Closing the Expectation Gap

2009

Closing theExpectation Gap

Fourth Annual 50-State Progress Report on the Alignment of High School Policies with the Demands of College and Careers

2Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP

II.Align High School Graduation Requirements with College- and Career- Ready Expectations

The expectations gap

In today’s economy, all students need a challenging academic course of study to succeed in postsecondary education and to get a good job.

But in many states, students can graduate from high school without having what it takes to continue learning or to earn a living wage.

Achieve | 2009 CLOSING THE EXPECTATIONS GAP 3

Closing the expectations gap

To close this expectations gap, Achieve created the American Diploma Project Network.

The Network includes 34 states that together educate nearly 85 percent of the nation’s public school students.

Network states have committed to four policy actions to better prepare students for college, the workplace and citizenship.


American Diploma Project Network agenda

Align high school standards with the demands of college and careers.

Require students to take a college- and career-ready curriculum to earn a high school diploma.

Build college-and career-ready measures into statewide high school assessment systems.

Develop reporting and accountability systems that promote college and career readiness.


Requiring a rigorous curriculum is key to better preparing students for college and careers

Course-taking matters more for student achievement than social problems, family obstacles and student ability.

Nearly every state requires students to study specific subjects for a certain number of years or take specific courses to graduate, but most do not require a college- and career-ready curriculum.

Research by the American Diploma Project and others shows that students who go to college and students who go to work need the same knowledge and skills, particularly in English and math.


ADP: Identifying knowledge and skills students need to succeed in college and the workplace

Achieve, The Education Trust, and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation launched the American Diploma Project (ADP) to identify knowledge and skills students need in English and math to succeed in college or get a “good” job.

Partnered with Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas.

Involved wide variety of K–12, higher education and business representatives.


How American Diploma Project defines “good” jobs

Pays enough to support a family well above the poverty level,

Provides benefits, and

Offers clear pathways for career advancement through further education and training.


What does it take to succeed in good jobs?

American Diploma Project research found that:

84 percent of highly paid professionals took Algebra II or higher in high school.

Employees in vast majority of good jobs took four years of grade-level 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, on-the-job training).


To be college- and career-ready, students need to complete a rigorous sequence of courses

In math:

Four courses

Content equivalent to Algebra I and II, Geometry, and a fourth course such as Statistics or Precalculus

In English:

Four courses

Content equivalent to four years of grade-level English or higher (i.e., honors or AP English)

To cover the content American Diploma Project research shows students need to be college- and career-ready, high school graduates need to take:

Cross-disciplinary proficiencies are critical elements of the math and English benchmarks


Cross-Disciplinary Proficiencies

To achieve success in college, the workplace and life, American students must not only master important content, they must also be adept problem solvers and critical thinkers who can contribute and apply their knowledge and skills in novel contexts and unforeseen situations. Specifically, the ADP benchmarks include the following cross-disciplinary proficiencies:

• Research and Evidence Gathering.

• Critical Thinking and Decision Making

• Communications and Teamwork

• Media and Technology

Students need a strong content foundation in order to master these sophisticated cross-disciplinary proficiencies. Cross-disciplinary proficiencies are, therefore, best taught in the context of rigorous courses in the foundational disciplines.


13%

37%

55%

74%

13%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Less than 3years of math

Algebra I , I Iand Geometry

Algebra I , I I ,Geometry andTrigonometry

Algebra I , I I ,Geometry,

Trigonometryand other

advanced math

Algebra I , I I ,Geometry,

Trigonometryand Calculus

Taking rigorous high school courses greatly increases students’ readiness for college-level coursework

Source: ACT, Crisis at the Core: Preparing All Students for College and Work, 2004.

Percentage of students who meet ACT benchmark for college algebra by math courses taken in high school


62%

87%

17%

21% 19%

71%

4%

10%

9%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Basic curriculum or less Mid-level curriculum Rigorous curriculum

Perc

enta

ge o

f 1995–96 c

olle

ge e

ntr

ants

On bachelor's track Left without return Off bachelor's track

Students who had a rigorous high school curriculum are more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree

Source: Adapted from Horn, L. and Kojaku, L.K. High School Academic Curriculum and the PersistencePath through College: Persistence and Transfer Behavior of Undergraduates Three Years after EnteringFour-year Institutions, National Center for Education Statistics, 2001.


45%

61%

79%75%

86%

73%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

All graduates Graduates who had strong high schoolcurriculum

Perc

en

tage o

f st

uden

ts c

om

ple

tin

g c

olle

ge

African American Latino White

Taking challenging courses in high school closes college completion gap between whites and minorities

Source: Adelman, C. Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor’sDegree Attainment, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 1999.

