2012 Annual Conference White Paper November 2012
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This white paper has been developed with the insights of the following Tennessee College Access
and Success Network Members and other Partners:
Staff Consultants
Bob Obrohta, Executive Director Terry Pickeral, Cascade Educational Consultants
Jenny Mills, Member and Grants Services Coordinator Jenn Garcia, Oasis Center
Wendy Tabor, Senior Director of External Affairs
Anderson Williams, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives Student Poets
Amy Ashida, Belmont University
Keynote Speakers Joshua Everett, Vanderbilt University
Dr. Arnold Mitchem, Council on Opportunity in Education Amanda Howell, Watkins College of Art and Design
Chancellor John Morgan, Tennessee Board of Regents Sam McKenzie, Maplewood High School
Sean Smith, Overton High School
Workshop Panelists Alexis Woodard, Hillwood High School
Laura Encalade, Tennessee Department of Education
Mike Krause, Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Jayme Place, Office of the Governor
Moderator: David Mansouri, SCORE
Conference Presenters Abbie Alexander, Smith College Everett Jolley, Tennessee State University
Carmen Andrews, Meigs County Board of Education Stacy Lightfoot, Public Education Foundation, Chattanooga
Tosha Ayers, Northeast State Community College Jenni Lister, Wofford College
Michael Bates, Hamilton High School, Memphis Cynthia Long, EOC, UT-Chattanooga
Jared Bigham, TN Rural Education Association Kerry Loy, Centerstone, Nashville
Stella Bridgeman-Prince, UT-Knoxville Chris McCaghren, Vanderbilt University
Michelle Caldwell, Public Education Foundation, Chattanooga Catherine McTamaney, Vanderbilt University
Megan Charles, Northeast State Community College Denise Miller, Vanderbilt University
Karla Chavez, TN Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Kent Miller, Martha O’Bryan Center, Nashville
Sandy Cole, UT-Chattanooga Lori Miller, Hamilton High School, Memphis
Dwayne Compton, University of Louisville Allan Pratt, TN Rural Education Association
Tammy Day, Next Steps at Vanderbilt Program Urban Pelicon, CoBro Consulting
Krissy DeAlejandro, tnAchieves Jillian Pennyman, UT-Chattanooga
Gray Flora, Oasis Center, Nashville Jack Schmit, Indiana University
Vivian Franklin, Niswonger Foundation Molly Sehring, Glencliff High School, Nashville
Liz Fussell, FUTURE Program, UT-Knoxville Benjamin Smith, Southern Word
Meichelle Gibson, Gibson Consulting Brandi Smith, Vanderbilt University
Anna Graham, Hardin Valley Academy, Knoxville James Snider, Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation
Lee Gray, Oasis Center, Nashville Eric Stokes, UT-Knoxville
Maria Greene, Maryville High School Jackie Stryker, Maryville High School
Chris Hansen, ACT Graham Thomas, tnAchieves
Jackie Hartmann, tnAchieves Ben Vivari, College Measures
Cheryl Janzen, Walker Valley High School, Cleveland Tracey Wright, Cleveland State Community College Johnnie Johnson, Transylvania University Keith White, Public Education Foundation, Chattanooga
Attendees
West Tennessee Mary Lauren Anderson, The Ayers Foundation
Adam Andrews, The Ayers Foundation
Linda Austin, MadisonAchieves
Bart Barker, REDI/SWTDD
Cornita Barnes, Memphis City Schools
LaMar Bartlett, Ripley High School
Alex Beene, REDI/SWTDD
Alicia Buckner, YMCA Memphis
Ginger Cagle, Perry County High School
Mauricio Calvo, Latino Memphis
Brandy Cartmell, UT Martin
Carolyn Chalmers, Southwest TN Community College
Craig Clay, REDI/SWTDD
Cedric Deadmon, REDI/SWTDD
Carlotta DeBose, Memphis City Schools
Claire DuFresne, Latino Memphis
Remika Fayne, REDI/SWTDD
Ellen Fulghum, Hardeman County Board of Ed.
