The Case for College Readiness
Kent Pekel
Executive Director
College Readiness Consortium
University of Minnesota
College Readiness Consortium
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Three Critical Questions:
1. Why should college readiness be the goal
for all students?
2. What is college readiness?
3. What can we do to get all kids college
ready?
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College Readiness Consortium
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College Readiness Consortium
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College Readiness Consortium
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When I say the word college
it includes:
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College Readiness Consortium
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When I say the word readiness
it includes:
•
Academic Readiness
•
Admissions Readiness
•
Career Readiness
•
Financial Readiness
•
Personal and Social Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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Let’s start with some history…
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College Readiness Consortium
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W.B. Pillsbury, Scientific Monthly, 1921
“We can picture the educational system as having a
very important function as a selecting agency, a
means of selecting the men of best intelligence
from the deficient and mediocre. All are poured into
the system at the bottom; the incapable are soon
rejected or drop out after repeating various grades
and pass into the ranks of unskilled labor….The
more intelligent who are to be clerical workers pass
into the high school; the most intelligent enter the
universities whence they are selected for the
professions.”
Source: W.B. Pillsbury. Selection—An unnoticed function of education. Scientific Monthly, 12, January 1921, p. 71
For a long time, that system worked:
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: Claudia Goldin, “The Human Capital Century: Has U.S. leadership come to an end?”, Education
Next, Winter, 2003 (vol. 3, no. 1).
Approximated by % of persons with high school diploma in age groups 55-64, 45-55, 45-44 and 25-34 years
Source: Prof. Andreas Schleicher, OECD Directorate for Education
Brazil2
Mexico
Portugal
Turkey
Spain
Italy
1
Greece
13
Chile2
% 90
Korea
Ireland
Poland
Belgium
Iceland
Australia
France
OECD average
EU19 average
Luxembourg
1970s
Netherlands
United Kingdom3
Finland
Hungary
1980s
New Zealand
Slovak Republic
Israel
Slovenia
1990s
Austria3
Russian Federation4
Sweden
Norway
Canada
Denmark
Switzerland
Germany
10
Estonia
20
Czech Republic
College Readiness Consortium
80
United States
University of Minnesota
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The 20th Century Education Race:
High School Completion Rates
1960s
100
1
70
60
50
40
30
27
0
The 21st Century Education Race:
College Completion Rates
Cost per student
Expenditure per student at tertiary level (USD)
Australia
Austria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovak Republic
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Graduate supply
Tertiary-type A graduation rate
Cost per student
Expenditure per student at tertiary level (USD)
The 21st Century Education Race:
College Completion Rates
United States
Finland
Graduate supply
Tertiary-type A graduation rate
Expenditure per student at tertiary level (USD)
The 21st Century Education Race:
College Completion Rates
Australia
United Kingdom
Finland
Tertiary-type A graduation rate
Expenditure per student at tertiary level (USD)
The 21st Century Education Race:
College Completion Rates
Tertiary-type A graduation rate
Expenditure per student at tertiary level (USD)
The 21st Century Education Race:
College Completion Rates
Tertiary-type A graduation rate
Expenditure per student at tertiary level (USD)
The 21st Century Education Race:
College Completion Rates
Tertiary-type A graduation rate
Expenditure per student at tertiary level (USD)
The 21st Century Education Race:
College Completion Rates
Tertiary-type A graduation rate
Expenditure per student at tertiary level (USD)
The 21st Century Education Race:
College Completion Rates
Tertiary-type A graduation rate
Expenditure per student at tertiary level (USD)
The 21st Century Education Race:
College Completion Rates
United States
Australia
Finland
Tertiary-type A graduation rate
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College Readiness Consortium
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So why does it matter if our
education system isn’t as good as
Finland’s?
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College Readiness Consortium
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Projected GDP growth if U.S. high
school students catch up to Finland’s
$103 trillion
Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, “The High Cost of Low
Educational Performance: The Long-Run Economic Impact of Improving PISA Outcomes,”
OECD 2010
Why readiness matters
to individuals:
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey
Why readiness matters
to families:
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: Ron Haskins, “Education and Economic Mobility” in Getting Ahead or Losing Ground: Economic Mobility in America, edited by
Julia Isaacs, Isabel Sawhill, and Ron Haskins (Washington, D.C.: Brookings-Pew Economic Mobility Project, 2008), p. 91-104
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College Readiness Consortium
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But what about jobs that don’t require
a postsecondary degree?
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College Readiness Consortium
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Ongoing Research from ACT:
“…the majority of the fastest-growing jobs
that require a high school diploma, pay a
salary above the poverty line for a family
of four, and provide opportunities for
career advancement require knowledge
and skills comparable to those expected
of the first year college student.”
Source: ACT, Inc. How Much Growth toward College Readiness Is Reasonable to Expect in High School?, 2009
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College Readiness Consortium
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So what does Minnesota’s future look
like in this changing world?
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College Readiness Consortium
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Let’s take a look…
Educational Attainment
in Minnesota Today
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College Readiness Consortium
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Levels of Education for MN Residents Ages 25-64
Source: U.S. Census, 2000
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College Readiness Consortium
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Education and Jobs in Minnesota:
2008 vs. 2018
Source: Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, Help
Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through
2018, June 2010
Minnesota Grows Older
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: U.S. Census Counts and State Demographer Projection
Minnesota Grows More Diverse
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: Minnesota State Demographic Center
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College Readiness Consortium
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Is Minnesota educationally ready
for these challenges?
College Readiness in MN Today:
% Meeting ACT Benchmarks
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: ACT, Minnesota: The Condition of College and Career Readiness Class of 2010
% Meeting Readiness Benchmark
In Math
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: ACT, Minnesota: The Condition of College and Career Readiness Class of 2010
% Meeting Readiness Benchmark
In English
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: ACT, Minnesota: The Condition of College and Career Readiness Class of 2010
% Meeting Readiness Benchmark
In Social Science
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: ACT, Minnesota: The Condition of College and Career Readiness Class of 2010
% Meeting Readiness Benchmark
In Biology
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: ACT, Minnesota: The Condition of College and Career Readiness Class of 2010
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College Readiness Consortium
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Facing the Perfect Storm
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College Readiness Consortium
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Three Critical Questions:
1. Why should college readiness be the goal
for all students?
2. What is college readiness?
3. What can we do to get all kids college
ready?
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College Readiness Consortium
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Five Readiness Goals
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College Readiness Consortium
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Components of College
Readiness
•
Academic Readiness
•
Admissions Readiness
•
Career Readiness
•
Financial Readiness
•
Personal and Social Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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College Students Look Back
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College Readiness Consortium
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Jr. and Sr. High School Students
Look Forward
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College Readiness Consortium
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Components of College
Readiness
 Academic
Readiness
•
Admissions Readiness
•
Career Readiness
•
Financial Readiness
•
Personal and Social Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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Jenn (college student):
“I had a chemistry class my first quarter here…and I
was in that class with a lot of people who knew the
material. They were like, ‘Wow! This was easy.
Why don’t you know this?” And I felt like I was
dumb. And I knew I wasn’t. I worked so hard for a
C in college when in high school I was in AP
Chemistry and I got straight A’s…So it’s like I’m
trying to catch up and it’s hard. I wish someone
would have pushed me more….”
Source: “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for Postsecondary Education: Oral Histories of FirstGeneration Urban College Students,” M. Jeanne Reid and James L. Moore III, Urban Education Volume 43
Number 2, March 2008
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College Readiness Consortium
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JB (college student):
“ Writing in college has been one of the most
difficult things I have ever experienced. I would
definitely change my curriculum back in high school
to have the chance to do more writing and writing
about topics that are more academic….I spent three
years in ESL where we didn’t do as much
writing…writing little essays, not a big research
paper. Last semester I had to write three research
papers. One was 20 pages, one was 15 pages,
and one was 12 pages. They were all due back to
back.”
Source: “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for Postsecondary Education: Oral Histories of FirstGeneration Urban College Students,” M. Jeanne Reid and James L. Moore III, Urban Education Volume 43
Number 2, March 2008
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College Readiness Consortium
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J.B. (college student):
“ Take AP classes and take the postsecondary
courses. Get some college credit because colleges
are accepting college credits (you earn) while you
are in high school. Take AP classes. TAKE THEM!
TAKE THEM! TAKE THEM! It will help you so
much. And take a foreign language too!”
Source: “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for Postsecondary Education: Oral Histories of FirstGeneration Urban College Students,” M. Jeanne Reid and James L. Moore III, Urban Education Volume 43
Number 2, March 2008
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College Readiness Consortium
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Terra (college student)
“A lot of kids in high school, when they don’t
understand something, they go straight to their
teacher and ask for help….But if you automatically
go to the teacher and they give you the answer,
when you hit college, you’re going to want the
answer and go to your professor, and they’re just
going to look at you and tell you to go find the
answer.”
Source: “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for Postsecondary Education: Oral Histories of FirstGeneration Urban College Students,” M. Jeanne Reid and James L. Moore III, Urban Education Volume 43
Number 2, March 2008
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College Readiness Consortium
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The academically ready student can:
1.
Demonstrate mastery of knowledge and
skills required for college-level work in
English, math and science
2.
Analyze complex problems and develop
sound solutions
3.
Evaluate claims and hypotheses
4.
Ask and investigate important questions
about ideas, issues and the world
5.
Evaluate and revise work for accuracy
Components of College
Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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•
Academic Readiness
 Admissions
Readiness
•
Career Readiness
•
Financial Readiness
•
Personal and Social Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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Shannon (high school student):
“The reason why many students ‘fall through the
cracks’ in high school even though they want to go
to college is because all the helpful resources are
set up for students who seek them out, but those
resources do not seek out the students. The
students, in general, who seek out resources are
