Edward Fiske may have given us the last commentary on the PISA 2010 data analysis.
As you probably know, PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is an international study that aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students in 70 participating countries. Since the 2010 test results were released, there have been countless articles on why the U.S. performs lower than many other countries and what we might learn from those countries which have top test scores, like Finland, South Korea, and Taiwan.
With each new cut of the PISA data we have been tempted to see one country or another as a model for effective education. Fiske, however, makes the point very well that there is no other country enough like the U.S. in culture, politics, socioeconomic diversity, resources, and public education structure which can serve as a true model for us. I agree, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn something from the comparisons.
This is my take on what we have learned from the PISA results:
According to Edward Fiske, “What we have to learn from other countries with top education systems has less to do with strategies and tactics than with the underlying values that they bring to education.”
FUEL is excited to announce a new blog series that will feature frequent updates from staff, participants, and alumni of the program.
This inaugural video blog touches upon the importance of aspirational scholarship programs, like the FUEL Compact scholarships, in motivating students to complete high school and go onto a higher education.”
The high school graduation rate in Massachusetts has improved steadily since 2001. In a new report on 2009 national graduation rates, Massachusetts ranked in the top 10 with a rate of over 83%, up from 77% in 2002.
According to The Boston Globe, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported a four-year graduation rate of 83.4 percent for the Class of 2011, an increase from 82.1 percent the previous year.
The Building a Grad Nation report attributes the improved graduation rates, in large part, to two factors: 1) schools focusing on early intervention and 2) partnerships with local and national organizations to provide wraparound services.
Grad Nation has set benchmarks for reaching a goal of 90% graduation by 2020. These include: increased reading proficiency by the fourth grade; decreased chronic absenteeism (something Boston schools have done well); preparation for high school and college in middle school; intensive wraparound services for high-need students; and decreased high school dropouts.
I have read through the Grad Nation report and think the one missing piece which should receive much more attention is engaging, educating and supporting the parents of all students, from early childhood education through 12th grade. Parents who are engaged in the schools and who are part of the process are essential to success. Many parents, through no fault of their own, are not well-informed about how the schools work and how they can be partners in the process. More attention needs to be paid to systematic programs to engage the disengaged parents.
With many parents waiting on the sidelines, we need to carefully evaluate how we are investing our money and energies. For example, the Legislature’s Education Committee recently recommended passage of a bill that would prohibit Massachusetts students from dropping out of school before age 18, instead of age 16 under the current law. The measure also calls for hiring graduation “coaches” to support students who are considered most at risk to not finish school.
And look at what one school superintendent from Maryland is quoted in the Grad Nation report as saying. “It’s not easy to drop out. We’re going to hound you. Classroom teachers are going to talk to you. Principals are going to talk to you. The guidance counselor is going to talk to you. We don’t make it easy.”
Far too many students enter community college but are not ready for college level work. They wind up taking remedial classes that use up their financial aid but do not gain them credit toward graduation. This is a tremendous waste of limited resources for both the colleges and the students.
One reason remedial courses are in high demand is that the standardized Accuplacer test, which determines a student’s appropriate class placement in English, math, and science courses at two-year colleges, is administered after acceptance, which is much too late. According to a recent editorial in The Boston Globe, 60 percent of incoming students have to take at least one remedial class because the Accuplacer tests being conducted so late.
The Globe suggests a solution to this problem: administer the Accuplacer Diagnostic test to students while they are in their junior or senior year of high school. Bravo! I am happy to say that this is an endorsement of a program initiated a year ago by FUEL.
In 2011, with the crucial help and direction of FUEL advisory board member Peter Alcock, FUEL started a pilot project in conjunction with Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) and the Chelsea Public Schools, in which students are given the option to take the Accuplacer test while still in high school. The program is open to all Chelsea High School students, and allows them to take the remedial classes they need before they get to college. They take the classes at BHCC’s Chelsea campus, so at the same time, they start to get a feel for what campus life is, fulfill their FUEL after-school program requirement, and earn Chelsea High School academic and graduation credit. It’s all good! The students are also given additional opportunities to retake the test before graduating.