Carlos Fuller, Kingsbury High School
Cecelia Franklin, Kingsbury High School
Anne Frisby, Power Center Academy High School
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Curtis Gillespie, Jackson-Madison County Schools
Patryce Gleeton, Trezevant Career & Tech Center
Marilyn Goodman, Milan Special School District
Shaula Guy, Southwest TN Community College
Lisa Hankins, REDI/SWTDD
Surayyah Hasan, City of Memphis
Jessica Hartle, The Ayers Foundation
Travis Hartle, The Ayers Foundation
Wendy Haynes, Lake County Schools
Senator Roy Herron, TN General Assembly
Evelyn Holloway, Fairley High School
Dianne Homra, Lake County Schools
Angela Huffman, Brighton High School
Jeff Huffman, Tipton County Mayor
Chandra Johnson, Southwest TN Community College
Tammy Kasmai, Brighton High School
Kerri Maddox, Weakley County Schools
Lisa Mann, Graduate Memphis
Katherine Markley, REDI/SWTDD
Linda May, Benton County Career & Tech Center
Jennifer McCauley, Crockett County High School
Michael Meadows, The Ayers Foundation
Lori Miller, Hamilton High School - Memphis
Stephen Milligan, Columbia State Community College at
Clifton
Pam Moffatt, Brighton High School
Mia Moore, Trezevant Career & Technology Center
Brianna Morton, The Ayers Foundation
Carol Parkins, Milan Special School District College
Access Program
Vanessa Patrick, REDI/SWTDD
Amy Ragland, Memphis Academy of Science and
Engineering
Belinda Reed, The Ayers Foundation
Susan Rhodes, The Ayers Foundation
Nichole Saulsberry-Scarboro, City of Memphis
Douglas Scarboro, Office of Talent and Human Capital /
City of Memphis
Jenilyn Sipes, REDI/SWTDD
Jennifer Smallwood, Hardeman County Board of Ed.
Dixie Spencer, REDI/SWTDD
Eleanor Thomas, Trezevant Career & Tech Center
Fred Turvery, Graduate Memphis
Angela Ventura-Wooten, Southwest Community College
Beverly Vos, REDI/SWTDD
Gloria Williams, Kingsbury High School
Lonnie Williams, Memphis City Schools
Middle Tennessee Rhonda Allen, Monroe Harding Inc.
Sharon Anderson, Putnam County School
Alene Arnold, SAS
Morgan Barnett, Franklin County Schools
Tierney Bates, Urban League of Middle Tennessee
Stanley Bean, Franklin County Schools
Tiffany Bellafant Steward, Tennessee State University
Susan Bensen, Martha O'Bryan Center
Emily Blatter, KIPP Academy Nashville
Nancy Blois-Giles, MTSU Educational Talent Search
Lee Brannon, Franklin County Schools
Andrea Brewer, Fayetteville High School
Ty Brown, Martha O'Bryan Center
Harold Burdette, Oasis College Connection
Sharonda Campbell, Oasis College Connection
Melissa Canney, Tennessee Department of Education
Mary Carpenter, Project for Neighborhood Aftercare
Pamela Cash, Monroe Harding Inc.
Heather Chalos, Alignment Nashville
Karla Chavez, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Coalition
Lisa Coleman, Lipscomb Academy
Michael Cousin, Nashville Career Advancement Center
Lindsay Daly, Youth Life Foundation of Tennessee - Youth
Life Learning Centers
Kelli Davis, Martha O'Bryan Center
Cathy Day, Tennessee Department of Education
Tammy Day, Next Steps at Vanderbilt University
Laura Delgado, Conexion Americas
Kate Derrick, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission
Dr. Linda Doran, Tennessee College Access and Success
Network
Bernadette Doykos, Martha O'Bryan Center
Charmaine Duncan, Middle Tennessee State University
Nancy Eisenbrandt, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Ashley England, Oasis College Connection
Tanya Evrenson, Nashville Career Advancement Center
Gray Flora IV, Oasis College Connection
Cynthia Fitzgerald, In Full Motion, Inc.
Fred Frazier, Nashville Career Advancement Center
Matt Freeman, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission
Tina Garner, Franklin County Schools
LuAnn Graber, Martha O'Bryan Center
Troy Grant, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission
Lee Gray, Oasis College Connection
Cedric Griffen, Tennessee State University
Edward Grimes, Monroe Harding Inc.
Sheena Hanserd, Pearl-Cohn High School
La'Kishia Harris, Oasis College Connection
Paul Haynes, Nashville Career Advancement Center
Ted Helm, Modular Designs
Wanda Holloway, XMi Community Enterprises
Donna Holt, Dickson County High School
Dawn Hopkins, Franklin County Schools
Ellen Houston, Oasis College Connection
Anthony Johnson, Alignment Nashville
Claudia Johnson, Columbia State Community College
Everett Jolley, Tennessee State University
Deaderick Jones, Monroe Harding Inc.
Gina Jones, Nashville State Community College
Ivan Jones, Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville
Jeremy Kane, LEAD Academy
Ramesh Kasetty, Fortunapix
Janna Kenney, Martha O'Bryan Center
Kathy Knies, Franklin County Schools
Mike Krause, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission
Diane LeJeune, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.
