Increasing College Success: A Road Map for Governors

In the modern economy, a college degree has become the gateway to the middle class. Nearly 75 percent
of future jobs will require a postsecondary degree or certificate, and many of these job openings will be in
middle-skill professions that require more than a high school degree but less than a four-year college
degree.

Although the demand for greater knowledge and skills is high, U.S. college completion rates are flat.
Twenty years ago, the United States was first in the world in postsecondary attainment for adults ages 25
to 34; the nation now ranks 12th. The countries that have eclipsed the United States have done so by
emphasizing student attainment of degrees from two-year colleges. In 2008, Rhode Island Governor Don
Carcieri and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine held a forum in Richmond, Virginia, on college and career
success. Forum participants suggested four broad actions states can take to raise college attainment rates.

First, states need to improve students’ readiness for college and careers. Most American teenagers aspire
to postsecondary education, but only a quarter of them enter college ready to do the work. While states
have taken great strides to raise high school graduation requirements during the past few years, they still
need to make sure high school courses are rigorous and more consistent with one another. In addition,
states have to get the signaling right, so test scores tell students whether or not they are prepared for
college work. Also helpful in improving student readiness are programs of study that integrate career and
technical education with academic coursework and that are linked to a two-year college degree or
certificate program.

Second, students need supports both to get into college and to persist in earning a degree. For too long,
policy has emphasized college access without enough organizational practices to ensure students,
especially those from low-income families, are successful. Private two-year colleges have much higher
graduation rates than public two-year colleges, even though they enroll similar students. The private
colleges recognize they have nontraditional students who need different types of support. They provide
them with clear pathways to degrees, information systems to track their progress, mandatory advising,
and active job placement assistance. Colleges that spend more money on supporting students generally
have higher rates of degree attainment.

Third, states must remove barriers that make it hard for students to transfer from two-year to four-year
programs. Policies to consider include common course numbering and statewide agreements among
institutions on which two-year college course credits are accepted at four-year colleges.

Finally, states need to experiment with performance-based funding. The dominant mode of funding for
colleges is based on enrollment and fails to create an incentive to ensure students complete degrees or
certificates.

Full Report: http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0912INCREASINGCOLLEGESUCCESS.PDF