Promoting Alignment across Education Systems

Robert B. Stein Consultant, Educational Partnerships [email protected] Wisconsin College and Career Readiness Partnership Summit February 19,2014

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Major Objectives • Provide a context for discussion about career and college readiness initiatives • Identify assessment challenges • Discuss next generation assessments • Reinforce opportunities for higher education engagement common core/new assessments • Promote increased interest in P-20 partnerships 2

Education Valued Across the Centuries

Upon the subject of education… I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. Abraham Lincoln

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Education Valued Across the Centuries

•Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandella

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Ever Faster Pace of Change Preparing Students for a New World

Decision Time: On or Off the Train

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Functions of Formal Education Systems

• Provide skills and knowledge needed for survival • Personal development – learning new ideas • Socialize for active civic engagement

• Improve equality of opportunity • Prepare for entry into the workforce • Equip future citizens for global participation 7

Wisconsin as a Trailblazer Willing to Chart New Directions • “Wisconsin Idea” – Using educators to form legislation and chart new directions to improve the human condition • First state to: • Establish support system for vocational, technical, and adult education • Establish apprenticeship programs • Curb power of big business decades before “Trust Busting” • Early initiation of social reforms for the blind, dependent children and the elderly • Cutting-edge redesign of the welfare system 8

Wisconsin’s Strong Roots Supporting Education “…schools and the means of education should be forever encouraged.” 1787 Northwest Territory Ordinance • Free Public schools established – Southport WI (1845) • First US Kindergarten – Watertown WI (1854) • Vibrant system of education – Pubic K-12 - 421 districts -2,190 schools - 870,000 students – UW System - 26 campuses -181,00 students – WTCS -16 colleges/49 campuses/outreach -342,000 students – WAICU – 23 colleges and universities -60,000 students 9

K-12 Student Performance • ACT Scores among the highest in the nation • - Wisconsin ranks 2nd with Iowa • AP Performance Best in the Midwest - 22.2% scoring 3 or higher • NAEP 4th and 8th grade Math above national average - Grade 8 - scoring at proficient or above in Math - 40%

• NAEP 4th and 8th grade English at the national average •

- Grade 8 – scoring at proficient or above in English – 34%

• In first years of new assessments aligned to common core expected to have similar results 10

Wisconsin Trends that Require Attention -- Below national average in high school graduates immediately going to college – Racial ethnic group achievement gaps persist and are among the worst in the nation – Number of high school students meeting college readiness benchmarks above national average yet, – Huge gaps between high school graduation and preparation for college – Percent of high school grads who DO NOT meet college readiness benchmarks - math – 46% English – 25% 11

Remedial Education in UW System Spotlight on Content Disconnects • Focused interest on remediation for decades • Rich data base on remediation spanning 23 years • Remedial decisions delegated to institutions • Wisconsin analysis demonstrates – Variation across the system – Placement into remediation relatively constant for five years – 24.5% (Fall 2012 Freshmen) require some remediation

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Math – 20.7% - English – 9.0%

– Task Force appointed to review current policies, identify best practices and make recommendations for any changes

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• Wisconsin Technical College System • Wisconsin 2012 High School Graduates – -English and Mathematics enrollment in courses below the postsecondary level Unduplicated Headcount - English - 1,660 students - Mathematics - 2,255 students Duplicated Headcount - Math and English – 3,915 students 13

Historical Problems with Assessment • Problems with previous assessments - Focus on accountability - State variations and local pressures on cut scores

- Emphasis on memory and repetition of formulas - Student motivation

- Emphasis on single measurement - Teaching to the test

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Additional Concerns with Statewide Assessments • Cost • Not aligned with college/career readiness

• Reliance on multiple choice • Slow turnaround for feedback • Accommodations • Reliance on old technology 15

Faculty Engagement

•When done well assessment can serve as a springboard for altering, revision and restructuring …[to] improve teaching and learning effectiveness –Dan McInerney

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Developing Next Generation Assessments • Next Generation Assessments - Consortia (PARCC and Smarter Balanced)

- Private Vendors (ACT, SAT, Others)

• Assessments to be aligned with Common Core • Smarter Balanced Structure -Funded with Race to the Top Funds -$175 M plus - State-led Consortia – each state with one vote -Consensus Model -Key votes require K-12/higher education consensus -One no vote sends action back for review 17