Adam Lister, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Diane Long, PENCIL Foundation
Greg Mantooth, Franklin County Schools
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David Mansouri, State Collaborative on Reforming
Education
Chris McCaghren, Vanderbilt University
Sonja McMullen, Sallie Mae
Susan Meeks, Franklin County Schools
Leigh Ann Merry, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission
Danielle Mezera, Tennessee Department of Education
Denise Miller, Vanderbilt University
Kent Miller, Martha O'Bryan Center
Stephen Moten, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.
Marvin Muhammad, Martha O'Bryan Center
Karen Myers, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.
Shavicka Newsom, YMCA of Middle Tennessee/USA
Felicia Orr, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.
Rosemary Owens, Middle Tennessee State University
Tom Parrish, Scarlett Family Foundation
Beth Patton, Hampshire Unit School
Tracy Pecher, Bridge Nashville
Beth Perkins, McGavock High School
Freda Pillow, Nashville Career Advancement Center
Darolyn Porter, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.
Laura Potter, Nashville State Community College
Donzaleigh Powell, Nashville Career Advancement Center
Kevin Ragland, Robertson County Board of Education
Judy Rye, Martha O'Bryan Center
Marla Rye, Workforce Essentials, Inc.
Christine Sartain, Special Education Advocacy Center
Andy Schenck, Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee
Andie Scott, Oasis College Connection
Jason Seay, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.
Laura Sensenig, Vanderbilt University
Rebecca Sharber, Franklin County Schools
Yolanda Shields, Youth Life Foundation of Tennessee -
Youth Life Learning Centers
Molly Sehring, Glencliff High School
Benjamin Smith, Southern Word
Brandi Smith, Vanderbilt University
Marcia Smith, Bridge Nashville
James Snider, Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.
James H. Snider, Springfield High School
Diana Spaulding, Franklin County Schools
Christine Speicher, LEAD Academy
Courtney Starr, Middle Tennessee State University
Elizabeth Stein, Nashville State Community College
Linda Stewart, Franklin County Schools
Sandra Stewart, Franklin County Schools
Elizabeth Story, Next Steps at Vanderbilt University
Alexis Stokes, Bridge Nashville
Holly Tilden, LEAD Academy
Jennie Turrell, Franklin County Schools
Karon Uzzell-Baggett, Tennessee State University
Karla Vazquez, TIRRC/ STUDY Foundation
Kate Watts, Tennessee Higher Ed. Commission
Jacquelyn West, Martha O'Bryan Center
Juniaty Wijaya, Monroe Harding Inc.
Marlene Wilkinson, Franklin County Schools
Nicole Williams, Oasis College Connection
Cornelia Wills, Middle Tennessee State University
Susan Womack, Lipscomb Academy
Janell Wood, Project for Neighborhood Aftercare
Ruth Woodall, Tennessee Scholars
Kristi Yates, Monroe Harding Inc.
Ellen Zinkiewicz, Nashville Career Advancement Center
Rachel Zolensky, Oasis College Connection
East Tennessee John Adcox, Northeast State College Access Programs
Beverly Anderson, Bearden High School
Carmen Andrews, Meigs County High School
Tosha Ayers, Northeast State College Access Programs
Cathy Barham, Educational Opportunity Center - UTC
Suzanne Bayne, Cleveland State Community College
Jared Bigham, Tennessee Rural Education Assoc.
