Transcript
Page 1: Academic Readiness for College : What Does it Mean?

Academic Readiness for College : What Does it Mean?

Lynne Miller

January ,2006

Page 2: Academic Readiness for College : What Does it Mean?

What We Know About Maine Kids and College

• 80% of Maine eighth graders say they want to go to college• 75-85% of students who begin high school graduate• Less than 50% of students who matriculate at Maine’s public

universities graduate within six years • Of all Maine graduating seniors in 2005

– 65-70% of those enrolled in public schools ( including the 11 town academies) took the SAT

– 51-53% attended a two or four year college in the fall– about 30% will earn a bachelor’s degree

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Shared Goals: Pre-K to 16

• #1: Maine students who aspire to college will have access to a curriculum that adequately prepares them for college level work.

• #2: More Maine students who enter our public universities will progress toward a degree in a timely fashion

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What Has to Happen

• Schools have to prepare students who aspire to go to college for success in college

• Colleges have to provide the conditions for student success in college.

• High school and college faculty have to talk to each other

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ACT Study Results

51

41

26

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% Students

Reading Algebra Biology

Courses

College Readiness by Subject

Source: (2005) ACT, Inc.

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MEA Data 2005

4435

22

100

10

20

30

40

50

% Students Meet or Exceed

Reading Writing Math Science

MEA Assessment

MEA Data 2005

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Education Trust 2005

Graduation Rates: Maine Public Universities

Campus 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year

UMO 30% 54% 60%

UMA 8% 23% 23%

UMF 32% 52% 56%

UMFK 11% 43% 50%

UMM 14% 35% 44%

UMPI 9% 24% 31%

USM 12% 28% 33%

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6 Year Graduation Rates: Maine Private Colleges

• Bowdoin 90.1%• Bates 88.5 %• Colby 86.4%

• College of the Atlantic 82.3 %• Maine Maritime 69.5%• St Joseph’s 61.9%

• UNE 56.6%• Husson 53.7%• Thomas 52.1%

• Unity 46.7%• MeCA 36.1%

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6 Year Graduation Rates: New England Public Universities

• UNH 72.6% • UVM 69.9%• UConn 69.8%• UMass 64.0%

• URI 56.0%• Keene State 51.2%

• Plymouth State 42.7%

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High School to College Disconnects

• High school diploma ≠ college admission

• College admission ≠ placement in degree earning courses

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High School Graduation ≠ College Admission

»

Min. Me Grad. Min College Admission

English 4 4

Math 2 3 - Alg 1,2 & Geom senior math preferred

Social Studies/US History 2 2 - 3 preferred

Science 2-one lab 2 - three lab preferred

Foreign Language 0 2

Health/PE 1.5 0

Fine Arts 1 0

Computer competence

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College Admission ≠ College Readiness

• High school graduates are…

– accepted to college as full time students BUT

are unprepared for college work

– pay tuition to enroll in developmental courses BUT

do not earn credit toward graduation

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Remedial Courses

Every year…

• 50% of entering full time students are placed in remedial courses in U.S. universities and college

• Remedial courses have a negative impact on retention and on graduation

• 50% of entering full time students are placed in remedial courses in U.S. universities and college• Remedial courses have a negative impact on retention and on graduation

Every Year…

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Post-Secondary Education

0 1 3 or >

56

34

18

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% Students

# Remedial Courses

6 Year Graduation Rates

Source: Kirst, M. (2004). The high school/college disconnect. Educational Leadership, 62(3), 51-55.

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Remedial Course Enrollmentsin Maine‘s Public Universities

• Over 700 students are enrolled in remedial or “developmental” writing courses each fall

• Over 1500 are enrolled in remedial or “developmental” math courses each fall

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First Gatekeeper for Placement: The SAT

• UMF catalog statement:– UMF does not require standardized tests…as

part of the admission process. However, students who wish to submit test scores may do so. The SAT I is used for placement purposes. Students who do not provide SAT scores and students with scores below a cutoff point will be required to take mathematics and writing placement tests before enrolling in UMF mathematics or writing courses.

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Second Gatekeeper: The Placement Test

• The Accuplacer is is a self-paced, un-timed computerized placement test that is used by UMA, UMFK, UMM, and UMPI and all seven community college campuses. – The College Board publishes The Accuplacer

Online Student Guide– Students can practice taking the test at this site:

http://www.testpreview.com/accuplacer_practice.htm

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Second Gatekeeper

• USM , UMF, and UMaine use tests that are developed on the individual campus

• USM sample tests are published on-line at– http://www.usm.maine.edu/testing/testing/pdfs/sample

math.pdf (MATH)

– http://www.usm.maine.edu/testing/testing/pdfs/sampleenglish.pdf ( WRITING)

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Overview of Developmental Writing Courses at UMaine Campuses

Campus SATCut-off

PlacementTest

Development Course Enrollments

UMA 530 Accuplacer 188 (plus 157 in reading)

