Ready for the Future

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Ready for the Future

New Jersey State Board of Education

December 20, 2006

Our world is changing—What will this require of our kids?

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The world we know is changing

• Our economy is now global.

• New technologies are being developed each day reshaping our way of life in the process.

• Technological advances are eliminating lower-skill jobs.

• High schools will need to change in order to adequately prepare all students.

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There was a time when…

• Mail was delivered by horse and it took six months to deliver a letter from New Jersey to California.

• Trains/cars took six days to deliver a letter from New Jersey to California.

• Planes could deliver a letter overnight.

• But now, the Internet takes seconds to send a message.

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Circa 1990

• Things that did not yet exist include:– Cell phones– Digital cameras– Wireless connections– DVDs– Satellite television– E-mail and instant messaging

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Technological advances tend to eliminate lower-skill jobs

• Lower-skill jobs are disappearing:– Toll takers replaced by E-Z Pass– Telephone operators replaced by voice

recognition systems– Bank tellers replaced by ATM machines and

online banking programs

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Competitive pressures on New Jersey graduates

• Now that employers have a global workforce to draw from, competition for U.S. jobs comes from around the world.

• Today’s students will need the skills necessary to compete in a global arena.

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Employment outlook

• Jobs that require at least some postsecondary education are expected to make up more than two-thirds of new jobs.

• With only 25% of today’s New Jersey high school graduates actually obtaining a college degree, who will fill these jobs? Will these jobs stay in New Jersey?

• Those who complete college earn, on average, almost $1 million more than high school graduates over the course of a lifetime.

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Share of new jobs, 2000–10that require…

10%

22%

36%31%

0%

20%

40%

60%

High schooldropout

High schooldiploma

Somepostsecondary

credential

Bachelor'sdegree

Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Donna M. Desrochers, Standards for What? The Economic Roots of K–16 Reform, Educational Testing Service, 2003.

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Workforce readiness also requires advanced skills and knowledge

• A high school diploma is no longer a ticket to the middle class.

• Blue-collar jobs now require high-level skills:– Requirements for car mechanic

• The ability to read at a level equivalent to a junior in college

– Requirements for tool and die makers • Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or postsecondary training• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics

– Requirements for sheet metal workers• Four or five years of apprenticeship• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and technical reading

What does being prepared mean?

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Prepared equals

• Students must graduate from high school ready for the workforce or further education.

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The American Diploma Project (ADP)

• ADP benchmarks represent a consensus of business and higher education viewpoints on essential skills.

• The NJ Chamber of Commerce and The NJ Council of College and University Presidents have endorsed the ADP Benchmarks.

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Graduates going on to college or work need the same skills

Source—American Diploma Project Network

CollegeMath

Required Skills:

Add, subtract, multiply, divide and simplify rational expressions

Understand functional notation

Solve systems of two linear equations in two variables

Solve quadratic equations in one variable

Graph a linear equation and quadratic function

Determine the perimeter and the circumference of geometric shapes

Machine OperatorEastman Chemical Company

Required Skills:

Add, subtract, multiply, divide and simplify rational expressions

Calculate and apply ratios, proportions and percentages to solve problems

Recognize and solve problems using a linear equation and one variable

Apply units correctly in expressions involving measurements

Determine the perimeter and the circumference of geometric shapes

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ADP Benchmarks outline a rigorous sequence of courses for high school

students

• Four math courses– Content equivalent to:

• Algebra I and II• Geometry• A fourth course such

as statistics or precalculus

• Four English courses– Content equivalent to:

• Four years of grade-level English or higher (e.g., honors or Advanced Placement English)

How do New Jersey’s students measure up?

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Too many New Jersey students are dropping out of the education system

90%

60%

44%

25%

68%

40%

27%18%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Graduate highschool

Start college Persist 2ndyear

Earn degree

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of 9

th g

rad

e s

tud

en

ts New JerseyUnited States

Source: National Center for Public Policy & Higher Education, Policy Alert, April 2004. Data are estimates of pipeline progress rather than actual cohort.

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How ready for college are New Jersey students?

• While New Jersey leads the nation in college preparedness, it still leaves about half of its students underprepared for the rigor of higher education.

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College instructors confirm high school graduates lack preparation

Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? prepared for Achieve, Inc., 2005.

• According to a recent Achieve, Inc. survey of college instructors, 42% of high school graduates are not prepared for college-level classes.

