2012 Annual Conference White Paper November 2012

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This white paper has been developed with the insights of the following Tennessee College Access

and Success Network Members and other Partners:

Staff Consultants

Bob Obrohta, Executive Director Terry Pickeral, Cascade Educational Consultants

Jenny Mills, Member and Grants Services Coordinator Jenn Garcia, Oasis Center

Wendy Tabor, Senior Director of External Affairs

Anderson Williams, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives Student Poets

Amy Ashida, Belmont University

Keynote Speakers Joshua Everett, Vanderbilt University

Dr. Arnold Mitchem, Council on Opportunity in Education Amanda Howell, Watkins College of Art and Design

Chancellor John Morgan, Tennessee Board of Regents Sam McKenzie, Maplewood High School

Sean Smith, Overton High School

Workshop Panelists Alexis Woodard, Hillwood High School

Laura Encalade, Tennessee Department of Education

Mike Krause, Tennessee Higher Education Commission

Jayme Place, Office of the Governor

Moderator: David Mansouri, SCORE

Conference Presenters Abbie Alexander, Smith College Everett Jolley, Tennessee State University

Carmen Andrews, Meigs County Board of Education Stacy Lightfoot, Public Education Foundation, Chattanooga

Tosha Ayers, Northeast State Community College Jenni Lister, Wofford College

Michael Bates, Hamilton High School, Memphis Cynthia Long, EOC, UT-Chattanooga

Jared Bigham, TN Rural Education Association Kerry Loy, Centerstone, Nashville

Stella Bridgeman-Prince, UT-Knoxville Chris McCaghren, Vanderbilt University

Michelle Caldwell, Public Education Foundation, Chattanooga Catherine McTamaney, Vanderbilt University

Megan Charles, Northeast State Community College Denise Miller, Vanderbilt University

Karla Chavez, TN Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Kent Miller, Martha O’Bryan Center, Nashville

Sandy Cole, UT-Chattanooga Lori Miller, Hamilton High School, Memphis

Dwayne Compton, University of Louisville Allan Pratt, TN Rural Education Association

Tammy Day, Next Steps at Vanderbilt Program Urban Pelicon, CoBro Consulting

Krissy DeAlejandro, tnAchieves Jillian Pennyman, UT-Chattanooga

Gray Flora, Oasis Center, Nashville Jack Schmit, Indiana University

Vivian Franklin, Niswonger Foundation Molly Sehring, Glencliff High School, Nashville

Liz Fussell, FUTURE Program, UT-Knoxville Benjamin Smith, Southern Word

Meichelle Gibson, Gibson Consulting Brandi Smith, Vanderbilt University

Anna Graham, Hardin Valley Academy, Knoxville James Snider, Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation

Lee Gray, Oasis Center, Nashville Eric Stokes, UT-Knoxville

Maria Greene, Maryville High School Jackie Stryker, Maryville High School

Chris Hansen, ACT Graham Thomas, tnAchieves

Jackie Hartmann, tnAchieves Ben Vivari, College Measures

Cheryl Janzen, Walker Valley High School, Cleveland Tracey Wright, Cleveland State Community College Johnnie Johnson, Transylvania University Keith White, Public Education Foundation, Chattanooga

Attendees

West Tennessee Mary Lauren Anderson, The Ayers Foundation

Adam Andrews, The Ayers Foundation

Linda Austin, MadisonAchieves

Bart Barker, REDI/SWTDD

Cornita Barnes, Memphis City Schools

LaMar Bartlett, Ripley High School

Alex Beene, REDI/SWTDD

Alicia Buckner, YMCA Memphis

Ginger Cagle, Perry County High School

Mauricio Calvo, Latino Memphis

Brandy Cartmell, UT Martin

Carolyn Chalmers, Southwest TN Community College

Craig Clay, REDI/SWTDD

Cedric Deadmon, REDI/SWTDD

Carlotta DeBose, Memphis City Schools

Claire DuFresne, Latino Memphis

Remika Fayne, REDI/SWTDD

Ellen Fulghum, Hardeman County Board of Ed.

