Creating a High School Diploma
That Counts: Lessons from the
American Diploma Project
Network
New England Board of Higher Education
November 29, 2007
Jobs in today’s workforce require
more education & training
Change in the distribution of education /
skill level in jobs, 1973 v. 2001
60%
40%
-9%
-23%
20%
32%
+16%
+16%
40%
31%
12%
9%
32%
28%
16%
0%
High school dropouts
High school graduates
Employment share, 1973
Some college/ associate
degree
Bachelor's degree &
higher
Employment share, 2001
Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. & Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K–16 Reform,
Educational Testing Service, 2003.
2
On-time graduation rates in every
New England states exceed the
national average
Freshmen Graduating On Time with a Regular Diploma
(2003)
100%
82%
75%
70%
79%
74%
72%
ME
MA
75%
78%
RI
VT
50%
25%
0%
U.S.
CT
NH
Source: Manhattan Institute, April 2006, Leaving Boys Behind: Public High School Graduation Rates.
3
Percentage of college students
Most U.S. college students
required to take remedial
courses fail to earn degrees
Percentage not earning degree by type of remedial
coursework
100%
 Many college
76%
students who
75%
63%
need remediation,
especially in
50%
reading & math,
do not earn either
25%
an associate’s or a
bachelor’s degree.
0%
Remedial reading
Remedial math
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 2004: % of 1992 12th graders
who entered postsecondary education.
4
Too Many Students Graduate from
High School Unprepared for College
and Work





30% of first year students in postsecondary
education are required to take remedial courses
40% - 45% of recent high school graduates report
significant gaps in their skills, both in college and
the workplace
Faculty estimate 42% of first year students in creditbearing courses are academically unprepared
Employers estimate 45% of recent high school
graduates lack skills to advance
ACT estimates only half of college-bound students
are ready for college-level reading
5
American Diploma Project Phase
1: 2002 - 2005





Partnership of Achieve, Education Trust, Fordham
Foundation and National Alliance of Business
Initial ADP research study conducted in Indiana,
Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada and Texas.
Involved wide variety of K-12, higher education and
business representatives.
Examined the work high school graduates do in the
college classroom and on the job, and the
preparation they needed to do the work.
Identified “must-have” knowledge and skills
graduates will need to be successful in college and
the workplace.
6
American Diploma Project

The American Diploma Project (ADP) was created to identify
the core academic skills necessary for success in postsecondary
education and careers.

Research by ADP



Sought to identify “must-have” knowledge and skills graduates will
need to be successful in college and the workplace.
Found a convergence between the skills that high school graduates need
to be successful in college and those they need to be successful in a job
that supports a family and offers career advancement.
Developed ADP benchmarks that include the content and skills all
students should have when they graduate high school.
7
College Ready = Career Ready


ADP research found a common core of
knowledge & skills in math and English that are
necessary for success in postsecondary
education and in “good jobs”.
ACT Study Ready for College Ready for Work:
Same or Different?:

whether planning to enter college or workforce training
programs after graduation, high school students need to
be educated to a comparable level of readiness in
reading and mathematics.
8
Key findings of ADP research

In mathematics, graduates need strong computation
skills, ability to solve challenging problems,
reasoning skills, geometry, data analysis, statistics,
and advanced algebra.

In English, graduates need strong reading, writing
and oral communication skills equal to four years of
grade-level coursework, as well as research and
logical reasoning skills.
9
The ADP Benchmarks:
Challenging content for all
students
To cover the content in the ADP benchmarks, high school
graduates need:
 In math:
 In English:


A rigorous four-year
course sequence
Content *equivalent to a
sequence that includes
Algebra I and II,
Geometry, and Data
Analysis & Statistics
*can be taught via different


Four courses
Content equivalent to
four years of grade-level
English or higher with a
strong focus on oral and
written communication
skills and considerable
research and analysis
pathways
10
American Diploma Project
The expectations gap
11
An Expectations Gap

We haven’t expected all students to graduate
from high school college- and work-ready




State standards reflect consensus about what is
desirable, not what is essential
Only 2 states required Algebra II for graduation in
2004
State tests measure 8th and 9th grade knowledge and
skills
High school accountability rarely focuses on
graduation rates or on college- and work-readiness
12
State high school standards not
always anchored in real-world
expectations