At the conclusion of the pilot program, 73 percent of the students completed the course. Of these, 50 percent increased their math level by at least one class, saving themselves significant time and money later on.
Based upon this success, the program is now in full swing with 45 students enrolled, and BHCC has doubled the number of classes and students since last year’s program. In addition, this year BHCC will offer a three-week “bridge to college” program for those who have been in the Accuplacer Initiative and intend to go to BHCC. The program will help students make connections to assist them in keeping up the good work and staying in college.
The Globe makes the great point that, “[c]ommunity college shouldn’t be just another year of high school.” We agree and we believe that the initiative that FUEL launched with BHCC and Chelsea High School shows that it doesn’t have to be.
Parent unions seem to be growing in popularity and are getting more and more attention in the media. Last week, Education Week ran a story about this very topic: ‘Parent Unions’ Seek to Join Policy Debates
According to the article, parent organizations and unions are the result of too many years of parental frustration at being shut out of educational policy issues. But I think the frustration goes well beyond that. In many school districts, parents and families are treated as interlopers, or worse, as impediments to student achievement, thus pushing them to the side and allowing for minimal involvement.
With widespread and legitimate concern about the failure of our schools to adequately prepare students for graduation, college and careers, parents are talking to one another and finding their voices, particularly in low-income communities.
FUEL totally supports the increased involvement of parent groups in schools and praises them for recognizing the issue. I encourage parent unions to use their voice where it counts most, just like The Connecticut Parents Union. The Union states on its website:
A parents’ active engagement within their child’s learning is the most important long-term influence on academic success and behavior. Parental engagement goes well beyond being engaged in activities in and around school – it is about parents and effective teachers working together to support the child’s learning in the classroom and, most importantly, in the home.
The Connecticut Parents Union’s philosophy is entirely consistent with ours at FUEL. However, the Education Week article characterized The Connecticut Parents Union’s goals as solely “shaping legislation on school choice, teacher tenure, and support of the ‘parent trigger’ law”… none of which is even alluded to on their website. I’m glad I checked it out myself.
Some parent unions may, in fact, be organized around policy issues and a greater role in school management decisions, but all parents should never lose sight of raising the level of family engagement in their children’s education. To do that, they must be recognized by the schools as key stakeholders that are welcomed into the school community, and be supported in making the most of their role in their children’s education to ensure the best possible future for them. Parent unions can make a difference in our children’s lives, we just need others to realize and join.
A college education for most Americans is clearly an aspirational goal for the Obama administration, and many others, in order to bolster our workforce. But four-year colleges are not the only route to workforce development to power the economic recovery.
Our FUEL families are invested in preparing for college for many reasons, only one of which is to prepare them for a specific job. For those who will be the first in their families to go to college, it means opening up career opportunities that were not possible for their parents. For those who are from low-income families, it means they could significantly increase their earning potential. And for those who aspire to follow a dream of becoming a teacher, nurse, doctor, physicist, philosopher, architect, writer, lawyer, or engineer, to name more than a few, a four-year college degree is the first step.
But are four-year colleges prepared to develop a skilled and responsive workforce? Jon Marcus, in a thoughtful article in a recent Sunday Boston Globe Magazine, grapples with this issue and shows that we have a number of resources that can meet these needs – not just four-year public and private colleges, but community colleges and specialized job training centers.
The community colleges are now partnering with local companies like GE, Bio Idec, Genzyme and others to provide practical training for students who seek training for skilled job prospects. The four-year colleges are increasing recruitment among more diverse communities in an attempt to make college accessible to a wider range of students with a broader set of skills.
And then there are community organizations, such as MA Works, which coordinate resources to train workers to prepare for jobs that are now open and require specific job-related skills. These organizations are often flexible to respond more quickly than colleges and degree programs to meet changing workforce demands.
