Achieve’s American Diploma Project:
Cross State Initiatives Impacting
Mathematics Expectations and Policy
Florida Math Standards Conference
September 18, 2006
Achieve, Inc.
Created in 1996 by governors and concerned
CEOs
Bipartisan, independent, non-profit
Work with states to improve the quality of
standards, tests and accountability systems
Organized 1999, 2001, and 2005 National
Education Summits
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
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Achieve’s purpose is to:
Prepare all young people for postsecondary
education, work and citizenship by raising
academic standards and achievement in
America's schools.
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
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Achieve’s work:
help states benchmark their standards, assessments
and accountability systems against the best in the
country and the world
build partnerships that allow states to work together
to improve teaching and learning and raise student
achievement
provide sustained public leadership and advocacy for
the movement to raise standards and improve
student performance
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
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American Diploma Project
How well prepared are our students for the
world after high school?
What does it take to be prepared for
postsecondary education and work?
What do we expect of our high school
graduates?
What will it take to close the expectations
gap?
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
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American Diploma Project
 How
well prepared are our
students?
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U.S. high school graduation rates
have dropped over past 20 years
Public high school graduation rates, 1981–2000
75%
70%
65%
60%
1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Source: Mortenson, T., “Chance for College by Age 19 by State in 2000,” Postsecondary Education Opportunity: The Environmental
Scanning Research Letter of Opportunity for Postsecondary Education, No. 123, The Mortenson Research Center on Public Policy,
September 2002.
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High school graduation rate:
United States trails most countries
1
2
3
4
5
5
7
7
9
OECD Reporting
Country
Denmark
Norway
Germany
Japan
Poland
Switzerland
Finland
Greece
France
Graduation
Rate (%)
100
97
93
92
90
90
85
85
82
9
9
12
13
13
15
16
17
18
18
20
Hungary
Italy
Czech Republic
Belgium
Iceland
Ireland
United States
Sweden
Luxembourg
Spain
Slovak Republic
82
82
81
79
79
77
73
72
68
68
61
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Education at a Glance 2004, 2004.
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Percentage of 9th grade students
Too many U.S. students drop out
of the education pipeline
100%
75%
68%
50%
40%
27%
25%
18%
0%
Graduate
high school
Start college
Persist 2nd
year
Earn degree
Source: National Center for Public Policy & Higher Education, Policy Alert, April 2004. Data are estimates of
pipeline progress rather than actual cohort.
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Only about half of African American
and Latino students graduate from
high school in four years
Percentage of 9th grade students
On-time high school graduation, 2002
100%
78%
75%
50%
52%
56%
Latino
African
American
25%
0%
White
Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005,
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.
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A high school diploma is not the
last educational stop required
Share of new jobs, 2000–10
10%
31%
22%
36%
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
High school
dropout
High school
diploma
Some
postsecondary
Bachelor's
degree
Jobs that
require at least
some
postsecondary
education will
make up more
than two-thirds
of new jobs.
Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and
Donna M. Desrochers, Standards
for What? The Economic Roots of
K–16 Reform, Educational Testing
Service, 2003.
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Change in the Distribution of
Education in Jobs, 1973 v. 2001
60%
-9%
40%
20%
-23%
32%
40%
+16%
+16%
31%
12%
9%
32%
28%
16%
0%
High School
Dropouts
High School
Graduates
Employment Share, 1973
Some College / Bachelor's Degree
Assoc. Degree
& Higher
Employment Share, 2001
Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K–16 Reform, ETS, 2003.
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College bound does not
necessarily mean college ready
Percentage of U.S. first-year students in two-year and
four-year institutions requiring remediation
Reading
Nearly three in 10
first-year students
are placed
immediately into
a remedial college
course.
11%
14%
Writing
Math
22%
Reading, writing
or math
28%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Remedial Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in Fall
2000, 2003.
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Very few high school graduates
are “college ready”
Percentage of 9th grade students
graduating on time college ready
100%
75%
50%
45%
34%
27%
25%
0%
Lowest: Alaska
United States
Highest: New Jersey
Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005,
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.
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Too few minority students in U.S.
graduate from high school “college
ready”
Percentage of 9th grade students
graduating on time college ready
100%
75%
50%
25%
40%
20%
23%
Latino
African American
0%
White
Source: Manhattan Institute, Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002, February 2005,
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_08.htm.
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Most U.S. college students who take
remedial courses fail to earn degrees
Percentage of college students
Percentage not earning degree by type of
remedial coursework
100%
75%
76%
63%
50%
25%
0%
Remedial reading
 Many college
students who
need remediation,
especially in
reading and math,
do not earn either
an associate’s or a
bachelor’s degree.
Remedial math
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 2004.
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Clearly, we’ve got a problem
Students are following all the rules;
Meeting all of the requirements for a HS diploma; and
still-Falling through the cracks between high school and the
expectations of postsecondary institutions.
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American Diploma Project
What does it take to be
prepared for postsecondary
education and work?
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American Diploma Project
Partnership of Achieve, Inc.; The Education Trust; and
the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.
Partnered with Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts,
Nevada and Texas.
Involved wide variety of K–12, higher education and
business representatives.
Key finding: Unprecedented convergence of skills
required for success in college and work.
Created end-of-high-school benchmarks to convey the
knowledge and skills graduates will need to be
successful in college and the workplace.
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Expectations are the same for
both college & “good jobs”
The knowledge & skills that high school
graduates will need in order to be successful
in college are the same as those they will
need in order to be successful in a “good
job” that



