Higher Education and the EEDA 2005-2008 Dr. Gail M. Morrison, CHE S.C. State Superintendents’ Conference July 21, 2008 Myrtle Beach, SC

Higher Education and the EEDA 2005-2008

Dr. Gail M. Morrison, CHES.C. State Superintendents’ Conference

July 21, 2008Myrtle Beach, SC

Commission on Higher Education / Higher Education Intersections with PK-12

Teacher Education / Retention /Recruitment• Improving Teacher Quality Federal Grants Program• Centers of Excellence EIA-funded Grants Program• NCATE/CHE/SCDOE Partnership

Various groups such as the Center for Educator Recruitment and Retention, Charter School Advisory Committee, etc.

Student Programs• Higher Education Awareness Programs (HEAP)• Gaining Early Awareness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)

EEDA

Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA)Two Primary Sections Related to Higher

Education

1. EEDA School Personnel Preparation

According to the Act, colleges of education shall include the following in their training of teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators:

• career guidance• the use of the cluster of study curriculum framework and

individual graduation plans • learning styles• the elements of the Career Guidance Model of the South

Carolina Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program Model

• contextual teaching • cooperative learning • character education

(59-59-200)

Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA)Two Primary Sections Related to Higher

Education

2. EEDA and Higher Education

According to the Education and Economic Development Act, Higher Education is required to:

• address articulation agreements between school districts and public institutions of higher education in South Carolina to provide seamless pathways for adequately prepared students to move from high school directly into institutions of higher education.

• make recommendations regarding coursework that is acceptable statewide for dual enrollment to be accepted in transfer within a related course of study.

• coordinate work to study the content and rigor of high school courses in order to provide a seamless pathway to postsecondary education. (59-59-210)

EEDA School Personnel Preparation (59-59-200)

The Commission on Higher Education and the Colleges of Education have assisted with the development of the performance-based standards that address the educator preparation training specified by EEDA.

The Commission also sponsored EEDA technical assistance workshops for higher education institutions to help them learn about and incorporate components of the Act into their education programs. Institutions are currently developing assessments for the performance-based standards.

Higher education institutions will be responsible for full implementation of the EEDA performance-based standards in January 2009.

A growing number of institutional-led activities are underway and in development.

Articulation (59-59-210)

Individual Institutional Articulation Agreements

Statewide Articulation AgreementsExisting

• 86 General Education courses • Advanced Placement

New• Project Lead the Way• International Baccalaureate

“Project Lead the Way” Articulation AgreementsThe Citadel, Clemson, USC-Columbia, and SC State

Three courses included in these articulation agreements are accepted for college transfer at the four-year institutions provided that students meet certain conditions such as:

• achieving a certain score on the college credit exam (usually 70%, but this score varies by institution) and/or

• earning at least a B in the course and/or

• earning a certain overall GPA and/or

• attaining a SAT or PSAT score of at least 1100

Seven courses are accepted at the technical colleges provided that students meet the conditions identified above.

International Baccalaureate Articulation Agreement

The International Baccalaureate Credit Award Policy was approved by CHE in October 2007.

As a result of this policy, each public institution of higher education within the state adopted and implemented a policy in Fall 2008 for the acceptance of International Baccalaureate credit for first-time freshmen students who have scored “4” or above on any higher-level IB course examination.

The amount of college course credit awarded for a higher-level IB course is equivalent to the credit hour value of the college course for which the IB credit is being accepted.

Dual Enrollment and Transfer (59-59-210)

According to EEDA, “the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs shall make recommendations to the Commission on Higher Education regarding coursework that is acceptable statewide for dual enrollment to be accepted in transfer within a related course of study.”

Transfer Blocks – Under Development

Guidance Document for Dual Enrollment Students – Under Development

New Technology Solution – Course Articulation and Transfer System

Development of Transfer Blocks

Sent Institutional Surveys to public institutions concerning guidance for course selection to optimize transfer credit and time to degree.

Four transfer blocks, each corresponding to a broad area of the postsecondary curriculum, are nearly complete:

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Sciences and Mathematics Engineering and Engineering Technology Business

A fifth block for Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle-Level, and Special Education will be developed in the near future.

Guidance Document for Dual Enrollment Students

Note: Deliberate fuzzy focus – under development!

Guidance Document for Dual Enrollment Students

This guide is intended for any student taking dual enrollment coursework in a South Carolina high school who wants to enroll in a South Carolina four-year public institution of higher education and: • knows the general area of curricular focus but • does not know what major to take and • has not yet been accepted into a four-year public institution.

Students who have already been accepted into an institution are encouraged to consult with that institution’s general education advisor or appropriate departmental advisor at the earliest opportunity.

Course Articulation and Transfer Web-Based System

Major New EEDA Initiative

The goal of this solution is to provide South Carolina with an on-demand, web-based platform offering information and services for transfer students, including dual enrollment high school students, and the institutions that serve them.

