Measuring Up 2004

1. Measuring Up 2004 Georgia

2. Measuring Up: The Basics • Looks at higher education for the entire state, not individual colleges and universities. • Focuses on undergraduate education and training beyond high school. • Measures “performance,” not “effort.” • “Diagnostic” rather than “prescriptive.” • New this year: progress over the past decade.

3. Measuring Up: The Basics • Six categories of performance (five graded). • Grades benchmarked to “best performing” states. • Uses nationally comparable data, available from public sources. • Uses the most recent data available. • In general, data have a two-year time lag. • Affordability data are one year old.

4. Measuring Up: Graded Categories • Preparation: How adequately are students being prepared for education and training beyond high school? • Participation: Do state residents enroll in education and training beyond high school? • Affordability: How affordable is higher education for students and their families? • Completion: Do students make progress toward and complete certificates and degrees in a timely manner? • Benefits: What benefits does the state receive as a result of having a more highly-educated population? • Learning: What is known about student learning as a result of education and training beyond high school?

5. National Trends:Over the Past Decade • Eight states improved substantially in Preparation as well as in Participation. • Thirty-six states, including Georgia, improved substantially in Preparation but failed to improve in Participation. • Almost all states, including Georgia, have lost ground in Affordability.

6. Over the Past Decade, Georgia Has Slipped in Providing College Opportunities

7. GEORGIA 2004 Report Card Preparation Participation Affordability Completion Benefits Learning C D F B B I

8. GEORGIA Improvement Over Past Decade ? Preparation Participation Affordability Completion Benefits Learning What do the arrows mean? Improved on more than half of the indicators in the category. Improved on some, but no more than half, of the indicators in the category. Declined on every indicator in the category.

9. Preparation GEORGIA 2004 Grade Improvement Over Decade C

10. NATIONAL SNAPSHOT Preparation

11. SOUTHERN REGION Grades A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F = 93 and up = 90-92 = 87-89 = 83-86 = 80-82 = 77-79 = 73-76 = 70-72 = 67-69 = 63-66 = 60-62 = Below 60 Preparation Georgia's performance in Preparation is in the middle of Southern states. 100 90 76 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 LA AL MS TN OK KY AR GA SC FL TX WV NC VA Southern States

12. Preparation GEORGIA STRENGTHS • Over 70% of high school students are taught by qualified teachers. Compares well with other states.

13. Preparation GEORGIA WEAKNESSES • One of lowest-performing states in percentage of young people earning high school credential. • 8th graders perform poorly on national assessments in math, science, reading, and writing.

14. Preparation GEORGIA WEAKNESSES • Very small proportions of 11th and 12th graders take and score well on Advanced Placement exams. • High school students do not perform well on college entrance exams.

15. Participation GEORGIA 2004 Grade Improvement Over Decade D

16. NATIONAL SNAPSHOT Participation

17. SOUTHERN REGION Grades A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F = 93 and up = 90-92 = 87-89 = 83-86 = 80-82 = 77-79 = 73-76 = 70-72 = 67-69 = 63-66 = 60-62 = Below 60 Participation Georgia’s performance in Participation is the worst in the South. 100 90 80 70 63 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 GA MS LA WV TN AR SC AL OK TX FL NC KY VA Southern States

18. Participation GEORGIA STRENGTHS • Over past decade, college participation gap narrowed between young adults from low-income and high-income families. Substantially larger percentage of low-income students enroll in college, compared with decade ago. However, gap in college participation between income groups remains large.

19. Participation GEORGIA WEAKNESSES • Over past decade, likelihood of 9th graders enrolling in college within four years dropped substantially—more than nationwide decline. Decrease primarily due to decline in percentage of students graduating from high school. • Small percentage of working-age adults participate in college-level education or training. Percentage has slipped over decade.

20. Participation GEORGIA WEAKNESSES • About 15% of adults do not have high school diploma or equivalent (national average: 14%), making them ineligible for participation in higher education.

21. Affordability GEORGIA 2004 Grade Improvement Over Decade F

22. NATIONAL SNAPSHOT Affordability

23. SOUTHERN REGION Affordability Georgia’s performance in Affordability is in the middle of Southern states; however, overall performance in the region is poor. 100 90 Grades 80 A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F = 93 and up = 90-92 = 87-89 = 83-86 = 80-82 = 77-79 = 73-76 = 70-72 = 67-69 = 63-66 = 60-62 = Below 60 70 60 53 50 40 30 20 10 0 AL SC TN WV MS FL GA LA AR OK KY VA NC TX Southern States

24. Affordability GEORGIA WEAKNESSES • Net college costs for low- and middle-income students to attend public two- or four-year institutions represent about third of annual family income, even when HOPE scholarship taken into account. This population earns on average $20,201 annually.

