ERIC ED486432: State Strategies for Redesigning High Schools and Promoting High School to College Transitions. Issue Brief

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by  ERIC

Issue Brief
State Strategies for Redesigning High Schools and
Promoting High School to College Transitions
By Jane Armstrong Introduction communicating and acting on
January 2005 information.1
This issue brief focuses on what
increasingly are seen as the major The fastest-growing jobs will require
stumbling blocks that students some education beyond high school.
face in high school and in enrolling in Jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree will
postsecondary education. It summarizes grow by 32%, and jobs requiring a mas-
recommendations from several national ter’s degree will grow by 23%.2 Jobs
reports and conference proceedings on that require more education also pay
how high schools should be redesigned better. For 2000, the average annual
and how the transition to postsecondary salary for workers ages 25 and older
education can be made more seamless without a high school degree was
for students. This brief also provides $21,400, for high school graduates it
several examples of what state leaders was $28,800, jumping to $46,300 a year
are doing to deal with these issues and for workers with a bachelor’s degree.3
some sources for additional information.
Experts are now calling for all students
to have a minimum of a solid high
Workforce Readiness school education and two years of post-
secondary education, if they are to be
Business leaders, educators – now successful in a workforce requiring
policymakers – are insisting that more advanced skills.
students leave school with the
Experts are now call- skills needed to be successful in today’s But this is easier said than done. A
ing for all students to knowledge-based economy. The stakes number of studies and recent reports
are high. America’s competitive edge in indicate too many high school students
have a minimum of a
the global economy, the strength and graduate without the skills or course-
solid high school
versatility of its labor force, its capacity work needed to succeed in college.
education and two to nourish research and innovation Without a strong college-prep curricu-
years of postsec- increasingly depend on an education lum, students have difficulty navigating
ondary education, if system capable of producing a steady the transition to postsecondary
supply of well-prepared young people. education.
they are to be suc-
cessful in a workforce
According to a new RAND report, The Some statistics tell the story. Nearly all
requiring more 21st Century at Work, rapid technologi- high school students aspire to attend
advanced skills. cal change and increased international college (97%), yet just 60% have the
competition place the spotlight on the minimum credits required for admission.
skills and preparation of the workforce, Yet of the 63% of high school students
particularly the ability to adapt to chang- who do make it to college, more than a
ing technologies and shifting product quarter of these students must take
demand. The growing importance of remedial coursework.4Although more
knowledge-based work favors workers students today begin college than 20
with the skills of abstract reasoning, years ago, greater proportions are not
problem solving, communication and graduating. Obviously, the pipeline has
collaboration. Knowledge workers will troubling gaps, disconnects and
need high-level skills for managing, weaknesses.
interpreting, validating, transforming,
Education Commission of the States 1
State Strategies for Redesigning High Schools and Promoting High School to College Transitions
How Well Are High Schools Educating Students?
The first stumbling block is many • Too few high school students take
high schools are not doing a good challenging courses.
job in educating – and graduating
• Most high school exit exams do
– all their students.
not measure what matters to col-
leges and employers.7
According to the National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP), stu-
dent achievement gains in high school Problems also exist in the pipeline from
high school to college. For every 100
are uneven or have leveled off:5
students who enter 9th grade, only 67
graduate from high school, 38 enroll in
• Since 1992, the average science
college, 26 are still enrolled in college
scores of 17-year-olds have
after their sophomore year, and only 18
remained essentially unchanged.
graduate with either an associate’s or
• Reading scores for 17-year-olds
baccalaureate degree within six years of
were slightly lower between 1986
graduating from high school.8The num-
and 1999.
bers are even worse for low-income stu-
• Achievement gaps were largely dents and for African American and
unchanged in the past 10 years. Hispanic Americans, the fastest-growing
proportion of the youth cohort. Only
18% of African Americans and 9% of
Anew ACTreport, Crisis at the Core,
Hispanics have earned a bachelor’s
reports that average composite ACT
degree.9The only way to increase the
For every 100 scores — a measure of high school
number of students who complete post-
students who enter preparation — have remained the same
secondary education is to improve the
or declined during the past five years.6
9th grade, only 67
pipeline linking high school, postsec-
Just 22% of ACT-tested high school
graduate from high ondary and “second-chance” education
graduates meet all three of ACT’s
school, 38 enroll in systems.