Judy Boser, University of Tennessee
Jamie Branton, Union County High School
Kaye Bridges, Fentress County Board of Education
Stella Bridgeman-Prince, The University of Tennessee,
Knoxville, Student Success Center
Celeste Brooks, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Cathy Brown, Educational Opportunity Center – UTC
Katiah Brown, Edsouth Student Outreach Services
Belinda Brownlee, Upward Bound
Darren Burchette, Niswonger Foundation
Michelle Caldwell, Public Education Foundation
Becky Campbell, Anderson County High School
Brandi Caudill, Niswonger Foundation
Robin Chapman, Greene County Schools
Megan Charles, Northeast State College Access Programs
Marisa Clark, Northeast State College Access Programs
Sandy Cole, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Debby Corey, Educational Opportunity Center - UTC
Steve Costner, Cocke County School System
Lana Craig, Edsouth Student Outreach Services
Krissy DeAlejandro, tnAchieves
Jill Denton, Grainger High School
Nancy Dishner, Niswonger Foundation
Julius Dodds, Chattanooga State Community College
Krista Dodson, Public Education Foundation
Susan Essary, Claiborne High School
Johnika Everhart, Educational Opportunity Center – UTC
Vivian Franklin, Niswonger Foundation
Amy French, Niswonger Foundation
Donnell Goode, Niswonger Foundation
Marsha Goolesby-Barker, Chattanooga State Community
College
Patti Gouge, Central High School
Anna Graham, Hardin Valley Academy
Maria Greene, Maryville High School
Ronnie Gross, ETSU TRIO
Lauren Haley, Public Education Foundation
Angie Hamstead, Project GRAD Knoxville
Milburn Harmon, Meigs County High School
Jackie Hartmann, tnAchieves
Debbie Hawk, Clinton High School/Anderson County
Schools
Debbie Hill, Bearden High School
Patti Hunt, Bradley County Schools
Marcia Hurley, Fentress County Board of Education
Harry Ingle, Tennessee Technological University
Linda Irwin, Niswonger Foundation
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Cheryl Janzen, Walker Valley High School
Carrie Jenkins, Clinton High School/Anderson County
Schools
Jessica Jennings, Niswonger Foundation
Amanda Johnson, Grainger High School
Sandy Joslin, Putnam County Schools
Melody Kees, Morgan County School/Wartburg Central
Frensez Kendricks, Public Education Foundation
Amy Kier, Walker Valley High School
Kristi Lakey, Sevier County High School
Terry Lashley, Tennessee Appalachian Center for Higher
Education-SouthEast Educational, Inc.
Teresa LeQuire, Maryville High School
Cynthia Long, Educational Opportunity Center – UTC
Greg Maciolek, Integrated Management Resources
Christy Mahoney, Tennessee Appalachian Center for
Higher Education-SouthEast Educational, Inc.
Sarah Malone, Public Education Foundation
Emily McComb, United Way of Bradley County
Mary McKnight, Greene County Schools
Katie Moran, Edsouth Student Outreach Services
Kaci Murley, tnAchieves
Sandi Nelson, Dobyns-Bennett High School
Amelia Osborne, Northeast State College Access Programs
Melissa Overbay, Niswonger Foundation
Robert Owens, Tennessee Technological University
Karen Payne, Claiborne High School
Ashley Pierce, Northeast State College Access Programs
Lisa Pierce, Dobyns-Bennett High School
Emily Pitt, Edsouth Student Outreach Services
Kim Porter, Maryville High School
Stephen Potter, Clinton High School/Anderson County
Schools
Melissa Presswood, Bradley County Schools
Julina Pyanoe, Niswonger Foundation
Melissa Ramsey, Northeast State College Access Programs
Mary Rausch, On Point
Janie Robbins, Tennessee Technological University
Carolann Robert, Chattanooga State Community College
Sarah Salerno, L&N STEM Academy
Kayce Scott, Anderson County High School
Anita Scruggs, Central High School of McMinn County
Daniel Sexton, Anderson County High School
Stephanie Shores, Northeast State College Access
Programs
Gary Skolits, University of Tennessee
Kate Skonberg, Public Education Foundation
Susan Steffey, Northeast State College Access Programs
Eric Stokes, The University of Tennessee
Jackie Stryker, Maryville High School
Graham Thomas, tnAchieves
Amy Tipton, Washburn High School
Caleb Tipton, Clinton High School/Anderson County
Schools
Ruth Ann Tipton, Northeast State College Access Programs
Stacey Treece, Coalfield School
Maegan Tribble, tnAchieves
Anne Troutman, Knox County Schools
Tom von Berg, Integrated Management Resources, Inc.
Amy Wagner, Greene County Schools
Candy Ward, Sevier County High School
Keith White, Public Education Foundation
Lorri Wickam, Bradley County Schools
Tracey Wright, Cleveland State Community College
Paytra Young, Fentress County Board of Education
Out of State Chris Albrecht, ACT, Georgia
Ralph Barnett, Battelle For Kids, Ohio
Gregory Chery, Centre College, Kentucky
Dwayne Compton, University of Louisville, Kentucky
Kimberly Goad, A6 Framework, Indiana
Noel Harmon, CEOs for Cities, Washington, D.C.
Johnnie Johnson, Transylvania University, Kentucky
Jenni Lister, Wofford College, South Carolina
Dr. Arnold Mitchem, Council for Opportunity in
Education, Washington, D.C.