Major Shifts in Mathematics and English • Common Core shifts in Mathematics – Focus - deeper understanding – Coherence -across grades/link to major topics within grades – Rigor – pursue conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application with equal intensity

• Common Core shifts in English – Complexity – Complex texts and academic language – Evidence – Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text both literary and informational Knowledge - Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction 18

Key Principles of Consortia Developing New Assessments • An integrated system • Evidence-based approach • Educator involvement • State-led with transparent governance • Focus on improving teaching and learning • Actionable information using multiple measures • Established professional standards 19

A Balanced Assessment System Common Core State Standards specify K-12 expectations for college and career readiness

Summative assessments Benchmarked to college and career readiness

Teachers and schools have information and tools they need to improve teaching and learning

Teacher resources for formative assessment practices to improve instruction

Interim assessments Flexible, open, used for actionable feedback

All students leave high school college and career ready

Next Generation Assessments • Rigorous assessment of progress toward “college content and career readiness” • Common cut scores across all Consortium states • Provides both achievement and growth information • Commitment to providing evidence that assessments are valid, reliable and fair for all students except those with “significant cognitive disabilities” • Administered online • Use of multiple measures

• Some operational in 2014-15 school year 21

Factors Influencing State Assessment Decisions • Evidence of alignment to common core state standards • Overall design and availability • Types of different assessments • Transparency and governance • Ownership of data/Privacy concerns • Scoring and reporting • Technical requirements • Security assurances and Cost http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Common_Co re_Assessment_Option_Report_441322_7.pdf For Detailed Analysis by Michigan Dept of Ed 22

Assessments Aligned to Common Core State Standards - Benefits to Higher Education • Improved preparation in two key content areas – Increased academic rigor in entry-level, credit-bearing courses

• Better information about student preparation – Better use of 12th grade

• Reduced remediation rates - Funding redirected to support credit-bearing courses • Increased degree attainment rates - Increased capacity – colleges can admit more students • Better options for academic interventions - Collaborative work of P-20 educators on transition courses 23

Higher Education Involvement in Smarter Balanced • Cross-sector participation • Executive Committee representation • Leads in each state • Actively working on all aspects – Technology, accommodations, digital library, achievement level descriptors, item writing, college readiness policy, standard setting, cut score determination among others

• Consensus sought on all votes 24

Goals for Higher Education • Cross-sector Collaboration •

- Agree on performance standards - Recognize 11th grade assessment - Align placement policies - 12th grade programming - Support systems for students with deficiencies 25

College Content-Readiness Policy Smarter Balanced • English Language Arts Literacy – Demonstrates reading, writing, listening and research skills necessary for introductory courses in a variety of disciplines. – Demonstrates subject area knowledge and skills with readiness for entry-level transferable credit-bearing English and Composition Courses

• Mathematics – Demonstrate foundational mathematical knowledge and quantitative reasoning necessary for introductory courses in a variety of disciplines – Demonstrate subject area knowledge and skills associated with readiness for entry-level transferable credit bearing mathematics and statistics courses. 26

12th Grade Interventions • Student focused solutions - Different options dependent on student performance - Supplemental options for those with low performance

- Courses for those who are on track to stay on track - Accelerated options for advanced students

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Policy Framework for establishment of Early Warning – Smarter Balanced • Level 4 – Demonstrates thorough understanding and ability to apply the knowledge and skills – Student exempt from remediation – state may set grade 12 requirements – Students are encouraged to take advanced credit – Decisions about additional grade 12 requirements including performance standards delegated to states – Colleges may evaluate additional data for appropriate course placement at or above initial credit-bearing

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Policy Framework for establishment of Early Warning - Smarter Balanced • Level 3 – Demonstrates adequate understanding and ability to apply the knowledge and skills – Student conditionally exempt from remediation – contingent on evidence of sufficient continued learning in Grade 12 – Students are encouraged to take additional 4th year courses as well as appropriate advanced credit – Decisions about sufficient evidence in 12th grade delegated to states – Colleges may evaluate additional data for appropriate course placement dependent on student’s record 29

Policy Framework for establishment of Early Warning – Smarter Balanced • Level 2 – Demonstrates partial understanding and ability to apply the knowledge and skills – Student needs support to meet college-content readiness standard – States/districts/colleges may implement grade 12 transition courses or other programs – Retesting possible at conclusion of grade 12 – Colleges may evaluate additional data for appropriate placement in remedial or credit-bearing courses