25. Completion GEORGIA 2004 Grade Improvement Over Decade B

26. NATIONAL SNAPSHOT Completion

27. SOUTHERN REGION Completion Georgia’s performance in Completion is in the middle of Southern states. 100 86 90 Grades 80 A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F = 93 and up = 90-92 = 87-89 = 83-86 = 80-82 = 77-79 = 73-76 = 70-72 = 67-69 = 63-66 = 60-62 = Below 60 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 OK AR TX WV LA KY TN AL MS SC GA VA NC FL Southern States

28. Completion GEORGIA STRENGTHS • Performs well in percentage of community college students returning for second year. However, percentage declined substantially over past decade—more than nationwide decrease. • Very large proportion of freshmen at four-year colleges and universities return for sophomore year. Over past few years, among top ten states in improvement on this measure.

29. Completion GEORGIA STRENGTHS • Very high proportion of students complete certificates and degrees relative to number enrolled. Proportion increased over past decade, surpassing nationwide improvement. Most growth in certificates awarded. Large decline in associate’s and bachelor’s degrees awarded.

30. Completion GEORGIA STRENGTHS • Gap has narrowed between whites and blacks in proportion of students completing certificates and degrees relative to number enrolled. However, gap remains substantial.

31. Completion GEORGIA WEAKNESSES • Small proportion of first-year, full-time college students complete bachelor’s degree in six years. Among steepest declines in nation over past few years.

32. Benefits GEORGIA 2004 Grade Improvement Over Decade B

33. NATIONAL SNAPSHOT Benefits

34. SOUTHERN REGION Benefits Georgia’s performance in Benefits is among the best in the South. 100 90 83 Grades 80 A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F = 93 and up = 90-92 = 87-89 = 83-86 = 80-82 = 77-79 = 73-76 = 70-72 = 67-69 = 63-66 = 60-62 = Below 60 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 WV AR SC MS LA NC TN AL OK FL TX GA KY VA Southern States

35. Benefits GEORGIA STRENGTHS • Over past decade, economic benefits that Georgia enjoys from having educated population increased substantially—more than nation as whole. • Gap narrowed between whites and minority ethnic groups in percentage with bachelor’s degree over past decade. However, gap remains large.

36. Benefits GEORGIA WEAKNESSES • Compared with other states, fairly small proportion of residents have bachelor’s degree.

37. Benefits GEORGIA ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • If all ethnic groups had same educational attainment and earnings as whites, total personal income in state would be about $9.3 billion higher, and state would realize an estimated $3.3 billion in additional tax revenues.

38. Learning GEORGIA Forty-five states, including Georgia, receive an Incomplete in Learning because no comparable data exist to allow for meaningful state-by-state comparisons. 2004 Grade I

39. Learning NATIONAL SNAPSHOT

40. Learning GRADING LEARNING States with a “plus” grade (IL, KY, NV, OK, SC) participated in a national pilot project on measuring Learning led by the National Forum on College-Level Learning.

41. Learning GRADING LEARNING • The pilot project measured the states in terms of: • Literacy levels of the state’s residentsWhat are the abilities of the college-educated? • Graduates’ readiness for advanced practiceHow well do colleges and universities enable students to contribute to the workforce? • Performance of college graduatesHow effectively can college graduates communicate and solve problems?

42. GEORGIA Policy Questions

43. Policy Questions GEORGIA • Can higher education build upon partnerships with K–12 schools to improve student achievement and preparation for college? Can Georgia increase the number of students who finish high school within four years and enroll in college thereafter?

44. Policy Questions GEORGIA • Considering that approximately 15% of adults do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent, can the state encourage more residents to get a General Education Development (GED) credential?

45. Policy Questions GEORGIA • Can Georgia provide college opportunities for the increasing numbers of high school students expected to graduate and enroll in college? • Can the state’s four-year institutions accommodate all the students who are eligible to transfer from community colleges?

46. Policy Questions GEORGIA • Can the state’s two-year colleges be made more affordable, particularly for low- and middle-income families? • Georgia’s HOPE scholarship program provides funds for students to enroll in higher education based largely on academic performance in high school. Can the state develop financial aid programs focusing on students’ financial need in order to ensure access to college for all qualified students?

47. For More Information Full State Report: • Measuring Up 2004http://measuringup.highereducation.org About the Center: • The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education http://www.highereducation.org