Carlos Fuller, Kingsbury High School

Cecelia Franklin, Kingsbury High School

Anne Frisby, Power Center Academy High School

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Curtis Gillespie, Jackson-Madison County Schools

Patryce Gleeton, Trezevant Career & Tech Center

Marilyn Goodman, Milan Special School District

Shaula Guy, Southwest TN Community College

Lisa Hankins, REDI/SWTDD

Surayyah Hasan, City of Memphis

Jessica Hartle, The Ayers Foundation

Travis Hartle, The Ayers Foundation

Wendy Haynes, Lake County Schools

Senator Roy Herron, TN General Assembly

Evelyn Holloway, Fairley High School

Dianne Homra, Lake County Schools

Angela Huffman, Brighton High School

Jeff Huffman, Tipton County Mayor

Chandra Johnson, Southwest TN Community College

Tammy Kasmai, Brighton High School

Kerri Maddox, Weakley County Schools

Lisa Mann, Graduate Memphis

Katherine Markley, REDI/SWTDD

Linda May, Benton County Career & Tech Center

Jennifer McCauley, Crockett County High School

Michael Meadows, The Ayers Foundation

Lori Miller, Hamilton High School - Memphis

Stephen Milligan, Columbia State Community College at

Clifton

Pam Moffatt, Brighton High School

Mia Moore, Trezevant Career & Technology Center

Brianna Morton, The Ayers Foundation

Carol Parkins, Milan Special School District College

Access Program

Vanessa Patrick, REDI/SWTDD

Amy Ragland, Memphis Academy of Science and

Engineering

Belinda Reed, The Ayers Foundation

Susan Rhodes, The Ayers Foundation

Nichole Saulsberry-Scarboro, City of Memphis

Douglas Scarboro, Office of Talent and Human Capital /

City of Memphis

Jenilyn Sipes, REDI/SWTDD

Jennifer Smallwood, Hardeman County Board of Ed.

Dixie Spencer, REDI/SWTDD

Eleanor Thomas, Trezevant Career & Tech Center

Fred Turvery, Graduate Memphis

Angela Ventura-Wooten, Southwest Community College

Beverly Vos, REDI/SWTDD

Gloria Williams, Kingsbury High School

Lonnie Williams, Memphis City Schools

Middle Tennessee Rhonda Allen, Monroe Harding Inc.

Sharon Anderson, Putnam County School

Alene Arnold, SAS

Morgan Barnett, Franklin County Schools

Tierney Bates, Urban League of Middle Tennessee

Stanley Bean, Franklin County Schools

Tiffany Bellafant Steward, Tennessee State University

Susan Bensen, Martha O'Bryan Center

Emily Blatter, KIPP Academy Nashville

Nancy Blois-Giles, MTSU Educational Talent Search

Lee Brannon, Franklin County Schools

Andrea Brewer, Fayetteville High School

Ty Brown, Martha O'Bryan Center

Harold Burdette, Oasis College Connection

Sharonda Campbell, Oasis College Connection

Melissa Canney, Tennessee Department of Education

Mary Carpenter, Project for Neighborhood Aftercare

Pamela Cash, Monroe Harding Inc.

Heather Chalos, Alignment Nashville

Karla Chavez, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Coalition

Lisa Coleman, Lipscomb Academy

Michael Cousin, Nashville Career Advancement Center

Lindsay Daly, Youth Life Foundation of Tennessee - Youth

Life Learning Centers

Kelli Davis, Martha O'Bryan Center

Cathy Day, Tennessee Department of Education

Tammy Day, Next Steps at Vanderbilt University

Laura Delgado, Conexion Americas

Kate Derrick, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission

Dr. Linda Doran, Tennessee College Access and Success

Network

Bernadette Doykos, Martha O'Bryan Center

Charmaine Duncan, Middle Tennessee State University

Nancy Eisenbrandt, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

Ashley England, Oasis College Connection

Tanya Evrenson, Nashville Career Advancement Center

Gray Flora IV, Oasis College Connection

Cynthia Fitzgerald, In Full Motion, Inc.

Fred Frazier, Nashville Career Advancement Center

Matt Freeman, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission

Tina Garner, Franklin County Schools

LuAnn Graber, Martha O'Bryan Center

Troy Grant, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission

Lee Gray, Oasis College Connection

Cedric Griffen, Tennessee State University

Edward Grimes, Monroe Harding Inc.

Sheena Hanserd, Pearl-Cohn High School

La'Kishia Harris, Oasis College Connection

Paul Haynes, Nashville Career Advancement Center

Ted Helm, Modular Designs

Wanda Holloway, XMi Community Enterprises

Donna Holt, Dickson County High School

Dawn Hopkins, Franklin County Schools

Ellen Houston, Oasis College Connection

Anthony Johnson, Alignment Nashville

Claudia Johnson, Columbia State Community College

Everett Jolley, Tennessee State University

Deaderick Jones, Monroe Harding Inc.