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Policy Framework for establishment of Early Warning – Smarter Balanced • Level 1 – Demonstrates minimal understanding and ability to apply the knowledge and skills – Student needs substantial support to meet collegecontent readiness standard – States/districts/colleges may offer supplemental programs for these students – Retesting possible at conclusion of grade 12 – Colleges may evaluate additional data for appropriate placement in remedial or credit-bearing courses

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Digital Library Resources – Smarter Balanced Approach Includes tools, processes and exemplars • Released items and tasks • Model curriculum units • Educator training • Professional development • Scorer training modules • Teacher collaboration suggestions 32

Defining Career Readiness – Smarter Balanced Approach • College Ready and Career Ready are not equivalent • Careers very diverse • Most careers will require some postsecondary education and training • Career readiness is a multi-faceted construct • Acknowledgement that Smarter Balanced Assessment limited to readiness in English and mathematics for further postsecondary education and training • Linking performance on 11th grade tests to academic readiness for postsecondary career education and training – will focus on 16 career clusters 33

Urgency without Denial and Without Blame

CREATING A BETTER FUTURE Families Schools Religious Organizations Community Organizations Work Settings

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Earlier Pioneer Calling for P-20 Collaboration The nation’s graduate schools are dependent in part on the quality of its kindergartens There is a seamless system of education underlying all educational systems from kindergarten through college. Harold “Bud” Hodgkinson 35

Joint SHEEO/ACT Initiative Calling for Partnership to Improve Student Success • K-16 Conceptual Framework - All students can achieve at high levels - Our educational structures should support collaboration - Barriers to student transitions should be identified and eliminated - Traditional educational boundaries should be reassessed - A collective vision should be aimed at helping all students meet their educational goals. http://new.sheeo.org/k16/transit/transit-sb-k16.pdf Tafel and Eberhart 1999 36

A reminder that new initiatives are not so new Early College offered in high schools Little Rock Junior College 1933 Louisville University 1934 Experiments with competency-based admissions standards Wisconsin on of the first states to work on this option 1992-93 10 other states identified as having some work underway Performance Funding Higher education - Tennessee 1979-1980 P-20 - Maryland 1995 37

Calls For Serious Attention to P-20 Work • Lessons Learned (1999) for Promoting P-20 Work – Establish specific goals – Create a statewide organizational framework – Find incentives to create partnerships – Develop comprehensive data systems to identify system gaps and inform new policy – Establish a communication system to disseminate information and encourage public engagement – Identify substantive issues that require immediate attention • http://new.sheeo.org/k16/transit/transit-sb-k16.pdf 38

Collaboration Disconnects • Collaboration extremely or very important (perception) - Superintendents - 90% - Postsecondary leaders – 80% • Collaborating extremely or very effectively (belief) - Superintendents - 33% - Postsecondary leaders – 34%

• K-12/higher education priorities differ • Each side thinks they are more interested in collaborating than the other The Collaborative Imperative January 2014 • http://edbridge.sourcetop.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/12/The-Collaboration-Imperative.pdf 39

An Admirable Goal Difficult to Implement • Challenges of Doing P-20 Work – Language – Hierarchical baggage – Time consuming, challenging work – Funding and staffing – Limited collaborative experience - loss of control – Involvement of business partners – Difficulty prioritizing – Competition for scarce resources – Sustainability with change in leadership 40

P-20 Collaboration Attention to Key Factors • Inclusive language • Project-driven

• P-20 Councils

LEADERSHIP

•Access to longitudinal data •Research agenda

STAFFING

• Legislative mandates • Business partners

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Changing Landscapes in P-12 and Higher Education Fact Check on P-12 and Higher Education Cultures – Student focused or institutional focused – Sense of community – Extent to which there is agreement on standards – Focus on teaching and learning improvement – Assessments aligned to standards – Utilization technology – Role of local control – academic freedom – Classroom dynamics – Level of emphasis on memorization vs. application 42

Dreams for the Future

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Minding My Own Business

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CHASING AFTER MY DREAMS

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Wanting What Many Say is Impossible

SEEKING ADVICE

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EVERY CHILD A GRADUATE COLLEGE AND CAREER READY

THE IMPLEMENTATION DEPENDS ON YOU!

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