College Readiness

1. Policy Recommendations for Minnesota College Readiness J. Armstrong, E. Ehlinger, M. Gonyo, L. Kroeger, J. Mixon December , 2011

2. College Readiness defined the level of preparation a student needs to enroll in and graduate from—without remediation—a credit-bearing general education program at a postsecondary institution

3. Current intervention: Remedial programs • To bridge gap between high school and college curriculum (increase access to higher education), remedial or developmental courses are offered at all MN public higher education institutions • 40% of Minnesota's 2008 public high school graduates who enrolled in a MN public higher education institution have taken at least one developmental course Remedial” education implies repeated coursework; whereas “Developmental” education is a broader term to include any pre-college level education or academic support services from which a student may benefit (Getting Prepared, 2011).

4. The problem with remedial coursework • Students who enroll in remedial courses or who fail entry level courses in college find it more difficult graduate • Remedial courses do not earn credit towards any degree (↑ cost) • Remedial courses may come too late for students to catch up on basic skills (↑ risk for attrition) Conley, 2007.

5. 6-year graduation rates at Minnesota 4-year institutions, 2010 99% of students who enrolled in developmental courses attended an institution within Minnesota State Colleges and Universities More selective admissions at Minnesota and more developmental courses offered through MnSCU are main reasons for this trend

6. Policy Problem • 40% of MN high school graduates are increasingly not ready for college • Remedial programs cost taxpayers Why this matters: • “For close to a century now, access to higher education has been a principal—some would say the principal—means of achieving social mobility” • “90% of the fastest-growing jobs in the new knowledge-driven economy will require some postsecondary education”

7. Policy Question What policy can the state of MN adopt to ensure better college readiness among MN high school graduates without an increased burden to taxpayers?

8. Approach to Alternatives • Identified problem as systemic issue requiring collaboration of P-20 • Research • Literature on college readiness (best practices) • Pathways to College (www.pathwaystocollege.net) • MnSCU and the University of Minnesota Institutional data • Policy reports (state and federal) • Interviews • AVID representative (Advancement Via Individual Determination) (www.avid.org) • Community college math instructor (Normandale)

9. Alternatives • Invest in early childhood • Increase rigor of high school curriculum • Increase quantity and quality of high school counseling to provide a smoother transition from high school to college

10. Focus on college readiness at early age Alternative #1

11. Readiness From the Start:Pre-K Through Grade 3 and Beyond • Research consistently shows that high-quality Pre-K programs impact learning and skill acquisition needed for long-term achievement • However: research also shows that gains can be lost without sustained follow-up • Focusing on one grade has low impact • High school readiness may come too late

12. Case Study: Child Parent Centers – Chicago, ILArthur Reynolds, University of Minnesota • Cost benefit analysis: • Projected $11 return for every $1 invested • 18% annual return on program investment • Other findings: • Students attended 4-year schools at higher rates • Students are employed in high-skilled jobs at higher rates • High success for low income students • Most substantial gains from preschool

13. Minnesota Pre-K & Kindergarten Enrollment, 2008

14. Interventions • Increase communication and partnering of federal, state, and private Pre-K providers • Develop common core for early childhood programs to align with kindergarten and elementary standards • Expand access to high-quality preschool programs • Expand access to kindergarten, all-day programs • Require kindergarten for beginning first grade

15. Projected Outcomes • Reduced duplication, increased efficiency • Reduced need for remedial education from elementary school on • Decreased spending on remedial programs and courses • Lower dropout rates • Progress in closing the achievement gap

16. Alternative #1 Summary • Long-term investment with large cost savings over time • Impacts are not immediate but correlate highly to positive outcomes in education, career attainment, and other economic benefits • Initial changes could take place in shifting how funding is distributed at the state level for Pre-K programs

17. Increase High School Rigor Alternative #2

18. High School Requirements • Four years of English • Four years of Mathematics • Three years of Laboratory Science • Three years of Social Studies • Two years of World Language

19. Sample Requirements, in Years

20. Disparity #1: Mathematics "Math is the most common developmental course taken in college.” Begin requiring four years of math instead of three Therefore, we recommend to shift priorities from Social Studies to Math

21. Projected Outcomes • Decreased need for post-high school remediation due to increased course load during high school • Cost neutral if resources are adequately shifted • Potential limitation: lack of qualified instructors to teach math