UMF 490 Local Test 84

UMFK 500 Accuplacer 24 (plus 36 in reading)

UMM 480 Accuplacer 25

UMAINE 420 In-class diagnosis 48

UMPI 500 Accuplacer 81(plus 38 in reading)

USM 550 Local Test 366

MMA None None

Fall, 2004 L. Miller

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Developmental Courses in Math at UMaine Campuses

Campus SATCut-off

PlacementTest

Development Course Enrollments

UMA 500 Accuplacer 661

UMF 450 Local Test 25

UMFK 500 Accuplacer 0

UMM 470 Accuplacer 74

UMAINE NA Local test for everyone

58

UMPI 490 Accuplacer 152

USM 480 Local Test 545

MMA NA None None

Fall, 2004 L. Miller

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New SAT Requirements

• Math: requires mastery of math through Algebra 2;

• Critical Reading: requires critical reading of long and short texts

• Writing: requires ability to answer multiple choice grammar and style questions and to compose a writing sample

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NEW SAT MATH EXPECTATIONS

• Number and Operation

• Arithmetic word problems (including percent, ratio, and proportion)

• Properties of integers (even, odd, prime numbers,

divisibility, etc.)• Rational numbers• Logical reasoning• Sets (union, intersection, elements)• Counting techniques• Sequences and series (including

exponential growth)• Elementary number theory

• Algebra and Functions

• Substitution and simplifying algebraic expressions

• Properties of exponents• Algebraic word problems• Solutions of linear equations and

inequalities• Systems of equations and

inequalities• Quadratic equations• Rational and radical equations• Equations of lines• Absolute value• Direct and inverse variation• Concepts of algebraic functions• Newly defined symbols based on

commonly used operations

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NEW SAT MATH EXPECTATIONS

Geometry and Measurement

• Area and perimeter of a polygon• Area and circumference of a circle• Volume of a box, cube, and cylinder• Pythagorean Theorem and special

properties of isosceles, equilateral, and

right triangles• Properties of parallel and

perpendicular lines• Coordinate geometry• Geometric visualization• Slope• Similarity• Transformations

Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability

• Data interpretation• Statistics (mean, median, and mode)• Probability

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H. S. Math Curricula

• Studies a class of functions—definition, graphs, properties, and mathematical models.

• Topics covered include:– Linear– Quadratic– Exponential– Logarithmic– Rational algebraic– Irrational algebraic– Higher degree functions– Conic sections– Sequences– Probability – Statistics

• Extends and reviews concepts learned in Algebra 1

• Introduces more advanced subjects

– Logarithms

– Coordinate geometry

– Probability

HonorsHonors ““College Prep”College Prep”

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New SAT Writing

• A sense of happiness and fulfillment, not personal gain, is the best motivation and reward for one’s achievement. Expecting a reward of wealth or recognition for achieving a goal can lead to disappointment and frustration. If we want to be happy in what we do in life, we should not seek achievement for the sake of winning wealth and fame. The personal satisfaction of a job well done is its own reward.

• Assignment: Are people motivated to achieve by personal satisfaction rather than by money or fame? In 25 minutes, plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observation

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11th Grade MEA Writing Prompt

• What if there were eight days in a week?

Write about how you would use the additional day

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H.S. English Curricula

• Develop skills in reading, public speaking and writing

• Chronological and critical understanding of American literature

• Challenging reading load (10 or more novels plus short stories and poetry)

• Express understanding in clear, organized manner through class discussion and written assignments, expository and analytic writing

• Write a research paper, with hypothesis, supporting evidence, and conclusion

• Required summer reading list

• Develop skills in grammar, vocabulary, oral presentations and speeches

• Surveys American literature • Studies works from college preparatory

anthology and selected novels • Composition focuses on narrative and

descriptive essays and introduces expository writing

• Research paper required

HonorsHonors ““College Prep”College Prep”

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COLLEGE READINESSin Writing

Chancellor’s Committee Report on College Readiness in Writing

Presented to the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System

(June 2005)

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Report to the Field

Prepared by over Sixty Writing Instructors from Maine’s Public

Universities and Community Colleges

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Courses in College Writing Emphasize

• Correct standard written English– Finding and correcting

errors

• Creating complex theses

• Distinguishing analysis from summary

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Courses Emphasize

• Bloom’s Taxonomy higher critical thinking skills– Analysis

– Synthesis

– Evaluation

• Immediately grappling with complex ideas– Reading academic articles across the disciplines as well

as literature 

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High School vs. College Experience

“ I am not asking how you feel about this issue; I’m asking what you think about this issue.”   

