Most private-independent high schools are college-preparatory, and they take great pride in the success of their alumni in higher education and beyond. But, as in all schools, your faculty and staff are always concerned that they are effectively preparing their students for college.
A new report from ACT and the Council for Opportunity in Education, The Condition of College and Career Readiness 2014: First-Generation Students, indicates that many students whose parents didn’t attend college often desire degrees in higher education, but are far less prepared for college than those with college-educated parents. The report also addresses ACT students in general.
Nationally, 1,845,787 students (including, of course, private school students) took the ACT in 2014. Among the 2014 ACT-tested graduating, 18% were potential first-generation college students—their parents had not enrolled in postsecondary education. Of that group of students, 90% planned to go to college, but 52% didn’t reach the cut scores on the ACT associated with the likelihood of success in college. The number of first-generation students who have met benchmarks in English, reading, and math declined in the past four years of testing.
Looking at the total number of students who took the ACT in 2014, 86% aspired to attend college, but many will not enroll. Among the 2013 ACT-tested graduating class, 87% aspired to attend college, but only 69% actually enrolled. The report concluded: “There is work to be done to improve the college and career readiness of our nation's students. Teaching to a higher set of standards, getting more students to take a core curriculum, and improving the rigor within those core courses are just a few of the ways we can begin to see an increase in student levels of college and career readiness.”
So, what does this mean for your school? It’s clear that all students, starting early in their schooling, benefit from systematic guidance and feedback concerning their academic progress. However, private schools in particular should rethink the philosophy of “rigor” touted in the ACT report.
The answer is not giving copious amounts of homework, covering as much content as possible, offering as many AP courses as possible, and relying on test scores and college placements to validate your academic program success. ISM has long held that private schools tied to this “rhetoric of rigor” find it difficult to adapt to a student-centered/mission-centered orientation—establishing those very standards that make their schools unique and most effective.
With this in mind, charge your School Head to review, with faculty and staff, the mission of the school and how it is aligned with your Portrait of the Graduate. You don’t exist to be rigorous or “teach to the test.” You strive for students who are better and differently prepared. Your school strives to ensure that your students enjoy their education and have a better chance of success in the future.
Starting at the Board level, establish a schoolwide philosophy of education that pairs with your mission and expected student outcomes. This philosophy helps unify teacher practices and priorities, and also informs your parents about tangible differences in your school’s approach, and why that approach produces the outcomes you specify.
Additional ISM resources:
Webinar: Dropping APs: Why Do It and How to Know When You Are Ready
The Source for Division Heads Vol. 11 No. 6 Prep for the Test!
The Source for Division Heads Vol. 11 No. 1 Is Your College Prep School Meeting Placement Expectations?
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 39 No. 12 The Rhetoric of Rigor
I&P Vol. 36 No. 1 Advanced Placement: A Critical Study
I&P Vol. 32 No. 3 The Portrait of the Graduate: Three Good-to-Great Examples