Urban Pelicon, CoBro Consulting, California
Terry Pickeral, Cascade Educational Consultants,
Washington
Dr. Jack Schmit, A6 Framework, Indiana
Ben Vivari, College Measures, Maryland
Joe Wood, Battelle For Kids, Ohio
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Special thanks to:
Thanks to our conference sponsors:
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2012 Conference: Bold Thinking, Collaborative Action, Collective Success
Dr. Arnold Mitchem, 2012 conference keynote speaker, spoke of college access and success as being at
the heart of the crossroads of an economic imperative and a moral imperative for this country. For the
United States to become its best self as a beacon of hope and a land of opportunity, college access and
success must be available to all who aspire. For the United States to continue to lead the world in creating
new technologies, generating new products and services that improve this country and developing the
most effective and productive workforce, it must invest in educational opportunity for all.
If we are to meet these moral and economic imperatives as a country, we must also commit to a deeper
understanding of the issues that surround college access and success. We must be willing to innovate and
move beyond business-as-usual.
As Network Executive Director Bob Obrohta said in his welcoming remarks:
“Academic performance is obviously the best predictor of a student’s ability to
succeed in college. And, the state of Tennessee has invested a significant amount
of time and resources to improving the academic components of education;
however, considered in isolation, academics will not guarantee college access or
success. ‘College readiness’ is a much broader and complicated topic.”
In fact, a recent book published from the Harvard Education Press addresses this reality head on. In
Ready, Willing, and Able: A Developmental Approach to College Access and Success, authors Mandy
Savitz-Romer and Suzanne M. Bouffard focus on “a few
key processes that are vital to college-going and yet
underemphasized: identity development, self-concept and
aspirations, motivation and goal-setting, self-regulatory
skills, and relationship development.” They also
emphasize the reality that college access and success
happens over the educational lifespan of a young person
and includes developmental processes that take root far
earlier than high school, when too many of our students
first begin to have the college conversation: “There is no
doubt that college access and success begin early in a
child’s life. Through family expectations and aspirations,
academic support and preparation, and other avenues, children begin to form identities, habits, and
academic trajectories in elementary school or even earlier. The developmental processes that shape
college-going do not begin or end in adolescence.”i
Despite this reality, K-12 school systems face intense scrutiny for academic performance and college
counseling is often seen as something for the senior year in high school. Measures of success of the
system and of students are highly focused on graduation rates, test performance and other academic
indicators, and few schools are evaluated on their students’ success after high school. As a result, little
attention is paid to non-academic readiness factors as described by Savitz-Romer and Bouffard, not to
mention the broader social, cultural, and family factors that influence their development. For low-wealth
and first-generation college students, these are the factors that often lead to their foreclosing on their
futures and dropping out when they face the non-academic barriers to postsecondary success. As Network
POLICY RECOMMENDATION Establish common college access
and success frameworks across the state to track standards and
indicators for K-12.
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members across the state have said repeatedly, “our kids
come back home from college before they ever even have
a chance to succeed or fail academically.”
Navigating the bureaucracy, encountering new people and
new cultures, managing finances, adapting to different
academic expectations, and even having a roommate for
the first time can all represent significant barriers to
success for a student who has not developed a strong
college-going identity and does not know where and how
to advocate for himself.
K-12 Reform and College Access
College access, essential to the success of K-12 education reform, is about creating an educational
environment in which students are motivated and inspired to learn, make good choices, and seize
opportunity. The college conversation, the hope of opportunity and the chance to find
success beyond high school create meaning and value in high school. We must
understand that these “soft skills” and developmental milestones related to college access and success are
complementary with academic performance and not “just more work.” In fact, a 2011 meta-analysis of
research by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning finds that, while improving
behavior, attitudes, and connections to school, these developmental investments also improve students’
achievement test scores by 11 percentile points.ii For this reason, college access and success and the
related investments in non-academic readiness are integral to the success of K-12 reform.
Non-Academic Readiness Leads to College Success
Additionally, relatively new research and an incredible
amount of “buzz” in higher education support that non-
academic readiness is critical not only to gaining access
to postsecondary education but also succeeding once
there. Angela Duckworth, assistant professor of
psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, describes
non-academic readiness in terms of “grit.” Her “Grit
Scale”iii focuses on things like the ability to overcome
obstacles, diligence, emotional resilience, learning from
mistakes, goal-setting and follow-through. Increasingly,
postsecondary institutions around the country are finding
that while academic performance in high school is
important, students who demonstrate “grit” actually
thrive better at their institutions than those who only
demonstrate a high IQ or previous academic success.
To improve K-12 performance and increase college
access and success, the Network believes it is imperative Tennessee develop a deeper
understanding of its students’ developmental needs by building on the wisdom and
experiences of its membership and the grassroots work happening in schools and
POLICY RECOMMENDATION Program priority funding for
LEAPs (Lottery for Education: After School Programs) should be
expanded to include “college access and success services”
designed to reinforce and complement academic
programming currently being provided.
