ESC Region XI Module One

1. AVATAR Partnerships and Teams: Getting Started ESC Region XI Module One http://www.ntp16.notlb.com/avatar

2. AVATAR Partnerships and Teams: Getting Started • This Module Will Overview… • Academic Vertical Alignment Training and Renewal - AVATAR Processes, • Roles and Responsibilities of AVATAR Team Members and Partners, and • Group Norms Information

3. What is Academic Vertical Alignment Training And Renewal (AVATAR)?

4. What is AVATAR? AcademicVerticalAlignmentTrainingAndRenewal AVATAR is a statewide network of regional partnerships, focused on secondary and postsecondary vertical alignment, to support students’ college and career readiness and success. AVATAR is a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) funded project which is implemented by the North Texas Regional P-16 Council and the University of North Texas.

5. Who is AVATAR? Regional P-16 Councils 4 Year IHEs High Schools 2 Year IHEs A Partnership of Regional Leaders From… Regional ESCs Scaffolding Student Success Working to Scaffold Student Success

6. AVATAR: Statewide Vertical Alignment Network of Regional Partnerships

7. What are AVATAR’s Goals? The AVATAR Project Outcomes • Expand awareness of and create regional vertical alignment initiatives to prepare and support students who are ready and successful in colleges and careers • Identify and implement strategies to close regional academic course and expectation gaps • Identify processes to assess and celebrate regional progress in preparing college and career readied students • Share best practices statewide

8. Why is Academic Vertical Alignment Training and Renewal (AVATAR) Needed in Texas Today?

9. As cited in: Paredes, R. (2012, Aug 1). Progress on closing the gaps and the future of higher education and the Texas workforce. San Antonio Regional Meeting Presentation. THECB and Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from: thecb.state.tx.us

10. Source: Texas Workforce Commission cited in Texas Middle-Skill Jobs from National Skills Coalition (2011) Retrieved From: http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/pdf.html?file=http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/fact-sheets/state-fact-sheets/middle-skill/nsc_middleskillfs_texas.pdf

11. Workforce Needs Workers with higher level of education are less likely to be unemployed…. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; McKinsey Global Institute Analysis, as cited in McKinsey & Company (2012, July 12). The future for educated workers in the United States economy. Retrieved from: www.thecb.state.tx.us/index.cfm?objectid=C3F10ADD-F5CA-9ECB-97D3AD796301A382

12. Educational Attainment Needs sdfsdfdfg As cited in: Heldenfrels IV, F. (2012, Sept 27). Progress on closing the gaps and the future of higher education and the Texas workforce. San Antonio Regional Meeting Presentation. THECB and The Chamber. Retrieved from: thecb.state.tx.us

13. Educational Attainment Needs High School Graduate or more, In Percent Bachelor’s Degree or more, in percent Advanced Degree or more, in percent From: U.S Census Bureau, 2009 http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/education.html

14. Educational Attainment: • Texas Population with Associate Degree or Higher Report of The Select Commission on Higher Education and Global Competitiveness, January 2009

15. Texas P-16 Pipeline

16. Retention Rates Lower Each Year Source: Complete College America/Alliance of the States 2011 Texas Report Retrieved from: http://www.completecollege.org/state_data/

17. Of first time degree-seeking students who enroll Full-Time Part-Time Number of Every 100 Texas Public University Students Who Earn a Postsecondary Degree Within 6 years: Enroll 57 Graduate in < 4 yrs. Graduate in 5-6 yrs. Total Graduates Still enrolled after 6 yrs. No longer enrolled, no degree

18. Are Students College Ready? • According to ACT, • 25% of ACT-tested high school graduates met the 2012 college readiness benchmark. • Between 2008-2012 ACT benchmark attainment percentages remained stable (22%-25%) • African American graduates were least likely to meet the benchmarks in English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science - 5% (Asian – 42%, White – 32%, and Hispanic – 13%) Source: ACT, Inc. 2012

19. Too Many First Year Students in College Need Remediation 51% of those entering a 2-year college enrolled in remediation. Of those students… 30% completed the remediation 14.3% completed the remediation and associated college-level courses in 2 years 5.8% Graduated within three years 22.5% of those entering a 4-year college enrolled in remediation. Of those students… 49.2% completed the remediation 32.1% completed the remediation and associated college-level courses in 2 years 29.6% Graduated within six years Source: Complete College America/Alliance of the States 2011 Texas State Remediation Report Retrieved from: http://www.completecollege.org/state_data/

20. The Impact of Developmental Education • Students that take developmental education courses: • Take longer to complete their degree • Are less likely to complete their degree • Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2004

21. Closing the Gaps by 2015 In 2000, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board began an initiative to close the gaps of educational attainment among subgroups of students in Texas in the areas of: • Student Participation • Student Success • Student Excellence • Student Research Source: Closing the Gaps Progress Report, June 2012 Retrieved from: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/index.cfm?objectid=858D2E7C-F5C8-97E9-0CDEB3037C1C2CA3

22. Closing the Gaps Progress • For an up to date look at Texas’ progress in closing the educational attainment gaps go to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s dashboards: • http://reports.thecb.state.tx.us/approot/closingthegaps/hed_main.htm?FIRSTRPT=CTG Source: Closing the Gaps Progress Report, June 2012 Retrieved from: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/index.cfm?objectid=858D2E7C-F5C8-97E9-0CDEB3037C1C2CA3

23. Closing the Gaps Summary • While progress is being made in “closing the gaps,” your work to promote academic enrollment, achievement, and success in postsecondary education is needed and • Participation in AVATAR is one way.

