Preparing all Students for Postsecondary Education: Oklahoma’s Experience

1. Preparing all Students for Postsecondary Education: Oklahoma’s Experience Dolores A. Mize, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor & Special Assistant to the Chancellor For Kentucky P-16 Meeting June 22, 2005

2. Foundations for Student Preparation • EPAS – Academic preparation with assessment along a continuum of college readiness skills • OHLAP – Promotes core curriculum and more, encourages linear college attendance, financial safety net for students willing to work hard • GEAR UP – Capstone, under-girds all of our efforts from the 1990s, public awareness

3. GEAR UP: Capstone Rigorous Preparation EPAS OHLAP

4. Policy Framework for Student Preparation Agenda • Foundations: Social Justice • Raising admissions standards • EPAS & OHLAP • (92-93) • Brain Gain 2010 –(1999) • Set the stage for GEAR UP (1999- ??)

5. First Program: EPAS to meet Social Justice Goals (1992) To make possible the participation of all able persons at the highest attainable level of academic life regardless of their race, ethnic background, sex, age, religion, disability, income level, or geographic location; and to provide for social justice in the form of equitable and fair treatment and for systematic adjustments in the form of positive action until equity is attained. (State Regents’ Policy and Procedures Manual, II-5-5)

6. Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS)

7. EPAS: EXPLORE, PLAN & ACT EXPLORE – 8th grade (scored 1-25) PLAN – 10th grade (scored 1-32) ACT – 11th or 12th grade (scored 1-36) • English, Mathematics, Reading, Science Reasoning • UNIACT Interest Inventory • Needs Assessment

8. OSRHE Provides: • Assessment materials • Assessment reports • On-site professional development • Curriculum support • Curriculum materials

9. Implementation Rubric

10. 04-05 OK EPAS Participation – basic level • 456 Public School Districts • 42 Private Schools • 1 BIA School • 84% of Public Districts Participating Public School Students • 98% of 8th & 10th public enrollment • 97% of 8th public enrollment • 99% of 10th public enrollment

11. OK EPAS – above basic • 52 Discover Middle School • 25 eDiscover (high school) • 75 Practice ACT sites • 4000 ACTive Prep CDs in 2 years • Partnership with 4 schools • Data CD • Extensive data analysis • We are learning as they are. • Loading student data in their data system, etc.

12. OK EPASTeam Efforts in 2004-2005 • 7 Regional workshops – over 400 educators • 6 concurrent sessions at 5 state conferences • 141 on-site sessions for 4886 educators • Teacher committees crosswalk PASS and EPAS Standards for Transition • Serving Yr.6 GEAR UP schools (3 + GU Staff) • Assessments delivered in Fall – results in December aid to help students for spring exams or for ACT

13. State EXPLORE Scores

14. State PLAN Scores

15. State ACT Scores

16. EPAS Development OK Class of 2004

17. OK Class of 2004 African Americans

18. State 1999 – 2004 African American ACT Scores

19. OK Class of 2004 Native Americans

20. 1999 - 2004 American Indian ACT Scores

21. OK Class of 2004 Hispanic Americans

22. Hispanic American ACT Scores

23. Oklahoma ACT Performance by Family Income (2004)

24. Students Planning to Take vs. Taking Core

25. Percentage of ACT Students taking Core by Ethnic Group

26. Core Curriculum/ACT Score Study Core or More Ave. (Total) Less than Core Core Curriculum: 4 Units – English 3 Units – Math 3 Units – Social Studies 3 Units – Nat. Sciences Source: 2004 ACT High School Profile - Oklahoma

27. EXPLORE, PLAN, ACT College Readiness Benchmarks EXPLORE PLAN ACT College English Comp. 13 15 18 College Algebra 17 19 22 College Biology 20 21 24 These reflect students’ expected growth from EXPLORE to PLAN to the ACT Assessment and assume sustained academic effort throughout high school.