POLICY RECOMMENDATION Provide access to a trained College
Counselor for every high school student.
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communities around the state. This is why almost 400 educators, community partners, elected
officials and policymakers spent close to two hours generating ideas for college readiness indicators for
Tennessee.
Tennessee’s Readiness Themes
In small groups the participants deliberated and identified non-academic college readiness knowledge,
skills and dispositions that students need to develop. The following represent the summaries of hundreds
of data points generated in the group discussions on what non-academic readiness means for students:
COLLEGE READINESS: KNOWLEDGE 1. Understanding the college application process and requirements (general process and
college-specific application requirements) 2. Aware of college culture and the various college-specific expectations and vocabulary 3. Fiscally literate (general understanding of budgets and economics and specific financial aid
processes) 4. Understanding career exploration strategies and what employers look for in successful
workers 5. Knowing questions to ask and to whom to ask them 6. Understanding the concept of return on investment 7. Understanding social capital and how corresponding strategies impact college access and
success 8. Understanding strategies to explore options 9. Aware of effective networking strategies and the benefits of collaborations
COLLEGE READINESS: SKILLS 1. Organizational, time management, goal setting and self-discipline skills 2. Social skills 3. Soft skills (interactive, communication and collaborative) 4. Work habits (organizing, time-management, persistence) 5. Problem-solving and critical thinking (utilizing resources, engagement strategies and
anticipating impact of decisions) 6. Social-emotional management 7. Financial management 8. Interactive and cultural competencies 9. Conflict resolution and overcoming obstacles 10. Communicating and listening 11. Self-advocacy 12. Leadership 13. Risk taking 14. Ability to change
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COLLEGE READINESS: Dispositions 1. Self-motivation, self-awareness and maturity 2. Work ethic 3. Life goals (orientation to long-term planning and career assessments) 4. Personal accountability and responsibility 5. Positive attitude 6. Diversity awareness and bias management 7. Comfort with uncertainty 8. Adaptability and flexibility 9. Persistence and resiliency 10. Confidence 11. Risk taking 12. Ability to change
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Tennessee’s Readiness Indicators by Grade/Age Level
College access and success is a long-term investment that starts early and must be supported in an
ongoing manner. For this reason, conference participants were asked to determine how the general themes
described previously were manifest as specific indicators across the K-12 pipeline. The following chart
summarizes participant responses:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGES
MIDDLE SCHOOL AGES
HIGH SCHOOL AGES
KNOWLEDGE - College awareness (liking
school, seeking exposure, understanding levels and process of education)
- Emotional intelligence (understanding expectations)
- Fiscal literacy (balancing a checkbook, budgeting, creating a business plan, managing family job/allowance and financial aid knowledge)
- Setting and monitoring college/life goals
- Accessing and using resources - Using technology - Exploring the realities of college - Understanding of college terminology - Understanding careers
- Planning for college process - Knowing how to determine
career path - Determining financial options
for college - Fiscal literacy (managing
personal finances, understanding credit, managing loans)
- Marshalling the support of others
- Identifying and accessing campus services
- Applying for college - Demonstrating proficiency
with various technologies (Microsoft Office, email, Internet)
SKILLS - Goal setting (making goals,
learning responsibility) - Developing social skills - Developing leadership
among peers - Making and keeping friends - Asking questions - Asking for support/help - Managing time - Self-Advocating (doing
things on their own, learning to ask for help)
- Establishing good work habits (getting things done, balancing academics/life, demonstrating independence, note taking, getting involved in school and community groups)
- Problem-solving and critical thinking (taking initiative, tenacity, understanding impact of decisions)
- Study skills (completing projects and homework)
- Decision making - Managing change - Reflecting on personal strengths and
abilities
- Analyzing a situation and developing multiple appropriate solutions
- Managing relationships - Asking good questions - Listening effectively - Seeking answers
independently - Demonstrating leadership
skills among peers and adults - Balancing social pressures
with school and life - Managing multiple
commitments effectively
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- Taking leadership initiative - Resolving conflict - Communicating effectively with peers
and adults - Exploring creativity - Working in teams that include those
who are different from you - Practicing self-regulation - Managing emotions - Encouraging parental involvement - Knowing how and where to ask for
help - Understanding and accepting/rejecting
boundaries effectively
- Working in and creating groups that include those who are different from you
- Understanding your personal study habits and needs
- Accepting and being aware of different cultures
- Volunteering - Communicating/Public
Speaking - Managing personal health
and risk - Managing stress - Prioritizing
DISPOSITIONS - Self-Awareness (knowing
likes and dislikes, knowing the differences)
- Showing an interest in learning and in school
- Respecting and interacting with others
- Willing to try new things - Adapting to different
situations and circumstances - Aspiring to attend/graduate
from college - Showing follow-through
(completing chores and homework)
- Being curious - Showing self-motivation - Social-emotional readiness (listening,
interacting and demonstrating empathy)
- Developing self-awareness - Developing career aspirations - Building positive self-esteem - Exploring and developing personal
identity - Appreciating other cultures - Desiring to contribute and engage
- Reflecting on self and relationships with others in the broader world
- Contributing and engaging in a meaningful way
- Advocating for yourself - Developing and actively
working toward a future vision
- Being open to different personalities, appearances, cultures, beliefs, and value systems
- Valuing education
Given the non-academic readiness data from the conference participants:
1. It is never too early to assist youth to consider and understand the benefits of
postsecondary education.