New Jersey public college and university remediation rates

Institution % Needing Remediation

Kean 70%

Montclair 54%

New Jersey City University 62%

NJIT 40%**

Ramapo 23%

Rowan 21%

Rutgers 33%

Stockton 14%

The College of New Jersey 8%

William Paterson 72%

Total 40%

Among first-time students

**Estimate20

Community college remediation ratesCommunity College % Needing Remediation

Atlantic Cape 77.6%

Bergen 81.8%

Brookdale 79.8%

Burlington 73.8%

Camden 81.0%

Cumberland 80%

Essex 91.4%

Gloucester 73.2%

Hudson 67.9%

Mercer 83%

Middlesex 78.5%

Morris 76%

Ocean 67.7%

Passaic 96.3%

Raritan Valley 78%

Salem 92.5%

Sussex 75%

Union 67%

Warren 75%

Total 77.8%

First-time, full-time students who graduated from high school in Spring 2004 and enrolled at a community college in Fall 2004.21

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Most U.S. college students who take remedial courses fail to earn degrees

76%

63%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Remedial reading Remedial math

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

colle

ge

stu

de

nts

Percentage not earning degree by type of remedial coursework

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 2004.

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New Jersey college graduation rates

• The six-year graduation rate for New Jersey’s state colleges and universities is 63.2%.

• The three-year graduation rate for New Jersey’s community colleges is 13.2%.

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New Jersey state college and university retention/graduation rates

Institution 3-Semester Retention

(Returning Sophomores)

6-Year Graduation

Kean 76.3% 45.1%

Montclair 82.2% 58.3%

New Jersey City University 74.4% 38.1%

NJIT 81.1% 55.2%

Ramapo 89.1% 57.1%

Rowan 87.1% 62.2%

Rutgers 87.5% 69%

Stockton 83.7% 61.8%

The College of New Jersey 99.1% 82.7%

William Paterson 76.4% 48.1%

Total 84.9% 63.2%

Among full-time, first-time degree seeking students

Community college retention/graduation ratesInstitution 3-Semester Retention

(Returning Sophomores)

3-Year Graduation

Atlantic 57.3% 17.7%

Bergen 64.7% 10.6%

Brookdale 66.4% 18.8%

Burlington 64.7% 11.7%

Camden 62% 10.8%

Cumberland 62.7% 19.6%

Essex 53% 5.7%

Gloucester 61.9% 14.4%

Hudson 58.3% 5.4%

Mercer 60.5% 16.1%

Middlesex 62.7% 11%

Morris 65.2% 21.3%

Ocean 47.6% 19.6%

Passaic 56.6% 14.6%

Raritan Valley 63.3% 12.2%

Salem 50.6% 14.9%

Sussex 64.7% 19.7%

Union 53% 5.6%

Warren 56.1% 9.8%

Total 60.3% 13.2%

Among full-time, first-time degree seeking students25

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Employers confirm high school graduates lack preparation


• According to a recent Achieve, Inc. survey of employers, 45% of high school graduates are not prepared to advance beyond entry-level jobs.

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Are New Jersey students ready for the workforce?

• In a recent survey by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, 99% of New Jersey companies indicated that graduates do not have the skills to meet their needs.

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Are New Jersey students ready for the workforce?

• A New Jersey employer had to interview 1,300 candidates for 130 security jobs.

• Criteria for being considered for this job were successful completion of a high school diploma and passing an application test.

• 100% of the applicants had high school diplomas, but 90% couldn’t pass the test which measured eighth grade math skills.

How should we prepare students?

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What other states are doing

• Improving high schools is a national movement.

• The 25 states, including New Jersey, in the ADP Network comprise more than 50% of public school students in the nation.

• Several states are making great strides in improving high school education.

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New Jersey’s ADP goals

1. Align New Jersey’s high school standards in language arts literacy and math to the knowledge and skills required for success in postsecondary education and work.

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• Representatives from NJ colleges and businesses have adopted formal expectations for success in postsecondary education and work.

• NJ’s standards in math and LAL at the high school levels are being aligned to these expectations.

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2. Require all students to take a college- and work-ready curriculum to earn a high school diploma.

