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September 16, 2011

It depends on how you define college

Filed under: 21st century education,college — Tags: , , , — rstandrie @ 9:56 am

You’ll probably see some headlines today about the U.S. falling in yet another global ranking: this one about how many young adults finish college. Before you sigh over a declining country, or roll your eyes at an “education-bashing” story, though, take a look at the statistics. They raise a more interesting question than the usual global horse race.

First, it’s true: The U.S. is falling behind. South Korea, Canada, and Japan lead the nations in the number of 25- to 34-year-olds who attained an associate-level, bachelors, or advanced degree. (They had rates of 63, 56 and 56 percent, respectively.) The U.S. is somewhere in the middle of the pack of developed nations with a rate of 41 percent, falling from 12th to 16th place.

So here’s the interesting piece: According to an article examining the results in The Washington Post, this is happening in part because the leading countries are focusing on one- or two-year associate-level degrees, whereas the U.S. is focused on the four-year bachelor’s degree. (The other is a rapid expansion of college attendance in Asia and Europe — a significant factor to consider.)

Combine that with the recent recommendations for measuring and defining community college success rates, and the question comes up again: what should community colleges be doing? Should our focus, too, be on increasing associate-level degrees? Does the workplace currently accept that? How would you define college?

And, most importantly, what about those who start college — any type of college — but don’t finish?

Read our pieces on 21st century education and college and career readiness to get the background for your answers. But how to define — and then attain — a helpful college degree is still a question that needs to be examined. –Rebecca St. Andrie





September 14, 2011

SAT scores dropped while ACT scores rose

Filed under: college,Course taking,High school,Report Summary — Tags: , , , , — Jim Hull @ 2:25 pm

Today’s 2011 SAT results provide conflicting findings on how prepared high graduates are for the rigors of college courses. On one hand, last month’s ACT results showed a slight increase in scores while this year’s SAT results show a fairly significant decline. Unfortunately, there is no clear reason for these conflicting results, especially as more students are taking both the ACT and the SAT. It could be that students are just getting more comfortable taking the ACT because it is specifically designed to be aligned with what students actually learned in high school, like the standardized tests they have been taking throughout their academic careers. The SAT is designed as a reasoning test with more abstract concepts, which may be different from what students are familiar with.

No matter the reason, the drop in SAT scores over the past several years is a cause for concern. Yes, more students are taking the SAT than ever before—which is a good thing—but that can cause scores to drop. Yet, more students are also taking the ACT and those scores have increased. With no clear national explanation, it is important for districts and individual schools to examine their own ACT and SAT results to gain a better understanding of how prepared their students actually are for college. Keep in mind that college entrance exams such as the ACT and SAT are just one indicator schools and districts can use to determine how prepared their students are for college but it is an important tool.

To learn more on how to use ACT and SAT scores and other indicators to determine how well your schools are preparing their students for college check out this video on the Center’s Data First Web site. – Jim Hull

Selected Findings

National Scores

  • The nation’s graduating Class of 2011 had an average composite score of 1500, which was lower than 2010 (1506) and much lower than in 2006 (1518), when the writing assessment was first introduced.
    • At a score of 1500, an average high school graduate has about a 75 percent chance of getting admitted into a good college*.
  • Scores declined on all three sections over the past year. Scores decreased by three points on the Critical Reading section (497), by two points on the Writing section (489) and one point on the Math section (514) from the year prior. 
  • Scores declined for most racial/ethnic groups.
    • The average combined Hispanic student score was 1358 in 2011, which is six points lower than in 2010 and 12 points lower than 2006.
    • The average Black student score was 1272 in 2011, which is five points lower than in 2010 and 19 points lower than in 2006.
    • The average White student score was 1576 in 2011, which is four points lower than the 2010 score and six points lower than in 2006.

College Readiness

  • Nearly half (43 percent) of 2011 high school graduates scored higher than 1550, which is the SAT’s new benchmark to be considered “college ready.”
    • A student who scores a combined 1550 or higher has a 65 percent chance of earning a B-minus grade point average in their freshman year courses.
  • While more than half (53 percent) of White students were college ready, just 23 percent of Hispanic students and even fewer (15 percent) of Black students reached the SAT’s college readiness benchmark.
  • Those students who took AP or Honors courses nearly doubled their chances of being college ready. Eighty-three percent students who took AP or Honors math reached the “college ready” benchmark on the math section, compared to 40 percent of students who did not take AP or Honors math.

Core Course Rigor

  • Seventy-five percent of SAT test takers completed the recommended “core” college-preparatory curriculum, which is an increase from 70 percent in 2001.
    • Just 66 percent of Black students and 69 percent of Hispanic students completed the core curriculum, compared to 80 percent of white students.
  • High school graduates who completed at least the core curriculum scored 143 points higher on the combined SAT score than students who did not complete the core curriculum.
    • A 143 point decrease in the combined SAT score for an average student decreases his or her chances of getting admitted into a good college from 75 percent to 67 percent.*
  • High school graduates who took AP or Honors courses scored significantly higher than all test takers not only in that subject area but in all three SAT sections.
    • Those who took AP or Honors English scored 163 points higher than all test takers.
    • Those who took AP or Honors Math scored 206 points higher than all test takers.

