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EPILive
A Presentation of the Educational Policy Institute
Stay Tuned The program will begin promptly at
200pm EST
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• Improving College Access Success
• Friday, April 13, 2007
• Moderator Watson Scott Swail, Educational Policy
  Institute
• Guest Dr. Michael Kirst, Professor
• Stanford University, Stanford, CA

EPILive
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Dr. Michael Kirst

• Professor of Education and Business
  Administration at Stanford University since 1969.
  
• Dr. Kirst received his bachelor's degree in
  economics from Dartmouth College, his M.P.A. in
  government and economics from Harvard University,
  and his Ph.D. in political economy and government
  from Harvard.
• Served as a Budget Examiner in the Federal office
  of Budget and Management, and Associate Director
  of the White House Fellows. He was a program
  analyst for the Title I ESEA Program at its
  inception in 1965.
• He has been a member of the National Academy of
  Education since 1979.
• He was Vice President of the American Educational
  Research Association and a commissioner of the
  Education Commission of the States.
• Co-founded Policy Analysis for California
  Education (PACE).
• He is a member of the management and research
  staff of the Consortium for Policy Research in
  Education 

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Improving Preparation and K-16 Linkages for CSU
and Community Colleges

• Michael W. Kirst
• Stanford University

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Context of K-16 Disjunctures

• Most ambitious generation ever Over 80 want
  college degree
• Percent of Bachelors degrees barely increases in
  recent years, but college enrollment increases
  substantially
• Media pays attention to selective postsecondary,
  but problems in non-selective
• Broad access students think minimum high school
  preparation requirements equal college ready

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Context of K-16 Disjunctures continued

• 80 of students and 85 of institutions are open
  enrollment, or accept all qualified applicants
  45 of undergrads in community college, no SAT
• Non-selective remediation is very high
• Completion rates over 80 in selective, but much
  lower in non-selective low-income and
  minorities suffer the most
• Fractured K-12 and postsecondary systems send
  vague and inadequate signals to secondary
  schools, students, and parents about academic
  preparation
• Financial aid (FAFSA) is complex and not aimed at
  part-time students

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The Evolution of the Disjuncture between K-12 and
Postsecondary Education

• Historic separation of policy and practice
  between higher education and K-12
• Student standards are established in separate
  orbits
• K-16 faculty rarely work together
• No institutionalized entity at the state or
  regional level to make policy or integrate K-16
  practice

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The Evolution of the Disjuncture between K-12 and
Postsecondary Education continued

• No organized group lobbies for K-16 linkages
• No data or accountability system regarding K-16
  performance
• Nobody loses a job for poor K-16 linkage or
  performance
• Programmatic responses, such as Outreach
  programs, are small scale and rarely evaluated

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Bridge Research Sites
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Findings

• Systemic Reform Essential K-12 Cannot Do It
  Alone
• Multiple and confusing assessments Placement
  exams crucial
• Disconnected curricula, senior year slump 41 of
  seniors have A average in 2004 28 in 1984
• Lack of connected, longitudinal, data

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Findings continued

• Students college knowledge is vague and varies
  by student group
• Few K-16 accountability or incentive mechanisms
• Insufficient K-16 governance mechanisms
• 78 of high school seniors spend 3 hours or less
  per week on reading assignments

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Findings continued

• Only 33 of four-year college freshmen spend 6
  hours or more doing homework per week in their
  high school senior year
• There is a lack of college counseling for broad
  access students
• Teachers college knowledge is incomplete and
  they play a major advisory role

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Selected Quotes
Probably just like everybody else I believe it
should be a seamless flow for the students. The
content, the knowledge they had in high school
should be a foundation for them to be successful
in college. That transition should be as smooth
as possible. They should be able to walk into
those college classes and feel confident.
college administrator
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Selected Quotes continued

• The one thing its the good thing about
  community college, I would say is that a
  student can come here with absolutely no
  forethought, you know?
• college advisor
• This is the thing. Ive always done well in
  grammar, and Ive always done well in English. I
  got As throughout high school, and I was placed
  in the lowest English in the community
  college.
• community college student

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Why Worry about Disjunctures between K-12 and
Postsecondary Education?

• Creates incoherent policies, misdirected
  incentives, and inadequate student preparation
• Students (and educators) lack signals/information,
  and receive conflicting signals/information,
  regarding college preparation
• State assessments/accountability system breakdown
  in high school low student effort

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Major Action Areas for Reform

• Provide all students, their parents, and
  educators with accurate, high quality,
  information about, and access to, courses that
  will help prepare students for college-level
  standards
• Shift media, policy, and research attention to
  include broad access colleges and universities
  (that approximately 80 of college students
  attend)
• Expand the focus of local, state, and federal
  programs from access to college to include access
  to success in college

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Policy Implications

• Improve signals to high school students regarding
  college expectations and requirements
• Improve signals students receive concerning
  placement e.g. CSU Early Assessment Program
• Create initiatives to overcome the lack of high
  school academic preparation Pell Grant
  Revision, student completion incentives for
  postsecondary institutions

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Policy Implications continued

• Community colleges should review K-12 standards
  and assessments to improve college readiness
  modify CSU EAP?
• Collect more data on specific populations as they
  move through colleges (50 of graduates attend
  more than one)
• More emphasis on vocational and technical
  education pathways preparation

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Policy Implications continued

• Link junior/senior year of high school to initial
  college curriculum
• Expand dual enrollment to include more
  prospective CSU and community college students
  (California law limits it to 5 of students)
• Create a continuous policy-making apparatus for
  K-16 at the regional level e.g. Cal-Pass

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Four Key Policy Areas

• Alignment of courses and assessments English
  literature is not technical reading
• Finance Link need-based student aid with
  student preparation, fund K-16 collaboration
• K-16 Data Systems Diagnose problems, track
  students, assess attainment
• Accountability Sanctions and incentives for
  K-16 results

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EPILive
A Presentation of the Educational Policy Institute