LearnmoreMN Blog

Northfield succeeds in student support

By Kim Horner, August guest blogger

Ten years ago, there was a rumor circulating that no Latino male had ever graduated from Northfield High School. Though inaccurate, this rumor was a little too close to reality. From 2001-2004, only 15 Latino students graduated from Northfield Public Schools while 27 dropped out — a graduation rate of 36%. During that time, fewer than five of Northfield’s Latino graduates pursued post-secondary education.

In response to these alarming facts, a group of Northfield educators and community members gathered together and decided to make a change. With funding from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, the group launched a program called TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes) in 2005. The original goal of TORCH was to improve the graduation rate of Latino students in Northfield; and it worked. Within three years, the Latino graduation rate had risen above 90%. Because of this success, TORCH has expanded programming to all low-income students, students of color, and students who would be the first in their family to attend college.

Broadly, TORCH focuses on providing students with academic and social support, career and post-secondary exploration, as well as leadership and volunteer opportunities. But the foundation of TORCH’s success is relationships with students and their families. TORCH started small, with just a handful of students, and the staff invested time into getting to know the students’ abilities, challenges and aspirations. Rather than creating blanket programming to act as a Band-Aid, TORCH staff was and is committed to providing support specific to individual student needs and opportunities specific to individual student interests.

Take Yovany and Erick for example: Yovany, a rising senior, used the support of TORCH to complete two PSEO courses through Riverland Community College this past year, served on the TORCH Youth Advisory Board and Latino Students for School Policy Change team and is attending Itasca Community College Engineering Camp this summer. Erick, a rising junior, was encouraged by TORCH staff to apply and serve on RALIE, a school leadership board, plays varsity soccer, and is serving with other TORCH students as an elementary school mentor through the Northfield PLUS program this summer. With the support of TORCH, both students have grown over the past year, and are continuing to develop an understanding of their interests and talents. Perhaps most importantly, providing Erick, Yovany and all students with opportunities specific to their interests, fosters engagement; and that is critical to student success in the classroom and beyond.

Next year, TORCH will be serving more than 450 students in grades 6-12 as well as more than 150 alumni. While TORCH is excited to be serving a greater number of students, we know it will be a busy year as one-on-one relationships and interventions remains of critical importance to the program and to student’s success. Ultimately, it is also our hope that one day TORCH will be unnecessary, because the type of support we provide has become systemic, and students from all backgrounds are successful.

What are other examples of programs that have helped students succeed? Please share them in a comment to this post.

Focusing on college readiness is only half the story

By Chris Stewart, July guest blogger

Recently Myron Orfield of the University of Minnesota stunned participants in a community meeting by stating the difference he discovered in two Minnesota high schools. One suburban high school Orfield studied received visits from over 200 colleges in the past year. In contrast, at an urban high school North Minneapolis there were just two visits from colleges.

Orfield’s point was to illustrate spatial mismatch of opportunity that is caused by re-segregating public schools. However, my takeaway was a little different. While nearly every school district it the country has some form of commitment to preparing “college-ready” students, few communities have done all they can to demystify college for non-traditional students and their families. Even with excellent programs that offer graduation coaches and additional support to get students into college, there is often not enough support to get them through college.

College completion, after all, is the real goal and it’s no secret that we’re not getting there with our disadvantaged student populations.

The numbers are telling. Though the percentage of students of color enrolled in degree-granting institutions doubled from 15% in 1976 to over 34% in 2009, few come out the other end with their intended degree. For instance, in public four-year universities, less than 40% of African Americans graduate within six years. We may be doing a better job of getting disadvantaged students (women, low-income, and students of color) to the college doors, but too few of them are graduating. Experience is teaching us that we can get more students into college without truly impacting the college graduation gap.

