Can Universal, Place-Based Scholarships Reduce Inequality?

Lessons from Kalamazoo, Michigan

Dr. Michelle Miller-AdamsVisiting Scholar, W.E. Upjohn InstituteAssistant Professor, Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI)

April 23, 2010

What is the Kalamazoo Promise?

Announced 11/05, to continue in perpetuity Funded by anonymous private donors Place-based: Kalamazoo Public Schools

Covers 65-100% of tuition and fees at state colleges & universities for KPS graduates

Universal: every graduate is eligible Minimum 4-year residency & enrollment

Place-based, universal approach suggests

blending of educational & economic goals

The first comprehensive account of the Kalamazoo

Promise, based on three years of research.

Published by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment

Research, 2009.

Conceptual Framework

Scholarship program as catalyst New incentives created

Teachers, parents, residents, realtors Potential increase in assets -- human, social,

and economic -- for individuals and community IF – community is aligned.

“49% of the work is the funding and 51% is community engagement and alignment (the hard part)!”

Dr. Janice Brown, Kalamazoo Promise

Dimensions of inequality

Between urban and suburban areas poor & minority population concentrated in urban core

School districts reflect this imbalance low-income enrollment in KPS is 70%, in contiguous

district it is 20%

Within district elementary schools range in low-income population

from 35% to 99%

Disparities reflected in MEAP scores, etc.

A tool for reducing inequality?

Distinction between inequality of opportunities and inequality of outcomes

Program works to equalize both throughUniversal college accessStructural & cultural school changeAlignment of community resources

Equalizing opportunity:universal college access

Elimination / simplification of financial barriers to college attendance

Other barriers persistK-12 achievement gap by income and raceLack of college readiness

Academic and socialAbsence of role models / supportCultural: sense that “college isn’t for me”

Importance of defining college broadly

Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship Use In first four years of program

1,516 students received scholarships (81% of those eligible) 1,029 are currently enrolled $17 million spent as of spring 2010

Almost 9 out of 10 recipients attend four schools: Kalamazoo Valley Community College (31%) Western Michigan University (32%) Michigan State University (13%) University of Michigan (11%)

Persistence rates as of fall 2009 Class of 2006: 81% university, 24% community college Class of 2007: 84% university, 34% community college Class of 2008: 84% university, 50% community college

Usage by Race

2006 2007 2008 2009

% eligible graduates who have used Promise

83 83 85 73

% of eligible African-American graduates who have used Promise

83 81 85 72

% of eligible Hispanic graduateswho have used Promise (small-n)

71 90 82 66

% of eligible Caucasian graduates who have used Promise

86 85 85 77

Usage of Kalamazoo Promise by race closely matches demographics of eligibility for the program.

Usage by Socioeconomic Status*

2006 2007 2008 2009

% graduates w/ Free & Reduced Meal status

48 50 59 59

% of KP-eligible students w/ Free & Reduced Meal Status

46 49 58 58

% of students w/ Free & Reduced Meal status who have used Promise

43 46 56 60

Usage of Kalamazoo Promise by low-income students closely matches demographics of school district.

* Free & Reduced meal status is underreported for all categories because only most recent five years of data is available.

Academic Performance in College Good news: Low-income students are using the

Kalamazoo Promise at the same rate as middle-income students

Bad news: more low-income students are struggling once in college.

KP users who qualified for Free & Reduced Meals while at KPS account for:

35% of students in good standing 70% of students on probation 67% of students whose scholarships have been suspended

Equalizing outcomes: cultural & structural change in the schools

Cultural: efforts to ensure that every student is “college-ready” Early literacy, curriculum review, testing College readiness course, AP offerings, credit

recovery, weighted grades Career awareness & preparation

Structural: socioeconomic integration of schools Supported by enrollment increase & new school

construction Will it extend to elementary schools? Neighborhoods?

25-year KPS enrollment trend

9000

10000

11000

12000

13000

14000

15000

Fall Headcount

Aca

dem

ic Y

ear

Kalamazoo Promise Announced

16% enrollment growth since 2005Ethnic/racial distribution has remained the sameLow-income population has risen: 62% to 70%

Support for bond issue -> school constructionNew schools (first in 4 decades) -> redistrictingGreater socioeconomic balance in secondary schools

2008-09 Projected

2009-10

Middle Schools

- Hillside 52 65 67

- Linden Grove n.a. 72 69

- Maple Street 72 68 68

- Milwood 84 71 79

High Schools

- Central 53 58 55

- Norrix 64 60 65

Cultural Change Indicators

College readiness course (10th grade) “Promise Week” centered on middle school

college awareness

Weighted grades for AP courses

Advanced Placement (AP) trends 2007-09 # of students enrolled: + 71% (526 students)

Economically disadvantaged + 148% (156) African-American + 166% (141) Hispanic + 400% (40)

Students taking course must now also take AP test # taking test is up; pass rate is down

Scholarship program alone does not lead to school improvement, cultural or economic change. But it

can deepen community engagement and alignment around these goals.

Strategic Prioritiesfor Kalamazoo

1st-grade students at Parkwood-Upjohn Elementary School, future recipients of the Kalamazoo Promise