24. Why We Need AVATAR! • Changing K-12 State Assessment System • Changing K-12 State Accountability System • Changing Post-Secondary Accountability System • Too many secondary and postsecondary leaders and educators do not have shared and accurate information and understanding of what a student needs to know and do to be successful in postsecondary education and career; • Too many students enter postsecondary education and do not complete in a timely fashion; and • Too many students take developmental education at the postsecondary level. • Texas Governor charge to lower the cost of college.

25. What is the Academic Vertical Alignment Training and Renewal Process?

26. AVATAR is a Process Texas P-16 Pipeline • Creates and builds relationships through ongoing critical conversations • Uses regional data to make alignment decisions • Develops shared understanding of college and career readiness and success for students • Reviews reference course profile information • Identifies and implements intentional actions • Evaluates, sustains, and shares vertical alignment work

27. What is my role as an AVATAR Partner or Team Member?

28. AVATAR Partners & Team Members • Partnerships: Leaders and educators representing regional independent school districts, two- and four-year institutions of higher education, P-16 councils, and education service centers committed to vertical alignment to support students’ college and career readiness and success. • Teams: Educators and leaders representing regional independent school districts, two- and four-year institutions of higher education, P-16 councils, and education service centers committed to addressing discipline specific course and instructional alignment needs to create environments where students can successful transitions between and among regional educational systems.

29. Partnership Benefits • Partnership Benefits THECB: where is the partnership building? • Build capacity to improve alignment between regional secondary and postsecondary course curriculum • Strengthen regional secondary and postsecondary commitment to college preparedness and success for students

30. AVATAR Partners and Team Members… • Are committed to higher education access and success for all students • Understand content course knowledge and skills • Utilize research-based instructional strategies • Demonstrate strong communication and leadership skills • Are effective team players • Are flexible – able to deal with ambiguity

31. AVATAR Partners • Roles and Responsibilities Education Service Center (ESC) or Others Who Serve as Facilitators/Coordinators • Convene a vertical alignment team (VAT) in 2012-2013 and train a VAT for 2013-2014 • Expand or create a regional shared college and career readiness foundation/understanding among the partnership and team • Support the P-16 council and the partnership in securing and reviewing their regional college and career readiness student data • Facilitate the vertical alignment critical conversations • Design and implement with the partnership their vertical alignment action plan

32. Critical Conversations Secondary Post-Secondary Graduate Career Ready Graduate College/Career Ready Impact of Developmental Education and Texas Success Initiative Dual Credit, Early College High Schools Student Support Services Educational Policies and Practices Classroom Instruction, Textbooks Grading, etc. Discipline Reference Course Profiles College & Career Readiness Standards Student Success Assessments Dual Credit, Early College High Schools Student Support Services Educational Policies and Practices Classroom Instruction, Textbooks, Grading, etc. Discipline Specific Course Curriculum Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

33. AVATAR Partners • Roles and Responsibilities P-16 Council • Provide regional college and career readiness student data and prepare the regional data PowerPoint • Serve as the recorder for the regional vertical alignment team and partnership • Host the regional vertical alignment partnership’s Reflections, Celebrations, and Next Steps meeting by May 24, 2013 • Implement the regional vertical alignment sustainability plan for 2013-2014

34. AVATAR Partners • Roles and Responsibilities Independent School District (ISD) • Identify campus or district leaders to participate and support vertical alignment partnership and team • Identify and support discipline specific teachers and leaders to participate in the vertical alignment process • Review and discuss course and instructional practices based on the VAT’s work • Expand and/or develop a campus or district vertical alignment plan for 2013 - 2014

35. AVATAR Partners • Roles and Responsibilities Postsecondary Education: Two- and Four-Year Institutions of Higher Education General/Core Education Leaders and Faculty • Identify campus, system, or district level leaders who are responsible for core or general education courses to participate and support the vertical alignment partnership and team • Identify and support discipline specific faculty and leaders to participate in the vertical alignment process • Review course syllabi and explore shared reference course profiles based on the VAT’s work • Expand and/or develop a campus or district vertical alignment plan for 2013 - 2014

37. AVATAR Outcomes • Identify key leaders and educators who make up a regional “pipeline” needed for students to be college and career ready and successful • Establish shared regional college and career readiness foundation/understandings • Use regional data to guide decision-making • Design and implement a vertical alignment action planwhich will include critical conversations around specific courses needed for students to make academic progress • Design and implement a sustainability plan • Prepare students for college and career success

38. What Will The Norms Be For Our Partnership and Team Meetings?

39. Norms Norms encourage behaviors that will help a group do its work and discourage behaviors that interfere with a group’s effectiveness. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.” Margaret Meade

40. What are Norms? • Standards or expectations by which individuals or a group has agreed to operate while working together • Maximizes team productivity and effectiveness • Ensures individuals are respected • Places responsibility on individuals for expected behavior to build group community

41. Group Norms • Be respectful when others are voicing an opinion • Participate actively • Ask questions • Share experiences and insights • Make connections • Help each other • Tame the technology • Look at the data before making decisions

42. List three things you want others to know about your college education journey. (Be prepared to share with a partner.)