John Dewey from School and Society , 1907

1. What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must the community want for all of its children. Any other ideal for our schools is narrow and unlovely; acted upon, it destroys our democracy.”           John Dewey from  School and Society, 1907

2. BRIDGING THE GAP FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE For all the community’s children

3. THE POWER OF SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP Lynne Miller University of Southern Maine NBHE January 29, 2009

4. FOR EVERY 100 EIGHTH GRADERS IN MAINE 85 want to attend college 76 graduate from high school 50 are accepted to college 40 enroll in the fall 23 earn a degree

5. ONCE IN COLLEGE, TOO MANY ARE NOT PREPARED 25-50% OF INCOMING STUDENTS NEED REMEDIAL WORK

6. REMEDIATION AFFECTS GRADUATION Source: Kirst, M. (2004). The high school/college disconnect. Educational Leadership, 62(3), 51-55.

7. WHAT WE ARE HEARING… Raise Student Aspirations Require “College Prep” as the Default High School Curriculum Increase College Applications Create Seamless Transitions (K-16/20)

8. THE MISSING PIECE: COLLEGIAL CONVERSATIONS Among high school and college faculty… sharing expectations and frustrations, collecting wisdom, crafting responses

9. CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WRITING • Originally Involved composition instructors from community colleges and universities in examination of expectations and assignments • Evolved into a statewide conference on “ Conversations about Writing” that engaged high school and IHE faculty • Resulted in changes at school and college levels

10. COLLEGE WRITING REQUIRES • Correct standard written English • Creating complex theses • Distinguishing analysis from summary is critical • Writing that goes beyond personal experience • “ I am not asking how you feel about this issue; I’m asking what you think about this issue.” 

11. HIGH SCHOOLS RESPOND • Inclusion of more non-fiction reading material: essays, criticisms, book reviews, journal articles • Decreased emphasis on narratives and increased emphasis on expository and analytic essays • Increased emphasis on elements of syntax and style • “ I think” instead of “ I feel”

12. The UNIVERSITY RESPONDS (USM) • Adoption of national placement test • Elimination of all remedial courses in English • Three credit course for accomplished writers • Four credit section for those less accomplished • Both sections satisfy the Gen Ed writing requirement

13. CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MATH • Originally involved Gen Ed math instructors and public school reps in examining expectations and assignments • Produced a brochure on College Ready Math that was widely distributed • Resulted in changes at school and college levels

14. COLLEGE MATH REQUIRES • Mathematical Reasoning • Computation • Algebra • Geometry • Data Analysis and Statistics • www.maine.edu/collegeready

15. HIGH SCHOOLS RESPOND • Movement to four years of math for all • Increased use of technology • Increased emphasis on automaticity/ less dependence on calculators for simple computations • Re-examination of how math is scheduled

16. THE UNIVERSITY RESPONDS (USM) • Adoption of the Accuplacer for math placement in place of campus test • “Supplemental” model in all Gen Ed math courses/ 4 credit hours • Elimination of two of the three remedial courses in math • Arithmetic is the only remedial course • Others grant credit toward graduation, but not toward Gen Ed math requirement

17. THE UNIVERSITY RESPONDS (USM) USM Faculty Senate Proposes … New Recommended High School Program of Study for Admission 4 Years Math

18. A JOINT RESPONSE THE MELMAC ACCUPLACER PILOT • 13 schools/ 7 campuses participated • 1060 high school juniors took the math Accuplacer ( 91% of those enrolled) • School and university faculty co-constructed 12th grade math courses to remediate deficits

19. WHY is ACCUPLCER IMPORTANT? Over 1,000 colleges and universities use it to determine placement in MATH (Gen Ed or remedial courses). • All seven Maine community colleges/ five of seven Maine university campuses It provides data that can be used to plan for REMEDIATION in HIGH SCHOOL AND NOT IN COLLEGE

20. Finding #1: The Academic Gap • 75% WILL NEED SOME FORM OF REMEDIATION IN MATH IN COLLEGE IF THEY DON’T IMPROVE THEIR MATH SKILLS WHILE THEY ARE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL

21. Results

22. Finding # 2: The Aspirations / Preparation Gap

23. Dylan wants to be a Business Manager • Arithmetic: 23.7 • Algebra: 24.2 ( Passing score= 65) • A business major has to take college algebra, probability, statistics, microeconomics, and macroecnomics.

24. Joanne wants to be a psychologist • Arithmetic= 38.3 • Algebra=26.9 (Passing score= 65) • A psychology major requires courses in statistics, psychological statistics, anatomy and physiology, and experimental methods

25. Greg wants to become an environmental scientist • Arithmetic= 69 • Algebra= 22 (Passing score= 65) • An environmental science major requires courses in calculus, analytic chemistry, physics, chemistry 1 and 2

26. Natalie wants to be a nurse • Arithmetic score= 21 • Algebra score=30 (Passing score= 65) • A nursing major requires courses in statistics, anatomy and physiology, organic chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology

27. NOW WHAT ? • Newly designed twelfth grade math courses, geared to Accuplacer data, are being offered this year in ten of the participating schools. • Courses were developed in each school with the assistance of a university faculty liaison. • Evaluation is in progress.

28. LESSONS LEARNED • THERE HAS TO BE ROOM AT THE TABLE FOR VOICES FROM PRACTICE. • COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY CAN COLLABORATE. • ASPIRATIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH. • ACADEMIC PREPARATION IS AN IMPORTANT KEY TO SUCCESS.

29. “” • My mother would say, “When you acquire knowledge, you acquire something no one could take away from you ” • (Craig Robinson) http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/01/21/us/history650.jpg