Thankfully, Minnesota education officials plan to address the completion gap with solid construction of a K-14 pipeline. Commissioner Brenda Cassellius, Director Larry Pogemiller, and Chancellor Steven Rosenstone, respectively, are aligning the Department of Education, Office of Higher Education, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to close the gap between secondary and college. By offering high school students more access to college level coursework, leaders hope to increase college readiness and completion for Minnesota students, while also reducing remediation once students reach college.

It is hugely important for students to complete rigorous course work earlier, and for expectations in high schools to be more aligned with colleges. Programs like the University of Minnesota’s College In the Schools (CIS) meet that objective by preparing high school teachers to deliver college courses on site, providing students an opportunity to earn high school and college credit for free. Advanced placement and International Baccalaureate programming also lift students closer to college level. Indeed, there are a number of great site-based options for high schools to better prepare students, but there is one problem with most of them: they do a poor job of truly demystifying college for students that need more demonstrative examples of post-secondary life.

To their credit, legislators expanded Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) last year. That program allows high school students to attend college classes and earn college credits for free. This allows students to experience college academically and physically. Actually placing students into college earlier is a great way to expose them to the realities they will face later. Unfortunately, many within the education establishment have been slow to market and support PSEO to the students that could really use the opportunity.

Given the daunting average college graduation rates it is clear why we might succumb to the perceived inevitability of graduation inequity. However, looking at how the college persistence gap (the extent to which students stay in college) differs in different colleges and universities helps us see a more productive picture. Some schools are addressing academic and social factors to keep students in college, and in some cases the efforts are so successful that African American graduation rates are similar or better than white students. These schools start with a universal commitment to seeing minority student performance as a core part of their mission. Departments are asked to create comprehensive plans and establish stretch goals for graduation rates. Staff members engage at all levels to play a role in an “early alert” system to intervene with “intrusive” supports for struggling students. Some schools offer early summer starts so students have more time to acclimate to college. Some have peer-mentoring systems that improve academics and promote a healthy, inclusive school culture. The bottom line is that schools with better than average graduation rates for non-traditional students take proactive, structural, and cultural actions to achieve results.

While we in Minnesota labor over renewed calls for K-12 racial integration, or work for better alignment between K-12 and post-secondary; we should also expect changes in our colleges that make them relevant to the emerging class of students that have succeeded more in entering college than exiting one with a degree.

Postsecondary participation, graduation and degree attainment: asking the right questions

By Lesley Lydell, January guest blogger

Are too many people going to college? This was the provocative topic of a recent live debate between entrepreneurs, pundits and academic leaders. While ultimately valuing the breadth of educational options available to students, the debate highlighted the decision to pursue a postsecondary degree amid rising costs and uncertain employment prospects for graduates.

At the same time, many employers, academic organizations and political leaders have issued calls for increased numbers of individuals who have earned a postsecondary degree. Increasing educational attainment nationally was a prominent part of President Obama’s American Graduation Initiative, which set a national goal of 60% of adults age 25-64 having an associate degree or higher by 2020, as well as a key goal for the Lumina Foundation, a major supporter of educational initiatives, and Complete College America, a national initiative started in 2009. A common aspect of these initiatives has been to encourage college participation for recent high school graduates but also to encourage adults and those already in the workforce to pursue and complete a postsecondary credential.

Data in the revised edition of Minnesota Measures: 2011 Report on Higher Education Performance illustrate an overall increase in students’ participation in postsecondary education and graduation rates, as well as broader postsecondary attainment rates in the overall population.

Increasing participation of high school graduates and older students

• For all Minnesota high school graduates, the number who go on to college increased in 2010 to 71% enrolling in college within a year of their high school graduation. Of the 71% of high school graduates who go directly on to college, nearly three-quarters chose a postsecondary institution in Minnesota.
• Most Minnesota undergraduates in fall 2010 were age 24 and younger and attended full-time at a four-year institution, although the largest increase in undergraduate enrollment during the past decade has been at Minnesota two-year institutions among students age 20 and older.
• At both two-year and four-year institutions, students between 25 and 34 had the greatest increases in enrollment over the past decade: a 117% enrollment increase at two-year institutions in the state and a 19% increase at four-year institutions.

