About ECS

1. Improving High School to College Transitions: The Role of P-20Jennifer DounayEducation Commission of the StatesFor “Bridging the Gap to Promote High School & College Alignment”New England Board of Higher EducationWorcester, MassachusettsJanuary 29, 2009

2. About ECS • 50-state education compact est’d 1965 • Nonpartisan, nonprofit • Serves all state-level education policymakers and their staffs: • Governors • Legislators • State board members • State superintendents • SHEEOS and higher education leaders Education Commission of the States

3. What is P-20? • It may include a council • It can (and should be) more than a council: • Data systems • Funding mechanisms • Ways of thinking • Public support • Legislation, rulemaking, executive decisionmaking Education Commission of the States

4. Why P-20? Education Commission of the States

5. 4-year institutions Passing the Buck Middle schools Elementary schools Parents Pre-K programs High schools Employers 2-year institutions Education Commission of the States

6. Councils: Method of creation According to ECS P-16/P-20 database (www.ecs.org/P-20): • Govs: 11 states • Legislatures: 10 states • State boards: 2 states • Voluntary efforts: 14 states These have changed over time: GA, IL, MD, NV, others Education Commission of the States

7. P-16/P-20 council membership • Governors (8 councils, with rep. on 19 councils) • Legislators (19 states) • Chiefs • SHEEOs, 2- and 4-year presidents • Business and labor • Ideally, early learning reps. (18 states) • Others Source: www.ecs.org/P-20 Education Commission of the States

8. Creating a P-16 council just the starting point • Some councils leverage little change • Essential elements to consider: • Actors • Agenda • Appropriation of resources Education Commission of the States

9. Actors • Goldilocks: Not too big, not too small • Early learning • Legislative • Gubernatorial • Business community • Clarity re: council mission and roles • Meet at least quarterly Education Commission of the States

10. Meet at least quarterly • Reduces inertia, “amnesia” b/w mtgs. • Increases urgency of council to-dos • 29 states meet at least quarterly • Include AZ, CO: states that have made gains in relatively short time Education Commission of the States

11. Agenda • Not too broad (5 issues or fewer) • Specific (not “improving student success”) • Something each agency can’t do alone • Specific, measurable goals (16 states) • Balanced scorecard (Georgia) Education Commission of the States

12. Common areas of activity • High school to postsecondary transitions: 26 states (can take many forms) • Data systems, use of data: 19 states • Teachers: recruitment, preparation, retention, prof. devt.: 19 states • Postsec. retention/transfer/completion: 13 states • Early learning: 8 states Education Commission of the States

13. Setting goals • Don’t know if you’re getting there if you don’t know where you’re going • Numeric goals, based on reliable data • 16 states • Most goals re: HS or PS completion Education Commission of the States

14. Florida’s Next Generation P-20 benchmarks • Approved by state board Dec. 2008 • Six “focus areas”, including: • Improve college/career readiness • Expand opps. for PS degrees and certs. • Align resources to strategic goals • 2007-08 baseline data • Annual perf. measures FY09 to FY15 • www.fldoe.org/Strategic_Plan/pdfs/StrategicPlanApproved.pdf Education Commission of the States

15. FL benchmarks: Sample view Education Commission of the States

16. Appropriation of resources • Financial resources • Communications can build public support • Human resources • Research policy solutions • Support policy/program implementation Education Commission of the States

17. Financial resources • State funds (leg. appropriation or built in agencies’ budgets) – 22 states • “Other” funds – 10 states • Foundation • Business • Federal • “Sustainability”: NE, WY Education Commission of the States

18. Human resources • Council supported by min. .5 FTE: 21 councils • Include councils that have made substantial gains Education Commission of the States

19. Promising practices: HS to PS transitions “Promising,” not “best,” because: • Many initiatives new • Student data lacking Include: • Better alignment of HS exit/college entry courses, standards • Better awareness of PS testing expectations • Teacher and counselor issues • Dual enrollment/early college high schools Education Commission of the States

20. HS/College course alignment • IN, OK, SD, OH*: HS grad reqts. aligned with 4-year admissions reqts. • IN: End-of-course to measure to state expectations • TX, others: Rigorous expectations for all • MN, RI: Integration of college-ready English and math expectations in HS standards • CO, SD, TX: Informing all students of 4-year admissions requirements Education Commission of the States

21. HS awareness of PS testing expectations • ACT (CO, IL, KY, MI, TN, WY), SAT(ME) for all • ID spring 2011: ACT, SAT or COMPASS • SD, TN, TX: What ACT, SAT scores matter • TX: College-ready items in HS tests • CO: Backmapping K-12 standards, assts. from “postsecondary ready” def. • AR, FL: Let HS students take placement exams Education Commission of the States

22. Teacher and counselor issues • Info on PS placement exams in teacher preservice/inservice (No state doing this?) • Explicit training on college prep. in counselor certification, PD programs (No state doing this?) • College admissions info in teacher preservice/inservice (CO grant program comes close) • Use state policy to ensure counselors spend time on college prep. activities (CO grant program) Education Commission of the States

23. Dual enrollment • www.ecs.org/html/hsdb-de • No state has “perfect” policy… yet • State policy should address: • Off. mandatory or voluntary? • Funding K-12 and PS equitably • Fair student eligibility requirements • Student/parent notification • Instructor, course quality • Institutional reporting • Program evaluation Education Commission of the States

24. Early college high schools • Relatively new approach • Early college HS: diploma + AA in 5 yrs. • Aimed at at-risk students • Emerging research ► positive student outcomes • Few in New England? • State-level policies in 6 states (CO, MI, NC, PA, TN, TX) Education Commission of the States

25. ECHS: Model policy components • Access and support • Instructional and curricular quality • Finance and facilities • Alignment with 2- and 4-year institutions • Program accountability and evaluation • ECS state policy database:www.ecs.org/hsdb-echs • ECS Oct. 2008 report:“Improving Outcomes for Traditionally Underserved Students Through Early College High Schools” (search “7863” on www.ecs.org) Education Commission of the States

26. Now for more about the state perspective…