Gina Jones, Nashville State Community College

Ivan Jones, Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville

Jeremy Kane, LEAD Academy

Ramesh Kasetty, Fortunapix

Janna Kenney, Martha O'Bryan Center

Kathy Knies, Franklin County Schools

Mike Krause, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission

Diane LeJeune, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.

Adam Lister, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

Diane Long, PENCIL Foundation

Greg Mantooth, Franklin County Schools

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David Mansouri, State Collaborative on Reforming

Education

Chris McCaghren, Vanderbilt University

Sonja McMullen, Sallie Mae

Susan Meeks, Franklin County Schools

Leigh Ann Merry, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission

Danielle Mezera, Tennessee Department of Education

Denise Miller, Vanderbilt University

Kent Miller, Martha O'Bryan Center

Stephen Moten, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.

Marvin Muhammad, Martha O'Bryan Center

Karen Myers, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.

Shavicka Newsom, YMCA of Middle Tennessee/USA

Felicia Orr, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.

Rosemary Owens, Middle Tennessee State University

Tom Parrish, Scarlett Family Foundation

Beth Patton, Hampshire Unit School

Tracy Pecher, Bridge Nashville

Beth Perkins, McGavock High School

Freda Pillow, Nashville Career Advancement Center

Darolyn Porter, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.

Laura Potter, Nashville State Community College

Donzaleigh Powell, Nashville Career Advancement Center

Kevin Ragland, Robertson County Board of Education

Judy Rye, Martha O'Bryan Center

Marla Rye, Workforce Essentials, Inc.

Christine Sartain, Special Education Advocacy Center

Andy Schenck, Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee

Andie Scott, Oasis College Connection

Jason Seay, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.

Laura Sensenig, Vanderbilt University

Rebecca Sharber, Franklin County Schools

Yolanda Shields, Youth Life Foundation of Tennessee -

Youth Life Learning Centers

Molly Sehring, Glencliff High School

Benjamin Smith, Southern Word

Brandi Smith, Vanderbilt University

Marcia Smith, Bridge Nashville

James Snider, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.

James H. Snider, Springfield High School

Diana Spaulding, Franklin County Schools

Christine Speicher, LEAD Academy

Courtney Starr, Middle Tennessee State University

Elizabeth Stein, Nashville State Community College

Linda Stewart, Franklin County Schools

Sandra Stewart, Franklin County Schools

Elizabeth Story, Next Steps at Vanderbilt University

Alexis Stokes, Bridge Nashville

Holly Tilden, LEAD Academy

Jennie Turrell, Franklin County Schools

Karon Uzzell-Baggett, Tennessee State University

Karla Vazquez, TIRRC/ STUDY Foundation

Kate Watts, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission

Jacquelyn West, Martha O'Bryan Center

Juniaty Wijaya, Monroe Harding Inc.

Marlene Wilkinson, Franklin County Schools

Nicole Williams, Oasis College Connection

Cornelia Wills, Middle Tennessee State University

Susan Womack, Lipscomb Academy

Janell Wood, Project for Neighborhood Aftercare

Ruth Woodall, Tennessee Scholars

Kristi Yates, Monroe Harding Inc.

Ellen Zinkiewicz, Nashville Career Advancement Center

Rachel Zolensky, Oasis College Connection

East Tennessee John Adcox, Northeast State College Access Programs

Beverly Anderson, Bearden High School

Carmen Andrews, Meigs County High School

Tosha Ayers, Northeast State College Access Programs

Cathy Barham, Educational Opportunity Center - UTC

Suzanne Bayne, Cleveland State Community College

Jared Bigham, Tennessee Rural Education Assoc.

Judy Boser, University of Tennessee

Jamie Branton, Union County High School

Kaye Bridges, Fentress County Board of Education

Stella Bridgeman-Prince, The University of Tennessee,

Knoxville, Student Success Center

Celeste Brooks, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Cathy Brown, Educational Opportunity Center – UTC

Katiah Brown, Edsouth Student Outreach Services

Belinda Brownlee, Upward Bound

Darren Burchette, Niswonger Foundation

Michelle Caldwell, Public Education Foundation

Becky Campbell, Anderson County High School

Brandi Caudill, Niswonger Foundation

Robin Chapman, Greene County Schools

Megan Charles, Northeast State College Access Programs

Marisa Clark, Northeast State College Access Programs

Sandy Cole, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Debby Corey, Educational Opportunity Center - UTC

