Creating a High School Diploma That Counts
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?
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American Diploma Project
How well prepared are our students?
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A high school diploma is not the last educational stop required Share of new jobs, 2000–10 60%
31%
Jobs that require at least some postsecondary education will make up more than twothirds of new jobs.
Bachelor's degree
Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K–16 Reform, Educational Testing Service, 2003.
40%
36%
22% 20% 10% 0%
High school dropout
High school diploma
Some postsecondary
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Percentage of 9th grade students
Too many U.S. students drop out of the education pipeline 100% 75%
68%
50%
40% 27%
25% 0%
Graduate high school
Start college
Persist 2nd year
18%
Earn degree
Source: National Center for Public Policy & Higher Education, Policy Alert, April 2004. Data are estimates of pipeline progress rather than actual cohort.
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Only about half of African American and Latino students graduate from high school in four years Percentage of 9th grade students
On-time high school graduation, 2002 100% 78%
75% 50%
52%
56%
Latino
African American
25% 0% White
Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and CollegeReadiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattaninstitute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.
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U.S. high school graduation rates have dropped over past 20 years Public high school graduation rates, 1981–2000 75%
70%
65%
60%
1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 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.
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High school graduation rate: United States trails most countries
1 2 3 4 5 5 7 7 9
OECD Reporting Graduation Country Rate (%) Denmark 100 Norway 97 Germany 93 Japan 92 Poland 90 Switzerland 90 Finland 85 Greece 85 France 82
9 9 12 13 13 15 16 17 18 18 20
Hungary Italy Czech Republic Belgium Iceland Ireland United States Sweden Luxembourg Spain Slovak Republic
82 82 81 79 79 77 73 72 68 68 61
Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Education at a Glance 2004, 2004.
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Very few high school graduates are “college ready” Percentage of 9th grade students graduating on time college ready
100%
75%
50%
25%
45% 34%
27%
0%
Lowest: Alaska
United States
Highest: New Jersey
Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and CollegeReadiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattaninstitute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.
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Too few minority students in U.S. graduate from high school “college ready” Percentage of 9th grade students graduating on time college ready
100%
75%
50%
25%
40% 20%
23%
Latino
African American
0% White
Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and CollegeReadiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005, http://www.manhattaninstitute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.
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College bound does not necessarily mean college ready Percentage of U.S. first-year students in two-year and four-year institutions requiring remediation Reading
Writing
11%
14%
Math
22%
Reading, writing or math 0%
Nearly three in 10 firstyear students are placed immediately into a remedial college course.
28% 20%
40%
60%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Remedial Education at DegreeGranting Postsecondary Institutions in Fall 2000, 2003.
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Most U.S. college students who take remedial courses fail to earn degrees
Percentage of college students
Percentage not earning degree by type of remedial coursework 100% 75%
76% 63%
50% 25% 0% Remedial reading
Many college students who need remediation, especially in reading and math, do not earn either an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree.
Remedial math
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 2004.
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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 Extremely well: prepared for everything
Somewhat well: some gaps Not well: large gaps/struggling
61% 53% 46% 46%
39% 42%
34%
32%
15% 7%
High school graduates who went to college
11%
12%
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.
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College instructors/employers confirm high school graduates’ lack of preparation Average estimated proportions of recent high school graduates who are not prepared
42%
High school graduates not prepared for collegelevel classes
45%
High school graduates not prepared to advance beyond entrylevel 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.
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American Diploma Project
What does it take to be prepared for postsecondary education and work?
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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 endofhighschool 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.
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Today’s graduates need more knowledge and skills
Highly Paid Professional Jobs Earnings: $40,000+ Projected Job Growth Rate: 20%
WellPaid, Skilled Jobs Earnings: $25,000–$40,000 Projected Job Growth Rate: 12%
LowPaid or LowSkilled Jobs Earnings: Less than $25,000 Projected Job Growth Rate: 15%
25% 37% 38% Share of Jobs Source: American Diploma Project, 2002.
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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 gradelevel 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, onthejob training). AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
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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.
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ADP expectations ensure high school graduates are prepared to succeed
In English, the benchmarks cover:
Language
Communication
Writing
Research
Logic
Informational text
Media
Literature
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In math, the benchmarks cover:
Number sense and numerical operations
Algebra
Geometry
Data interpretations, statistics and probability
Math reasoning skills
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Whether graduates are going to college or work, they need the same skills Machine Operator Eastman Chemical Company
College Algebra
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
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
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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: In math: In English:
Four courses Content equivalent to Algebra I and II, Geometry, and a fourth course such as Statistics or Precalculus
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Four courses Content equivalent to four years of gradelevel English or higher (i.e., honors or AP English)
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American Diploma Project
What do we expect of our high school graduates? Standards
Coursetaking requirements Assessments
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State high school standards not always anchored in real-world expectations
In most states, standards reflect a consensus among disciplinebased 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.
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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.
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42 states require students to take certain courses to graduate from high school WA OR
MT ID
NV CA
WY
UT AZ
MN WI
SD
KS NM
VT ME
OK TX
AK
NY
IL IN OH WV VA MO KY NC TN SC AR GA MS AL
NH CT NJ DE MD
LA FL
Source: Achieve, Inc., The Expectations Gap: A 50State Review of High School Graduation Requirements, 2004.
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20 states require Algebra I MN SD IN
UT
KY TN
CA NM
OK TX
AR
WV VA
MD
NC
MS AL GA
LA FL
Source: Achieve, Inc., The Expectations Gap: A 50State Review of High School Graduation Requirements, 2004.