College Readiness Benchmarks. These
college, 26 are still benchmarks represent the level of
enrolled in college achievement required for students to
have a high probability of success in
after their sophomore
college biology, algebra and English
year, and only 18
composition.
graduate with either
an associate’s or bac- According to a recent report from the
calaureate degree American Diploma Project, for too many
graduates, a high school diploma does
within six years of
not represent adequate preparation for
graduating from high
the intellectual demands of college or
school.
work; it is merely a certificate of atten-
dance. The project identified these
problems with high schools and/or their
graduates:
• Most high school graduates need
remedial help in college.
• Most college students never attain
a degree.
• Most employers say high school
graduates lack basic skills.
2 Education Commission of the States
State Strategies for Redesigning High Schools and Promoting High School to College Transitions
What State Education Leaders Can Do
These issues clearly are getting students’transition from high school to students need to begin credit-
attention. The U.S. Department of postsecondary education. For example: bearing courses.
Education is sponsoring an initia-
• Enact dual-enrollment programs
tive called Preparing America’s Future Increasing Accountability for Student
so high school students can earn
High School. The next governors’edu- Performance
college credit, either by enrolling in
cation summit in February 2005 will • Administer end-of-course exams
college-endorsed classes taught
focus on high school reform. These and require a passing score to
by their high school teachers or by
actions are coupled with a number of receive credit toward graduation.
taking those classes on college
reports10 that make recommendations • Use high school graduation exams
campuses or though a distance-
for reforming high schools and aligning to ensure students meet standards
learning provider.
the education system to make the tran- to receive a high school diploma.
• Expand Advanced Placement or
sition to college more seamless for
• Develop and fund statewide reme-
other high-quality college-level
students. Asynthesis of key recommen-
dial programs to help students
programs in high schools.
dations for policymaker attention
pass high school exit exams.
includes the following: • Create middle-college programs
• Test every student at least once in
where students who complete a
Supporting High School Innovation grades 10-12 in reading/language
core high school curriculum by
• Provide a venture capital fund for arts, mathematics and science as
age 16 can attend two years of
districts to develop new types of required by the No Child Left
high school on a college campus.
high schools and new high school Behind Act. Include graduation
• Develop financial and other incen-
courses. Districts could apply for rates as a second indicator and
tives that will reward high schools
start-up funds to design and report annual results on adequate
and postsecondary institutions for
organize new high school models. yearly progress for schools and
students’successful progression
districts.
• Create small high schools in
to and through college.
grades 9-12. • Use performance measures to
• Create data systems that hold
assess students’work and post-
• Use school choice or charter
both high schools and postsec-
secondary-related skills.
schools to create more effective
ondary institutions accountable for
high schools. • Award advanced high school diplo-
how well they help students
mas to students who complete
achieve a postsecondary creden-
Strengthening the High School additional coursework, achieve tial by age 26.
Curriculum high test scores or graduate with a
• Create a P-16 council to analyze
• Align high school academic stan- specified gradepoint average.
data, align policies and put pro-
dards – and exit standards – with
• Provide incentives to reduce the
grams in place to ensure academ-
the knowledge and skills required
number of dropouts.
ic success at every grade.
for college and workplace
• Ask colleges to collect and report
success.
evidence of school and district Building the Capacity of High
• Require all students to take a col-
performance based on success of Schools ToTeach All Students
lege-prep curriculum (four years of
their students. to Higher Standards
English, three years of math, three
• Create incentives for successful
• Hold postsecondary institutions
years of natural science, three
teachers to share their knowledge
accountable for students receiving
years of social studies and two
and skills at increasing student
a degree.
years of a second language).
achievement with at-risk students.