probably going to be the ones who will be
successful anyway. It’s everyone else who needs a
clue.”
Source: Ramp-Up to Readiness planning grant interviews, College Readiness Consortium, 2007
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College Readiness Consortium
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The admissions ready student can:
1.
Describe the purpose of postsecondary
education and the opportunities it offers
2.
Explain the main types of postsecondary
institution and differences between them
3.
Identify the type of postsecondary
institution that might be a good match
4.
Outline admissions requirements
5.
Plan for and complete applications
Components of College
Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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•
Academic Readiness
•
Admissions Readiness
 Career
Readiness
•
Financial Readiness
•
Personal and Social Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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Troy (junior high student):
“Before having guest speakers come to tell us
about college and careers, I thought that
school was just a place to hang out in. Now I
take that back. School is more than you
expect when you are trying to reach for your
goals.”
Source: Ramp-Up to Readiness student survey, Center for Applied Research and Educational
Improvement (CAREI), University of Minnesota, 2009.
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College Readiness Consortium
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The career ready student can:
1.
Describe globalization and its impact
2.
Explain the connections between
education, income and quality of life
3.
Identify the careers that will pay enough to
support a family and are increasing
4.
Outline the knowledge and credentials
needed for a broad range of careers
5.
Identify at least one career that might
match talents, interests and abilities
Components of College
Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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•
Academic Readiness
•
Admissions Readiness
•
Career Readiness
 Financial
•
Readiness
Personal and Social Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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Jenn (college student):
“My counselor encouraged me to apply for every
scholarship you could think of, grants, loans. She
gave me information on the loans with the lowest
interest rates. Web sites. I got everything on all of
it. Literally, I got applications every day for
scholarships. Even if sometimes they didn’t apply
to me, I got them.”
Source: “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for Postsecondary Education: Oral Histories of FirstGeneration Urban College Students,” M. Jeanne Reid and James L. Moore III, Urban Education Volume 43
Number 2, March 2008
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College Readiness Consortium
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The financially ready student can:
1.
Create and make decisions on a budget
2.
Identify current and projected future
postsecondary costs
3.
Explain how most families cover costs
4.
Outline his or her likely financial aid
5.
Complete aid applications on time
6.
Produce a realistic plan to pay
Components of College
Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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•
Academic Readiness
•
Admissions Readiness
•
Career Readiness
•
Financial Readiness
 Personal
and Social Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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Robert (college student):
“ Time management is probably the hardest to get
used to. You’re used to someone waking you. You
are used to being reminded and constantly told
about different stuff that now you have to do on
your own. I think that’s the hardest part. Taking
over from someone already having that structure for
you and now you have to be functional for your own
self.”
Source: “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for Postsecondary Education: Oral Histories of FirstGeneration Urban College Students,” M. Jeanne Reid and James L. Moore III, Urban Education Volume 43
Number 2, March 2008
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College Readiness Consortium
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Terra (college student):
“My high school gave us information, but we weren’t
prepared for classes that are really big. There’s no
one-on-one with the teacher unless you go to their
office hours and half the time, you don’t have time
for that. There’s no daily homework. You take
notes and an exam. In high school you have
homework every day. You have papers and
projects and a whole bunch of stuff to learn it better.
You take quizzes and then you have an exam. We
don’t have all that in college.”
Source: “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for Postsecondary Education: Oral Histories of FirstGeneration Urban College Students,” M. Jeanne Reid and James L. Moore III, Urban Education Volume 43
Number 2, March 2008
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College Readiness Consortium
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Laina (college student):
“I would definitely make myself study more in high
school if I could do it over. Even if I didn’t feel like I
had to. Study more, read the material…learn how
to study. Sit down and actually read the material
and understand it instead of just remembering it
while taking a quiz.”
Source: “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for Postsecondary Education: Oral Histories of FirstGeneration Urban College Students,” M. Jeanne Reid and James L. Moore III, Urban Education Volume 43
Number 2, March 2008
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College Readiness Consortium
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The personally and socially
ready student can:
1.
Set and monitor progress toward goals
2.
Invest the necessary amount of effort
3.
Take responsible risks to reach goals
4.
Accept and learn from feedback
5.
Seek help from peers and adults
6.
Manage time
7.
Maintains positive relationships with adults
Components of College
Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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•
Academic Readiness
•
Admissions Readiness
•
Financial Readiness
•
Career Readiness
•
Personal and Social Readiness
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College Readiness Consortium
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Three Critical Questions:
1. Why should college readiness be the goal
for all students?
2. What is college readiness?
3. What can we do to get all kids college
ready?
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College Readiness Consortium
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College Readiness for all is a
“Man on the Moon” Goal
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College Readiness Consortium
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What role can each of us play?