Steve Costner, Cocke County School System

Lana Craig, Edsouth Student Outreach Services

Krissy DeAlejandro, tnAchieves

Jill Denton, Grainger High School

Nancy Dishner, Niswonger Foundation

Julius Dodds, Chattanooga State Community College

Krista Dodson, Public Education Foundation

Susan Essary, Claiborne High School

Johnika Everhart, Educational Opportunity Center – UTC

Vivian Franklin, Niswonger Foundation

Amy French, Niswonger Foundation

Donnell Goode, Niswonger Foundation

Marsha Goolesby-Barker, Chattanooga State Community

College

Patti Gouge, Central High School

Anna Graham, Hardin Valley Academy

Maria Greene, Maryville High School

Ronnie Gross, ETSU TRIO

Lauren Haley, Public Education Foundation

Angie Hamstead, Project GRAD Knoxville

Milburn Harmon, Meigs County High School

Jackie Hartmann, tnAchieves

Debbie Hawk, Clinton High School/Anderson County

Schools

Debbie Hill, Bearden High School

Patti Hunt, Bradley County Schools

Marcia Hurley, Fentress County Board of Education

Harry Ingle, Tennessee Technological University

Linda Irwin, Niswonger Foundation

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Cheryl Janzen, Walker Valley High School

Carrie Jenkins, Clinton High School/Anderson County

Schools

Jessica Jennings, Niswonger Foundation

Amanda Johnson, Grainger High School

Sandy Joslin, Putnam County Schools

Melody Kees, Morgan County School/Wartburg Central

Frensez Kendricks, Public Education Foundation

Amy Kier, Walker Valley High School

Kristi Lakey, Sevier County High School

Terry Lashley, Tennessee Appalachian Center for Higher

Education-SouthEast Educational, Inc.

Teresa LeQuire, Maryville High School

Cynthia Long, Educational Opportunity Center – UTC

Greg Maciolek, Integrated Management Resources

Christy Mahoney, Tennessee Appalachian Center for

Higher Education-SouthEast Educational, Inc.

Sarah Malone, Public Education Foundation

Emily McComb, United Way of Bradley County

Mary McKnight, Greene County Schools

Katie Moran, Edsouth Student Outreach Services

Kaci Murley, tnAchieves

Sandi Nelson, Dobyns-Bennett High School

Amelia Osborne, Northeast State College Access Programs

Melissa Overbay, Niswonger Foundation

Robert Owens, Tennessee Technological University

Karen Payne, Claiborne High School

Ashley Pierce, Northeast State College Access Programs

Lisa Pierce, Dobyns-Bennett High School

Emily Pitt, Edsouth Student Outreach Services

Kim Porter, Maryville High School

Stephen Potter, Clinton High School/Anderson County

Schools

Melissa Presswood, Bradley County Schools

Julina Pyanoe, Niswonger Foundation

Melissa Ramsey, Northeast State College Access Programs

Mary Rausch, On Point

Janie Robbins, Tennessee Technological University

Carolann Robert, Chattanooga State Community College

Sarah Salerno, L&N STEM Academy

Kayce Scott, Anderson County High School

Anita Scruggs, Central High School of McMinn County

Daniel Sexton, Anderson County High School

Stephanie Shores, Northeast State College Access

Programs

Gary Skolits, University of Tennessee

Kate Skonberg, Public Education Foundation

Susan Steffey, Northeast State College Access Programs

Eric Stokes, The University of Tennessee

Jackie Stryker, Maryville High School

Graham Thomas, tnAchieves

Amy Tipton, Washburn High School

Caleb Tipton, Clinton High School/Anderson County

Schools

Ruth Ann Tipton, Northeast State College Access Programs

Stacey Treece, Coalfield School

Maegan Tribble, tnAchieves

Anne Troutman, Knox County Schools

Tom von Berg, Integrated Management Resources, Inc.

Amy Wagner, Greene County Schools

Candy Ward, Sevier County High School

Keith White, Public Education Foundation

Lorri Wickam, Bradley County Schools

Tracey Wright, Cleveland State Community College

Paytra Young, Fentress County Board of Education

Out of State Chris Albrecht, ACT, Georgia

Ralph Barnett, Battelle For Kids, Ohio

Gregory Chery, Centre College, Kentucky

Dwayne Compton, University of Louisville, Kentucky

Kimberly Goad, A6 Framework, Indiana

Noel Harmon, CEOs for Cities, Washington, D.C.

Johnnie Johnson, Transylvania University, Kentucky

Jenni Lister, Wofford College, South Carolina

Dr. Arnold Mitchem, Council for Opportunity in

Education, Washington, D.C.