• University focus = Abstraction » Argument» Analysis» Discussion» Writing about Texts   

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High School vs. College Writing Experience

• The “expository essay” is informational in high school, explication of a text in college

• Terms like “persuade,” “evaluate,” “analyze” are used differently

• College writing is expository or analytical (seldom narrative) and moves beyond personal experience

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College Writing: Sample Assignment

• Near the end of her essay, Tompkins writes, “What this means for the problem I’ve been addressing is that I piece together the story of European –Indian relations as best I can, believing this version up to a point , that version not at all, another: almost entirely, according to what seems reasonable and plausible given everything I know. And this is, as I have shown, what I was already doing in the back of my mind without realizing it, because there was nothing else I could do”

• Please write a four page essay in which you consider Tompkins’s conclusion. Do you agree with her? How do you evaluate evidence that Tompkins presents to support her position? Finally, it is important that you make clear somewhere in your essay what you think Tompkins’s conclusion is

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Preparing for College Writing

Before writing about a text, students should…

• Understand the expectations for reading the text and writing about it

• Learn explicitly how to read the text – Walk through the text with a teacher – Point out the features of a text– Know how to get the most out of a text

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Preparing for College Writing

• Evaluating arguments found in reading according to logical rules

• Developing arguments in writing • Using evidence to support arguments• Using ideas from reading in new contexts• Creating coherence between parts of an essay• Revising sentences for logic and completeness

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Preparing for College Writing

• Using subordination, coordination, and parallelism comfortably

• Reading analytical texts that make arguments

• Using academic vocabulary• Participating in discussions and in peer

review of drafts

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COLLEGE READINESSin Math

Chancellor’s Committee Report on College Readiness in Math

Presented to the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System

(January,2006)

.

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Mathematics is the language of science

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• Developed by seven math faculty from UMS campuses and representatives from, Maine Math and Science Alliance and Maine

• Designed to clarify and communicate math concepts and skills necessary to place out of developmental courses and to succeed in general education science and social science courses

System Wide Standards for General Education Math

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General Education Math Courses

• Designed for students who do not plan to major in those technical or scientific fields that require mathematics beyond a general education level.

– Note: A complementary listing of math competencies for students entering technical or math/science fields is being developed

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System Wide Standards for General Education Math

– Mathematical Reasoning– Computation– Algebra– Geometry– Data Analysis– Statistics

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Preparing Students for College Level Math

• Students who are prepared for general education math are able to – perform mathematical operations and

manipulations by hand or with a calculator when appropriate

– understand basic concepts and definitions– apply, interpret and communicate results.

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Preparing Students for College Level Math

• A senior year math course for all college bound students: not necessarily pre-calc or calc

• Decreased reliance on calculators• A firm foundation in algebraic and quantitative

reasoning• A math curriculum ( middle through high school)

that progresses to college ready skills and competencies

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Preparing Students for College Math

• Broaden the math teaching repertoire to include new instructional strategies

• Add to the “tried and true” practices that work for some but not for all

• Explore Agile Mind and other innovative math teaching approaches

• Don’t be fenced in by what the “experts” say; innovate

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Preparing Students for College Math

– Change organizational and teaching arrangements when necessary

– Use a supplemental instruction model– Use accelerated learning strategies to help students

catch up and fill in gaps

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For those students who enter high school with aspirations for college, what should we tell them they need

to be “college ready”?

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Statement of the UMaine System Chief Academic Officers

• While the seven campuses of the University of Maine System have different criteria for admission and placement, they all share a common understanding of what comprises an optimal, college-ready high school transcript. Students who succeed in college and graduate on time usually have the following high school preparation…

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English

Four years of English courses that incorporate a variety of texts (fiction, non-fiction, essays, memoirs, journalism) and that emphasize expository and analytic writing skills..

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Math

Four years of math courses that include at least algebra I and II, geometry, and a 12th-grade college-preparatory math course that provides a solid foundation in quantitative and algebraic reasoning. For those students planning to major in mathematics, science, or a technical or professional field that requires advanced math skills, a pre-calculus or calculus course is strongly recommended

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History and Social Sciences

At least three years of history and social science in courses that emphasize the reading of primary and secondary texts, the writing of analytic and expository essays, and the use of quantitative data and research findings.

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Science

At least three years of laboratory science—offered as either separate courses or as integrated core classes—that includes the study of biology, chemistry, and physics.  Science courses should emphasize the writing of technical reports, quantitative representations, and analyses of data in addition to traditional content.

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Language other than English

At least two years of study in a language other than English.  

   

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Promoting High School to College Conversations

• October: Conversations about Writing Conference in Augusta

• Ongoing: Calderwood Conversations about Writing , 8 sessions across Maine

• November: Conversations about Math in Bangor and Portland

• MLR review• NGA Grant

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Web sites

– College Readiness Reports– www.usm.maine.edu/smp/resources– www.maine.edu/writers– Placement Tests– www.usm.maine.edu/testing/testing/pdfs/samplemath.pdf – www.usm.maine.edu/testing/testing/pdfs/sampleenglish.pdf– www.testpreview.com/accuplacer_practice.htm


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