• Require specific H.S. course content

• Present new H.S. graduation requirements to the State Board

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Current graduation requirements for language arts literacy, math,

and science

Content Areas Years

Language Arts Literacy 4

Mathematics 3

Science 3

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Recommended graduation requirements—language arts literacy

Content Area Courses

Language Arts Literacy

English I

English II

English III

English IV

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Recommended graduation requirements—mathematics


Mathematics

Algebra I

Geometry

Algebra II(or complete integrated math equivalent to these three courses)

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Recommended graduation requirements—science


Science

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

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Recommended graduation requirements—other areas

Content Areas

Social Studies

Health and Physical Education

Visual and Performing Arts

World Languages

Technological Literacy

Career Education and Consumer, Family and Life Skills

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New Jersey’s ADP goals3. Administer to high school students a college- and

work-ready assessment, aligned to state standards, that provides clear and timely information to address critical skills deficiencies while still in high school.

• ADP recommends a more rigorous HSPA and end of course exams in Algebra II and English III.

• Eliminate the Special Review Assessment (SRA) and establish a rigorous alternate path for students who don’t pass the HSPA.

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Special Review Assessment DataTest Year General ELL Sp. Ed. Total

HSPT

1999 6,559 1,219 147 7,925

2000 6,818 1,364 226 8,427

2001 7,572 1,460 194 9,226

2002 7,613 1,675 260 9,548

HSPA

2003 12,566 1,617 463 14,646

2004 13,397 1,353 581 15,331

2005 13,826 1,208 627 15,661

2006 11,581 1,128 579 13,288

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4. Assist middle and high schools to:• Restructure programs and schools to deliver

a rigorous, standards-based curriculum to ALL students.

• Provide a personalized, engaging learning environment.

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5. Design and offer sustained, intensive, job-embedded professional development to enable educators to meet these goals.

Are our students up for the challenge?

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Knowing what they know today, high school graduates would have worked harder

Would have applied myself more

65%

77%

Graduates whowent to college

Graduates who didnot go to college


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If high school had demanded more, graduates would have worked harder

64%

18%

15%

63%

17%

18%

Would have worked harder

Strongly feel would have worked harder

Wouldn’t have worked harder

High school graduates who went to college

High school graduates who did not go to college


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A majority of recent New Jersey high school dropouts regret their decision

Wish I stayed in high school

Satisfied with decision

Not sure how I feel

52%

28%

20%

Source: New Jersey United for Higher School Standards, 2006.

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Advice from New Jersey high school dropouts

• In a recent survey by New Jersey United, recent high school dropouts were asked what they would say to students still in high school:

“Stay in school and work as hard as you can to succeed. Life is too hard without an education.”

“You need your education. I know it may be difficult at this time, but stick it out and finish.”

“School is worth it because it will help you get to that next step in life.”

Are our schools up for the challenge?

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The challenges

• High schools were designed a century ago to address the needs of an industrial economy.

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2005 High School Graduation Survey Information

• Conducted by NJDOE

• Types of schools included:

• Charter schools

• Vocational-technical schools

• Adult high schools/Evening schools

• Comprehensive high schools

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Mathematics

• Algebra I• 66% reported

requiring algebra 1 of virtually all students

• 10% of the schools reported that fewer than 50% of their 2005 graduates had taken algebra 1

• Algebra II• 43% reported

requiring algebra II for all students

• 25 % of the schools reported that fewer than 51% of their 2005 graduates had taken algebra II

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Geometry

• 59% of the schools reported requiring geometry for all students

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Science• 35% reported they

required students to take a chemistry course

• 14% reported they required students to take a physics course

• 32% reported they required students to take a physical science course

• 69% of the schools reported they require students to take a biology course

• 26.5% of the schools reported that they require students to take an Earth science course

• 1.3% reported they required students to take a space science course

Note: Several schools identified courses that could not be easily categorized such as life skills science, science for poets, special education science or science 1, 2, etc.

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What is needed

• A sustained, systemic initiative for P-12 is needed to make sure all students enter 9th grade prepared for rigorous high school courses.

• Schools need to be rigorous without being overly rigid to accommodate the full scope of student needs.

• Parents and the community need to be involved in and supportive of the high school redesign process.

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Effective high schools

• Characteristics of effective high schools:– Create active, collaborative learning

communities– Provide challenging, content-rich instruction– Engage all students– Foster strong problem-solving skills

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Next steps

• Create a white paper from the discussion at this and other convenings along with feedback collected from participants.

• Present recommendations for Core Curriculum Content Standards, graduation requirements, and assessment system to policy and decisionmakers in early 2007.

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Question and AnswerSession

More information on the New Jersey High School Redesign Steering Committee is available at:

www.njhighschoolsummit.org

Ready for the Future

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