Rising to the Challenge

1
Rising to the Challenge Are High School Graduat
es Prepared For College Work?
Key findings from surveys among public high
school graduates, college instructors, and employ
ers
Conducted December 2004January 2005 for
2
Research Methods

• Telephone surveys among the following
  populations
  
• 1,487 public high school graduates from Classes
  of 2002, 2003, 2004, conducted December 421,
  2004, including
  
• 861 current students at two- and four-year
  colleges and universities (353 of whom have
  taken a remedial course)
  
• 626 graduates who are not currently enrolled in
  college, including 267 who attended college in
  the past but withdrew
  
• 303 African Americans and 287 Hispanic Americans
• 400 employers who make personnel decisions
  (owners, CEOs, presidents, human resources
  professionals), conducted December 1016, 2004
  
• 300 instructors who teach first-year students at
  two-year and four-year colleges and universities

3
Key Points

• As many as four in ten graduates are not
  prepared
  
• 39 of college students and high school graduates
  with no further education say they have gaps in
  the skills and abilities expected today.
  
• 35 of college students and 39 of non-students
  say they have large gaps in preparation in at
  least one crucial skill 86 of both college
  students and non-students say they have some
  gaps.
• College instructors estimate that 42 of their
  students are not adequately prepared.
  
• Employers estimate that 39 of high school
  graduates who have no further education are not
  prepared for their current job and that 45 are
  unprepared for advancement.

4
Key Points

• All groups call for higher standards
• Only 24 of high school graduates say they faced
  high expectations and were challenged in high
  school. Those who faced high expectations in high
  school are much more likely to feel prepared for
  the expectations they now face.
• Knowing what they know today, 65 of college
  students and 77 of non-students say they would
  have worked harder in high school.
  
• 62 of college students and 72 of non-students
  would have taken at least one more difficult
  course.
  
• High school graduates, college instructors, and
  employers strongly embrace reforms that raise
  standards and requirements for graduation.

5
Many Grads Cite Gaps In Preparation
How well did your high school education prepare
you for college-level work/jobs you hope to get
in the future?
61
53
46
39
Employers estimate that 45 of recent high school
graduates are not prepared with skills to advance
beyond entry level jobs.
College instructors estimate that 42 of recent
high school graduates are not prepared for
college-level classes.
College students
Non-students
6
Most Grads Cite Gaps In At Least One Skill
(In each area, saying there are at least some
gaps in their preparation)
35 of college students report large gaps in at
least one area, 86 report some gaps in at least
one area.
Oral communication/public speaking
Science Mathematics Doing research Quality of w
riting that is expected Reading/understandingco
mplicated materials
12 large gaps/struggling15 large
gaps/struggling 1114 1316 1013 910

59
7
Employers/College Instructors Say Many Not
Prepared In Math/Writing
(Employers/instructors average estimates of
percentages of public HS graduates NOT prepared
in each subject)
Employers
Ability to do math Quality of writing
Instructors
Ability to do math Quality of writing
8
Few Employers Feel High School Graduates Prepared
For Advancement
Applicants with no high school degree
Recent public high school grads who have no
further education/training Recent grads of two-ye
ar college or training program
Recent graduates of four-year colleges
9
College Instructors Are Harshest Critics Of High
School
Do public high schools adequately prepare
graduates to meet the expectations they face in
college
In first-year classes, how much class time do you
spend reviewing material and skills that should
have been taught in high school?
70
Some class time
Do not adequately prepare graduates
28
Very little class time
Adequately prepare graduates
Significant amount of class time (24)
Employers
No class time
10
Employers/Instructors Dissatisfied With High
Schools Skills Prep
(In each area, saying they are somewhat/very
dissatisfied with the job public high schools are
doing preparing graduates)
Employers
25 very dissatisfied 22 very dissatisfied 24
very dissatisfied
20 very dissatisfied
Reading/understandingcomplicated materials
Quality of writing that is expected
Doing research Mathematics Oral communication/p
ublic speaking Science
11
Employers/Instructors Dissatisfied With High
Schools Skills Prep
(In each area, saying they are somewhat/very
dissatisfied with the job public high schools are
doing preparing graduates)
Employers
29 very dissatisfied 22 very dissatisfied16 v
ery dissatisfied
17 very dissatisfied
Thinking analytically Work and study habits Appl
ying what is learned in school to solving
problems
Computer skills
12
Few Say Expectations Were High
Academic expectations of me in high school were
Expectations were high
All HS graduates Below average incomeAverage inc
omeAbove average income CitySuburbsSmall town/
rural
General studies in HSCollege prep in HS
24 232324 233120 1730
All high school graduates
College students
Non-students
13
Grads Who Faced High Expectations Twice As Likely
To Feel Prepared
( saying they were extremely/very well prepared
for college/future job)
College students whose high schools held them to

