Sponsored by the Kansas City Area P-20 Council and REL Central at McREL in partnership with the Kansas City Area Research Consortium (KC-AERC)

1970
College Grads
NOW
College Grads
70%
30%
USA
Rest of
World
15%
85%
Source: Education Equality Project
USA
Rest of
World

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S GOAL
 “Education is the issue of our time.”
 Increase the college graduate rates in the United
States from 40% to 60% by
2020.
 Produce 8 million additional college graduates among 25-
34 year olds.
LUMINA FOUNDATION’S BIG
GOAL
 “Increase the proportion of
Americans with high quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025.”

Kansas City
Metropolitan Context
& Research
National Context &
Research

 Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Support
 Contracted with Kansas City Area Education Research
Consortium (KC-AERC) to Conduct Asset Map of Region
 Collected core asset information
 10 educational sectors
 9 regional counties
 Missouri – Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte, Ray
 Kansas – Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Wyandotte
 Compiled information into database
 Conduct a SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) of collected data

1. Increase the number of high school graduates successfully transitioning to post-secondary institutions.
2. Increase the number of postsecondary students attaining degrees and other credentials needed for career employability.

 Focus on five counties including: Jackson, Clay,
Platte (in Missouri); Wyandotte and Johnson (in
Kansas).
 Create a large, comprehensive coalition comprised of business, civic, labor, government, political, educational and nonprofit leaders in the five county region to address two work on focus areas.

Partners with P20 Council for today’s event
 YOU as the participants
 Greater Kansas City P20 Council Steering Committee
 Honorable Cindy Circo, Thalia Cherry, Debbie Goodall, Laura Loyacono,
Linda Washburn
 Kansas City Area Education Research Consortium (KC-AERC)
 Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, Dr. Joseph Heppert & Sarah Frazelle
 Central Region Educational Laboratory (REL Central at McREL)
 Susan Lopez & Heather Hoak
Dr. Jeff Williams
Vice President for Higher Education, Kauffman Scholars, Inc., and
Member, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
(McREL) Board of Directors

Bob Marcusse
President and CEO
Kansas City Area Development Council

 Terry Akins, Business Manager, IBEW Local 124
 Scott Anglemeyer, Executive Director, Workforce Partnership
 Dr. Terry Barnes, Assistant to the Provost, Community College
Partnerships and Workforce Development, MU
 Cindy Circo, Kansas City, Missouri, Councilwoman
 Laura Evans, Talent Strategist, Cerner Corporation
 Greg Graves, Chairman of the Board, Greater KC Chamber of
Commerce, and President and CEO of Burns & McDonnell
 Bob Marcusse, President and CEO, Kansas City Area Development
Council

Regional Educational Laboratory System

Regional Educational Laboratory System
To serve the educational needs of designated regions —using applied research, development, dissemination, and training and technical assistance —to bring the latest and best research to school improvement efforts.

 Provide analytic help to states and districts in each of ten regions
 REL Central serves Kansas and Missouri, along with Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota, and Wyoming
 RELs conduct:
 Rigorous Studies
 Fast Response Project Reports
 Bridging Research to Policy and Practice Events

 Create opportunities for practitioners and policymakers to learn about the latest evidencebased research
 Provide a forum for educators to engage with researchers and each other to improve practice
 Inspire the development of communities of practice as a strategy for providing on-going technical assistance

Purpose
To provide practical recommendations for educators to address everyday challenges
•
Are developed by a panel of nationally recognized researchers and practitioners
•
Provide a systematic review of research on topics challenging to educators
•
Include actionable recommendations, concrete how to steps, roadblocks and solutions, and indicators of the strength of evidence supporting each recommendation

 Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics:
Response to Intervention (RtI) for Elementary and Middle
Schools
 Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tier Intervention in the
Primary Grades
 Using Student Achievement Data to Support
Instructional Decision Making

Strong Requires
(1) studies whose designs can support causal conclusions
(internal validity) and
(2) studies that in total include enough of the range of participants and settings on which the recommendation is focused to support the conclusion that the results can be generalized to those participants and settings (external validity).
Moderate Requires
(1) studies that support strong causal conclusions but where
Low generalization is uncertain or
(2) studies that support the generality of a relationship but where the causality is uncertain.
Based on expert opinion derived from strong findings or theories in related areas and/or expert opinion buttressed by direct evidence that does not rise to the moderate or strong level. Low evidence is operationalized as evidence not meeting the standards for the moderate or high level.