Course Articulation and Transfer Web-Based System

The Course Articulation and Transfer System is expected to provide many features and benefits such as:

• Displaying detailed and up-to-date information on degree pathways

• Providing students with an easy way to access all of the transfer agreements developed by an institution or across the state (in a searchable database)

• Enabling students to compare their current courses against equivalent courses at another institution and learn how those courses meet degree requirements for a specific major

Content and Rigor of High School Courses (59-59-210)

Major New EEDA Initiative

According to EEDA, “the advisory committee, in collaboration with the Department of Education, shall coordinate work to study the content and rigor of high school courses in order to provide a seamless pathway to postsecondary education.”

Statewide High School / College Course Alignment Project led by national expert Dr. David Conley of the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) of the University of Oregon.

“An aligned K-16 system is one with clear, sequential expectations for students at each level. These expectations are designed to prepare students for success in postsecondary education, the workplace and society…”

South Carolina Course Alignment Projecthttps://www.epiconline.org/south_carolina

South Carolina Course Alignment Project Aligning secondary and postsecondary courses will:

• Provide explicit information on the content and skills necessary for postsecondary success in order to improve student preparation for college coursework

• Create clear pathways between high school and college coursework and reduce curriculum redundancy between high school and college

• Improve high school graduation rates, reduce the need for remedial instruction in college, and improve college retention and graduation rates

• Increase scholarship retention rates. [For example, from Fall 2006 – 2007, only 47.4% of freshmen Life Scholarship recipients retained the scholarship as sophomores.]

• Define more clearly and show in exemplar documents what we expect

high school and college work to look like and enable entry-level college courses to be pitched to the appropriate cognitive challenge level – neither too high nor too low.

South Carolina Course Alignment Project

The project is divided into three phases from July 2007 through August 2010:

Phase I - Analyze Issues

Phase II - Create Materials

Phase III – Disseminate Materials and Explore

Applications

South Carolina Course Alignment Project Phase I

Analyze Alignment Issues in South Carolina and Develop a Statewide Process to Support the Initiative

Conduct an environmental scan examining K-16 alignment issues in South Carolina and present findings to stakeholders

Undertake a public outreach process to support the project Create a project steering committee Develop an interactive website to manage project information Identify college readiness standards to use in South Carolina, consistent

with high school state academic standards Conduct a discrepancy analysis of exit-level high school courses and entry-

level college courses in English, mathematics, and science Identify exemplar course components in existing high school courses Identify areas where potential paired courses (high school exit-level courses

paired with entry-level college courses) could be developed Recruit voluntary pilot sites for paired course development

South Carolina Course Alignment Project Phase II

Create Course Alignment Materials for South Carolina

Convene steering committee, curriculum experts, and design committees to guide pilot course development

Conduct ongoing public outreach to provide information and support for improving college readiness and the transition between high school and college

Pilot fourteen course pairs in secondary and public institutions of higher education

Build technical capacity to support alignment activities statewide

Review possible connections between assessment in K-16 and paired courses

South Carolina Course Alignment Project Phase III

Disseminate Alignment Materials Broadly and Encourage Their Adoption Statewide

Identify benchmark and exemplar documents from the paired courses pilot data

Develop moderation panels to calibrate paired course materials

Conduct strategic outreach to support districts and campuses interested in implementing paired courses

Provide technical assistance and oversight for districts and campuses implementing paired courses

Develop a framework for ongoing support and management of paired courses

Analyze connections between paired courses, state assessment and postsecondary placement procedures


SC College Readiness Standards

Integration of SC Academic Standards 2007 in Science, Mathematics, and Language Arts with Knowledge and Skills for University Success 2003 (AAU and Pew Charitable Trust).

Experienced content experts examined alignment between the two for content and rigor.

The integrated SC College Readiness Standards include Cognitive Strategies and Foundational Skills.


Recommended Key Cognitive Strategies

A. Intellectual curiosity1.Engage in scholarly inquiry and dialogue. 2. Accept constructive criticism and revise personal views when valid evidence warrants.

B. Reasoning1. Consider arguments and conclusions of self and others.2. Construct well-reasoned arguments to explain phenomena, validate conjectures, or support positions. 3. Gather evidence to support arguments, findings, or lines of reasoning.4. Support or modify claims based on the results of an inquiry.

C. Problem solving1. Analyze a situation to identify a problem to be solved.2. Develop and apply multiple strategies to solving a problem.3. Collect evidence and data systematically and directly relate to solving a problem.


Recommended Key Cognitive Strategies

D. Academic behaviors1. Self-monitor learning needs and seek assistance when needed.2. Employ study habits necessary to manage academic pursuits and requirements.3. Strive for accuracy and precision.4. Persevere to complete and master tasks.

E. Work habits1. Work independently.2. Work collaboratively.

F. Academic integrity1. Attribute ideas and information to source materials and people.2. Evaluate sources for quality of content, validity, credibility, and relevance.3. Include the ideas of others and the complexities of the debate, issue, or problem.4. Adhere to ethical codes of conduct.


