SOCIO-ECONOMICSSocio-Economic – Education

Socio-Economic – Education

Snapshot: Education

Public education in the CNMI has expanded significantly in the past ten years. Issues surrounding the need to train the local workforce to take on jobs currently held by non-immigrant contract workers have also placed the impetus on public education entities to respond accordingly and immediately, thus resulting in an urgent compulsory rate of growth and development for all. Currently, four educational institutions are awarded funding from “CW visa” applications to support workforce training needs: the Northern Marianas College, the Northern Marianas Technical Institute, the Public School System, and the Latte Training Academy. These and related educational institutions and programs are summarized in more detail in the discussion of “status, impacts, and responses” below. The United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals include education in discussion of goals, targets, and indicators. Specifically, to meet Goal 4 – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, relevant indicators and CNMI data are as follows:

SDG Target SDG Indicator CNMI Data Data Trend4.1 – By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

4.1.1 – Proportion of children and young people: (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; (c) at the lower end of secondary achieving a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics by sex

(a, b, c) 100% enrolment reported; (i) overall reading proficiency (ready or exceeding) 28% grades 3-10; (ii) overall mathematics proficiency 20%

Inquiry regarding gender differentiation and trends for 2015 and 2016 pending.

4.3 - By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

4.3.1 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex

Inquiry regarding gender differentiation and trends for 2015 and 2016 pending.

4.6 By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy

4.6.1 Percentage of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex

PSS assessment indicated overall support needs as follows:English – 6%Reading – 70% Math – 80%

Inquiry regarding gender differentiation and trends for 2015 and 2016 pending; Achieve data may be tracked without gender differentiation for the purposes of baseline data, goal setting, and trends analysis

4.a Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe,

4.a.1 Proportion of schools with access to: (a) electricity; (b) the Internet for pedagogical purposes; (c) computers for

100% Attainment goal Schools currently in recovery post Typhoon Yutu but provision of necessary facilities a high priority identified in CEDS

Topic/Subtopic: Education

non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all

pedagogical purposes; (d) adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities; (e) basic drinking water; (f) single-sex basic sanitation facilities; and (g) basic handwashing facilities (as per the WASH indicator definitions)

Modification of indicators to fit existing data will support use of this information for initial establishment of baseline data that can be tracked to measure progress over time.

Status, Impacts, and Responses The 2018 typhoon season significantly impacted facilities and class schedules across CNMI’s educational institutions. Extensive damage necessitated requests for numerous repairs which are being implemented with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and others, with the goal to rebuild school structures that can provide safe shelter facilities during storms and reduce disruption of educational services after storm events. This section summarizes academic trends and existing programs, as well as stated goals and objectives in place to achieve improved outcomes for educational systems and facilities in the CNMI.

AcademicsIn 2017 the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEERA) conducted a large-scale evaluation of the Northern Marianas College. The report, entitled “Comparing enrollment, characteristics, and academic outcomes of students in developmental courses and those in credit-bearing courses at Northern Marianas College” identified educational opportunities in respect to recent graduating high school classes in regards to English and math placement in college. Specifically, the report found that most students entering Northern Marianas College in 2008–10 were initially placed in non-credit-bearing developmental courses. In English, 80 percent of full-time first-time freshmen students seeking associate degrees were placed in developmental courses. In math, 91 percent were placed in developmental courses. Implications of this study highlighted that “very high percentages of high school graduates are unprepared for college coursework”. A complete set of readiness level charts from the 2017 report and comparison to 2016 and 2015 results are included in Appendix R NEEDED #.

PSS 2017 Exceeding

PSS 2017 Ready

PSS 2017 Close

PSS 2017 Need Support

National 2017 Exceeding

National 2017 Ready

National 2017 Close

2017 National Need Support

English 42% 29% 36% 6% 42% 30% 22% 5%Math 1% 6% 13% 80% 4% 6% 36% 41%Reading 2% 10% 18% 70% 6% 15% 24% 55%Science 2% 7% 13% 79% 6% 12% 19% 62%Writing 2% 26% 27% 26% 3% 25% 37% 35%

Few students were placed in credit-bearing courses: about 20 percent in English and about 8 percent in math.