FUEL is dedicated to helping families understand the various benefits of a college education and find the best match of a college that can help them meet their aspirations. For those students who choose not to go to college or defer college for a while, fortunately there are other viable options, and that means we can build a better and more diverse workforce.
All through school, Allison Zacarias dreamed of going to college. The truth was that she wasn’t very confident she would be able to. She was concerned about her family’s ability to pay for the hefty price tag and, even though she worked hard and got good grades, she was afraid she might not do well enough to get accepted. Then, when she was a sophomore in high school enrolled in the La Vida Scholars program, she heard about a scholarship that gave her hope: Posse Foundation Scholarship.
Since 1989, the Posse Foundation has been helping students who do well in high school and show leadership qualities; students who might be overlooked for a full four-year tuition scholarship by traditional college admissions because there are so many others just like them. Sound terrific? It is! They have provided scholarships to 4,223 students since they began.
Here’s how the Posse Foundation works: Every year, the foundation picks around 600 public high school students from six cities across the country they think have potential for success in college. Posse then offers these students a scholarship to one of 40 participating top colleges and universities in the country. What makes the Posse Foundation so unique is it creates groups of 10 students (“posses”) who are enrolled in the same college and prepares them for a successful college experience. The students in each posse further assist one another by studying in groups, providing encouragement, solving problems together, and adjusting to the college culture and environment.
Allison now attends Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. Once she was chosen for the Posse Foundation scholarship, Allison and her posse immediately began weekly pre-college training sessions, which included workshops on topics such as race, making the transition to college, research skills, and strategies for succeeding in the classroom. She also enrolled in a mock class with an actual university professor who assigned a five-page college-level paper on a topic of each student’s choice.
Allison says the biggest benefit to her, in addition to the full tuition scholarship, is the network she has formed. “You enter college with nine other Posse friends and a posse mentor as a support system. There is also a representative from the Boston office that is available to you. Having a large network of support helped me transition smoothly into college and remain on track, especially when things are tough like midterms and finals.” Allison Zacarias knew she would do well in college if given the chance, and she’s on track to graduate with the other 90% of all Posse students.
The foundation saw something in Allison and her Posse peers that may have been overlooked in traditional college admissions processes, were it only for test scores on the SAT’s and ACT’s. We at FUEL are glad they saw it.
Allison Zacarias attends Bryn Mawr College thanks to the Posse Foundation Scholarship
According to Jane Brown, Northeastern University vice president for enrollment management, 44,174 students have applied for admission to next year’s incoming freshman class. In the Boston area, UMass, MIT, BU, Berklee College of Music and BC, among others, have also had significant increases in applicants.
An increase in applications is a good indicator of greater appreciation for the value of a college education, among low-income families as well, which make up part of this applicant group. Ms. Brown said, “I think it goes back to what the students and families – in particular, families – see as a clear return on investment.”
That’s all a very good thing. But a good investment means you get value in return for what you pay. This is especially true now when college tuition and fees are rising as state support for colleges is cut, while student debt is also at a record high. Here are some things I think you should keep in mind as you plan for college in the next few years.
Remember that with the increase in applications comes the greater risk of not being accepted. For example, Northeastern has only 2,800 openings for the 44,174 applicants. That’s about a one in 3,000 chance of acceptance. Other colleges have equally limited openings compared to applicants. Though hopeful when applying, you must be ready to accept admission to a college that might be lower on your wish list – it doesn’t mean that school won’t provide value.
Speaking of value, you should ask some questions of the colleges you are considering, just as they ask tough questions of you. What is the actual cost per year, including fees, tuition, room and board, and other expenses? What is the net cost after deducting grants, financial aid, and scholarships? What is the school’s graduation rate? What about the availability of courses in your area of interest? What has the rate of increase in tuition and fees been over the last few years? How much debt are you likely to have when you graduate?
Colleges are supposed to help you get answers to some of these questions. Each should have a “net price calculator” on its website, but these may be hard to locate and use.