•Publishes Practice Guides
•In-Depth Research
Reviews in Critical Areas
•Quick Reviews of Recently
Released Studies
•Resources for Supervisors and School Leaders and
Classroom Teachers

•Recommendations for use by educators to develop practices to increase access to higher education
•Target audience is individuals who work in schools and districts
•Dr. William Tierney is the chair of the expert panel for this Practice Guide

Improving Access to College
William G. Tierney
University Professor,
Wilbur Kieffer Professor of Higher Education
Director,
Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis http:/www.usc.edu/dept/chepa/

Percentage of 15- to 19-year olds enrolled in tertiary education for 11 OECD Countries in 2001
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
81.1
A ust ra lia
C an ad a
75
85.3
89.4
Fi nl an d
G er m an y
80.9
Ire la nd
Ja pa n
79.3
K or ea
OECD Countries
41
86.4
74.7
77.6
M exi co
S w ed en te d
Ki
U ni ng do m
U ni te d
St at es
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2003)

In today’s dollars, bachelor’s degree recipients can expect to earn about 1 million more during working careers than high school graduates.

Median income of workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher is about double the income for those with only a high school degree.
$50,000
$45,000
$40,000
$35,000
$30,000
$25,000
$20,000
$15,000
$10,000
$5,000
$0
H ig h
Sc ho ol
C ol le ge
Yearly
Earnings

Source: The Kansas Commitment/Georgetown University

Kansas System of Higher Education:
Fall 2010 Preliminary Report
Headcount Enrollment by Percentage
60,0%
50,0%
40,0%
53,9%
43,5%
30,0%
20,0%
10,0%
0,0%
2,6%
Public Universities Community Colleges Technical Colleges
Source: Kansas System Enrollment Report to Regents January 19, 2011.

Kansas System of Higher Education:
Fall 2010 Preliminary Report
Headcount Enrollment
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
Public Universities Community Colleges Technical Colleges
Source: Kansas System Enrollment Report to Regents January 19, 2011.

Percent of adults age 24-64 with an associate’s degree of higher: United
States and Kansas
42
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
United States
Age 25-34 Age 35-44 Age 45-54
Kansas
Age 55-64
Source: Jones & Kelly (2007) based on U.S. Census Bureau 2005 American Community Survey

Percent of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: United States,
California, and Kansas
35
31,1
32,6
31
30
29,2
30,4
28,8
31
31,5
28,4
25
24,1
20
19,4 19,4
15
10
5
9
8,1
9,2
0
United States
Age 18-24 Age 25-34
California
Age 35-44 Age 45-64
Kansas
Age 65 & over
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2006-08 3 Year Estimates

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.
Donald Rumsfeld

Known Knowns

Recommendation 1

Offer courses that prepare students for college-level work.

Ensure that students understand what constitutes a college-ready curriculum by
9th grade.

Recommendation 2

Utilize assessment measures throughout high school.

Assist students in overcoming deficiencies as they are identified.

Recommendation 3

Surround students with adults and peers who support college-going aspirations.

Recommendation 4

Assist students in completing critical steps for college entry.

Recommendation 5

Increase financial awareness.

Help students apply for aid.

How to

Recommendation 1
Offer courses that prepare students for college-level work.

Implement a curriculum that prepares all students for college.

Include opportunities for college-level work for advanced students.