Urban Pelicon, CoBro Consulting, California

Terry Pickeral, Cascade Educational Consultants,

Washington

Dr. Jack Schmit, A6 Framework, Indiana

Ben Vivari, College Measures, Maryland

Joe Wood, Battelle For Kids, Ohio

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Special thanks to:

Thanks to our conference sponsors:

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2012 Conference: Bold Thinking, Collaborative Action, Collective Success

Dr. Arnold Mitchem, 2012 conference keynote speaker, spoke of college access and success as being at

the heart of the crossroads of an economic imperative and a moral imperative for this country. For the

United States to become its best self as a beacon of hope and a land of opportunity, college access and

success must be available to all who aspire. For the United States to continue to lead the world in creating

new technologies, generating new products and services that improve this country and developing the

most effective and productive workforce, it must invest in educational opportunity for all.

If we are to meet these moral and economic imperatives as a country, we must also commit to a deeper

understanding of the issues that surround college access and success. We must be willing to innovate and

move beyond business-as-usual.

As Network Executive Director Bob Obrohta said in his welcoming remarks:

“Academic performance is obviously the best predictor of a student’s ability to

succeed in college. And, the state of Tennessee has invested a significant amount

of time and resources to improving the academic components of education;

however, considered in isolation, academics will not guarantee college access or

success. ‘College readiness’ is a much broader and complicated topic.”

In fact, a recent book published from the Harvard Education Press addresses this reality head on. In

Ready, Willing, and Able: A Developmental Approach to College Access and Success, authors Mandy

Savitz-Romer and Suzanne M. Bouffard focus on “a few

key processes that are vital to college-going and yet

underemphasized: identity development, self-concept and

aspirations, motivation and goal-setting, self-regulatory

skills, and relationship development.” They also

emphasize the reality that college access and success

happens over the educational lifespan of a young person

and includes developmental processes that take root far

earlier than high school, when too many of our students

first begin to have the college conversation: “There is no

doubt that college access and success begin early in a

child’s life. Through family expectations and aspirations,

academic support and preparation, and other avenues, children begin to form identities, habits, and

academic trajectories in elementary school or even earlier. The developmental processes that shape

college-going do not begin or end in adolescence.”i

Despite this reality, K-12 school systems face intense scrutiny for academic performance and college

counseling is often seen as something for the senior year in high school. Measures of success of the

system and of students are highly focused on graduation rates, test performance and other academic

indicators, and few schools are evaluated on their students’ success after high school. As a result, little

attention is paid to non-academic readiness factors as described by Savitz-Romer and Bouffard, not to

mention the broader social, cultural, and family factors that influence their development. For low-wealth

and first-generation college students, these are the factors that often lead to their foreclosing on their

futures and dropping out when they face the non-academic barriers to postsecondary success. As Network

POLICY RECOMMENDATION Establish common college access

and success frameworks across the state to track standards and

indicators for K-12.

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members across the state have said repeatedly, “our kids

come back home from college before they ever even have

a chance to succeed or fail academically.”

Navigating the bureaucracy, encountering new people and

new cultures, managing finances, adapting to different

academic expectations, and even having a roommate for

the first time can all represent significant barriers to

success for a student who has not developed a strong

college-going identity and does not know where and how

to advocate for himself.

K-12 Reform and College Access

College access, essential to the success of K-12 education reform, is about creating an educational

environment in which students are motivated and inspired to learn, make good choices, and seize

opportunity. The college conversation, the hope of opportunity and the chance to find

success beyond high school create meaning and value in high school. We must

understand that these “soft skills” and developmental milestones related to college access and success are

complementary with academic performance and not “just more work.” In fact, a 2011 meta-analysis of

research by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning finds that, while improving

behavior, attitudes, and connections to school, these developmental investments also improve students’

achievement test scores by 11 percentile points.ii For this reason, college access and success and the

related investments in non-academic readiness are integral to the success of K-12 reform.

Non-Academic Readiness Leads to College Success

Additionally, relatively new research and an incredible

amount of “buzz” in higher education support that non-

academic readiness is critical not only to gaining access

to postsecondary education but also succeeding once

there. Angela Duckworth, assistant professor of

psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, describes

non-academic readiness in terms of “grit.” Her “Grit

Scale”iii focuses on things like the ability to overcome

obstacles, diligence, emotional resilience, learning from

mistakes, goal-setting and follow-through. Increasingly,

postsecondary institutions around the country are finding

that while academic performance in high school is

important, students who demonstrate “grit” actually

thrive better at their institutions than those who only

demonstrate a high IQ or previous academic success.

To improve K-12 performance and increase college

access and success, the Network believes it is imperative Tennessee develop a deeper

understanding of its students’ developmental needs by building on the wisdom and

experiences of its membership and the grassroots work happening in schools and

POLICY RECOMMENDATION Program priority funding for

LEAPs (Lottery for Education: After School Programs) should be

expanded to include “college access and success services”

designed to reinforce and complement academic

programming currently being provided.