High population attainment and increasing graduation rates
Minnesota ranks highly among states in educational attainment rates, which measure in broad terms through U.S. Census data the education level of the population, whether or not they graduated from a Minnesota institution. Attainment rates do not include postsecondary credentials below an associate degree, and Minnesota postsecondary institutions award nearly as many certificates as associate degrees. Some key findings:

• Postsecondary attainment has increased substantially over the past 40 years, with the percentage of bachelor’s degree recipients nearly tripling since 1970 in Minnesota.
• For the traditional working-age population of 18-64 year olds, 41% of Minnesotans have an associate degree or higher, ranking sixth-highest in attainment nationwide.
• Among younger age groups, 49% of Minnesotans age 25-34 and 35-44 have an associate degree or higher, ranking third- and second-highest, respectively, nationwide.
• Sizeable gaps exist, however, in postsecondary attainment between racial and ethnic population groups over age 25, with only Asian (50%) and white Minnesotans (42%) exceeding the state average (41%) and the national average (38%).

Although Minnesota attracts many graduates from other states to live and work, increases in graduation rates at Minnesota institutions have also contributed to the increase in postsecondary attainment rates:

• In 2010, 40% of undergraduates earned their degree within four years and 61% graduated within six years, representing five and three percent increases, respectively, since 2005.
• The number of academic awards earned across all levels annually by Minnesota postsecondary students has been increasing over the past decade, ranging from a 146% increase in master’s degrees awarded to a 15% increase in certificates.

Minnesota overall has high rates of postsecondary participation, graduation, degree attainment, and granting of academic awards from doctorates to certificates. Exploring how we can ensure that all students are prepared and have the opportunity to succeed in postsecondary education may yield the most productive discussions. What are the important questions we should be asking about postsecondary attainment at the local level, in Minnesota, and nationally?

Advocating for Adult Learners

By Laura Gilbert, May guest blogger

For generations the U.S. has been a world leader in postsecondary education both in quality and in the percentage of our population with a two- or four-year college degree. Estimated to be about 40%, this number has remained steady for the past 40 years. Eager to compete in an in information-driven, global economy, other countries stepped up efforts to educate their population. To remain competitive the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems estimates the U.S. must produce 15.5 million more degrees than current trends are likely to produce between now and 2025 — or one million additional degrees annually for the next 15 years. If we succeed, the U.S. might match the percentage of graduates in Canada, Japan and South Korea. Failure could have significant economic and social consequences for our country. Estimates suggest traditional-aged students may complete 1.3 million additional degrees during that time period. That still leaves us 14.2 million degrees short.

The solution? Re-engage our adult learners. Three Minnesota efforts are leading the way to do just that.

Becoming college ready
In 2008, the Minnesota State College and University system and Minnesota Department of Education Adult Basic Education launched Minnesota FastTRAC: Training, Resources And Credentialing. FastTRAC is designed to develop pathways to sustainable employment for the 692,000 Minnesotans who hold a high school diploma/GED or less and who are of prime working age. FastTRAC is a systems-level education and training initiative with an emphasis on helping adults who lack the basic skills necessary to enter and complete postsecondary degree and certificate programs. Since its inception, FastTRAC has developed key partnerships to deliver its programs including the Office of Higher Education, Department of Human Services and the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Finish what you started
An estimated 17.2 million U.S. adults possess some college credits but hold no degree including 336,000 in Minnesota. In fact, the U.S. ranks near the bottom of industrialized countries in the percentage of entering students who complete a degree program. The Midwest Higher Education Compact is exploring the creation of a multi-state credential repository for education, skills and training — Midwest CREST. This program would provide a web-based platform to bank or store college credits earned from multiple institutions. Partner colleges could assess a student’s transcript and “bid” for the opportunity to facilitate his or her completion of a degree. By establishing portability of credits, individuals in our increasingly mobile society will have an opportunity to complete a quality degree no matter how often life requires them to move. Program recommendations will be complete in late 2010.