Parents:
Set the expectation

System leaders: Define the mission

School leaders: Create school-wide strategies

Teachers:
Teach students to GASP

Counselors:
Give systemic nudges

Students:
Turn aspirations into actions

Everyone:
Rethink intelligence
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College Readiness Consortium
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Parents:
Set the Expectation
From
“ If you go to college…”
to
“ When you go to college…”
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College Readiness Consortium
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System Leaders:
Define the Mission
Minnesota Suburban District:
“Educating our students to reach their full potential.”
Bellevue School District, Washington:
“Our mission is to provide every student with a topof-the-line college preparatory education.”
Minneapolis Public Schools:
“Every Child College Ready”
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College Readiness Consortium
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School Leaders:
Create School-wide Strategies
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College Readiness Consortium
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Teachers:
Teach Students to GASP
GASP Learning Experiences

Gather

Analyze

Synthesize

Present
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College Readiness Consortium
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Counselors:
Nudge Them Forward
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College Readiness Consortium
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multiple good options
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College Readiness Consortium
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Nudge #1
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Nudge #1
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College Readiness Consortium
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Nudge #2
Students:
Turn Aspirations Into Actions
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College Readiness Consortium
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Source: Education Week
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College Readiness Consortium
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Everyone:
Rethink Intelligence
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College Readiness Consortium
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The brain is like a muscle
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Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
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Learning From a Growth Mindset
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College Readiness Consortium
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Will (college student):
“I’d say I’m better prepared than many other
students in college because going through high
school I figured out what my mistakes were and
when I got to college I understood I was on my own
and it was about my decision making, so I just
learned from all my high school mistakes.”
Source: “College Readiness and Academic Preparation for Postsecondary Education: Oral Histories of FirstGeneration Urban College Students,” M. Jeanne Reid and James L. Moore III, Urban Education Volume 43
Number 2, March 2008
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College Readiness Consortium
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Emilee (6th Grade Student):
“By being in this college readiness class, I have
learned that to succeed in life you must be a failure
in something. You must have to want it to have it
and if you believe you can…you can. Being in this
class helped me realize that if I go to college to be a
doctor but I don’t really want to be a doctor, I’m not
going to try very hard to be a doctor. So I need to
know what I want and then I can change things it’s
up to me. Thanks you Mrs. Osmonson for giving us
the opportunity to learn how to live life the
successful and fun way!!!”
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College Readiness Consortium
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Three Critical Questions:
1. Why should college readiness be the goal
for all students?
2. What is college readiness?
3. What can we do to get all kids college
ready?
For more information, please visit
www.collegeready.umn.edu