POLICY RECOMMENDATION Provide access to a trained College

Counselor for every high school student.

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communities around the state. This is why almost 400 educators, community partners, elected

officials and policymakers spent close to two hours generating ideas for college readiness indicators for

Tennessee.

Tennessee’s Readiness Themes

In small groups the participants deliberated and identified non-academic college readiness knowledge,

skills and dispositions that students need to develop. The following represent the summaries of hundreds

of data points generated in the group discussions on what non-academic readiness means for students:

COLLEGE READINESS: KNOWLEDGE 1. Understanding the college application process and requirements (general process and

college-specific application requirements) 2. Aware of college culture and the various college-specific expectations and vocabulary 3. Fiscally literate (general understanding of budgets and economics and specific financial aid

processes) 4. Understanding career exploration strategies and what employers look for in successful

workers 5. Knowing questions to ask and to whom to ask them 6. Understanding the concept of return on investment 7. Understanding social capital and how corresponding strategies impact college access and

success 8. Understanding strategies to explore options 9. Aware of effective networking strategies and the benefits of collaborations

COLLEGE READINESS: SKILLS 1. Organizational, time management, goal setting and self-discipline skills 2. Social skills 3. Soft skills (interactive, communication and collaborative) 4. Work habits (organizing, time-management, persistence) 5. Problem-solving and critical thinking (utilizing resources, engagement strategies and

anticipating impact of decisions) 6. Social-emotional management 7. Financial management 8. Interactive and cultural competencies 9. Conflict resolution and overcoming obstacles 10. Communicating and listening 11. Self-advocacy 12. Leadership 13. Risk taking 14. Ability to change

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COLLEGE READINESS: Dispositions 1. Self-motivation, self-awareness and maturity 2. Work ethic 3. Life goals (orientation to long-term planning and career assessments) 4. Personal accountability and responsibility 5. Positive attitude 6. Diversity awareness and bias management 7. Comfort with uncertainty 8. Adaptability and flexibility 9. Persistence and resiliency 10. Confidence 11. Risk taking 12. Ability to change

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Tennessee’s Readiness Indicators by Grade/Age Level

College access and success is a long-term investment that starts early and must be supported in an

ongoing manner. For this reason, conference participants were asked to determine how the general themes

described previously were manifest as specific indicators across the K-12 pipeline. The following chart

summarizes participant responses:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGES

MIDDLE SCHOOL AGES

HIGH SCHOOL AGES

KNOWLEDGE - College awareness (liking

school, seeking exposure, understanding levels and process of education)

- Emotional intelligence (understanding expectations)

- Fiscal literacy (balancing a checkbook, budgeting, creating a business plan, managing family job/allowance and financial aid knowledge)

- Setting and monitoring college/life goals

- Accessing and using resources - Using technology - Exploring the realities of college - Understanding of college terminology - Understanding careers

- Planning for college process - Knowing how to determine

career path - Determining financial options

for college - Fiscal literacy (managing

personal finances, understanding credit, managing loans)

- Marshalling the support of others

- Identifying and accessing campus services

- Applying for college - Demonstrating proficiency

with various technologies (Microsoft Office, email, Internet)

SKILLS - Goal setting (making goals,

learning responsibility) - Developing social skills - Developing leadership

among peers - Making and keeping friends - Asking questions - Asking for support/help - Managing time - Self-Advocating (doing

things on their own, learning to ask for help)

- Establishing good work habits (getting things done, balancing academics/life, demonstrating independence, note taking, getting involved in school and community groups)

- Problem-solving and critical thinking (taking initiative, tenacity, understanding impact of decisions)

- Study skills (completing projects and homework)

- Decision making - Managing change - Reflecting on personal strengths and

abilities

- Analyzing a situation and developing multiple appropriate solutions

- Managing relationships - Asking good questions - Listening effectively - Seeking answers

independently - Demonstrating leadership

skills among peers and adults - Balancing social pressures

with school and life - Managing multiple

commitments effectively

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- Taking leadership initiative - Resolving conflict - Communicating effectively with peers

and adults - Exploring creativity - Working in teams that include those

who are different from you - Practicing self-regulation - Managing emotions - Encouraging parental involvement - Knowing how and where to ask for

help - Understanding and accepting/rejecting

boundaries effectively

- Working in and creating groups that include those who are different from you

- Understanding your personal study habits and needs

- Accepting and being aware of different cultures

- Volunteering - Communicating/Public

Speaking - Managing personal health

and risk - Managing stress - Prioritizing

DISPOSITIONS - Self-Awareness (knowing

likes and dislikes, knowing the differences)

