College Expectations with High School Skills: What is a well-educated high school graduate?

Texas High School Project

What is a well-educated high school graduate?

David T. ConleyProfessor; Director, Center for Educational Policy Research (CEPR), Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership

2003 - Standards for Success analyzed course content at a range of American research universities to develop the "Knowledge and Skills for University Success" standards.

2005 - College Knowledge: What It Takes for Students to Succeed and What We Can Do to Get Them Ready, based on this research.

2010 - College and Career Ready

What We Can Do to Increase College Success: Questions and Actions

Who determines which skills are taught in which classes in your school? Does it change when the teacher leaves?

What We Can Do to Increase College Success: Questions and Actions

When there are multiple sections of the same course with the same name, are the skills taught in each the same?

What We Can Do to Increase College Success: Questions and Actions

How much variance exists among college-preparatory classes? How much variation exists among grading techniques?

How Intellectually Coherent Is Today’s High School?

English – In particular, English tends to consist of four unrelated courses with no culminating exam or set of exit skills. According to NAEP, only about a fourth of twelfth graders reach a level defined as proficient by the test.

How Intellectually Coherent Is Today’s High School?

Mathematics – While math courses seem to be more related, key skills such as problem solving or reasoning often are not fully developed. In fact, few graduates come away with a deep understanding of math concepts or realizing how math can be used to understand the natural world.

How Intellectually Coherent Is Today’s High School?

Science – In Science, memorization of terms is emphasized over understanding of concepts. Students are rarely taught to “think like scientists” by understanding the scientific method as a mode of inquiry rather than a mechanical process to be followed.

Four Dimensions of College Readiness

Key knowledge about postsecondary education

Key self management skills

Four Key Dimensions of College Readiness

Key Cognitive Strategies Critical thinking, problem solving,

evaluating, inquisitives, interpretations, analytical thinking, precision

Key Content Knowledge Writing Skills, algebraic concepts, big

ideas from core subjects, key foundations content

Academic Behaviors Persistence, study groups, time

management, awareness of performance, syllabus use, study and note taking skills

Contextual Skills and Awareness

Admission requirements, cost of college, purpose of college culture, relationships with professors

Key Cognitive Strategies Problem Solving

Represents the thinking that students engage in when starting a task. (Understand, Hypothesize, Strategize)

Research Involves gathering and evaluation data or information. (Identify, Collect,

Evaluate) Interpretation

Involves understanding and making connections between sources, data or evidence. (Integrate, Analyze, Synthesize)

Reasoning Encompasses the ability to put forth a well-supported and clear

argument, proof or line of reasoning. (Construct, Organize, Critique) Precision/Accuracy

Influences the performance on all of the other strategies. (Check, Complete, Present)

What is a well-educated high school graduate? Please develop a definition.

Time to answer the question! Work with 2 others at your table Base it on

CONLEY YOUR EXPERIENCES

What is one actionable item you can do when you leave? Ex: talk to middle school teacher in my subject

about college ready Develop a project where students have to collect

data, form a hypothesis and write a 3-5 page report

As an IHE partner, offer to visit an ECHS campus to directly tell students your expectations

What is a well-educated high school graduate? Please develop a definition.