Never Too Late: Why College Readiness Isnt Just for Kids Anymore

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Never Too LateWhy College Readiness Isnt Just
for Kids Anymore

• Minnesota Association
• for Continuing Adult Education
• Fall Conference
• November 7, 2008

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Saint Paul Elementary Schools 1998-2005
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Saint Paul Elementary Schools 1998-2005
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Saint Paul High Schools2001-2006
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The Picture That Can and Must Change Individuals

Source The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
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The Picture That Can and Must Change Families
Source Bookings Institution, Economic Mobility
Project, 2007
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The Picture That Can and Must Change Society
Source 2006 OECD Education at a Glance, 2004
Data
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A Key Question

• Is Minnesota an exception to or example of
  national trends?

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Source Minnesota Private College Council
Research Foundation
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College Readiness Rates
Source Minnesota Office of Higher Education,
Measuring Up 2008
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Minnesotas Future
Source State Demographer using MN Dept. of
Education data, August 2008
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So What Do We Do???
Vision
Resources

Skills
Incentive
Action Plan




Change
Incentive

Skills
Action Plan
Resources


Confusion

Vision
Action Plan

Resources

Incentive

Anxiety

Vision
Action Plan
Skills


Resources

Resistance


Frustration
Skills
Action Plan
Vision
Incentive



Vision
Skills
Incentive
Resources




Treadmill

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• Minnesota Suburban District
• Educating our students to reach their full
  potential.
• Bellevue School District, Washington
• Our mission is to provide every student with a
  top-of-the-line college preparatory education.

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• Good Resource Educational Policy Improvement
  Center
• www.epiconline.org

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• Cognitive
• Analytic reasoning
• Problem solving
• Inquisitiveness
• Precision
• Interpretation
• Evaluating claims

Source David T. Conley, Redefining College
Readiness, Educational Policy and Improvement
Center, 2007
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• Content Knowledge
• Writing skills
• Algebraic concepts
• Key foundational content and big ideas from
  core subjects

Source David T. Conley, Redefining College
Readiness, Educational Policy and Improvement
Center, 2007
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• Academic Behaviors (self-management)
• Persistence
• Time management
• Study group use
• Awareness of performance

Source David T. Conley, Redefining College
Readiness, Educational Policy and Improvement
Center, 2007
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• Contextual Skills and Awareness (college
  knowledge)
• Admissions requirements
• Cost of college
• Purpose and opportunities of college
• Types of colleges
• College culture
• Interactions with professors

Source David T. Conley, Redefining College
Readiness, Educational Policy and Improvement
Center, 2007
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• The New Minnesota Miracle
• Can the trade-off for more be
  reinventing school and adult ed around the idea
  of college readiness for all????

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WWW.EDUCATIONRESOURCESTRATEGIES.ORG
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For the State P-16 Partnership
ACT Curriculum Survey How well do your
states standards prepare students for
college-level work in your content area?
Percent answering well or very well
Source ACT, Inc. ACT National Curriculum
Survey 2005-2006, 32, http//www.act.org/path/poli
cy/pdf/NationalCurriculumSurvey2006.pdf
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For the School Minnesota Principals Academy
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For the Student Ramp-Up to Readiness
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Students want to go on, but they often lack the
signals and support
Source Education Week
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In Part, Ramp-Up is About Dispelling the Myths

• Here are 10 adapted from Kirst, Venezia and
  Antonio From High School To College, 2004

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Myth 1

• I cant afford college and wont qualify for
  financial aid
• Reality Students and parents regularly
  overestimate the cost of college and most receive
  financial aid

Source Kirst, Venezia and Antonio From High
School To College, 2004, p 295
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Myth 2

• I cant start thinking about financial aid until
  I know where Im going to college
• Reality Students need to start planning and
  saving early and must file federal financial aid
  forms before most colleges send out acceptance
  letters

Source Kirst, Venezia and Antonio From High
School To College, 2004, p 295
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Myth 4

• Getting into college is the hardest part
• Reality For the majority of students, the
  hardest part is completing a degree

Source Kirst, Venezia and Antonio From High
School To College, 2004, p 295
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Myth 5

• Meeting high school graduation requirements will
  prepare me for college
• Reality Adequate preparation almost always
  requires going beyond high school requirements,
  even if those requirements are called college
  prep

Source Kirst, Venezia and Antonio From High
School To College, 2004, p 295
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Myth 6

• Community colleges that admit all high school
  graduates dont have academic standards or
  requirements
• Reality Community college students must take
  placement tests to qualify for college-level
  courses that earn credit

Source Kirst, Venezia and Antonio From High
School To College, 2004, p 295
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Myth 7

• At a four-year college, I can take whatever
  classes I want
• Reality Most colleges require entering students
  to take placement exams in core subjects that
  determine the classes students will take

Source Kirst, Venezia and Antonio From High
School To College, 2004, p 295
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Myth 8

• It is better to take easier classes in high
  school and get better grades
• Reality One of the most important factors in
  college admission and the best predictor of
  college success is taking rigorous courses

Source Kirst, Venezia and Antonio From High
School To College, 2004, p 295
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Myth 9

• I dont have to worry about my grades or the kind
  of classes I take until my sophomore year
• Reality Many colleges look at sophomore year,
  but succeeding in the right sophomore classes
  requires strong preparation starting in junior
  high

Source Kirst, Venezia and Antonio From High
School To College, 2004, p 295
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Myth 10

• My senior year in high school doesnt matter
• Reality The classes that students take in
  senior year often determine classes they are able
  to take in college and how well prepared they are
  for those classes

Source Kirst, Venezia and Antonio From High
School To College, 2004, p 295
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Conclusion College readiness is complex, but
very possible

• Geoffrey Canada, Harlem Childrens Zone
• I am always surprised by how easy it is. It is
  not like decoding the human genome. You dont
  need, like, eight supercomputers to do this. It
  takes people to really focus and concentrate.
• Minneapolis parents in CPEO program
• Why am I hearing about this now?

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