- Showing an interest in learning and in school

- Respecting and interacting with others

- Willing to try new things - Adapting to different

situations and circumstances - Aspiring to attend/graduate

from college - Showing follow-through

(completing chores and homework)

- Being curious - Showing self-motivation - Social-emotional readiness (listening,

interacting and demonstrating empathy)

- Developing self-awareness - Developing career aspirations - Building positive self-esteem - Exploring and developing personal

identity - Appreciating other cultures - Desiring to contribute and engage

- Reflecting on self and relationships with others in the broader world

- Contributing and engaging in a meaningful way

- Advocating for yourself - Developing and actively

working toward a future vision

- Being open to different personalities, appearances, cultures, beliefs, and value systems

- Valuing education

Given the non-academic readiness data from the conference participants:

1. It is never too early to assist youth to consider and understand the benefits of

postsecondary education.

2. Students should acquire and enhance organizational, critical-thinking,

decision-making and effective work skills to be prepared for success in

college.

3. Students should be self-motivated, culturally competent, persistent and

resilient in their preparation and success in college.

4. Students should be knowledgeable about college application and fiscal

requirements as well as how to navigate the college environment as a student.

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Partnerships That Support and Sustain College Access and Success

If we are going to talk about college readiness more broadly and strategically, we have to talk about

partnerships more broadly and strategically. During the plenary session on the second day of the

conference, attendees provided insights on their most successful partnerships and helped the Network

develop a framework for quality college access and success partnerships. Each participant reflected on

their experiences, identifying both the partnership they deemed most successful and the partnership they

would like to have but currently do not. Finally, participants discussed their partnerships in table groups

and used their collective experiences to determine five factors that define successful college access and

success partnerships.

Five Factors That Create Quality College Access and Success Partnerships

1. Shared Understanding of Challenges and Opportunities Support Strategies - Conduct a needs assessment specific to your school or community. - Conduct a gap analysis of resources to support identified needs. - Share data across stakeholders.

2. Common Goals Support Strategies - Start with a shared vision of what you are working toward and why. - Develop realistic short and long-term plans with clear, measurable goals. - Determine short and long-term metrics of success.

3. Communication Support Strategies - Create a clear, consistent, and continual internal communications plan. - Identify new stakeholders and develop outreach communications accordingly. - Remain flexible and be creative in sharing your vision and work.

4. Trust Support Strategies - Begin with mutual respect for what each party can bring to the work. - Identify the range of resources, financial and non-financial, each party brings. - Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and accountability for all involved.

5. Resources Support Strategies - Don’t wait for the big grant or gift. Start with what you have. - Start planning early for sustainability. - Be strategic in seeking funding and in-kind investments that expand partnerships.

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Current Partnership Trends

Not surprisingly, individuals representing community-based organizations, government agencies, and

postsecondary institutions were all most likely to indicate their most successful partnership is with a K-12

school. As diverse groups of stakeholders come together to tackle college readiness, access and success in

innovative ways, K-12 schools are uniquely positioned to facilitate these partnerships, but often lack the

staff capacity, resources, and flexibility to do so.

Success Profile: K-12 Facilitated Partnerships

Milan Special School District in Gibson County is capitalizing on its position as a locus of

college access efforts by conducting a needs assessment using learned lessons from other

college access programs and practitioners from around the state. As a result of its research, the

school district has formalized a diverse group of partners into a college access task force that

involves business leaders, community-based organizations, government entities, and

postsecondary institutions in advancing college access efforts within the school district.

The data also show that educational institutions form more successful partnerships with each other; 50

percent of postsecondary institution responders indicated their most successful partnership is with K-12

schools, and 60 percent of K-12 schools responders said their most successful partnership is with a

postsecondary institution. Although we often hear of disconnects in the P-20 pipeline, many school

districts and colleges are working to bridge that divide.

Success Profile: K-12 and Higher Education Partnerships

Meigs County Schools and Cleveland State Community College have a longstanding

partnership. Most recently, through a TCASN Model Program grant, Cleveland State is

piloting a bridge math course with four rural high schools, including Meigs County High

School. Articulation agreements between the institutions involved ensure that once students

complete the bridge math course, they will automatically enter into college-level math when

they attend Cleveland State.

As community-based organizations increase their emphasis on youth development and non-academic

readiness, a growing number of partnerships with community colleges have developed across the state.