Recommended Foundational Skills

A. Reading across the curriculum1. Employ effective pre-reading strategies.2. Apply a variety of strategies to understand the meanings of new words.3. Identify the intended purpose and audience of the text.4. Identify the key information and supporting details.5. Analyze textual information critically.6. Annotate, summarize, paraphrase, and outline texts when appropriate.7. Adapt reading strategies according to structure of texts.8. Connect reading to historical and current events and personal interest.

B. Writing across the curriculum1. Write clearly and coherently using standard writing conventions.2. Write in a variety of forms for various audiences and purposes.3. Compose and revise drafts.



C. Research across the curriculum1. Identify which topics or questions are to be investigated.2. Explore a research topic.3. Refine research topic based on preliminary research and devise a timeline for completing work.4. Evaluate the validity and reliability of sources.5. Synthesize and organize information effectively.6. Design and present an effective product.7. Integrate source material.8. Present final product.



D. Use of data1. Identify patterns or departures from patterns among data.2. Employ statistical and probabilistic skills necessary for planning an investigation, and collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data.3. Present analyzed data and communicate findings in a variety of formats.

E. Technology1. Employ technology to gather information.2. Employ technology to organize, manage, and analyze information.3. Employ technology to communicate and display findings in a clear and coherent manner.4. Employ technology appropriately.


Completed Phase I activities include:

• An environmental scan (discrepancy analysis) examining K-16 alignment issues in South Carolina. This environmental scan can be accessed at the project’s website https://www.epiconline.org/south_carolina

• A video presentation by Dr. David Conley providing a project overview. This presentation is intended to be used by faculty and others with an interest in understanding the project and can also be accessed at https://www.epiconline.org/south_carolina.

• Creation of the Steering Committee charged with oversight and strategic direction for the project.

• Development of integrated S.C. college readiness standards for use in the course review portion of the project. Both secondary and postsecondary personnel reviewed and commented on the proposed standards.


The remaining Phase I activity currently being completed deals with course nominations for participation in the alignment study.

Nominated high-school courses should be exit-level courses that meet general education requirements and serve as a preparation for college-level courses in the subject area. Similarly, nominated postsecondary courses should be entry-level courses that meet general education requirements and often serve as prerequisites for other courses in the subject area.


The following map shows the schools that were nominated or have volunteered to participate in the alignment study:


These schools are:Academic Magnet High SchoolAiken High SchoolAynor High SchoolBamberg-Ehrhardt High SchoolBatesburg-Leesville High SchoolBattery Creek High SchoolBeaufort High SchoolBethune-Bowman High SchoolBluffton High SchoolBoiling Springs High SchoolBrookland-Cayce High SchoolBroome High SchoolC E Murray High SchoolCarvers Bay High SchoolCentral High School

Chapin High SchoolCheraw High SchoolColleton County High SchoolCreek Bridge High SchoolCrescent High SchoolCrestwood High SchoolD W Daniel High SchoolDenmark-Olar High SchoolDreher High SchoolDorman High SchoolEasley High SchoolEastside High SchoolEdisto High SchoolFort Mill High SchoolGreenville Tech Charter High School


Greenwood High SchoolHannah-Pamplico High SchoolHartsville High SchoolHemingway High SchoolHilton Head High SchoolIndian Land High SchoolJ L Mann High SchoolJames Island Charter High SchoolLake City High SchoolLexington High SchoolMauldin High SchoolMayo High SchoolNinety Six High SchoolNorth Augusta High SchoolPendleton High SchoolRichland Northeast High SchoolRiverside High SchoolSaint James High School

Socastee High SchoolSouth Aiken High SchoolSouth Florence High SchoolSouth Pointe High SchoolSpartanburg High SchoolStrom Thurmond High SchoolSumter High SchoolT.L. Hanna High SchoolUnion High SchoolWaccamaw High SchoolWalhalla High SchoolWando High SchoolWest Florence High SchoolWestside High SchoolWilson High SchoolWoodruff High SchoolYork Comprehensive High School


Current Phase II activities include:• Nominations for three design teams: English /

Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science • Paired course development – 14 pairs in English,

Mathematics, and Science

In Phase III, the paired courses can be used to develop benchmarking rubrics and exemplar documents as well as to link to placements and assessments.


SyllabusMaker

Faculty participating in the course review will have access to the SyllabusMaker tool. After the review is complete, all faculty at participating schools will have access to the tool.

EPIC normally charges a fee to use SyllabusMaker, but for those faculty and schools participating in the project, the tool will be free.

SyllabusMakerhttps://www.epiconline.org/applications/syllabusmaker/

Documents

Higher Education and the EEDA 2005-2008 Dr. Gail M. Morrison, CHE S.C. State Superintendents’ Conference July 21, 2008 Myrtle Beach, SC