22. Disparity # 2: World Language • Two years vs. zero • "The limits of my language are the limits of my world."  - Ludwig Wittgenstein • Therefore, we recommend for high school curriculum to require two years of world language

23. Projected Outcomes • Potential for less student loan debt as students test out of college foreign language • Increased awareness of English language • Potential for learning another language • Potential Limitation: Increased cost to school districts

24. Alternative #2 Summary • Largest return on investment comes from increasing math requirements • “Improving mathematics achievement…can have the biggest payoff to help students avoid the need to take developmental courses.” (Getting Prepared , 2011)

25. High school counseling to improve transition to college Alternative #3

26. American School Counselors Association Guidelines 

27. Challenge #1: High School vs. College • Expectations are significantly different • College readiness is fundamentally different than high school competence

28. Challenge # 2: Changing Demographic of Student Population • First generation and students from lower socioeconomic standing are particularly vulnerable

29. Challenge #3: Equity in Readiness • Increased dependency on the schools to prepare them properly for college success  • Families can only gauge how well prepared their children are using the measures adopted by the schools

30. Projected Outcomes • Increased P-20 collaboration • Better understanding of college expectations • Increase student access to assistive programs • Assist with school counselor to student ratio issues

31. Alternative #3 Summary • Due to limited numbers of school counselors in Minnesota, additional opportunities to supplement academic guidance are needed • K-12 partnerships with Non-Profit Organizations (ex: Admission Possible). • Encourage continuation of Federal grant opportunities (ex: TRIO program-Upward Bound). • Provide financial assistance for colleges to continue “bridge” programs. (ex: College Access Program (CAP)-MNSU Mankato)

32. RecommendationS:

33. Feasibility of alternatives

34. Alternative #2: Increase High School Rigor • Best financial outlook • Least burden to taxpayers • Cost savings over time through reduced need for remedial programs • Increasing high school rigor is a broad goal with many potential solutions, short and long term • A cost neutral action to take in the short term is aligning graduation requirements to reflect the Pathways to College standards. Specifically, requiring four years of math. 

35. Projected Outcomes Positive • Students will score better on math placement tests due to their senior year math courses. • More students will be qualified to pursue degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. • Performance on standardized tests in math will improve. Negative • To accommodate more math classes other teaching positions would have to be cut. • Students may not learn skills in social studies / electives their senior year.

36. Skillful Implementation • Target students who fail the GRAD Mathematics test their junior year by requiring a fourth year in math for those students. • Increase the rigor of high school curriculum for all students, particularly for the ones who will most likely pursue remedial coursework. • Dropping senior social studies was one choice to make room for math, but other electives can also be considered.  

37. References: Chase, R., Coffee-Borden, B., Anton, P., Moore, C., & Valorose, J. (2008). The cost burden to Minnesota K-12 when children are unprepared for kindergarten. Saint Paul, MN: Wilder Research. Conley, D.T. (2007). Redefining college readiness, Volume 3. Eugene, OR: Educational Policy Improvement Center. Education Week. (2008). Minnesota: Quality counts 2008. Bethesda, MD: Editorial Projects in Education Research Center Fitzgerald, J. (November 13, 2008). A counseling dilemma: Minnesota trails most of nation in counselor/student ratio. Twin Cities Daily Planet. Minneapolis, MN. Minneapolis Foundation. (2006). Why Minnesota needs all-day, every day kindergarten. Minneapolis, MN. Minnesota’s Promise. (2008). Minnesota’s promise: World-class schools, world-class state. Minneapolis, MN. Pathways to College. Academic rigor:  At the heart of college access and success. Washington D.C. Perna, L.W. (2008). Improving the transition from high school to college in Minnesota: recommendations based on a review of effective programs. Smart investments in Minnesota’s Students : a Research Based  Investment Proposal. Growth & Justice. St Paul, MN. Reynolds, A. J., Temple, J. A., Suh-RuuOu, Arteaga, I. A., & White, B. A. B. (2011). School-based early childhood education and age-28 well-being: Effects by timing, dosage, and subgroups. Science, 333(6040), 360-364. Shore, R. (2009) The case for investing in PreK-3rd education: Challenging myths about school reform. (PreK-3rd Policy to Action Brief 1). New York, NY: Foundation for Child Development. Spellings, M. (2006). A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey & Getting Prepared: A 2010 Report on recent high school graduates who took developmental/remedial courses, 2011.