Female students were more likely to be placed in credit-bearing English courses; students with less economic need were more likely to be placed in credit-bearing math courses.

Students’ placement in credit-bearing courses and in different levels of developmental English

and math courses was related to their enrollment in Advanced Placement courses, cumulative grade point average, scores on the SAT-10, and, for math placement, grades in Algebra 2 and highest high school math course taken.

were more likely to be placed in credit-bearing courses in those subjects. Students who had a higher cumulative grade point average and higher Stanford Achievement

Test, 10th edition, (SAT-10) scores were more likely to be placed in credit-bearing English and math courses.

Students who had earned a grade of A or B in Algebra 2 or had taken math courses beyond Alge-bra 2, such as precalculus, calculus, or statistics, were more likely to be placed in credit-bearing math courses.

Students who had enrolled in Advanced Placement courses in English and math Many students who had a high cumulative grade point average and high standardized test scores were placed in developmental courses. About 45 percent of students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher were placed in developmental English courses, and about 73 percent of students with a SAT-10 math score at or above the 75th percentile rank were placed in developmental math courses.

Students who had better high school academic preparation were more likely than their less pre-pared peers to be placed in higher levels of developmental courses.

Table 1 – Demographic characteristics and academic preparation of students placed in credit-bearing or developmental English courses, 2010/11 – 2013/14

Table 2 – Demographic characteristics and academic preparation of students placed in credit-bearing or developmental math courses, 2010/11 – 2013/14

Despite the destruction the NMC campus sustained from Super Typhoon Yutu in October 2018, NMC reported a 12% increase in enrollment to 1,276 students for Fall 2019 compared to the prior year.

Public School System eligible for the free meal program. Statistical data indicated a 1.77% dropout rate in School Year (SY) 2016-2017, down from 1.85% in SY15-16 and 2.0% in SY14-15. Of graduating Seniors in 2017, 49% of survey respondents attended a post-secondary institution, 21% were seeking employment, and 16% were joining the Armed Forces.

NMC reports that it is working to update its 2015-2020 plan to include consideration of impacts from Super Typhoon Yutu in order to build resiliency of the institution. The CNMI’s Public School System (PSS) reports that in the 2016 school year total student enrollment in CNMI was 3,523 students in Junior and Senior High Schools, 1,920 middle school students, 4,252 elementary students, and 427 early learning students. As detailed further in Appendix #, CNMI has high enrollment and low dropout rates in primary and secondary education, however there are slightly higher rates of enrollment for males in early learning and special needs programs. Overall, 62% of enrolled students were The Public School System which provides free and appropriate public education for K-12 has expanded its services to include enrollment of participants from birth to three (3) years of age. This is made possible by the support of the federally funded Head Start and Early Head Start Programs. In retrospect, this has provided stay-home parents the opportunity to work outside of the home and contribute their skills and knowledge to the local workforce needs.

Private Schools in CNMIThere are a total of seven private schools on Saipan, as well as two private primary schools on Tinian. The Private School Association has not provided enrollment or graduation data as of the time of the publication of this report.

Scholarship and Workforce Development The CNMI Scholarship Office Act of 2013, Public Law 18-40, established the CNMI Scholarship Office as an autonomous agency, governed by a board of directors. Their primary mission is to provide financial assistance to eligible Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) residents who wish to pursue their postsecondary education. This mission is designed to enhance the government's support of our students, and their families, leading to the prosperity and economic growth of the people in the CNMI. Also, to further the government's efforts in ensuring our communities' economic sustainability through strategically placing our resources throughout our communities in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. The CNMI Scholarship Office is working to align all efforts in locating, educating, training, and participating in all other initiatives with the CNMI workforce needs, especially that of the CNMIs economic sectors.