pays enough to support a family well above the
poverty level,
provides benefits, &
offers clear pathways for career advancement
through further education & training.
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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.
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Work Ready is not the same as
Career Ready
Career Ready – The knowledge and skills needed to
gain further education and training in order to
succeed and advance in chosen career
Work Ready – The knowledge and skills needed to
gain an entry level job
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Blue-collar jobs require high-level
skills
Requirements for draftsmen:


Recommended high school courses include Geometry and
Trigonometry.
Draftsmen may wish to seek additional study in
mathematics and computer-aided design to keep up with
technological progress within the industry.
Requirements for electricians:

Recommended high school courses include Algebra,
Geometry, Trigonometry and Physics.
Sources: American Diploma Project, 2002; The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) http://www.agc.org/page.ww?section=About+AGC&name=About+AGC.
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Blue-collar jobs require high-level
skills
Requirements for iron workers:

Recommended high school courses include Algebra,
Geometry and Physics.
Requirements for sheet metal workers:


Four or five years of apprenticeship
Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and technical reading
Requirements for tool and die makers


Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or postsecondary
training
Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics
Sources: American Diploma Project, 2002; The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) http://www.agc.org/page.ww?section=About+AGC&name=About+AGC.
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Recommended Math Courses for
16 CTE Career Clusters
Algebra I,
Geometry, &
Algebra II
Arts, A/V
Technology &
Communications
Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, or Statistics
Architecture
Construction
&
Management, &
Administration
Technology
Manufacturing
Marketing,
Finance
Government
&
Public Administration
Tourism
Services
Information
Business,
Hospitality
Human
and
and Service
Sales
Transportation,
Distribution &
Logistics
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
Trigonometry, PreCalculus, or
Calculus
Agriculture,
Food &
Natural Resources
Education
Training
Health
&
Science
Law,
Public Safety,
Corrections&
Security
Science,
Technology,
Engineering and
Mathematics
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American Diploma Project
What does all this mean?
A high school diploma is necessary but not sufficient -good jobs that pay well and lead to careers require
high skills and further education or training beyond
high school.
There is a common core of English and math skills
necessary for success in college and in the education
and training that leads to careers.
The job of high schools is to help every 9th grader
graduate with at least these core skills -- so that
each student has choices and options after high
school.
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American Diploma Project
Methodology
Coming from the workplace perspective:
Defining workplace expectations
Securing input from employers on
preliminary workplace expectations
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What does it take to succeed in
“good” jobs?
ADP research found that:
84 percent of highly paid professionals took Algebra II
or higher in high school.
Employees in vast majority of good jobs took four
years of grade-level English.
Employers emphasize importance of workers being
able to think creatively and logically and to identify
and solve problems.
Fastest growing occupations require some education
beyond high school (e.g., certificate, bachelor’s
degree, associate degree, on-the-job training).
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American Diploma Project
Methodology
Coming from the postsecondary perspective:
Defining postsecondary expectations for
credit-bearing work

Test content analyses

Meetings with higher education faculty
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American Diploma Project
Methodology
Meetings with 2-year and 4-year college
faculty:
Define math content and skills needed for success in
credit-bearing courses
Articulate and prioritize these competencies
Determine degree to which state standards contain
these competencies
Identify gaps
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American Diploma Project
Convergence of workplace and postsecondary
findings:
Similar intellectual demands
Some variation in relative emphasis
Importance of reasoning and problem-solving skills
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ADP Post-secondary Institution Study:
Key findings
In math, graduates need knowledge and skills
typically taught in Algebra I, Algebra II and
Geometry, as well as some Data Analysis and
Statistics.
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
often associated with honors courses.
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To be college and work ready,
students need to complete a
rigorous sequence of courses
To be college and work ready, high school graduates
need:
In math:
In English:


