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Getting To and Through CollegeGetting To and Through CollegeStrategies for Improving College Attendance Strategies for Improving College Attendance 

and Completion Rates in Texasand Completion Rates in Texas

Texas Family Impact SeminarTexas Family Impact SeminarJanuary 31, 2011January 31, 2011

Cassius O. JohnsonCassius O. JohnsonDi t f P bli P liDi t f P bli P liDirector of Public Policy Director of Public Policy 

College SummitCollege Summit

The Readiness & The Readiness & Success MythSuccess Myth

GraduateGraduate

Enroll in Enroll in collegecollege

Graduate and Graduate and get a good jobget a good job

Enter high Enter high school school

preparedprepared

Graduate Graduate high school high school

college college readyready

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In Reality In Reality We Are We Are LosingLosingStudents at Students at Each StepEach Step

For every 100 lowFor every 100 low--income income students who enter students who enter

high schoolhigh school

Goldberger Susan. Doing the Math: What It Means to Double the Number of Low-Income College Graduates, Minding the Gap. Harvard Press & Jobs for the Future: Cambridge, MA, 2007

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65 graduate from high school65 graduate from high school

41 enroll in college41 enroll in college

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11 graduate college11 graduate college

One big reason for low One big reason for low ggcollegecollege‐‐attainment is attainment is too many students are too many students are 

t dt dnot preparednot prepared

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For every 100 lowFor every 100 low--income income high school graduates high school graduates

Goldberger Susan. Doing the Math: What It Means to Double the Number of Low-Income College Graduates, Minding the Gap. Harvard Press & Jobs for the Future: Cambridge, MA, 2007

Only 34 are at least minimally Only 34 are at least minimally academically prepared for collegeacademically prepared for college

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Only 11 students are Only 11 students are very academically prepared for collegevery academically prepared for college

Too many students lack Too many students lack yythe the nonnon‐‐academic academic 

supportssupports to be ready to be ready f llf llfor college.for college.

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WHAT IF:WHAT IF:

We accurately identified We accurately identified 50%50% of the future of the future dropouts between 6dropouts between 6thth & 8& 8thth grade and got grade and got 80%80% of them back onof them back on‐‐track to a high school track to a high school 

graduation?graduation?graduation?graduation?

Then Then For Every 100 DropoutsFor Every 100 Dropouts

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We Would Gain We Would Gain 40 40 Additional Additional GraduatesGraduates

WHAT IF:WHAT IF:We identified an additional We identified an additional 30%30% of the of the 

future dropouts in 9future dropouts in 9thth grade and got grade and got 80%80% of of them back onthem back on‐‐track to graduate high schooltrack to graduate high school

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We Would Gain Another We Would Gain Another 2424GraduatesGraduates

But What Can We Do For The  But What Can We Do For The  3636 Young People Who Will Still Young People Who Will Still 

Drop Out?Drop Out?

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Looking at Pathways to Postsecondary SuccessLooking at Pathways to Postsecondary Success

Back on Track

• Designed to enable credit recovery and acceleration for off‐track students

GED to College

• Designed to enable GED completion and transition to post‐secondary credentials for older out of school youth beyond school age

College in High School•Focused on improving college success of under‐represented young people 

•Combines college preparatory program with 

•Combine college/career prep academic core with academic advising, social supports, and college transition 

•Supports offered through community partnership model 

•Include schools for “young and far” as well as “old and close” to graduation

older, out‐of‐school youth, beyond school age 

•Offer GED prep and development of key academic skills required to succeed in credited college courses

•Offer on‐ramps to GED for youth reading at 7th grade level or below

college course‐taking that counts

•Includes “blended” (secondary‐post‐sec) schools and dual enrollment programs

•Includes Advanced Place and IB programs

•Blended schools (ECHS) on compressed timeline for earning up to two years of college credits while in high school

Developing State Policies & Capacities for Quality Education Pathways

Why Back on Track?Why Back on Track?

Another Path to SuccessAnother Path to Success

• Once off‐track, students’ chances of graduating from high school are slim at best

• Most dropouts  seek educational credentials but cannot find a program to help them

•Different models within pathway can serve students who drop out close to graduation and students who need longer‐term acceleration

Pathway One: Back on Track

• Designed to enable credit recovery and acceleration

• Alternative schools often on margins: poorly funded and staffed, outmoded in design, used for disciplinary not academic purposes

g yacceleration for off-track, overage students

•Combine college/career prep academic core with academic advising and social supports and post-secondary transition

•Supports offered through community partnership model

•Include schools for “young and far” as well as “old and close” to graduation

Developing State Policies & Capacities for Quality Education Pathways

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Another Path to SuccessAnother Path to Success

Why GED to College?Why GED to College?

• Most dropouts try to obtain a GED, but many 

Pathway Two: GED to College

•Designed to enable GED completion and transition to post‐secondary credentials for

p y yfail

•Of those who complete GED, only 4% go on to complete a post‐secondary credential

• GED not viable for entrants with below 9th

grade skills

• Promising results emerging in cities designing GED ll htransition to post‐secondary credentials for 

older, out‐of‐school youth, beyond school age 

•Offer GED prep and development of key academic skills required to succeed in credited college courses

•Offer on‐ramps to GED for youth reading at 7th grade level or below

new GED to college pathways

Another Path to SuccessAnother Path to Success

Why College in High Why College in High School?School?

College in High School

•Focused on improving college success of under‐represented young people 

•Combines college preparatory program with college course‐taking that counts

School?School?

• Most low‐income students aspire to college but lack of advising, academic prep and support undermines their success

•• Dual enrollment has positive effects on Dual enrollment has positive effects on college enrollment, college retention, GPA, college enrollment, college retention, GPA, and time to completionand time to completionwith college course‐taking that counts

•Includes “blended” (secondary‐post‐sec) schools and dual enrollment programs

•Includes Advanced Place and IB programs

•Blended schools (ECHS) on compressed timeline for earning up to two years of college credits while in high school

pp

•• Early promising evidence emerging from first  Early promising evidence emerging from first  ECHS graduatesECHS graduates

•• Early research suggests cost to completion Early research suggests cost to completion of an AA degree substantially less in ECHS vs  of an AA degree substantially less in ECHS vs  traditional schooltraditional school