ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
College readiness may well be determined at the earliest foundational stages of education. ERP’s research utilizes Kindergarten through 12th grade data to identify critical momentum points or transitions where students are at risk for falling behind in Math and English. Our work supports curricular alignment and evidence-based placement for improved transitions for students from middle school to high school.
The ERP Honor Roll program recognizes schools and districts that consistently demonstrate high levels of student achievement and reduction in achievement gaps. The program allows educators, school leaders, and policymakers to identify successful peers and learn from effective practices and strategies.
OUR WORK AT A GLANCE
Marylin Avenue Elementary School (Livermore, CA)
Marylin Avenue Elementary was once one of the lowest-performing schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Then a new principal arrived. Using ERP’s Honor Roll data, online directory and search tool, he identified demographically similar schools and districts that were achieving far better results. He then visited several of those schools with a team of teachers to learn about strategies to drive improvement. Since using our data to identify and implement effective educational strategies, Marylin Avenue has seen dramatic test score gains among Latino and low-income students, and its attendance rate improved from last in the district to one of the best.
IMPROVING COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS
Even though high school graduation rates across the country have hit record highs in recent years, attaining a living-wage job in today’s economy virtually requires completion of a post-secondary degree. High schools need to shift the focus from graduation to college preparation, including a senior-year experience that includes college-level coursework.
ERP’s research supports early college and dual enrollment programs, where students can earn college credit in high school. Our work also supports alignment and co-design of high school Math courses in collaboration with K-12 and college faculty to improve college readiness. And we foster collaboration among school leaders to share and implement best practices of higher performing systems.
OUR WORK AT A GLANCE
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District
(Texas Rio Grande Valley)
Just a few miles from the Mexican border, PSJA ISD has transformed from one of the lowest-performing districts in Texas to a #11 national ranking by US News & World Report. It was the first district in the nation to launch an early college program, offering high school students opportunities to earn college credit. ERP partnered with PSJA ISD to provide data research and analytics to support the program, assess its full impact, identify success factors, and uncover areas for improvement. The insights gained can inform future policies at the state and national levels and help increase college readiness for thousands more students.
LEADING COLLEGE REMEDIATION REFORM TO ACCELERATE COLLEGE COMPLETION
Many first-year college students placed in remedial courses, often on the basis of a single standardized test, should not be there. Far from improving students’ chances of success, our research has found that unnecessary remediation is often a roadblock to college completion. Students of color are disproportionately affected. New methods of assessment are needed to place students more in line with their ability to learn and perform at the college level.
ERP has championed improvements in college placement through multiple measures, utilizing predictive data to accurately assess student capacity and place more incoming students in college-level courses. We partner with high schools, community colleges and four-year universities to map effective pathways to accelerate degree or certificate completion. Reducing the number of students in unnecessary remedial classes will put more students on a faster path to graduation, while saving millions in taxpayer dollars and student fees.
OUR WORK AT A GLANCE
Bakersfield College (Bakersfield, CA)
Nearly 80 percent of Bakersfield College’s entering freshmen students were being placed in remedial Math and English coursework. Using ERP data, the college worked with its feeder high schools to modify curriculum and better align with college standards. In addition, with our recommendation, the school adopted a multiple measures assessment methodology that utilized factors beyond the standard placement exam. In an initial pilot study, 68 percent of students placed higher and avoided taking courses they already completed in high school. The result: more than 500 semesters of unnecessary remedial courses were avoided, translating to $550,000 in savings to students and the state.
CHARTING EMPLOYER-LED PATHWAYS
Record-low unemployment rates are a good thing, but in today’s competitive economy, that means employers are under more pressure to find skilled talent to fill critical positions. Employers need to know where the next wave of professionals, managers and line workers are coming from – and that tomorrow’s workforce will have the skills needed to perform.
ERP works directly with employers across many sectors to help identify and forecast their job requirements and to define the educational pathways that will fulfill them. Our research and data help enterprises identify and focus their resources upon those academic pathways and programs that will deliver the best results to them.
OUR WORK AT A GLANCE
Chevron and Project Lead the Way
ERP has partnered with Chevron and Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit organization supported in large part by Chevron that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers across the US. PLTW empowers students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills and provides pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. ERP has worked with PLTW to link students’ K-12 academic records with their college academic records to determine enrollment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors, better understand persistence rates in STEM studies and determine the number of STEM-related certificates or degrees.
CLOSING SKILLS GAPS AND IMPROVING LABOR MARKET ALIGNMENT
A looming shortage of skilled talent threatens the competitiveness of the US economy. To close this widening skills gap, another gap must be closed – namely the disconnect between academic programs and the actual skills needed for evolving jobs in the workplace. Employer-led demand is driving the skills that are needed and must ultimately shape the competencies being taught in schools.
ERP partners with business leaders across sectors to identify equity and skills gaps and opportunities to improve diversity and economic impact. We use predictive analytics to help employers improve hiring and talent forecasting processes. We foster collaboration among employers and higher education institutions to align degree and certificate programs with workforce needs.
OUR WORK AT A GLANCE
San Francisco Center for Economic Development
ERP’s work supports the Bridge to Success initiative, a partnership between the City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), City College of San Francisco, and San Francisco State University, focused on increasing students’ college readiness and opportunities for job attainment. Specifically, we bring a workforce focus to the initiative, partnering with the San Francisco Center for Economic Development, housed within the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, to engage business leaders to better inform the education-through-job pipeline. Our goal is to ensure more graduates are better positioned to attain careers in the Bay Area’s high-demand labor market.