Four years
Content equivalent to
Algebra I and II,
Geometry, and a fourth
course such as Statistics
or Precalculus
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK


Four years
Content equivalent to
four years of grade-level
English or higher (i.e.,
honors or AP English)
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American Diploma Project
The final steps:
Synthesizing preliminary workplace and
postsecondary expectations for review
Convening content area expert/employer panels
Gathering tasks and assignments from employers
and postsecondary faculty
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ADP Math Expectations
ADP Math benchmarks cover:





Number sense and
numerical operations
Algebra
Geometry
Data interpretations,
statistics and probability
Math reasoning skills
Typically taught in four courses
with content equivalent to:
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK




Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Additional advanced course
such as Statistics or Precalc
35
American Diploma Project
Mathematics Benchmarks
Benchmarks, supported by examples
Asterisks used to identify content recommended for
all but required for students planning to take
calculus
Technology as an important tool in problem solving
but not as a replacement for fluency and accuracy
in computation
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American Diploma Project
Mathematics Benchmarks
How are they being used?
Benchmarking state high school standards
Comparative analyses in states embarking upon the
development of college-readiness standards
Basis of comparison in analysis of tests
Backmapping to create a secondary progression and
sequences of high school courses
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K-12 progression and high school
course descriptions
ADP benchmarks are for all students.
They are cumulative— “end-of-high school” (but not
through calculus)
In mathematics, we are currently “backmapping” from
end of high school to create a K-12 progression
(building on pre-existing K-8)
Developing course descriptions as well
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American Diploma Project
Mathematics Benchmarks
So how are we “unpacking” the ADP
benchmarks?
Identifying prerequisite knowledge and skills
Defining a “universe” of content and skills that “bleeds
into” middle school
Creating a progression of knowledge and skills
“Evening out” the grain size
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American Diploma Project
Backmapping Progression
Where are we now?
Draft strands of the universe of content
Working to parse expectations into course sequences traditional and integrated
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American Diploma Project
What do we expect of our
high school graduates?
Standards
Course-taking requirements
Assessments
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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 and employers have
verified that state high school standards reflect their
expectations.
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Do state graduation requirements
reflect “college- and work-ready”
content?
To answer this question, Achieve:
Reviewed minimum high school course requirements
in all 50 states.
Compared each state’s requirements to what students
need to be successful in college and the workplace.
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44 states require students to take
certain courses to graduate from
high school
WA
MT
M
E
ND
OR
ID
SD
M
I
WI
WY
NV
CA
VT
NH
NY
MA
MN
AZ
PA
IA
NE
UT
IL
CO
IN
MO
KS
OH
WV
DE
NC
TN
SC
MS
AK
NJ
VA
AR
TX
MD
KY
OK
NM
RI
CT
AL
GA
LA
FL
HI
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23 states require Algebra I
WA
MT
M
E
ND
OR
ID
SD
M
I
WI
WY
NV
CA
VT
NH
NY
MA
MN
UT
AZ
PA
IA
NE
IL
CO
MO
KS
WV
VA
NC
TN
AR
SC
MS
TX
AK
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
MD
KY
OK
NM
IN
OH
AL
GA
LA
FL
45
16 states require Geometry
WA
MT
M
E
ND
OR
ID
SD
M
I
WI
WY
NV
CA
VT
NH
NY
MA
MN
UT
AZ
PA
IA
NE
IL
CO
MO
KS
WV
VA
NC
TN
AR
SC
MS
TX
AK
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
MD
KY
OK
NM
IN
OH
AL
GA
LA
FL
46
Only 8 states require Algebra II
WA
MT
M
E
ND
OR
ID
SD
M
I
WI
WY
NV
CA
VT
NH
NY
MA
MN
UT
AZ
PA
IA
NE
IL
CO
MO
KS
WV
VA
NC
TN
AR
SC
MS
TX
AK
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
MD
KY
OK
NM
IN
OH
AL
GA
LA
FL
47
Algebra II critical for college and
work
High school graduates extremely or very well prepared for
expectations of college/work
100%
Completed less than Algebra II
Completed Algebra II/more
75%
68%
60%
46%
50%
26%
25%
0%
College students
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.
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A strong high school curriculum*
improves college completion and
narrows gaps
100%
79%
75%
61%
30%
86%
13% 73%
45%
0%
All college entrants
African American
Entrants who had strong high
school curriculum
Latino
White
*Completing at least Algebra II plus other courses.
Source: Adapted from Adelman, Clifford, U.S. Department of Education, Answers in the Toolbox, 1999.
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Only four in 10 high school students
complete a college- and work-ready
math curriculum
Taking a math course beyond Algebra II* by graduation
(2002)
100%
71%
75%
50%
25%
41%
20%
0%
Lowest: Nevada
United States
Highest: West Virginia
*Trigonometry or Precalculus.
Source: Council of Chief State School Officers, State Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education 2002, 2003, p. 27.
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Do assessments measure
“college-ready” skills?
Half the states require students to pass one or more
exams to earn a high school diploma.
What does it take to pass these tests?
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The tests Achieve analyzed
Math
First
Graduating
Class Facing
Requirement
•
2003
•
•
2009
•
•
•
2003
11th
•
•
•
2003
Ohio
10th
•
•
2007
Texas
11th
•
•
2004
Grade
Given
Reading
10th
•
End of
course
•
Massachusetts
10th
New Jersey
State
Florida
Maryland
Writing
•
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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Good news: States are measuring
algebra and geometry
Percentage of total points
60%
50%
38%
40%
31%
30%
20%
19%
12%
10%
0%
Number
Algebra
Geometry &
measurement
Data
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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Bad news: States tend to
measure lower-level content
Percentage of total points
60%
56%
50%
40%
30%
30%
20%
15%
10%
0%
Prealgebra
Basic algebra
Advanced algebra
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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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
7
8.1
8.2
8.3
OH
TX
7.4
7.1
6
5
FL
MD
MA
NJ
Source: Achieve, Inc., Do Graduation Tests Measure Up? A Closer Look at State High School Exit Exams, 2004.
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American Diploma Project
What will it take to close the
expectations gap?
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Closing the Expectations Gap:
ADP Policy Agenda
Align high school standards with college and work
expectations.
Require all students to take curriculum aligned with
standards.
Include “college-ready” test, aligned with state
standards, in high school assessment system.
Hold high schools accountable for graduating students
college- and work-ready, and hold postsecondary
institutions accountable for student success.
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ADP Network: 25 states committed
to improving student preparation
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ADP Math Tools and Support:
Standards
K-12 Math Benchmarks
High School Course Descriptions