In most states, standards reflect a consensus among
discipline-based experts about what would be
important for young people to learn – not a
reflection of what would be essential to know to
succeed at the next level.
Few states’ postsecondary faculty & employers
have verified that state high school standards reflect
their expectations.
13
Students can pass state math tests
knowing content typically taught in
7th and 8th grade internationally
Grade when most international students cover content
required to pass state math tests
International Grade Placement
12
11
10
8.6
9
8
8.1
8.2
8.3
OH
TX
7.4
7.1
7
6
5
FL
MD
MA
NJ
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
14
Students tell us there is an
expectations gap
15
Most high school graduates were
moderately challenged
57%
56%
24%
53%
26%
20%
All high school
graduates
High expectations/
I was significantly
challenged
26%
17%
College
students
20%
Moderate
expectations/ I was
somewhat
challenged
Low expectations/
pretty easy to slide
by
Students who did
not go to college
Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates
Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.
16
If high school had demanded
more, graduates would have
worked harder
82%
80%
18%
17%
64%
63%
15%
High school graduates who
went to college
 Would have
worked harder
 Strongly feel
would have
worked harder
 Wouldn’t have
worked harder
18%
High school graduates
who did not go to college
Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates
Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.
17
Majority of graduates would have
taken harder courses
Knowing what you know today about the expectations of
college/work …
College students
Would have taken more
challenging courses in at
least one area
Would have taken
more challenging
courses in:
Math
Science
English
Students who did not go to college
62%
72%
34%
48%
32%
41%
29%
38%
Source: Peter D. Hart Research
Associates/Public Opinion Strategies,
Rising to the Challenge: Are High
School Graduates Prepared for
College and Work? prepared for
Achieve, Inc., 2005.
18
American Diploma Project
What will it take to close the
expectations gap?
19
ADP Network Policy Agenda




Align high school standards and assessments with the
knowledge and skills required for success in
postsecondary education and work.
Require all students to take a college- and work-ready
curriculum aligned with standards to graduate from high
school.
Administer a college- and work-ready assessment, aligned
to state standards, to high school students so they get clear
and timely information and are able to address critical skill
deficiencies while still in high school.
Hold high schools accountable for graduating students
who are college ready, and hold postsecondary institutions
accountable for their success once enrolled.
20
ADP Network launched at 2005
Summit: 13 states committed to
improving student preparation
21
American Diploma Project
Network
Joining the ADP Network requires a commitment
to the 4-part ADP Policy Agenda by:
 Governor
 Chief State School Officer
 State Higher Education System Leaders

Business Leadership
22
ADP Network today:
30 states now committed to
improving student preparation
23
American Diploma Project
Progress and Lessons from the ADP
Network
24
A growing number of states have
policies that help prepare H.S.
graduates for college and work
Aligned standards
5
Rigorous graduation
course requirements
8
8
High school tests used by
colleges
7
5
High schools accountable
for college readiness
3
0
15
4
4
P-16 longitudinal data
systems
31
21
6
7
2
42
5
10
15
2006
20
2007
25
30
35
40
45
50
In process/planned
25
Align high school standards with
the demands of college and work
26
Where do the New England States
Stand?

Connecticut reports that it is
planning to align its content
standards with college- and
career-ready expectations.

Maine, Massachusetts and
New Hampshire are in the
process of aligning their
standards.

Rhode Island’s college- and
career ready standards are well
aligned with ADP benchmarks
27
Creating College- and CareerReady Standards: Key Lessons

Postsecondary education has a critical role to play –
without a single, system-wide definition of readiness,
high schools won’t know what readiness means

The business and workforce development communities
must be involved in defining or validating essential
knowledge and skills

“Academic Standards for College and Career” must
drive high school curriculum, graduation requirements,
assessments, postsecondary placement and other policies
and tools.

Anchoring standards in the real world of college and
work leads to a high degree of consistency among states
28
Require all students to take a
college- and work-ready curriculum
29
College- and Career-Ready Core
Curriculum

9 states have made a college- and career-ready core
curriculum the default option

6 states have made the core mandatory for all
students

Massachusetts is considering a voluntary core
curriculum
30
College and Career-Ready Core
Curriculum: Key Lessons for
States

Course content matters more than course titles


Schools can provide a variety of curriculum pathways to
deliver the same content (e.g., integrated math, some CTE
programs)
States must pay attention to:



Quality and consistency of course content statewide
Participation rates in core curriculum – for all
students and by subgroups
Successful completion of core curriculum, using end of
course exams or other indicators of student
achievement
31
Build college-and work-ready
measures into statewide high
school assessment systems

Nine states administer high school assessments
also used by higher education to place incoming
students.