Engaged in the second half of life
The vision for work after age 50 is changing. Increased life-expectancy, loss of retirement funds and/or one’s job and even the baby boomer culture of “making a difference” or “giving back” all play a part in this shift. Today, four out of five people over 50 plan to work in retirement, whether for enrichment or necessity, often in positions for which they must acquire new skills. Consequently, baby boomers are returning to school in record numbers. To meet this need, in 2008 the American Association of Community Colleges launched a three-year “Plus 50 Learner” initiative across the country to benchmark and showcase innovative community college programs that target the 50+ learner. Century College in Maplewood was one of five institutions selected nationally as a mentor college for the Plus 50 Initiative. Century’s PrimeTime/Plus 50 offers short-term courses in skills development, enrichment and service opportunities; all under the phrase, “Re-hired, re-wired and re-inspired.” In addition, Century has partnered with other Minnesota community colleges to offer a variety of programs of interest to the Plus 50 learner.

Adult learners are quickly becoming the new face of postsecondary education. Federal legislation, philanthropic grants and private ventures have joined higher educational institutions in the effort to increase adult access to educational opportunities and guidance to ensure success. Minnesota stands to be a leader in the process.

Laura Gilbert, Ph.D., Back to School for Grownups; serving the adult learner community through coaching, consulting and conversation.

Final Thoughts: Problems Facing Minnesota Students

By Katherine Bristol, April Guest Blogger

Minnesota students score well compared to many other states, yet the achievement gap between different racial, ethnic, and economic groups are some of the largest in the country. College graduates now earn 70% more than high school students, a number which is increasing rapidly. About 66% of Minnesotans receiving their diploma in 2005 enrolled in a post secondary public education institution (compared to 49% in 2002). Of these students, 18% enrolled in a campus associated the University of Minnesota, 38% enrolled in a two-year or technical college, and, 29% enrolled in a four-year state university (not associated with the University of Minnesota) and 16% went out of state. At least 36% of these students also took some college level courses while in high school (math classes accounting for 29% of class, making it the largest indicator of matriculation in to post secondary students). While enrollment is a good indicator that K-12 can provide readiness for post secondary, we do not have the numbers on students who have access to college level courses and whether they are taking advantage of them (based on region), who is graduating from college, and how successful they are a few years down the line.

Many of Minnesota rural communities have declining population, slower economy, and less legislative power over their status as compared to large Minnesotan cities and their surrounding suburbs. Industries that have sustained such communities for years (timber, agriculture, mining, small business) now almost require a post secondary education to even sustain useable workforce. Additionally, the few public colleges that have arisen in rural areas (38 to be exact) lack the resources and consequential interest of local students, putting these colleges at risk for closures. While the state is not losing a great deal of residences who move or pursue other state options for post secondary education, an increasing number of Minnesotans are moving to the twin city metro area, displacing the allocated needs of the respective public schools and college campuses. According to the Center for Rural Policy and Development’s article, Capitalizing on the potential of Minnesota’s Rural Campuses (2003), “The average household income of persons in the rural college counties studied in this project is 75% of the state average and dropping.” The success of rural colleges and their surrounding communities has continuously proven to be of mutual interest and dependence on the well being of each entity. The lack of communication between school administrators and local political leaders regarding the mission and purpose of the colleges are generally lacking, causing issues with keeping the school relevant yet innovative. While we know something must be done, the question is what, and how?