Ensure there are quality teachers
to teach these courses. Bridging the Gap Between High • Develop programs for higher edu-
School and Postsecondary cation faculty to deliver content-
• Provide flexibility to districts to link
Education rich renewal courses or institutes
students’educational progression
• Use high school assessments for for teachers.
to their academic performance
college admissions, placement
• Ensure opportunities for high
rather than just to the courses
and/or the awarding of scholar-
school leaders to learn from the
they’ve taken.
ships. This means higher educa-
successes of others who have
tion leaders need to agree on a
developed successful high school
State education leaders then can look at common definition of the skills
programs.
policies and programs that help bridge
Education Commission of the States 3
State Strategies for Redesigning High Schools and Promoting High School to College Transitions
What States Are Doing
State leaders already are taking Strengthening the High School dent readiness for postsecondary
action. Many states are out in Curriculum education and reduce the remedi-
front of this issue and have imple- • Through its Advanced Placement ation high school graduates need.
mented many of the above policy rec- Incentive Program, Oklahoma
ommendations. To provide ideas and awards grants to school districts Bridging the Gap Between High
policy options to state education lead- that support APand/or School and Postsecondary
ers, short examples follow. International Baccalaureate cours- Education
es though “vertical teams.” Vertical • New Mexico requires next-step
Supporting High School Innovation
teams are composed of high plans for high school students in
• Under Governor Mark Warner’s
school and college faculty and are which the students set personal
Senior Year Plus initiative, a
expected to improve the articula- post-graduation goals. The law
Virtual Advanced Placement (AP)
tion between high school and requires a final next-step plan as a
School will provide Virginia high
postsecondary education. prerequisite for graduation.
school students with access to a
• California has developed a model • Texas has established the Middle
broader range of APcourses via
curriculum framework for imple- College Education Program to
existing distance-learning net-
mentation of career and technical serve students who are at risk of
works, regardless of where the
education courses that meet state- dropping out of high school or who
students live. An Electronic
adopted standards, as well as sat- wish to complete high school at an
Bulletin Board will show how any
isfying high school graduation and accelerated pace.
student can earn college credits
college admissions requirements.
while in high school, through • North Carolina has established
Advanced Placement, • Indiana has created a Web-based Innovative Education Initiatives to
International Baccalaureate, dual career planning tool for high develop cooperative efforts
enrollment and other options. A school students. Students start by between secondary schools and
statewide coordinator, “virtual” identifying a specific career, career institutions of higher education.
counselors, and school-based focus area or career cluster. When The goals are to reduce dropout
career guidance and academic a career is selected, the high rates, increase high school and
advising software will support the school course sequence for college graduation rates, and
Senior Year Plus initiative. grades 9-12 is identified for each decrease the need for remedial
student. The state is revising the programs in higher education. In
• Florida has passed legislation that
content of its graduation exam and addition, North Carolina encour-
limits the total number of students
its Core 40 end-of-course assess- ages early entry of motivated stu-
in elementary, middle and high
ments to reflect the knowledge dents into four-year college
schools “to reduce anonymity of
and skills needed for success in programs.
students in large schools.” Schools
postsecondary education or
that exceed these numbers are • California recently has estab-
employment after high school.
required to subdivide schools into lished a program to assist commu-
“schools-within-a-school.” These nity college students who want to
Increasing Accountability for Student
schools are encouraged to use earn baccalaureate degrees at a
Performance
flexible scheduling, team planning, California State University cam-
• Oklahoma has passed a bill that
and curricular and instructional pus. The chancellor of the system
adds “attainment of competencies”
innovation to organize groups of is to establish lower-division trans-
as a method of satisfying high
students with groups of teachers fer requirements for each high-
school-core course requirements.
to make smaller units. demand baccalaureate program.
Proficiency is demonstrated
• California has reduced the local • Washington now requires the
through testing (or some other
matching fund requirement to 40% Higher Education Coordinating
means) as an alternative to seat
of project costs on a pilot-program Board, the superintendent of pub-
time.
basis for the construction of high lic instruction and the State Board
• Arkansas requires postsecondary
schools meeting certain criteria. for Community and Technical
education institutions to report on
This legislation also provides addi- Colleges to convene a work group
high school students’readiness for
tional modernization funds for larg- to discuss standards and expecta-
higher education. The state
er high schools to reconfigure into tions for the knowledge and skills
requires schools and districts to
two or more smaller schools. high school graduates need for
develop strategies to improve stu-
college-level work and strategies
4 Education Commission of the States
State Strategies for Redesigning High Schools and Promoting High School to College Transitions
for communicating those stan- Resources and Additional Information
dards to all Washington high
schools.