Traditional math sequence
Integrated math sequence
Capstone Courses
Applied Sequence
Alignment Institute and other technical support
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Achieve provides alignment
support to 18 states
WA
MT
M
E
ND
OR
ID
SD
M
I
WI
WY
CT
PA
IA
NV
CA
VT
NH MA
NY
MN
NE
UT
IL
WV
CO
KS
AZ
IN
OH
MO
NC
TN
AR
SC
MS
TX
AK
NJ
DE
MD
VA
KY
OK
NM
RI
AL
GA
L
A
FL
LEGEND
ADP Alignment Institutes
Achieve Alignment Support
HI
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
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ADP Math Tools and Support:
College-Ready Assessment
Common Algebra II Test
Do Graduation Tests Measure Up?: A Closer Look at
High School Exit Exams
Study of what commonly used college admissions and
placement tests measure
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ADP Algebra II End-of-Course
Exam
Nine states will issue RFP for development of Algebra
II test in the Fall of 2006.
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
Test will be administered no later than Spring 2008
Additional states will be able to use this exam
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States working together to develop
a common Algebra II EOC test
WA
MT
M
E
ND
OR
MN
ID
SD
WY
NV
CA
UT
AZ
PA
IL
CO
IN
MO
KS
OH
VA
NC
TN
AR
SC
MS
TX
AK
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
NJ
MD
WV
KY
OK
NM
RI
IA
NE
MA
NY
M
I
WI
AL
GA
LA
FL
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Math Tools and Support:
Improving Instruction
Urban Math Leadership Network in partnership with
Charles A. Dana Center/UT Austin

Focus on developing tools and strategies to help urban
districts increase success in Algebra I
Aligned Instructional Systems





Formative assessments
Model Curriculum
Sample Lessons and Assignments
Professional Development
Supports for Students
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Math Tools and Support:
Advocacy
Making the case for Algebra II

Research that supports necessity of advanced math skills
for 21st Century work as well as for college

Examples of successful state, district and school initiatives
AMERICAN DIPLOMA PROJECT NETWORK
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For more information,
please visit Achieve, Inc., on the Web at
http://www.achieve.org
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Achieve’s American Diploma Project:
Cross State Initiatives Impacting
Mathematics Expectations and Policy
Florida Math Standards Conference
September 18, 2006