An editorial in the Sunday New York Times advised all families to be better college tuition comparison shoppers and use whatever tools are available to make that more effective. In that effort, the Department of Education is developing a College Scorecard and a Shopping Guide, which you should check out.
But value is more than just a decent education for a lower cost. Value is defined individually for each student and family. Now more than ever, finding value in a college that meets all of your needs is your best investment in your future.
A recent commentary in Education Week asked the question, “who is more responsible for ensuring student academic achievement, schools or families?” When parents and teachers were asked in separate focus groups who was most responsible for improving achievement, each group tended to answer, Not me, I’m doing all I can. It’s the others who need to work harder.
That is not what we are hearing from the families in FUEL.
Last week at the Chelsea Savings Circle we held a raffle for a $500 scholarship voucher for families with good attendance at the monthly meetings. The mother who won the scholarship said that through the knowledge she has gained in the program she has become the top motivator in her daughter’s education and college planning process. Her daughter spoke briefly about gaining college knowledge at school, but that she also wants her mom to remain informed in order to keep her on track to achieving a higher education.
FUEL families know that we are all responsible for student achievement. Parents are the first, constant and most influential teachers. It is in the home that the family provides the motivation and support for our inherent need to learn. Parents also convey the expectation, through their own behavior, that learning is a natural part of life both in and out of school.
In school, motivated, well-trained and dedicated teachers are responsible for building on that foundation. And in many cases, a good and perceptive teacher can provide the spark that ignites a love of learning in a less-motivated or less-prepared student.
Schools, teachers, community organizations and families each have a role to play in academic achievement. Recognition of that can ensure a much-needed supportive partnership among all of us. We owe that to our children, rather than reinforcing a counterproductive divide by asking who is more responsible.
As many of you know, financial aid is generally not available for undocumented students. That is because the majority of student aid, including federal student aid, requires you to be a US citizen, a permanent resident or an eligible non-citizen. However, that doesn’t mean that undocumented families have to shoulder the burden of college costs all on their own.
While federal law prohibits it, there are now a dozen states that provide in-state tuition benefits to undocumented students who have attended and graduated high school in the state. And, though Massachusetts is not yet one of them, Governor Patrick is in favor of legislation to make it available and we may soon see a positive change there.
Given this situation, though, what can undocumented students and families do? How can the cost of going to college be reduced? And what about the FAFSA?
My advice is, yes, go ahead and fill out a FAFSA form. At worst, your request for federal financial aid and student loans may not be accepted. But on the positive side, most student non-federal loan programs require you to complete a FAFSA form anyway, and many colleges and universities use the FAFSA information to award their own institutional grants and scholarships.
You should get in touch with the schools you are interested in to see what types of financial assistance may be available to you. Their financial aid counselors are aware of your situation and will undoubtedly try to help you in any way they can.
Next, check out as many of the other resources you can find for undocumented students. I just googled “undocumented student financial aid” and found a bunch of websites that looked very helpful. For example, on Get Ready for College, I found a long list of scholarships for undocumented students. There are a number of private scholarships and loans available to help pay for college that do not require the student to be a US citizen or resident or have a social security number.
Another possibility that often escapes attention is the availability of college night school courses that offer valuable education often at or below in-state tuition. Students pay fees rather than tuition which require little identification. Registration in these classes also qualifies students to apply for student visas. You can earn a night school degree (I have one from George Washington U), and if the state or federal Dream Act passes, you could then transfer your night school credits to an affordable four-year day school program.
For most students, about two-thirds of the cost of college is paid for from family savings, income and loans. That is no different for undocumented families. Start saving money in secure savings accounts as early as possible and carefully research and consider the affordability of loans for college.
Don’t be discouraged. These may be tough times but I am confident that with the resources available at FUEL and at other institutions and organizations, financial aid and scholarships can be found. They’re out there.
FUEL helps underserved families realize their dreams of a higher education and break the cycle of poverty.
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