Test Takers

  • Nearly 1.65 million students from the class of 2011 took the SAT sometime during their high school career. This represents about a 6 percent increase from 2010.
  • In 25 states, at least 40 percent of high school seniors took the SAT sometime during their high school career.
  • Slightly more minority students are taking the SAT.
    • In 2011, 29 percent of SAT test takers were Hispanic or Black, compared to 20 percent in 2006. However, the increase may be due at least in part to reporting, since the percent of students who marked “No Response” to being asked their race/ethnicity decreased from 9 percent to 4 percent during this same period.
    • Furthermore, the percent of test takers who were White decreased slightly between 2006 and 2011 from 56 percent to 53 percent.
  • The vast majority (80 percent) of SAT test takers want to earn at least a bachelor’s degree. 

* Data based on calculations from the Center for Public Education’s Chasing the College Acceptance Letter: Is it harder to get into college.





September 12, 2011

Measuring community college success

Filed under: college,Data,High school — Tags: , , , — rstandrie @ 11:11 am

Different students, different goals, more data. Those are the sensible recommendations of a committee tasked by the Education Department to strengthen how the government measures community colleges’ success.

Basically, the draft report of the committee (which is still open for discussion) outlines several goals:

* Broaden the coverage of student graduation data to reflect the diverse student populations at two-year colleges

* Improve the collection of student progression and completion data

* Encourage colleges to disclose comparable data on measures of student learning and employment outcomes

* Improve coordination of data related to student success.

What I find most interesting is how the report defines different student populations — for instance, students looking to transfer, students looking to earn a two-year degree, and students taking continuing education; part-time students vs. full-time students — and then discusses determining “success” for each of those groups.

What do you think would determine “success” for each of those groups? And what about the high school preparation students get before they enter community college? See our video on college and career readiness to get a surprise on what different groups need in high school. –Rebecca St. Andrie





August 17, 2011

More students ‘college ready,’ according to ACT report

Filed under: college,Data,High school,Report Summary — Tags: , , , — Jim Hull @ 3:55 pm

There was a slight increase in the percent of 2011 high school graduates ready for college English, math, social science, and science courses, according to The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2011 report released today. 

It is good news that the percent of students considered “college ready” increased, especially since it has been increasing for several years. This shows our high schools are graduating more students ready to succeed in college. This is likely because more students are taking more rigorous courses. As the Center’s Chasing the College Acceptance Letter found, those students who take more rigorous courses increase their chances of getting into a good college at a greater rate than students who simply improve their grades.

However, the results also show that progress has been slow and gaps between groups of students persist. The progress needs to accelerate exponentially to close the gap between the percent of students who want to go onto earn a 4-year degree (83 percent) and those who are “college ready” (25 percent) so they are adequately prepared for such college level work when they enter college. Yes, high schools are on the right track, but there is much more work to be done to truly meet the needs of their students. – Jim Hull

Key Findings

College Readiness

  • Just 25 percent of 2011 high school graduates were college ready in all four ACT subject tests (English, Reading, Math, and Science), which is a 1 percentage point increase from 2010 and a 4 percentage point increase from 2006.
    • Of the states that had at least 40 percent of their graduates take the ACT, Minnesota had the highest percentage (36 percent) of students college ready in all four subjects.
    •  Students who achieve these benchmarks are ready to succeed in first-year, credit-bearing college courses in the specific subjects ACT tests, according to ACT research. “Success” is defined as a 75% likelihood of earning a ‘C’ or better in the relevant course.
  • Black and Hispanic students were much less likely to be college ready than their White peers.
    • Just 4 percent of Black students and 11 percent of Hispanic students reached all four ACT college readiness benchmarks, compared to 31 percent of White students.
  • The percent of students who scored at or above the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks increased from 43 percent to 45 percent in math and from 28 percent to 29 percent in science between 2010 and 2011.
    • There was no change in the percent of students who were college ready in English (66 percent) and reading (52 percent).   
  • Minnesota was the only state where at least 50 percent of students were able to meet at least three of the four College Readiness Benchmarks.
    • In eleven states, between 40 and 49 percent of students met three out of four benchmarks.
    • Nationally, 40 percent of 2011 graduates met three out of four benchmarks.

Core Course Rigor

  • Seventy-four percent of ACT test takers completed the recommended “core” college-preparatory curriculum, which is an increase from 71 percent in 2010.
  • High school graduates who completed at least a core curriculum earned composite test scores 2.2 to 3.1 points higher than students who did not complete a core curriculum.
    • A three point decrease for an average student decreases his or her chances of getting admitted into a good college from 72 percent to 62 percent.*
  • In math, students who took courses through at least Trigonometry were nearly three times more likely to meet the math college readiness benchmark than students who stopped at Algebra II and geometry.
  • Black and Hispanic students were less likely to have completed a core curriculum than White students.
    • While 76 percent of White students complete a core curriculum, just 69 percent of Black students and 72 percent of Hispanic students did so.