2. Students should acquire and enhance organizational, critical-thinking,
decision-making and effective work skills to be prepared for success in
college.
3. Students should be self-motivated, culturally competent, persistent and
resilient in their preparation and success in college.
4. Students should be knowledgeable about college application and fiscal
requirements as well as how to navigate the college environment as a student.
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Partnerships That Support and Sustain College Access and Success
If we are going to talk about college readiness more broadly and strategically, we have to talk about
partnerships more broadly and strategically. During the plenary session on the second day of the
conference, attendees provided insights on their most successful partnerships and helped the Network
develop a framework for quality college access and success partnerships. Each participant reflected on
their experiences, identifying both the partnership they deemed most successful and the partnership they
would like to have but currently do not. Finally, participants discussed their partnerships in table groups
and used their collective experiences to determine five factors that define successful college access and
success partnerships.
Five Factors That Create Quality College Access and Success Partnerships
1. Shared Understanding of Challenges and Opportunities Support Strategies - Conduct a needs assessment specific to your school or community. - Conduct a gap analysis of resources to support identified needs. - Share data across stakeholders.
2. Common Goals Support Strategies - Start with a shared vision of what you are working toward and why. - Develop realistic short and long-term plans with clear, measurable goals. - Determine short and long-term metrics of success.
3. Communication Support Strategies - Create a clear, consistent, and continual internal communications plan. - Identify new stakeholders and develop outreach communications accordingly. - Remain flexible and be creative in sharing your vision and work.
4. Trust Support Strategies - Begin with mutual respect for what each party can bring to the work. - Identify the range of resources, financial and non-financial, each party brings. - Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and accountability for all involved.
5. Resources Support Strategies - Don’t wait for the big grant or gift. Start with what you have. - Start planning early for sustainability. - Be strategic in seeking funding and in-kind investments that expand partnerships.
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Current Partnership Trends
Not surprisingly, individuals representing community-based organizations, government agencies, and
postsecondary institutions were all most likely to indicate their most successful partnership is with a K-12
school. As diverse groups of stakeholders come together to tackle college readiness, access and success in
innovative ways, K-12 schools are uniquely positioned to facilitate these partnerships, but often lack the
staff capacity, resources, and flexibility to do so.
Success Profile: K-12 Facilitated Partnerships
Milan Special School District in Gibson County is capitalizing on its position as a locus of
college access efforts by conducting a needs assessment using learned lessons from other
college access programs and practitioners from around the state. As a result of its research, the
school district has formalized a diverse group of partners into a college access task force that
involves business leaders, community-based organizations, government entities, and
postsecondary institutions in advancing college access efforts within the school district.
The data also show that educational institutions form more successful partnerships with each other; 50
percent of postsecondary institution responders indicated their most successful partnership is with K-12
schools, and 60 percent of K-12 schools responders said their most successful partnership is with a
postsecondary institution. Although we often hear of disconnects in the P-20 pipeline, many school
districts and colleges are working to bridge that divide.
Success Profile: K-12 and Higher Education Partnerships
Meigs County Schools and Cleveland State Community College have a longstanding
partnership. Most recently, through a TCASN Model Program grant, Cleveland State is
piloting a bridge math course with four rural high schools, including Meigs County High
School. Articulation agreements between the institutions involved ensure that once students
complete the bridge math course, they will automatically enter into college-level math when
they attend Cleveland State.
As community-based organizations increase their emphasis on youth development and non-academic
readiness, a growing number of partnerships with community colleges have developed across the state.