Beginning academic year 2016/2017, through collaboration with and approval of the CSO Board of Directors, the Scholarship Office established a list of Priority Fields of Study based on what has been reported and data collected from numerous reports such as the USCIS, CNMI Contract Workers counts, CNMI W2 reports, CNMI Department of Commerce Census Reports, CNMI Department of Labor, CNMI

Prevailing Minimum Wage Report etc. Priority “tier 1” areas include construction trades, building service, food service, and labors, as well as medicine and health occupations. “Tier 2” priority areas include administrative specializations, managers and executives occupations, social workers, administrative support specialists, computer services, agricultural, forestry, and fishing workers, and entertainment and recreation professionals. Tier three priority areas include education, writing, engineering and surveying specialists, and others. Available scholarship funding in FY18 totaled $1,949,700. These funds are used to support scholarships at the Northern Marianas College, Northern Marianas Trades Institute, and the Latte Training Academy.

Northern Marianas CollegeNorthern Marianas College was established in May 1981 when Governor Carlos S. Camacho created the College as an official governmental entity. In June 1985 the college received its initial accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The accreditation was reaffirmed in 1990, 1996, 2001, and 2009. In March 2001, the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges & Universities of WASC granted NMC initial accreditation for offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. This marked the first time in history of WASC that a two-year community college offered a four-year degree. Since its beginning, NMC has focused on meeting the higher education and vocational training needs of the CNMI. From the times of its first program in teacher education, NMC has developed a comprehensive set of academic programs and services to meet the social, cultural, occupational and economic development needs of its island communities. Today, students are enrolled in various educational programs of study leading to Certificates of Completion, Associate Degrees, and Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. In addition, there are hundreds of students enrolled in credit and non-credit, continuing adult education courses. Throughout the years, more than 20,000 people have enrolled in regular NMC degree and certificate courses, over 3000 persons have been awarded certificates and/or degrees in programs offered or coordinated by NMC; and more than 12,000 individuals have been served in our community. The institution has also been engaged in significant strategic planning efforts, including the “PROA Strategic Plan 2008-2012”, which identified four strategic goals, established a number of priority initiatives that extended beyond 2012. The Northern Marianas College Five Year Strategic Plan 2015-2020—Full Speed Ahead provides guidance for the overall direction for prioritizing future key initiatives, which will ultimately link to the allocation of resources. As adopted by the Board of Regents in 2013, NMC’s vision is to “serve as the engine to drive the economic growth and the social and cultural vitality of the Commonwealth” and their mission is that “Northern Marianas College, through its commitment to student learning, provides high quality, affordable and accessible educational programs and services for the individual and people of the Commonwealth.” To support achievement of this vision and mission, twenty-four benchmarks for success were identified, as detailed in Appendix #.

Objectives, or “imperatives”, which are detailed further in Appendix #, were identified as follows:

● Imperative One: Increase Relevance to CNMI Workforce and Community Needs

● Imperative Two: Ensure Continued Accreditation

● Imperative Three: Accelerate Time to Completion

● Imperative Four: Improve Student Success and Support

● Imperative Five: Strengthen Operations and Resource Development

enrollment from 2008 to 2018. The College offers degree programs in Education, Business Management, Nursing, and Criminal Justice to name a few, and also offers short term training in various areas such as Tour Guide Training, Safety in the Workplace, IT Bootcamp Network and Security, and Entrepreneurship.The Northern Marianas College (NMC) continues to play a central role in the professional development and educational growth of its residents. It has experienced an increase of over 55% of its student More recently, the NMC penned an agreement with the University of Guam (UoG) to expand program offerings for the CNMI community, starting with the extension of the UoG four-year degree in Criminal Justice to NMC’s two-year Criminal Justice graduates. A critically important part of this agreement is that NMC students will not need to leave the CNMI to enroll in this program. This will allow NMC students who are working to continue to contribute to the workforce while pursuing higher education. This will be made possible through the use of online instructional methods as well as in the UoG faculty commuting to Saipan to offer their courses. This is one of several academic programs that NMC and UoG are considering as a part of the extension of programs at NMC.

For NMC, this agreement along with many others in the plan will provide higher education credentials to those who seek to become employed in particular fields, and also support their growth in their current professions. A large number of graduates of NMC hold leadership and managerial positions in both the private and public sectors in the CNMI.