Test Takers

  • About 49 percent of all 2011 high graduates took the ACT, compared to 42 percent in 2007. The ACT has seen a 25 percent increase of test takers just since 2007. 
  • More minority students are taking the ACT.
    • In 2011, nearly 25 percent of ACT test takers were Hispanic or Black, compared to 19 percent in 2007. However, the increase may be due at least in part to reporting, since the percent of students who marked “No Response” to being asked their race/ethnicity decreased from 13 percent to 5 percent during this same period.
    • Furthermore, the percent of test takers who were White remained relatively the same between 2007 and 2011, at about 60 percent.
  • The vast majority (83 percent) of ACT test takers want to earn at least a bachelor’s degree. These aspirations do not differ significantly by a student’s race/ethnicity. 

For more information on how to use college entrance exam scores to evaluate your school, check out the Center’s Date First Web site.

The ACT National and State Reports:

http://www.act.org/news/data/11/index.html

* Data based on calculations from the Center for Public Education’s Chasing the College Acceptance Letter: Is it harder to get into college.





August 11, 2011

How does your state’s standard compare?

Filed under: 21st century education,Assessments,NAEP,national standards,Report Summary,standards,Testing — Tags: , , , , , — Jim Hull @ 10:12 am

Yesterday, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the U.S. Department of Education released a new report, Mapping State Proficiency Standards onto NAEP Scales: 2005-2009. The report enables states to compare the rigor of their standards for proficiency in fourth and eighth grades in both math and reading to that of other states. To do so, it places each state’s assessment cut-score for proficiency — the score which students much reach to be considered proficient — onto NAEP’s scoring scale using statistical mapping techniques. This means it shows where on NAEP’s scoring scale a student would fall if that student scored right at the state’s cut-score for proficiency on the state assessment.

Example: If a fourth grader in Vermont scored at the proficient cut-score on the Vermont state assessment, that score would correspond to a score of 214 on NAEP, which falls within NAEP’s Basic Achievement Level.

 What did the report find?

  • The differences where states set their proficiency standards vary greatly.
    • The difference in scores between the states with the five highest and lowest standards is comparable to the difference in scores between NAEP’s Basic and Proficient levels.
    • The range of state standards is between 60 and 71 NAEP points, which equates to about six or seven years of learning. It is also more than twice the size of the Black/White achievement gap in 4th grade reading, which is 25 NAEP points.
  • Most state’s proficiency standards are at or below NAEP’s definition of Basic performance.
    • In grade 4 reading, 35 of 50 states set their standard for proficiency lower than NAEP’s cut-score for its Basic level. For grade 8 reading, 16 out of the 50 states did so.
    • In grade 4 math, seven of 50 states set their score for proficiency below the cut score for NAEP’s Basic level, with 42 states setting their proficiency score within NAEP’s Basic level. One state—Massachusetts—set its proficiency score within NAEP’s Proficiency level. Similar results were found in at the 8th grade level.
  • The rigor of state standards increased in states that substantively changed their assessments between 2007 and 2009.
    • Across the 34 math and reading assessments that substantively changed between 2007 and 2009, in 21 cases the rigor of the standards increased.
    • In just 5 cases did the rigor of the state standards decrease.
  • Most state results show more positive changes in the proportion of students reaching proficiency than NAEP results.
    • The change in the percent of students reaching proficiency between 2007 and 2009 was more positive in 17 of 22 state assessments than on NAEP.

Keep in mind when reading the report that NAEP does not necessarily define proficiency the same way states do. NAEP defines Proficiency as competency over challenging subject matter, not grade-level performance as states attempt to do. It is also worth mentioning that no country, not even the highest performing countries, would have 100 percent of their students reach NAEP’s Proficiency level. and that some leading assessment experts have stated that proficiency for accountability purposes probably lies somewhere between NAEP’s Basic and Proficient levels.

Even with that in mind, the results should be a warning flag to many states, especially those who set their proficiency standard below NAEP’s Basic level. But this could be a moot point in the coming years, as most states have signed on to the Common Core of Standards, where the goal is college and career readiness, not proficiency as both state assessements and NAEP are currently setup to measure. In the meantime, states should still ensure they set their proficiency standards at a level where students demostrate they have the skills necessary to get into college or get a good job after high school. – Jim Hull

For more information on how NAEP’s proficiency levels compare to states’, check out the Center for Public Education’s The proficiency debate: A guide to NAEP achievement levels.

The graph below from today’s report shows where your state’s cut-score for proficiency falls on the NAEP 8th grade math assessment score scale (Other grade and subjects can be found on pages 10, 11, and 12 of the report). Scores above 299 fall in or above NAEP’s Proficient level, while scores above 262 but below 299 fall within NAEP’s Basic level.





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