High school to college transitions: P-16/P-20 education council effectiveness

The purpose of this research study was to systematically review the research related to P-16/P-20 education council formation, characteristics, and effectiveness in order to develop a model of intersegmental collaboration that may increase the success of educational reform efforts. Disconnected policies, standards, curriculum, assessments, and placement practices are barriers to college success for a large number of high school graduates; policymakers, analysts, and researchers have highlighted the need for improved collaboration. Community colleges are major stakeholders in the college completion agenda because their outcomes are partially dependent upon students' ability to transition successfully from high school through two-year colleges and on to four-year colleges. A majority states have formed P-16 or P-20 education councils to develop a seamless system of education with aligned expectations from early learning (the "P"), through the K-12 system, the first four years of college (the "16"), and on to doctoral and professional programs (the "20"). For this study, P-16/P-20 education information and research was systematically reviewed to develop a model of intersegmental collaboration that leads to better aligned secondary and postsecondary policies, expectations, and practices. Existing P-16/P-20 education council research was analyzed to identify leadership strategies that may enhance P-16P-20 effectiveness. The researcher evaluated the available literature by linking research findings to several leadership theories, and the resulting synthesis provides a summary and a new interpretation of the evidence in order to inform P-16/P-20 education council effectiveness. Based on the research findings, the researcher developed a flexible model of P-16/P-20 education council implementation that incorporates best practices for intersegmental collaboration. The implications of this study for community college management practice are that community college leaders can advocate for and apply P-16/P-20 education council effectiveness principles to improve engagement in, buy-in for, and the success of educational reform efforts.P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS DOCTOR OF MANAGEMENT DEGREE DISSERTATION APPROVAL FORM Roxanne Metz has completed all the necessary dissertation requirements of University of Maryland University College’s Doctor of Management Program. APPROVED: Committee Chair: _______________________________ ________________________ Dr. Patricia Keir Date: Committee Co-Chair: ___________________________________ __________________________ Dr. Jing Luan Date: P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE TRANSITIONS: P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS Roxanne Metz Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration Dissertation Directed By: Dr. Patricia Keir and Dr. Jing Luan University of Maryland University College, Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration The purpose of this research study was to systematically review the research related to P-16/P-20 education council formation, characteristics, and effectiveness in order to develop a model of intersegmental collaboration that may increase the success of educational reform efforts. Disconnected policies, standards, curriculum, assessments, and placement practices are barriers to college success for a large number of high school graduates; policymakers, analysts, and researchers have highlighted the need for improved collaboration. Community colleges are major stakeholders in the college completion agenda because their outcomes are partially dependent upon students’ ability to transition successfully from high school through two-year colleges and on to four-year colleges. A majority states have formed P-16 or P-20 education councils to develop a seamless system of education with aligned expectations from early learning (the “P”), through the K-12 system, the first four years of college (the “16”), and on to doctoral and professional programs (the “20”). For this study, P-16/P-20 education information and research was systematically reviewed to develop a model of intersegmental collaboration that leads to better aligned secondary and postsecondary policies, expectations, and practices. Existing P-16/P-20 education council research was analyzed to identify leadership strategies that may enhance P-16P-20 effectiveness. The researcher evaluated the available P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS literature by linking research findings to several leadership theories, and the resulting synthesis provides a summary and a new interpretation of the evidence in order to inform P-16/P-20 education council effectiveness. Based on the research findings, the researcher developed a flexible model of P-16/P-20 education council implementation that incorporates best practices for intersegmental collaboration. The implications of this study for community college management practice are that community college leaders can advocate for and apply P-16/P-20 education council effectiveness principles to improve engagement in, buy-in for, and the success of educational reform efforts. Key words: college readiness, educational policy, educational practices, educational reform, collaborative dialogue, educational leadership, educational alignment P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS University of Maryland University College DMGT 891 Dr. Patricia Keir and Dr. Jing Luan High School to College Transitions: P-16/P-20 Education Council Effectiveness October 5, 2014 Submitted by Roxanne Metz P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS ii © Copyright by Roxanne Metz 2014 P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my parents, John and Elayne, without whom this journey would not have been possible. I would like to thank my partner, John, and my children, Amelia and Eric, for allowing me to focus on my work and for putting up with me during this endeavor. I would like to thank my extended family for opening their homes and providing comfort for me during my travels. I would like to thank all of my friends, especially the mom’s group, for cheering me on when the work got tough. I would like to thank my colleagues for sharing their own perspectives and stories with me to encourage me along the way. I would like to thank all of my professors, especially Drs. Patricia Keir and Jing Luan, for sharing their knowledge and ensuring high-quality research. Thank you all. P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS iv CONTENTS Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 Background ................................................................................................................ 1 The College Completion Challenge ........................................................................... 2 High School to College Transition Problems ............................................................ 3 The Need for Remediation ................................................................................. 3 The Mismatch Between High School and College ............................................ 