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13 states require Geometry MN
IN
UT
KY OK TX
AR
WVVA
MD
MS AL
LA
Source: Achieve, Inc., The Expectations Gap: A 50State Review of High School Graduation Requirements, 2004.
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Only 3 states require Algebra II
IN
AR TX
Source: Achieve, Inc., The Expectations Gap: A 50State Review of High School Graduation Requirements, 2004.
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A strong high school curriculum* improves college completion and narrows gaps 100% 75%
30%
61%
13% 73%
79%
86%
45%
0%
All college entrants African American
Entrants who had strong high school curriculum Latino
White
*Completing at least Algebra II plus other courses.
Source: Adapted from Adelman, Clifford, U.S. Department of Education, Answers in the Toolbox, 1999.
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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) 100% 71%
75% 50% 25%
41% 20%
0% Lowest: Nevada
United States
Highest: West Virginia
*Trigonometry or Precalculus.
Source: Council of Chief State School Officers, State Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education 2002, 2003, p. 27.
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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?
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The tests Achieve analyzed
Math
First Graduating Class Facing Requirement
•
2003
•
•
2009
•
•
•
2003
11th
•
•
•
2003
Ohio
10th
•
•
2007
Texas
11th
•
•
2004
Grade Given
Reading
10th
•
End of course
•
Massachusetts
10th
New Jersey
State Florida Maryland
Writing
•
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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Good news: States are measuring algebra and geometry
Percentage of total points
60% 50% 38%
40% 31%
30% 20%
19% 12%
10% 0% Number
Algebra
Geometry & measurement
Data
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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Bad news: States tend to measure lower-level content
Percentage of total points
60%
56%
50% 40% 30%
30% 20%
15%
10% 0% Prealgebra
Basic algebra
Advanced algebra
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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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 International Grade Placement
12 11 10 8.6
9 8 7
8.1
8.2
8.3
OH
TX
7.4
7.1
6 5
FL
MD
MA
NJ
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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Reading tests downplay higher-level skills
Percentage of total points
60%
55%
50% 40% 30% 20%
20% 13%
12%
10% 0% Recall
Infer
Explain
Analyze
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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Students can pass state English tests with skills ACT expects of 8th and 9th graders ACT ACT EXPLORE (8th/9th)
0
1
2
3
ACT PLAN (10th)
4
5
(11th/12th)
6
FL MD MA NJ OH TX Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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American Diploma Project
What do recent high school graduates tell us about the expectations they faced?
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Most high school graduates were moderately challenged High expectations/I was significantly challenged
57%
56%
53%
Moderate expectations/I was somewhat challenged Low expectations/pretty easy to slide by
24%
26% 20%
All high school graduates
26% 20%
17%
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.
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Graduates who faced high expectations in high school twice as likely to feel prepared for future Percentage saying they were extremely/very well prepared 100% 80%
High school graduates who went to college
80% 72%
High school graduates who did not go to college
58%
60%
53% 37% 36%
40% 20% 0% High expectations
Moderate expectations
Low expectations
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.
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Algebra II critical for college and work High school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work 100% Completed less than Algebra II Completed Algebra II/more 75%
68% 60% 46%
50%
25%
26%
0%
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.
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Writing critical for college and work High school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work 100% Wrote a fair amount/not much Wrote a great deal 79%
75%
75%
50%
51%
47%
25%
0%
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.
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Knowing what they know today, high school graduates would have worked harder 100% Would have applied myself more 75%
77%
65%
50% 25% 0% 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.
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If high school had demanded more, graduates would have worked harder Would have worked harder
Strongly feel I would have worked harder
82%
Wouldn’t have worked harder
80%
18%
17%
64%
63%
15%
High school graduates who went to college
18%
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.
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Majority of graduates would have taken harder courses Knowing what you know today about the expectations of college/work … College students Would have taken more challenging courses in at least one area Would have taken more challenging Math courses in: Science
English AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
Students who did not go to college 62% 72% 34% 48% 32%
41%
29% 38%
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
American Diploma Project
What will it take to close the expectations gap?
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Closing the expectations gap requires states to take action
Align high school standards and assessments with the knowledge and skills required for success in postsecondary education and work.
Administer a college and workready 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.
Require all students to take a college and workready curriculum to earn a high school diploma.
Hold high schools accountable for graduating students who are college ready, and hold postsecondary institutions accountable for their success once enrolled.
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Postsecondary must be involved What does it take to align high school standards with “collegeready” standards?
A clear, consistent definition of “college ready” from state postsecondary institutions.
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Some states are using high school assessments for postsecondary purposes
California State University system augmented the state’s high school test and now uses it for placement purposes. City University of New York uses scores on the state’s Regents exam for admissions and placement purposes. Texas students who earn a certain score on the state TAKS exam can be placed in collegelevel courses. Some states are considering incorporating the SAT or ACT into their high school assessment systems.
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High schools must be held accountable for student preparation To ensure high schools are graduating students who are “college and work ready,” states need:
A data system based on individual student unit records that permits an honest count of graduation and dropout rates Measures of college and work readiness aligned to state standards
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Postsecondary institutions must be held accountable for student success Holding postsecondary institutions accountable for the success of the students they admit requires:
Focused goals for each institution, including persistence and graduation rates Data systems linked to K–12 Appropriate incentives
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ADP Network: 18 states committed to improving student achievement MN
OR
MA MI PA OH
IN
KY OK
NC
AR MS AL
TX
RI NJ
GA
LA
FL
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Creating a High School Diploma That Counts
For more information, please visit Achieve, Inc., on the Web at http://www.achieve.org
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