High expectations Moderate expectations Low expe
ctations
Non-students whose highschools held them to
High expectations Moderate expectations Low expe
ctations
14
Challenging Courses Better Prepared
( saying they were extremely/very well prepared
for college)
College students who took the following number of
high school level math and science courses
Nine or ten Eight Seven Five or six Four or f
ewer
15
Algebra II Critical For Work World And College
When it comes to mathematics, how well were you
prepared inhigh school for the expectations you
face in college/working world?
Non-students
College students
Completed less than Algebra 2
Completed Algebra 2/more
Completed less than Algebra 2
Completed Algebra 2/more
16
Lower Expectations For Writing Lead To Lower
Confidence
Writing expected of you in high school
Graduates who wrote great deal
Graduates who wrote fair amount/ not much
53
Students Feel somewhat/not prepared for college
writing
Fair amount English classes some emphasis on
writing skills, papers for other classes
21
49
Great deal high expectations, term papers,
research reports, senior thesis
Non-students Feel somewhat/not prepared for writi
ng at work
24
51
Not much
All public HS graduates
17
Knowing What They Know Today, Grads Would Have
Worked Harder
Knowing what you do today about the expectations
of college/the work world, if you were able to do
high school over again, would you have worked
harder and applied yourself more to your
coursework even if it meant less time for other
activities?
College students
Non-students
18
Had High School Demanded More, Grads Would Have
Worked Harder
82
80
If your high school had demanded more of
students, set higher academic stand-ards, and
raised the expec-tations of how much course work
and studying would be necessary to earn a
diploma, would you have worked harder to meet
these expec-tations?
College students
Non-students
19
Majorities of Graduates Would Have Taken Harder
Courses
Knowing what you know today about the
expectations of college/the work world, if you
were able to do high school over again, when it
comes to math/sciences/English would you have
taken higher-level and more challenging courses
if they were available?
Would have taken more challenging courses in at
least one area
Math Science English
Would have taken more challenging courses in
20
Large Majorities Support All Reforms
( public high school graduates saying each would
improve things in encouraging HS students to work
harder/be better prepared)
Real-world learning opportunities (internships)
Early guidance on courses for career/college
prep More honors, AP, IB courses available for f
ree More tutoring, summer school, extra help Giv
e juniors college place-ment tests to see if
ready Require exams in math and English to gradu
ate Smaller high schools, more contact with teach
ers Require four years math, biology, chemistry
, physics
96
93
93
88
87
81
80
74
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Overview Of Support For Reforms

• Early guidance on the courses to take to prepare
  for career/college enjoys universal support, with
  90 or more of public high school graduates,
  employers, and college instructors saying this
  would improve things a great deal or somewhat.
• Opportunities for real-world learning receives
  high support from recent graduates (96 improve
  things a great deal/somewhat), employers (95),
  and college instructors (76).
• More honors, AP, IB courses garners near
  universal support from recent graduates (93),
  and nearly as much from employers (86) and
  college instructors (85).
• Non-students are more likely than college
  students to strongly endorse proposals giving
  high school students more help/attention,
  including early placement tests to determine
  readiness for college (67 of non-students say
  this would improve things a great deal, 49 of
  college students say the same), tutoring, summer
  school, extra help (63 non-students, 55
  students), and smaller high schools (58
  non-students, 45 students).

22
Support For Math/Science Requirement
( who say requiring four years math, biology,
chemistry, and physics to graduate would
encourage HS students to work harder/be better
prepared)
All public high school graduates
College students Non-students Employers College
instructors
74
77
70
83
81
23
Conclusions

• Public high schools are failing to prepare a
  substantial minority of graduates for skills
  expected of them today.
  
• Employers and instructors are the harshest
  critics and say many graduates come to them
  inadequately prepared.
  
• More rigorous courses and higher expectations
  lead to better prepared graduates.
  
• Graduates themselves say they would welcome more
  challenging requirements and raised expectations
  for high school graduation.