3 History of K-12 and Postsecondary Alignment Concerns ......................................... 5 Attempts to Improve High School to College Transitions ......................................... 7 The Need for Collaboration and the Role of P-16/P-20 Education Councils ............ 8 Statement of Purpose and Research Questions .......................................................... 9 Theoretical Context .................................................................................................... 11 Definition of Terms.................................................................................................... 11 Organization of the Study .......................................................................................... 12 2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................... 13 Overall Methodology Approach ................................................................................ 13 Computerized Search of Educational Research Literature ........................................ 16 Review of the Research Studies ................................................................................. 23 Review for Relevance ........................................................................................ 23 Review for Quality ............................................................................................. 24 Categorization of the Research Studies ..................................................................... 26 Synthesis of the Research .......................................................................................... 26 Quantitative Research Synthesis ........................................................................ 27 Best available synthesis ............................................................................. 27 Triangulation ............................................................................................. 27 Qualitative Research Synthesis: Thematic Synthesis and Meta-ethnography ... 28 Reviewing and synthesizing complex evidence ........................................ 28 Use of Leadership and Management Theories ........................................................... 29 Expert Panel Review .................................................................................................. 30 Expert Panel Qualifications ................................................................................ 31 Incorporation of Expert Panel Feedback ............................................................ 32 P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS v 3 LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL MODEL ...................................... 33 A Review of Attempts to Align High School and College Policies and Practices .... 33 Assessment Policies ........................................................................................... 33 Early Assessment Programs ............................................................................... 35 Dual/Concurrent Enrollment .............................................................................. 36 Standards ............................................................................................................ 37 Accountability standards .............................................................................. 37 Information and outreach ............................................................................. 38 Common Core State Standards ..................................................................... 39 Data and Accountability Systems ....................................................................... 42 Education Commission of the States (ECS) ................................................. 43 National Data Quality Campaign ................................................................. 44 America Competes Act data requirements ................................................... 45 Accountability systems ................................................................................. 45 A Review of P-16/P-20 Education Council Types .................................................... 47 P-16 Advocacy and P-16 Council Formation ..................................................... 47 Dimensions of P-16/P-20 Education Council Variation .................................... 49 Coordinating body ........................................................................................ 49 Membership .................................................................................................. 49 Executive order or statute ............................................................................. 50 Level of authority ......................................................................................... 50 Source of funding ......................................................................................... 50 Meeting frequency ........................................................................................ 50 Scope and charge .......................................................................................... 50 P-16/P-20 performance goals ....................................................................... 51 Council chair ................................................................................................ 51 Support for local or regional P-16 councils .................................................. 51 Factors Related to P-16/P-20 Education Council Effectiveness ........................ 51 Policy Changes (or Governance Structures, Policy Language) ......................... 54 Centralized and decentralized P-16/P-20 education initiatives. ................... 55 Higher education and P-20 councils ............................................................. 56 Dialogue and shared vision in educational organizations ............................ 59 Sufficiency of the Literature Review ......................................................................... 60 Conceptual Model ...................................................................................................... 61 4 ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS .................................................................................. 65 Summary of Literature Review Filtered by Theories of Interest ............................... 65 Analysis of Findings Organized by Leadership Theory ............................................ 68 Change Theory ................................................................................................... 68 Organizational Culture ....................................................................................... 69 Stakeholder Theory ............................................................................................ 70 Systems Theory .................................................................................................. 70 Dialogue Theory ................................................................................................. 72 P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS vi Policy Networking Theory ................................................................................. 