28. OK EPAS Class of 2004 compared to National Benchmarks

29. Oklahoma Students’ Readiness for College English Courses All Students 20.4 African - Americans 16.7 18 19.1 Native Americans Caucasian Americans 21.1 19 18.5 Hispanic Americans Asian Americans 21.4 18 – ACT’s Benchmark for Success 19 - OSRHE criteria

30. Oklahoma Students’ Readiness for College Mathematics Courses 19.8 All Students African - Americans 16.8 22 18.7 Native Americans 19 Caucasian Americans 20.2 18.6 Hispanic Americans Asian Americans 22.4 22 – ACT’s Benchmark for Success 19 - OSRHE criteria

31. MATHEMATICS: Readiness for College Algebra 12

32. But much work remains for EPAS… • While Oklahoma African American, Hispanic and Native American students consistently outscore their national counterparts (still don’t meet benchmarks for college readiness) • All students require assistance to be ready for college level work in ALL content areas – MATHEMATICS remains the area most in need of attention • Student Portal – Integration of all

33. And more work for remains because… • Crisis at the Core: National trends and our state trends mirror each other • On Course for Success: We can improve rigor through course audits with model course syllabi • Teacher Education and preparing teachers to use real-world assessments (Part of Title II, NCLB)

34. OSRHE’s EPAS Recognized… • National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices • The Education Trust, NASH, GE Found. • Southern Regional Education Board • Nat’l Council for Community and Education Partnerships • U.S. Department of Education • Numerous other states…Colorado, Louisiana, etc.

35. Second Program (1993)OHLAP Scholarship Elements • Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program • 17 unit core • Enroll 8th, 9th, 10th grades • 2.5 GPA overall & in core • $50k family income or less • Last applied scholarship – equal to the amount of tuition by tier • Time to degree issues

36. OHLAP Outreach Outreach to students to enroll in OHLAP via GEAR UP and other funding The promise requires rigorous preparation College Access Marketing becoming more and more necessary to meet the populations Student hotline important

37. OHLAP High School EnrollmentBy Graduation Year 10th Grade* $50,000 $32,000 $24,000 *2007 is still open to enrollment; assumes 10% annual enrollment increase.

38. OHLAP High School GPA’s –All Courses

39. OHLAP ACT Scores1996-2004 *OHLAP ACT scores reflect students’ highest test score; OK and National averages reflect students’ last test score.

40. Capstone Program: GEAR UP

41. College Access Marketing & GEAR UP: Why • Create a program or service without making the public aware of the opportunity, then you’ve only done half the job • Federal recognition that awareness is key – underutilized programs • Critical: Strategies directed to target audience • Digital divide – The Web isn’t the whole solution – not yet • Information: How GEAR UP target audience gets information, and makes educational decisions

42. GEAR UP Campaign • Increase students’ educational aspirations • Increase parents’expectations of educational attainment • Inform target audiences about preparation required for college • Correct misperceptions about the cost of college • Inform target audiences about state and federal financial aid opportunities • Improve parental involvement in preparing their children for college • Help teachers and counselors academically prepare their students for college

43. GEAR UPPublic Awareness Strategies Strategy 1: Statewide Survey & Results • Majority of Oklahomans plan to attend high school after college • All respondents view higher education as important for • obtaining better jobs • more career choices • earning more money

44. GEAR UPPublic Awareness Strategies Survey revealed perceived barriers to attending college • students planning on attending college • college costs • students not planning on attending college • lack of motivation • parents of students not planning on attending college • academic preparedness

45. GEAR UPPublic Awareness Strategies Key Messages • Getting a college education is more important now than ever. • It’s never too early to start planning for college/talking with your parents/your children about college, etc. • Money is available to help you pay for college. • Even if you don’t know what career you want to pursue, college can help you explore your options. • It’s easier to go to college right after high school. • It’s good to be the first one in your family to get a college education

46. GEAR UPPublic Awareness Strategies Brand Identity, Spokesaliens & Logo Development

47. GEAR UPPublic Awareness Strategies Strategy 2 -- Instructor’s Guide • Accompanies the video • Includes: • learning objectives • discussion questions • student activities

48. GEAR UPPublic Awareness Strategies Strategy 2 -- Video • Distributed to: • counselors at schools with 5th - 7th grade students • home schooler associations • academic and community libraries

49. GEAR UPPublic Awareness Strategies Strategy 2 -- Student Activity Booklet Modifications made: • study habits • career exploration • less busy than the year before

50. GEAR UPPublic Awareness Strategies Strategy 2 -- Student Activity Booklet Modifications made: • Easier to read • Layout of math problems made kid friendly • Artwork creates cohesive visual message