72% 53%

Moderate expectations Low expectations

36%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Challenging Courses = Better Prepared (% saying they were extremely/very well prepared for college)

College students who took the following number of high school level math and science courses: Nine or ten

73% 67%

Eight 58%

Seven

54%

Five or six Four or fewer

33%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Algebra II Critical For Work World And College When it comes to mathematics, how well were you prepared in high school for the expectations you face in college/working world?

Extremely/very well prepared

Somewhat/not too/not at all well prepared

Non-students

College students 72%

68%

60%

54% 46%

37%

31% 26%

Completed less than Algebra 2

Completed Algebra 2/more

Completed less than Algebra 2

Completed Algebra 2/more

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Lower Expectations For Writing Lead To Lower Confidence Writing expected of you in high school

Graduates Graduates who wrote who fair wrote amount/ great deal not much

53% 46%

Great deal high expectations, term papers, research reports, senior thesis

Fair amount English classes some emphasis on writing skills, papers for other classes

Students Feel somewhat/not prepared for college writing

21%

49%

Non-students Feel somewhat/not prepared for writing at work

24%

51%

Not much

All public HS graduates How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Knowing What They Know Today, Grads Would Have Worked Harder Would have applied myself more

Knowing what you do today about the expectations of college/the work world, if you were able to do high school over again, would you have worked harder and applied yourself more to your coursework even if it meant less time for other activities?

Would have applied myself the same/less

77% 65%

34% 22%

College students

Non-students

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Had High School Demanded More, Grads Would Have Worked Harder Strongly feel I would have worked harder Wouldn't have worked harder

Would have worked harder

82% If your high school had demanded more of students, set higher academic standards, and raised the expectations of how much course work and studying would be necessary to earn a diploma, would you have worked harder to meet these expectations?

80%

64%

63%

15%

College students

18%

Non-students

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Majorities of Graduates Would Have Taken Harder Courses Knowing what you know today about the expectations of college/the work world, if you were able to do high school over again, when it comes to math/sciences/English would you have taken higher-level and more challenging courses if they were available?

College students Non-students

Would have taken more challenging courses in at least one area Would have taken more challenging courses in: Math Science English

62%

72%

34% 48% 32% 41% 29% 38%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Large Majorities Support All Reforms (% public high school graduates saying each would improve things in encouraging HS students to work harder/be better prepared) Would improve things a great deal

Real-world learning opportunities (internships) Early guidance on courses for career/college prep More honors, AP, IB courses available for free More tutoring, summer school, extra help Give juniors college placement tests to see if ready Require exams in math and English to graduate Smaller high schools, more contact with teachers Require four years’ math, biology, chemistry, physics

Would improve things somewhat

96%

73% 71%

93%

70%

93%

58%

88%

57%

87%

50%

81%

50%

80%

45%

74%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Overview Of Support For Reforms 

Early guidance on the courses to take to prepare for career/college enjoys universal support, with 90% or more of public high school graduates, employers, and college instructors saying this would improve things a great deal or somewhat.



Opportunities for real-world learning receives high support from recent graduates (96% improve things a great deal/somewhat), employers (95%), and college instructors (76%).



More honors, AP, IB courses garners near universal support from recent graduates (93%), and nearly as much from employers (86%) and college instructors (85%).



Non-students are more likely than college students to strongly endorse proposals giving high school students more help/attention, including early placement tests to determine readiness for college (67% of non-students say this would improve things a great deal, 49% of college students say the same), tutoring, summer school, extra help (63% non-students, 55% students), and smaller high schools (58% non-students, 45% students).

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Support For Math/Science Requirement (% who say requiring four years’ math, biology, chemistry, and physics to graduate would encourage HS students to work harder/be better prepared) Would improve things a great deal

All public high school graduates College students

Non-students

Employers

College instructors

45%

49%

39%

41%

43%

Would improve things somewhat

74% 77%

70%

83%

81%

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for

Conclusions 

Public high schools are failing to prepare a substantial minority of graduates for skills expected of them today.



Employers and instructors are the harshest critics and say many graduates come to them inadequately prepared.



More rigorous courses and higher expectations lead to better prepared graduates.



Graduates themselves say they would welcome more challenging requirements and raised expectations for high school graduation.

How Prepared Are Public High School Graduates?/Hart Research & Public Opinion Strategies for