My suggestions for Best Practices:

1. The effects of continued involvement by special programs mentors and community leaders from K-12 and beyond into post secondary education. This includes self-report/ evaluations done by students, teachers, parents, and other reliable sources to create a “learning portfolio” that would grow as the student progressed through school. Starting in the K-12 setting, we need set standards high and make sure that students are aware and have access to a variety of reasonable resources.
2. Massive improvement in the quality of our educators and additional supportive resources. This applies the importance of accessibility of such educators and resources, especially in more rural environments.
3. Change missions of public schools and colleges to fit the needs of the communities. For example, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board (MnSCU) Strategic Plan for 2002-2005 is “Strengthen community development and economic vitality by working with local communities to help them develop, maintain and enhance their vitality; seeking new ways to serve as a key partner to coordinate local, regional and statewide economic development initiatives; and develop frameworks for state and regional planning and collaboration that help more of its institutions to work in partnership with community and business groups.” The influence and role of politics and economics on the schools mission and subsequent outcome is key to getting rural students to not only enroll in school, but also graduate successfully. Also, allowing students to conduct apprenticeships or internships at relevant sites could give them indications of careers they would be interested in and what skills are necessary to succeed in the profession.

Response to "Vanishing Graduates & Minnesota's Future"

By Katherine Bristol, April Guest Blogger

Minnesota is a prosperous place; the state ranks highly in many social and economic indicators.  The state’s  affluence can be traced to wise investment and policy decisions made by past generations.  However, as we progress into the 21st century, this prosperity is not guaranteed.  In order to be competitive globally, Minnesota needs a highly‐skilled workforce.  Regrettably, several indicators of educational attainment demonstrate that the state is not meeting this standard.  This is especially true for communities of color, which comprise a major source of future workers.  And while Minnesota has the third highest high school completion rate among all states, following high school, about 65 percent of Minnesotans enroll in postsecondary education.  Sustaining this high rate will be a challenge for Minnesota’s high schools and postsecondary institutions.

The total number of high school graduates is projected to decline by 10 percent from 2005 to 2010.  This will occur as children of the baby boomers (“the boomlet”) move beyond the high school age.  According to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, “Unless high school to college participation rates increase—especially among low‐income students, students of color and other students who are traditionally underrepresented in post‐secondary education — colleges will have a smaller pool of students from which to recruit (Minnesota Office of Higher Education 2006).”

“Vanishing Graduates” addresses the economic and social issues associated with a lower number of college graduates.  It got me thinking about what are some practical changes that could be made, without addressing widespread issues such as federal funding and teacher quality. I was able to come up with two, based on my previous research and experience:

1. Set High Standards.  Minnesota must be a national leader in public education.  In order to accomplish this ambitious objective, every student, family, teacher, school, district and program must be held to the high standards.  These goals must be transparent to all, specific and measurable.  Although it may seem counterintuitive, setting high standards is key to improving outcomes for low‐income or minority students who begin school with significant deficits in cognitive, social, and academic skills.
2. Empower Communities, Schools and Individuals.  Empowerment at the community, school and individual levels bestows control to members of marginalized communities who have often been denied that privilege. That control fosters senses of ownership and pride.  When communities are empowered to be involved in their schools, schools are empowered to take control of their own resources, parents are empowered to take initiative in their children’s learning, and young people are empowered to get involved in their communities, the end result will be improved outcomes for students.

I would like to know your thoughts on these suggestions, or the show in general! Please feel free to post your opinion below in the comment section, and we can get the conversation about this important issue started!

Vanishing Graduates & Minnesota's Future

Don't miss "Vanishing Graduates & Minnesota's Future," a public TV show airing on TPT-Channel 17 this Sunday, April 13 at 7 p.m. This thought-provoking documentary examines why a shrinking number of Minnesota's students will be graduating from college and what that means for our economy. Education experts, business leaders and students share their experiences and discuss the state's education challenges. They highlight the need to do a better job of helping more students succeed in school — and how everyone can play a part.

Find out more about the show and view clips. The whole program will be available for viewing next week sometime. TPT will air it again on May 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Check it out and tell your friends and family about it!