For a recent report card on state To learn more how states and regions
Building the Capacity of High higher education systems, see the develop more aligned and equitable
Schools To Teach All Students National Center for Public Policy policies that help students prepare for
to Higher Standards and Higher Education’s Measuring Up and succeed in some form of postsec-
• North Carolina has established a 2004: The State-by-State Report Card ondary education, see the Bridge
Teacher Academy that employs for Higher Education at Project’s report, Betraying the College
teachers to assist in developing http://measuringup.highereducation.org. Dream, at
and delivering high-quality profes- http://www.stanford.edu/group/bridge-
sional development to other teach- project/.
The American Diploma Project has
ers during the summer. Additional
developed English and mathematics
follow-up with teachers during the To learn more about the Jobs for the
benchmarks that high school graduates
school year helps assure imple- Future project on Redesigning High
should have, along with an action agen-
mentation of knowledge and skills Schools: The Unfinished Agenda in
da. These are described in Ready or
gained in the summer programs. State Education Reform, go to
Not: Creating a High School Diploma
http://www.jff.org/jff/approaches/ia_youth
• For many years, Connecticut has That Counts, available at
trans.html.
extended professional develop- http://www.achieve.org/achieve.nsf/Ame
The Education Trust has a number of
ment training to teachers using ricanDiplomaProject?openform.
reports documenting student achieve-
university faculty to deliver special-
ment gains and the need for a stronger
ized content, especially in the sci- ACThas released a new report, Crisis
high school curriculum. ANew Core
ences and mathematics. at the Core: Preparing All Students for
Curriculum for All: Aiming High for Other
• Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner College and Work that describes how People’s Children is available at
has initiated the Virginia well high school students are prepared http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/Product+
Turnaround Specialist Program to succeed in college. The report is Catalog/Reports+and+Publications.htm.
that will prepare school principals, available at
through an executive education http://www.act.org/path/policy/pdf/cri- To learn more about the U.S.
program at the University of sis_report.pdf Department of Education’s Preparing
Virginia, to turn around consistent- America’s Future High School Initiative,
ly low-performing and hard-to-staff To learn more about how to make the visit http://www.ed.gov/highschool.
schools. senior year more meaningful, see the
National Commission on the High
To learn more about state policies and
School Senior Year report, The Lost
programs related to high school reform,
Opportunity of Senior Year: Finding a
go to http://www.ecs.org/highschool.
Better Way at
http://www.woodrow.org/CommissionOn
TheSeniorYear/Senior_Year_Report_Fin
al.pdf.
Jane Armstrong is an ECS senior
policy advisor.
Education Commission of the States 5
State Strategies for Redesigning High Schools and Promoting High School to College Transitions
Endnotes
1 Lynn Karoly and Constantijn Panis. Education at Degree Granting Post- 8 Peter T. Ewell, Dennis M. Jones and
The 21st Century at Work. RAND, Secondary Institutions in Fall 2000, Patrick J. Kelly. Conceptualizing and
2004. 2001. Researching the Education Pipeline.
National Center for Higher Education
2 Bureau of the Census. Occupational 5 National Center for Education
Management Systems, 2003.
Outlook Quarterly, Winter 2001-02. Statistics. NAEP1999 Trends in
Academic Progress: Three Decades of 9 National Center for Higher Education
3 Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Student Performance, 2002. Management Systems. Racial and
Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Spring
Ethnic Representation from High School
2002. 6ACT. Crisis at the Core: Preparing All
to College Completion, by State, 2000.
Students for College and Work, 2004.
4 National Center for Education
10 See the reports included in the
Statistics. The Condition of Education, 7American Diploma Project. Ready or
resources section of this issue brief.
2000. Also, see the National Center for Not: Creating a High School Diploma
Education Statistics, Remedial That Counts, 2004.
© 2005 by the Education Commission of the States (ECS). All rights reserved. The Education
Commission of the States is a nonprofit, nationwide organization that helps state leaders shape
education policy. Copies of this policy brief are available for $5 plus postage and handling from the
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