End-of-course: one state
New York
Comprehensive high school assessments: two states
California and Texas
College admissions tests – the ACT or SAT: six states
Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine and Michigan
Twenty-one states report plans to build college- and
work-ready assessments into their statewide testing
system.
32
Considerations for Using College
Admissions or Placement Exams
as High School Tests

Exercise Caution When Incorporating Admissions Tests
in Statewide Testing Systems


Neither the ACT nor the SAT include the full range of advanced
concepts and skills reflected in the ADP benchmarks and,
increasingly, in state high school standards
States need to augment the ACT and SAT with additional test
questions or with additional performance measures to ensure
stronger alignment with state standards and to assess the more
advanced concepts and skills

Use College Placement Tests for Diagnostic Purposes
Only – not for school accountability

Consider using end of course tests to tap higher level
content and skills
33
Algebra Content on College
Admissions and Placement Tests
100%
11%
14%
28%
35%
75%
19%
32%
50%
30%
24%
75%
25%
41%
42%
ACT
SAT
49%
0%
Prealgebra
ACCUPLACER
Basic algebra
COMPASS
Advanced algebra
Note: Totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding.
Source: Achieve, Inc., Aligned Expectations: A Closer Look at College Admissions and Placement Tests, 2007
34
California State University Early
Assessment Program



Augments 11 grade standards-based tests to ensure
alignment with high school curriculum
Provides early warning signals to students – CSU
guarantees placement in credit-bearing courses to
students who score well enough, and exempts them
from additional placement test
Has led to development of senior-year courses to
improve readiness for students who do not score
well enough
35
Spring 2006 11th-graders who
volunteered to take CSU’s Early
Assessment Program (EAP) test

Early Assessment of Readiness
for College ENGLISH

312,000 11th graders attempted
the EAP items and completed
the required essay.


Three quarters of the 420,000
students who took the English
California Standards Test
(CST).
48,000 (15%) scored “Ready for
College”

Early Assessment of Readiness
for College MATHEMATICS

137,000 11th graders attempted
the EAP items.


Three quarters of the 185,000
students who took the 11th grade
Summative Math or Algebra II
End-of-Course CST.
16,000 (12%) scored “Ready for
College”

An additional 59,000 (43%)
scored Conditionally “Ready
for College”
36
ADP Algebra II End-of-Course
Exam



Thirteen states are developing an end-of-course
exam in Algebra II.
Test content aligned with ADP math benchmarks
Purposes of the test:





To ensure consistent content and rigor in Algebra II
courses within and among states
To provide for comparisons in performance among the
states
To be used for postsecondary placement purposes
Initial test administration in Spring 2008
Additional states will be able to use this exam
37
States participating in a common
Algebra II EOC test
38
Hold high schools accountable for
student preparation and success

Ten states factor college and work readiness into
the high school accountability system.



Increasing the percentage of graduates who complete a
college- and work-ready curriculum: Delaware, Georgia,
Indiana, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma
and Texas
Factor college-going and/or remediation rates into their
high school accountability systems: Georgia, Missouri,
Oklahoma and Rhode Island
Seven other states plan to move in one or more of
these directions in the future.
39
Preliminary Framework for
Accountability Indicators


Stay in school and graduate on time

4-year cohort graduation rate

5-year cohort graduation rate

Percentage of “on-track” 9th-graders who earn enough credits to be promoted to 10th grade
Successfully complete graduation requirements aligned with
the demands of postsecondary education and careers

Percentage of students who earn the diploma by completing the college and career-ready
course of study

Percentage of students who perform at the proficient level or higher on the end-of-course
exams [or other assessments aligned to the standards taught in the required course
sequence] in English, math, science, social studies

Percentage of students who successfully complete the fourth year of mathematics aligned
with entrance in community colleges and state four-year colleges and universities
40
Preliminary Framework for
Accountability Indicators


Earn career-ready industry-recognized credentials
and/or college credit

Percentage of graduates who earn a minimum number of college credits before
graduation (through AP, IB, Early College, dual enrollment, etc.)

Percentage of recent graduates who earn an AA degree within 1 year
Succeed in postsecondary education and careers

Percentage of recent graduates who need postsecondary remediation

Percentage of recent graduates who persist in postsecondary education

Percentage of recent graduates who attain career-ready certificates, AA and BA
degrees

Percentage of recent graduates who enter the military or find meaningful,
family-supporting employment within three years of graduation
41
This is hard work!
States that show the greatest progress:
 Have unified and focused leadership from the
governor, the chief state school officer, state
postsecondary and business leaders
 Work closely with governing boards and legislatures
 Effectively engage the broader education
communities – K-12 and postsecondary educators
alike – to make the case for needed changes and
involve them in the work
 Have effective communications strategies for
educating the public
42
Creating a High School Diploma
That Counts: Lessons from the
American Diploma Project
Network
New England Board of Higher Education
November 29, 2007