Some say higher expectations will increase college grad numbers
JARED MILLER Star-Tribune capital bureau | Posted: Sunday, January 28, 2007 12:00 am
CHEYENNE - Students pushed to excel in high school attend college in larger numbers and fare better once they get there, according to a report by a University of Wyoming professor.
The findings by professor Andy Hansen are a driving force in the debate over the Hathaway Scholarship "success curriculum" in the state Legislature.
Lawmakers who support strict eligibility requirements for the state-funded scholarships say higher expectations will drive more Wyoming high school graduates to college and boost college graduation numbers.
But some lawmakers reject the notion that the Hathaway should be used to augment state high school curricula.
"The Hathaway I voted for is that we were going to send Wyoming graduates off to college," said Rep. Tom Walsh, R-Casper. "The Hathaway I voted for didn't say we are going to totally rearrange Wyoming education."
Hansen undertook the study two years ago at the request of former UW President Philip Dubois, who wanted to know why fewer Wyoming kids go to college than their counterparts in some states.
He found that while Wyoming is just below the middle of the pack in the number of high school freshmen who eventually go to college, it lags well behind top states.
For every 100 Wyoming high school freshmen, about 40 eventually go to college, and 19 earn degrees. The top state, Massachusetts, sends 53 to college, and 29 earn degrees.
The national average in 2004 was 40 percent who go to college and 18 percent who graduate, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
"We would have to improve by 50 percent to match the top states in the numbers of students top schools are graduating from college," Hansen said.
Hansen discovered that students who take a rigorous high school curriculum tend to score higher on the ACT college aptitude test, which is a good indicator of success in college.
He also found that some states that combine a government-sponsored scholarship program with high academic standards increased the number of students who attend and graduate from college.
He cited Indiana, which created a scholarship program called Indiana Core 40 Curriculum, which he said is similar to the most rigorous Hathaway requirements.
According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, high school freshmen in Indiana eventually attend college a rate 3 percent higher than in Wyoming. The number of high school freshmen who graduate from college is 1 percent higher than in Wyoming.
Even if Wyoming is not seriously lagging behind the national average in college enrollment and graduation, it may find itself seriously trailing the pack in the future, Hansen said.
Schools nationwide are moving toward more demanding curricula, he said, which means Wyoming will need to increase its requirements to keep pace. In today's global marketplace, Wyoming students also will compete against graduates from around the world, Hansen noted.
Even students who don't go to college can benefit from a tough high school curriculum, he said.
"All indications are that whether you go into the work force or not, this is an appropriate curriculum to take," he said.
Rep. Matt Teeters, R-Lingle, questioned whether the Hathaway Scholarship is the proper way to address low college achievement.
"The fact is that I do believe we are graduating kids who are not prepared for college, but I don't think this is the vehicle to address this," Teeters said.
"I think the Wyoming diploma is worth something, at least it should be," Teeters added. "And if we're graduating students from high school who are not ready for college, then we need to re-evaluate the system."
Walsh worries that the push to increase top student achievement will leave the less gifted students behind.
"You say you're going to raise the bar to motivate them, but let's get real," said Walsh, a retired school administrator. "There's different ability levels."
Mary Kay Hill, legislative liaison for the state Department of Education, said the State Board of Education will soon begin revising the statewide graduation requirements, but the focus is on Hathaway right now "just because it's on the table."
She said some state residents felt the current graduation requirements were too high when they were set five years ago. Education requirements are always edging upward, she said.
She added that Superintendent of Public Instruction Jim McBride believes the Legislature should set the bar high for the Hathaway Scholarship.
He "believes that by requiring children to take more rigorous courses, they will be better prepared to succeed no matter where they go in life, and they will be better prepared to go to college or the university," she said.
Hansen said the findings in his report are not a criticism of Wyoming teachers and educators; they appear to be doing their jobs. But he said the current system may not push students hard enough to take courses that will help them get into college and succeed once they get there.
A rigorous Hathaway Scholarship success curriculum will motivate students to excel in a course of study proven to help them achieve in college, he said.
"This is not what I would call an elitist college prep course-taking pattern," Hansen said. "It's just the observed patterns of what ACT data suggests will make people successful."
Reach capital bureau reporter Jared Miller at (307) 632-1244 or at jared.miller@casperstartribune.net.