74 Policy Discourse Theory .................................................................................... 74 Collaboration Theory ......................................................................................... 75 Organizational Partnership Theory .................................................................... 75 Analysis of Expert Panel Feedback ........................................................................... 76 Evaluation Form Rating ..................................................................................... 76 Analysis of Additional Reviewer Comments ..................................................... 77 Incorporation of Expert Panel Feedback ............................................................ 80 Summary of Findings ................................................................................................. 81 Answering the Research Questions .................................................................... 81 Thematic Analysis .............................................................................................. 82 P-16/P-20 Education Council Effectiveness Principles ..................................... 83 Limitations Related to the Research Questions .................................................. 85 5 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS ................................................................. 87 Development of a Flexible Model for Intersegmental Collaboration ........................ 87 Theoretical Framework for the Model ............................................................... 87 Stakeholder theory ........................................................................................ 88 Systems theory ............................................................................................. 89 Dialogue Theory ........................................................................................... 90 Flexible Model of Intersegmental Collaboration ....................................................... 92 Role of Community College Leaders ................................................................. 92 Gaps in the Research .................................................................................................. 95 Lack of Clearly Defined Models for Testing ..................................................... 95 Lack of Research on the Impact of P-16/P-20 Education Councils on Educational Outcomes .................................................................................. 96 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 98 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................100 P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Summary of Computerized Search and Results Found ................................................ 18 Table 2. A Review of Relevant Web Pages ................................................................................ 22 Table 3. Summary of Research and Key Findings Related to Leadership Theories of Interest ...................................................................................................................... 66 Table 4. Expert Panel Evaluation Form Questions and Ratings ................................................. 79 Table 5. Elements of a Flexible Model of Intersegmental Collaboration ................................... 93 P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Role of P-16/P-20 education councils in improving the high school to college transition ...................................................................................................................... 62 Figure 2. Synthesis of P-16/P-20 Education Council Effectiveness Strategies .......................... 63 P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Background A majority of jobs in the modern global economy now require at least some postsecondary education (American Association of Community Colleges [AACC], 2014). Good-paying jobs requiring only a high school education or less have all but disappeared, and policymakers, such as those who spearheaded the American Diploma Project and President Obama’s proposal for the American Graduation Initiative, have identified a projected shortage of five million degrees and certificates by 2020 (Community College League of California [CCLC], 2010, p. 5). The demographics of the workforce are changing (AACC, 2014), and according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education, the nation will increasingly rely upon the completion of higher education among traditionally unrepresented students in order to meet the workforce needs of the future. The rate of college attendance among high school graduates has risen dramatically; from 1975 to 2009 and during this period, the percentage of high school completers of a given year who enroll in two- or four-year colleges in the fall immediately after completing high school rose from 51% to 70% (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2012, p. 84). College enrollment is at record-high levels and is expected to increase by another 15% over the 10-year period from 2010 to 2020 (NCES, 2012). Community colleges play a pivotal role in providing workforce training and preparation for transfer. Almost half of all undergraduates are community college students (AACC, 2014; Aspen Institute, 2014), and a majority of college graduates received at least some of their education at a community college (CCLC, 2010, p. 26). The open admissions policies and lower P-16/P-20 EDUCATION COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS 2 costs associated with community colleges make them an important part of the educational pathway for first-generation college students who come from traditionally underrepresented communities. The College Completion Challenge In its report to the nation, the College Board (2007) indicated that 75% of high school graduates are entering college (p. 6). While more Americans are attending college in order to obtain high-paying, high-demand jobs, the percentage of college graduates in the U.S. adult population has barely risen since 1980 (Venezia, Kirst, & Antonio, 2003, p. 35). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of adults 25 or older who have attained a college degree doubled between 1970 and 1990, but only grew at half that rate between 1990 and 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). The national rate of college completion has also stagnated (U.S. Department of Education, 2006, p. 7). President Obama has called on community colleges to increase the number of community college students completing a degree or other credential by 50%—to 5 million students by the year 2020—in order to ensure employment and prosperity for students and meet the training needs of businesses and communities (AACC, 2012). There are many reasons why high school graduates, and particularly minority and low-income students, do not succeed in college. In 2006, the Commission on the Future of Higher Education identified a number of factors related to access (i.e., inadequate preparation, lack of information about college opportunities, and persistent financial barriers), affordability, quality, and accountab