Many of these partnerships resulted from College Access Challenge Grant funding (received from the
Tennessee Higher Education Commission), and include mentoring programs that work with students at
the community college level to help them succeed once they matriculate.
Success Profile: Community-Based Organizations and Higher Education Partnerships
Oasis Center, supported by a College Access Challenge Grant and a Model Program grant
from the Network, is partnering with Nashville State Community College to serve students who
worked with a college access mentor in high school and are now in community college. This
partnership has resulted in the creation of a student resource room on campus for advising,
receiving academic support, and building community with peers.
Growth for the Future: Business and Postsecondary Partnerships
Survey responders were also asked to document a partnership they wanted to develop, but did not yet
exist (See Figure 1). Overwhelmingly, responders from K-12 schools, community-based organizations,
government agencies, and postsecondary institutions want to partner with businesses. Responders sought
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42%
21%
9%
6%
17%
5%
Businesses
Community-Based Organizations
Government Agencies
K-12 Schools
Postsecondary Institutions
Other
Survey responders want to partner with:
partnerships with diverse business entities including local chambers of commerce, regional workforce
boards, major employers, and organizations that have the capability to facilitate business internships for
young people. It is clear that college access practitioners want to work with the
business community. When asked why the desired partnership had not occurred, however, most
respondents indicated they lack the resources to
initiate it.
Partnerships are, by their nature, reciprocal and
we need to emphasize that the onus for initiating
successful partnerships is not only on the school,
neither is it only on the business or other
community partner. We all need to be actively
seeking and creating meaningful partnerships. On
the other hand, no side of an effective partnership
can consider itself the sole expert. All sides
must be open to shared learning and
open and honest communication about
creative strategies to meet the shared
goals of the partnership. For example, a K-
12 school cannot seek partnerships with business
believing that they “know education” and just
need more resources. Alternately, businesses cannot merely approach partnerships with K-12 schools
assuming that the business model is the key to improving schools.
Community-based organizations and higher education institutions also need to reconsider their time and
resource investments in effective partnerships.
Interestingly, while 30 percent of survey respondents from
community-based organizations indicated that their most
successful partner was a postsecondary institution, only 5
percent of postsecondary responders reciprocated. This
suggests a disconnect. As higher education institutions
grapple with performance-based funding that ties state
funds to student outcomes and as community-based
organizations seek to extend their support of young people
into the college years, their goals are clearly aligned. The
question is whether or not meaningful partnerships will
follow.
Summary and Implications
Our students deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams. Business-as-usual has failed to deliver and
too many Tennessee students lack the adequate and strategic supports from their schools and communities
to achieve postsecondary success. In a student focus group held at the conference, high school students
spoke to what they saw as critical to college access and success. Highlights can be summed up by the
following:
POLICY RECOMMENDATION Connect and coordinate economic development and college access
and success efforts.
Figure 1: Desired Partnerships Identified by Survey Responders
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1. Schools have to believe – Students need their counselors and teachers to see the potential in every
student and communicate that belief with students.
2. Learning about learning – Students need support early and often to understand the process of
learning, connecting and building a network of support, and self-advocating to help them be
successful.
3. Bring it all together – Students want to see how all the academics and activities they do in high
school relate to each other and to their futures, and they want to see schools integrate curricula
and activities across academic disciplines to support this.
College access and success demands an integrated approach. It demands that youth development and
academic development are both invested in and mutually supported through effective partnerships. It
demands that high school be reframed, not merely around graduation, but as a setup for postsecondary
success. And finally, it demands that if we take college readiness seriously, elementary, middle, high
schools and postsecondary institutions must operate as one system and create, track, and commit to non-
academic college readiness indicators across the full P-20 pipeline.
We are facing higher expectations with fewer resources and many more students (seeking postsecondary credentials) whom we have not served successfully in the past. The challenges are stark, and clearly we cannot meet the state’s needs by doing what we have always done.
- Chancellor John Morgan, Tennessee Board of Regents
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i Savitz-Romer, Mandy and Suzanne M. Bouffard. Ready, Willing, and Able: A Developmental Approach to College Access and Success. Harvard Education Press (2012): 17, 46.
ii “The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A meta-analysis of School-based Universal
Interventions”, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (2011).
iii Duckworth, Angela Lee, and Patrick D. Quinn. "Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (GRIT–S)."
Journal of Personality Assessment 91.2 (2009): 166-174.
To learn more, please visit: www.tncollegeaccess.org
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Tennessee College Access and Success Network 1704 Charlotte Ave, Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: 615-327-4455 Fax: 615-329-1444 www.tncollegeaccess.org