Many of these partnerships resulted from College Access Challenge Grant funding (received from the

Tennessee Higher Education Commission), and include mentoring programs that work with students at

the community college level to help them succeed once they matriculate.

Success Profile: Community-Based Organizations and Higher Education Partnerships

Oasis Center, supported by a College Access Challenge Grant and a Model Program grant

from the Network, is partnering with Nashville State Community College to serve students who

worked with a college access mentor in high school and are now in community college. This

partnership has resulted in the creation of a student resource room on campus for advising,

receiving academic support, and building community with peers.

Growth for the Future: Business and Postsecondary Partnerships

Survey responders were also asked to document a partnership they wanted to develop, but did not yet

exist (See Figure 1). Overwhelmingly, responders from K-12 schools, community-based organizations,

government agencies, and postsecondary institutions want to partner with businesses. Responders sought

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42%

21%

9%

6%

17%

5%

Businesses

Community-Based Organizations

Government Agencies

K-12 Schools

Postsecondary Institutions

Other

Survey responders want to partner with:

partnerships with diverse business entities including local chambers of commerce, regional workforce

boards, major employers, and organizations that have the capability to facilitate business internships for

young people. It is clear that college access practitioners want to work with the

business community. When asked why the desired partnership had not occurred, however, most

respondents indicated they lack the resources to

initiate it.

Partnerships are, by their nature, reciprocal and

we need to emphasize that the onus for initiating

successful partnerships is not only on the school,

neither is it only on the business or other

community partner. We all need to be actively

seeking and creating meaningful partnerships. On

the other hand, no side of an effective partnership

can consider itself the sole expert. All sides

must be open to shared learning and

open and honest communication about

creative strategies to meet the shared

goals of the partnership. For example, a K-

12 school cannot seek partnerships with business

believing that they “know education” and just

need more resources. Alternately, businesses cannot merely approach partnerships with K-12 schools

assuming that the business model is the key to improving schools.

Community-based organizations and higher education institutions also need to reconsider their time and

resource investments in effective partnerships.

Interestingly, while 30 percent of survey respondents from

community-based organizations indicated that their most

successful partner was a postsecondary institution, only 5

percent of postsecondary responders reciprocated. This

suggests a disconnect. As higher education institutions

grapple with performance-based funding that ties state

funds to student outcomes and as community-based

organizations seek to extend their support of young people

into the college years, their goals are clearly aligned. The

question is whether or not meaningful partnerships will

follow.

Summary and Implications

Our students deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams. Business-as-usual has failed to deliver and

too many Tennessee students lack the adequate and strategic supports from their schools and communities

to achieve postsecondary success. In a student focus group held at the conference, high school students

spoke to what they saw as critical to college access and success. Highlights can be summed up by the

following:

POLICY RECOMMENDATION Connect and coordinate economic development and college access

and success efforts.

Figure 1: Desired Partnerships Identified by Survey Responders

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1. Schools have to believe – Students need their counselors and teachers to see the potential in every

student and communicate that belief with students.

2. Learning about learning – Students need support early and often to understand the process of

learning, connecting and building a network of support, and self-advocating to help them be

successful.

3. Bring it all together – Students want to see how all the academics and activities they do in high

school relate to each other and to their futures, and they want to see schools integrate curricula

and activities across academic disciplines to support this.

College access and success demands an integrated approach. It demands that youth development and

academic development are both invested in and mutually supported through effective partnerships. It

demands that high school be reframed, not merely around graduation, but as a setup for postsecondary

success. And finally, it demands that if we take college readiness seriously, elementary, middle, high

schools and postsecondary institutions must operate as one system and create, track, and commit to non-

academic college readiness indicators across the full P-20 pipeline.

We are facing higher expectations with fewer resources and many more students (seeking postsecondary credentials) whom we have not served successfully in the past. The challenges are stark, and clearly we cannot meet the state’s needs by doing what we have always done.

- Chancellor John Morgan, Tennessee Board of Regents

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i Savitz-Romer, Mandy and Suzanne M. Bouffard. Ready, Willing, and Able: A Developmental Approach to College Access and Success. Harvard Education Press (2012): 17, 46.

ii “The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A meta-analysis of School-based Universal

Interventions”, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (2011).

iii Duckworth, Angela Lee, and Patrick D. Quinn. "Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (GRIT–S)."

Journal of Personality Assessment 91.2 (2009): 166-174.

To learn more, please visit: www.tncollegeaccess.org

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Tennessee College Access and Success Network 1704 Charlotte Ave, Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: 615-327-4455 Fax: 615-329-1444 www.tncollegeaccess.org