Ensure students understand what constitutes a collegeready curriculum.
Develop a four-year course trajectory with each 9th grader.

Recommendation 2
Utilize assessment measures throughout high school.

Utilize performance data to inform students about their proficiency.

Create an individualized plan for students.

Offer courses and curricula that prepare students for college-level work.

Recommendation 3
Surround students with adults and peers who support college-going aspirations.

Provide mentoring for students.

Facilitate student relationships with peers who plan to attend college.

Provide hands-on opportunities for students to explore different careers.

Recommendation 4
Ensure students prepare for, and take, the appropriate college entrance exam.

Assist students in their college search.

Assist students in completing applications.

Assist students in completing critical steps for college entry.

Recommendation 5
Increase families’ financial awareness.

Help students and parents complete financial aid forms.

Organize workshops about college affordability, scholarship, and financial aid.

Roadblocks on the Road to Reform

Teachers may not be trained to teach advanced courses.
Enrolling students who are not prepared for academic rigor in college prep classes is seen
As counterproductive.

Mentoring relationships between students and mentors do not last; the availability of mentors changes over time.
Ninth-grade students are not interested in discussing their career interests.

The school already offers many extracurricular activities.

There are insufficient resources to offer college access programs, or that bring together college-going peers.

Counselors have large caseloads

The time and distance required to travel to test prep sites is a problem.

Staff do not have current information about college requirements.

Parents have limited time to participate in college visits

The school does not have staff who are trained on financial aid policy.

Unknown Knowns

Prepare students for cultural and social challenges in college.

Foster relationships with middle schools, community colleges, and four-year institutions.

Known Unknowns

Understand how technology is transforming our lives – and education

Unknown Unknowns

Accept the Importance of Innovation

www.21
st Century Scholar.org

Q&A

Schools and School Districts
Over thirty public school districts, as well as additional private, parochial and charter schools, spread over the five-county Kansas City metropolitan area
Collaborating Universities
KC-AERC has early-stage funding from the Kauffman Foundation.

Mission Statement
Our shared goal is to improve P-20 education for all students in the Kansas City metropolitan area by providing powerful tools for data-driven educational research, evaluation and implementation .
Leading Community Organizations
Collaborative efforts are ongoing with local education agencies, foundations, chambers and economic development entities, as well as the state education departments of Kansas and Missouri.

 Two parallel studies linking district data to college attendance and attainment data provided by the
National Clearinghouse.
 Blue Valley School District—KU
 Olathe School District-UMKC
 Questions developed by key personnel within the two participating school districts.

 How do patterns of college enrollment and persistence vary by gender, ethnicity, and free/reduced-lunch status?
 How do these patterns compare to national data?
 How do these patterns vary for students who have participated in the 21 st Century Program?

 What are academic factors (courses taken, grades) that determine the selectivity of the post-secondary institution that students attend?
 What are the academic factors that predict persistence at highly selective institutions?

Dr. Gretchen Sherk
Director of Secondary Programs
Olathe Public Schools
Dr. Elizabeth Parks
Director of Assessment & Research
Blue Valley School District

Beth Collins
KCMSD A+ Coordinator & MCAC Site Supervisor
Paseo Academy of Fine & Performing Arts
Cherelle Washinton
MCAC College Adviser
Paseo Academy of Fine & Performing Arts
Meaghan Brougher
MCAC College Adviser
Van Horn High School




No forgone conclusions
Research to inform
Local context
 Identify collective issues and ideas
 Next steps: Actionable items at individual sites and as a metropolitan community

1. Increase the number of high school graduates successfully transitioning to post-secondary institutions.
2. Increase the number of postsecondary students attaining degrees and other credentials needed for career employability.




Rate the Focus Areas
Identify Actions Needed to address Focus Areas
Identify one or all of the following:
 Resources
 Gaps
 Other Key Stakeholders
 Strategies YOU want to see employed at your site and/or in the metropolitan area