30%

13%


Minority interest in advanced math far exceeds availability

67%

74%69%

65%61%

45%

52%

46%

0%

25%

50%

75%

Minority boys White boys Minority girls White girls

Interest Availability

Source: National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Progress Toward Power: A Follow-Up Survey of Children’s and Parents’ Attitudes About Math and Science. Research Letter, October 2001. Survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 1999.

Percentage of students


15% 18%

63%64%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Graduates say they would have worked harder if high schools had challenged them

Strongly feel I would have worked harder

Would have worked harder

Wouldn’t have worked harder

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.

High school graduates who went to college

High school graduates who did not go to college

If your high school had demanded more of students, set higher academic standards and raised the expectations of how much coursework would be

necessary to earn a diploma, would you have worked harder?

82% 80%


Current students agree

32%

10%

7%

33%

18%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Strongly agreeSomewhat agreeSomewhat disagreeStrongly disagreeNot sure

Percentage of students who say they would work harder if high schooloffered more demanding and interesting courses

Source: National Governors Association, summary of RateYourFuture.org survey findings, 2005.


Graduates who faced high expectations in high school twice as likely to feel prepared for future

Percentage saying they were extremely/very well prepared

80%

58%

37% 36%

72%

53%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

High expectations Moderate expectations Low expectations

High school graduates who went to college

High school graduates who did not go to college



Taking advanced math in high school better prepares students for math on the job

Percentage of high school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work

26%

46%

60%68%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

College students Students who did not go to college

Completed less than Algebra II

Completed Algebra II/more



Students who did more writing in high school feel better prepared to write on the job

Percentage of high school graduates extremely or very well prepared for expectations of college/work

51%47%

79%75%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

College students Students who did not go to college

Wrote a fair amount/not much Wrote a great deal



Twenty states require a college- and career-ready diploma for all

WA

OR

CA

AK

HI

AZ NM

TX LA

MS ALGA

FL

NC

SC

VA DCMD

DE

NJ

CTRI

MANH

MEVT

NY

PA

WV

OHIN

MI

IL

WI

MNNDMT

ID

NV

UT COKS

OK AR

TN

KYMO

IA

SD

WY

NE

Mandatory college- andcareer-ready diplomaDefault college- andcareer-ready diploma


…eight others plan to

WA

OR

CA

AK

HI

AZ NM

TX LA

MS ALGA

FL

NC

SC

VA DCMD

DE

NJ

CTRI

MANH

MEVT

NY

PA

WV

OHIN

MI

IL

WI

MNNDMT

ID

NV

UT COKS

OK AR

TN

KYMO

IA

SD

WY

NE


Planning to raise requirements

How states are doing it: Default curricula (opt out provision)

New Graduation Math Requirements

Years Required

Algebra I Geometry Algebra II Opt Out

American Diploma Project 4

Alabama First Choice Diploma 4 Yes

Arizona High School Diploma 4 Yes

Arkansas Smart Core 4 Yes

Indiana Core 40 3 Yes

Louisiana Core 4 4 Yes

Michigan Merit Curriculum 4 Yes

Mississippi High School Diploma 4 Yes

New Mexico Diploma of Excellence 4 Yes

North Carolina Future Core 4 Yes

Ohio Core 4 Yes

Oklahoma Standard Diploma 3 Yes

South Dakota Advanced High School Program

3 Yes

Texas Recommended High School Program

4 Yes

Washington Core 24 3 Yes


How states are doing it: Mandatory curriculum (no opt out provision)

New Graduation Math RequirementsYears

RequiredAlgebra I Geometry Algebra II Opt-Out

American Diploma Project 4

Delaware High School Diploma 4 No

Georgia High School Diploma 4 No

Kentucky Commonwealth Diploma 3 No

Minnesota High School Diploma 3 No

New York Regents Diploma 3 No

Tennessee Ready Core 4 No

District of Columbia 4 No


What it will take to raise graduation requirements

States that let local districts set their own requirements will need to consider other approaches.

States need to pay more attention to the content of the courses that are taught rather than simply measure course titles and Carnegie units.

States need to allow teachers to engage students in different ways that match their learning styles.

States need to ensure that there are enough teachers who are prepared to teach higher-level courses.


What can we expect?

Implementation takes time and effort. States must:

Monitor efforts.

Communicate effectively.

Invest resources wisely.

Use data to protect investment.

Build in the necessary supports and incentives for teachers and students to ensure all schools can provide the rigorous curriculum to all students.


These efforts matter

All students need and deserve to be prepared for success in both postsecondary education and the labor market.

This is not easy work … but this is possible … and this effort is essential.


Closing the Expectation Gap

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