Marianas Technical Institute into a government trades institute. With this, the NMTI must now function as a public trades training agency, funded by CNMI appropriations. Many challenges exist for these education institutions beginning with the need to continue to expand and strengthen the local workforce to replace all soon-to-be expiring Contract Worker visa holders. The challenge implicates the PSS in preparing college and career ready graduates, NMC in delivering higher education graduates to fill both leadership positions and mid-level positions vacated by the non- immigrant CW visa holders, and NMTI in providing career and technical training to replace entry-level and specialized trades position holders.

The most recent expansion of public education entities in the CNMI materialized through public law 20- 106 which turned the non-profit Northern Northern Marianas Technical Institute The Northern Marianas Technical Institute’s vision is to “provide a world-class regional training center with a state-of-the-art facility, equipment, and instructional tools handling at least 200 students.” Their mission statement is to “provide quality technical trades and other related occupational programs designed to expand the quantity and quality of the CNMI's labor pool of skilled workers, and, hereby, support the Commonwealth's economical development.” Current programs include Automotive Technology, Construction, Maintenance Trades, Culinary Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Operations, Power Generation, and the Adult Vocational Technical High School (AVTHS) diploma program. Enrollment has been increasing at NMTI since 2015 as detailed in the chart below.

YearNumber of

Students Enrolled*% Employed at

Graduation% Continuing

Training/Education% Unable to

Locate Work / Other

2015 89 77% 2% 21%2016 73 71% 18% 11%2017 443 75% 17% 8%2018 782 68% 18% 14%*Includes NMTI Trade Courses, Adult Vocational Technical School, and PSS High School

Accelerated Enrollees

Latte Training Academy The Latte Training Academy, Inc. is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of community members residing in the CNMI and Guam. While the Board governs organizational strategy, operational strategy is managed by the organization’s contracted Executive Director. To maximize efficiency and minimize costs, the Latte Training Academy, Inc. utilizes a business model which leverages partnerships with reputable firms tasked with program delivery, business management, and administrative management.

The Latte Training Academy, Inc. (LTA) is a 501c3 non-profit organization located in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The organization was founded in 2013 in response to the need to develop the local workforce in the CNMI. Since its inception in 2013, LTA has partnered with the CNMI Public School System (PSS), the CNMI Department of Labor, the CNMI Department of Commerce, the CNMI Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the CNMI Scholarship Office and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide a wide array of training programs.

While the Latte Training Academy, Inc. is committed to its mission of workforce development, the organization holds true to its designation as a Federal 501c3 non-profit. The organization’s leadership is devoted to giving back to the communities in which it operates. In 2015, the Board of Directors established the Founders Scholarship Program with $11,000.00 in college scholarships for LTA participants available each year. To date, the organization has awarded more than $22,000.00 to PSS graduates to support their efforts during their college careers. The Latte Training Academy, Inc. believes that the continued education and career development of its students is essential to the long-term success of the individual, as well as the overall community in which the student resides.

RecommendationsEducational systems and facilities received significant attention in the 2019 CEDS update, reflecting the recognition of the connection between robust educational institutions and overall economic growth. Continuing to prioritize educational needs and expanding data tracking to ensure equal educational opportunities are being afforded to all students will support overarching sustainable development goal objectives for the CNMI. Continued emphasis on coordination between primary and secondary schools and continuing education institutions is encouraged to further accomplish these objectives. Including facility needs and aligning complementary needs such as shelter hardening and ensuring compliance with the 2018 International Building Code when conducting repairs and structure enhancements is also encouraged. As NMC, NMTI, and PSS update their periodic planning documents, inclusion of structural resilience goals and coordinated discussions regarding opportunities for alignment to achieve shared objectives may be beneficial. To incorporate education into comprehensive planning initiatives, at minimum, a representative from the CNMI’s educational institutions should have a place on the Planning and Development Advisory Council (PDAC).

ReferencesComparing enrollment, characteristics, and academic outcomes of students in developmental courses and those in credit-bearing courses at Northern Marianas College, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEERA), 2017NMC Strategic Plan 2015-2020NMC Enrollment Up 12%, Saipan Tribune, Aug. 27, 2019PSS SY2017-2018 Facts and Figures Report