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National High School Center’s Summer Institute
Robert J. Ivry
MDRC
Transitions Out of High School
June 19, 2008
Key Transition Points in High School
From Middle School to High School (9th grade)
From 9th to 10th gradeFrom High School to Post-
Secondary Education and/or Careers
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Student Goals
Improve persistence Improve achievement Improve educational attainment Improve college readiness Increase college enrollments and
completion Increase labor market success
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System Goals(America’s Diploma Project)
Aligning high school standards with postsecondary and workplace expectations.
Upgrading high school course requirements so that students take a college and work-ready curriculum.
Streamlining assessment systems so the tests that high school students take serve as readiness tests for college and the workplace.
Holding both high schools and postsecondary institutions accountable for student success.
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Diagnosing the Problem/Understanding Contextual Factors
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Youth employment rates are falling: down to 35% Growing earnings gap between college educated and non-college
educated workers Gap between college aspirations of 9th graders, college
enrollment, and college completion (steep funnel) Seepage at each stage in the educational pipeline
– Correlation between repeating 9th grade or not earning 9th grade English or algebra credit and dropping out
– High School dropout rates – 50% or more in many large cities and low-income rural areas
– While college going rates are increasing, a high proportion of students are not college ready
– Low completion rates in community colleges particularly for students needing to take developmental classes
Educational Intervention and Enhancements
Talent Development High School
– Ninth Grade Success Academies and Career Academies in upper grades
– A double blocked schedule enables students to catch up during first semester and earn English and algebra credits
– Substantial gain for first time 9th graders – improved attendance, increased number of academic courses earned over 4 years, and get back on track to graduate with a core curriculum
Enhanced Reading Opportunities
– Early impacts on reading comprehension for students entering 9 th grade who are 2-5 grades between grade level
Upward Bound and TRIO Programs Avid – started as a college prep program with an elective and evolved into
comprehensive school reform Best practices – early exposure to college admission requirements, visit college
campuses, increased exposure to financial aid options and procedures
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Dual – Credit Programs
Dual enrollment – Encouraging results from College Now, Florida and Texas
Early College High Schools Middle College High Schools Tech Prep Summer Bridge
Caution: Some of these programs may accelerate college enrollment for students who would have gone to college anyway, but not increase college access for students who would not have enrolled.
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Scholarship and Incentive Programs
Theory: These programs will both induce students to work harder in high school and reduce the cost of college.
Opportunity New York City Kalamazoo Promise Merit Based Scholarship Programs California Cash for College I have a Dream
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Mini Case Studies of ThreeProven Strategies
Career Academies (High School)Learning CommunitiesPerformance-Based Scholarships
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Career Academies Program Characteristics and Goals
Scale
– 2,500 throughout the country– Major networks help with scale-up and sustainability (National Academy
Foundation, Career Academy Support Network)
Key Features– Small Learning Communities to promote interpersonal supports and
program coherence– Career theme to combine academic curriculum with career-related course
sequence– Employer partnerships to support career awareness and development
activities and work-based learning Goals
– Dropout prevention– Career development and academic achievement– Pathways to the labor market and post-secondary education
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Key Findings(4 Years Post-High School)
Large and sustained impact on employment and earnings particularly for young men
Relatively high educational outcomes but no impact (positive or negative) on high school graduation and post-secondary education outcomes
Exposure to career development opportunities, job navigation skills, and employer-based experiences while in high school are most likely candidates as sources of impacts
Stay tuned for 8 year post-high results which will be announced on 6/27/08
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Impacts on Employment and EarningsBy Gender
4 Years Post-High school
Academy Non-Academy
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Average Monthly Earnings Average Weekly Hours Average Hourly Wage
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Impacts
Month-by-Month Impacts on Total Monthly Earnings for Young Men
Improving Educational Outcomes for Community College Students
Learning Communities Program at Kingsborough Community College (KCC)– Groups of ≈ 25 freshman took 3 linked courses together:
English (usually developmental), student development (taught by counselor), and a standard college course, such as sociology or health.
Performance-Based Scholarships in Louisiana– Low-income parents received $1,000 for two semesters
($2,000 total) on two conditions: enrolled at least half-time and maintained “C” or better average.
– Scholarship paid in increments: $250 on enrollment, $250 on passing midterms, $500 on passing courses.
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Two-Year Effects of KCC Learning Communities
Learning Communities Improved– students’ college experience– students’ progression through developmental
English requirements, and– some educational outcomes while students were
in the learning community program, but the effects diminished in subsequent semesters.
The evidence is mixed about whether the program increased persistence.
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Impact of Learning Communities on Students’ College Experience
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Positive Effects on English Exams Required for Graduation or Transfer
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Louisiana Early Results
Scholarships led students to– enroll for more credits– pass more courses and– persist.
Effects continued into 3rd and 4th semesters
Hurricane Katrina precluded measuring long-term effects (e.g., graduation)
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Scholarship Led to Higher Enrollment
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Impact of Scholarships on Total Credits Earned
