Issue Brief: Linking Secondary and Postsecondary Systems – Lessons from Indiana
Overview
This trip provided participants the opportunity to experience the many facets of creating cross-system linkages by visiting schools and meeting with leaders of promising efforts in Indiana. Indiana has been a leader in its implementation of a college preparatory high school curriculum, and its use of financial incentives and academic support strategies to foster a college-going culture across the state. The trip focused on, but not be limited to, Indiana’s cross-system collaboration to align high school education with skills and knowledge needed at the postsecondary level; use of acceleration mechanisms and other academic strategies to bridge the educational systems; innovative approaches to teacher preparation and professional development; and the state’s ongoing efforts to develop a data system linking K-12, higher education, and the labor market. Below we have outlined each panel and given you a sense of the questions that framed their discussion.
History/Evolution of Core 40 Curriculum featuring:
Marilyn Buck, Ball State University
Stan Jones, Commissioner for Higher Education
Derek Redelman, Vice President, Education & Workforce Development
This panel described the creation and adoption of Core 40 as the default college prep curriculum in the state of Indiana. Participants explored the role of different sectors, education, both K12 and higher ed, business, and legislature as well as the ability of the curriculum to sustain over the terms of four governors.
Linking Assessments to Core 40 Curriculum featuring:
Stan Jones – Commissioner for Higher Education
Wes Bruce – Chief Assessment Officer, Indiana Department of Education
Although Indiana has just replaced a single required graduation test with end-of-course assessments in English 10 and Algebra 1, they have been engaged in the test development and piloting. Panelists described the program’s success and challenges as well as made the case for end of course assessments as better indicators of college preparedness.
Legislative Role in Linking Systems featuring:
Luke Messer, former Member of Indiana House
Scott Jenkins, Policy Advisor to Governor Mitch Daniels
Panelists described a number of different pieces of legislations affecting high school that have been enacted in Indiana over the past ten years as well as the current governor’s vision for continuous improvement within education.
Site visit to: Ben Davis University High School
Student guides provided a tour of this new school facility as well as an overview of the school programs which aims to graduate students with both a high school diploma and associates degree from Vincennes University, the postsecondary partner, at this early college high school. Both students and faculty gave heartwarming testimony of the power of the school to provide students with the skills and tools to see themselves be successful in college and beyond.
Ben Davis University High School Profile on the IDOE website:
Removing financial barriers and developing financial incentives featuring:
Cheryl Orr, Associate Commissioner for Communications and P-16 Programs and Planning, Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Seana Murphy, State Director, 21st Century Scholars Program
As part of an effort to create a statewide college-going culture, panelists described efforts to both remove financial barriers and create financial incentives for students to both access and succeed in college.
Academic and Support Strategies featuring:
Ed Jones, Chair, Concurrent Enrollment Partnership and Vice Provost for Outreach, University of Southern Indiana, Dave Dresslar, Executive Director, Center for Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL)
Hank Dunn, Ivy Tech Central Indiana
Panelist described varied efforts at the secondary and postsecondary level to provide students access to acceleration mechanisms such as dual credit, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, and early admission programs.
Dinner Presentation featuring:
Cheryl Orr, Associate Commissioner for Communications and P-16 Programs and Planning, Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Jeanna Keller, Program Officer, Lumina Foundation
Presenters shared Lumina Foundation’s goals and visions for increasing access and success nationwide and focused on how the efforts look in Indiana.
Site Visit to: North Central High School
Following an overview of the schools efforts to ensure all students have access to and can succeed in college prep and college-level courses, student guides provided an opportunity to observe classes. A panel of teachers and students described the college-going culture of this traditional comprehensive high school.
North Central’s Profile on IDOE website:
Teacher Preparation and Professional Development featuring:
Bill Walker, Executive Director, I-STEM Network
Jen Drake, Director, Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows Program
Terri Schulz, Director of State & Corporate Relations, Project Lead the Way
Karen Morris, Indiana AP Bridge Project Manager, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame
Panelists described various programs through the state focused on teacher preparation and professional development. Indiana has focused many of its resources in this area in STEM-related fields.
- I-STEM
- Project Lead the Way
- Karen Morris – Handouts, Indiana AP Bridge Project
- Jen Drake – Handouts, Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship
Alignment of Data Systems featuring:
Tari Lambert, Director, Transfer Indiana
Ken Sauer, Senior Associate Commissioner for Research and Academic Affairs
Hope Clark, Director of Research and Analysis, Department of Workforce Development
Panelist discussed Indiana’s varied efforts to link K12, higher ed, and workforce data systems focusing both on the infrastructure and tools used throughout the state to make data more available and transparent.
GENERAL RESOURCES:
Background Information on Indiana Initiatives:
- Indiana Core 40 Curriculum
- Descriptions of Key Indiana State Strategies for Improving College Access and Success
- Transfer Indiana
- Summary of Legislation Relevant to System Linkages
- Lessons Learned: The Road to College Readiness in Indiana (2008Presentation of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education)
- Dual Credit in Indiana (Definitions and Q&A)
- Indiana Policy on Dual Credit
- Indiana Concurrent Enrollment Partnership, Fiscal Analysis Report (Executive Summary)
- Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Dashboard of Key Indicators to Measure Progress towards Postsecondary Access and Success
- Indiana Core Transfer Library
- American Diploma Project Policy Agenda for Indiana and ADP Indiana Action Plan
- 21st Century Scholars Program
- Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship
- Learn More Indiana
- Creating Change One Step at a Time: Efforts to Improve College Access and Success in Indiana (2008 Report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy)
- Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL), High School-to-College Transition Project
Nationwide Resources:
- American Diploma Project
- Know How 2 Go
- Early College High School Initiative
- AYPF Report: The College Ladder: Linking Secondary and Postsecondary Education for Success for All Students
Jennifer Brown Lerner
Senior Program Associate
American Youth Policy Forum
1836 Jefferson Place, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.775.9731
jlerner@aypf.org
Andrea Browning
Senior Program Associate
American Youth Policy Forum
1836 Jefferson Place, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.775.9731
abrowning@aypf.org
