The 60% Solution

Politics by Emerson Lynn

For every 100 students who begin high school in Vermont, 80 graduate. For every 80 students who graduate from high school, 44 start college, and for every 44 who go to college, 26 graduate. The question is what happens to the 74 who either didn’t graduate from high school, or who decided college was not in the plan, or who dropped out after they began.

The figures cited were gathered by the Vermont Commission on Higher Education Funding, a high-octane group with the expressed goal of raising the college graduation rate from 42 percent to 60 percent. The “60 percent solution” would include graduation from either a two-year or four-year institution.

The 42 percent figure, however, is a bit misleading. By itself, it represents the percentage of people in Vermont with a college degree, which places us among the top ten nationally.  That includes those who move here from elsewhere. If we measure the graduation rate of those Vermont students who begin high school here, and then gain a college degree, the graduation rate is 26 percent.

According to the Commission’s findings, Vermont ranks 41st in the percentage of high school graduates who enroll in college the following fall. We rank 26th in the percentage of 19-year-old Vermonters in college [in Vermont or out of state.]

Our distinction as being one of the most educated states depends, in no small part, on those who move to Vermont having a college degree. Within Vermont we are not producing college graduates at a rate that meets that 42 percent mark. Far from it.

That fact runs counter to what is perceived by the public. We consistently rank among the top nationally in high school test scores and we’re repeatedly told how high we rank in the percentage of Vermonters with a college degree. It’s a bit of a shock to be told that we have an achievement gap, that we need to raise our target college graduation rate by over 40 percent.

Shock or not, these are the facts presented. And the 60 percent goal should be part of the systemic change necessary in the drive to make education part of Vermont’s brand.

Critics of the “60 percent solution” opine as to its “elitist” tint, saying college is not for everyone. And that is true. It’s not. But it’s hard to imagine a criticism that is more elitist that one suggesting it’s acceptable to only have 26 out of 100 students who enter high school get a college degree. What’s elitist is failing to adopt strategies that provide the necessary educational support for the 74 who don’t get a degree. Is it elitist to suggest that six out of every 10 students have the ability to be graduated from a two or four-year college or university? Shouldn’t that be a minimum goal?

Meeting this goal is essential for Vermont to compete at any level. It’s essential for any hope of economic security or individual fulfillment. It’s the lynchpin of a robust democracy. It’s what opens doors to all opportunity. Failure to do so is what slams the door shut.

This is not a goal that can be addressed solely at the K-12 or the higher education levels. The mistake made in the past is addressing such things horizontally rather than vertically. It doesn’t work for colleges to talk among themselves, or for K-12 groups to do the same. What we need is a preK-16 “group” that views the challenge from the start to the end, from the bottom to the top. We’re in this together.

The first step, however, is for Vermonters to understand what is being said and for that to happen the state’s educational community needs to find its voice and tell its story. The story itself is not complicated, and if told with the necessary skill, it’s irresistibly compelling. But it’s also a concept foreign to educators writ large. They are an insular lot, more comfortable with people coming to them asking questions rather than going to the public explaining why their role is so fundamental to the state’s continued success.

That must change. Seventy-four out of every 100 students who enter our high schools depend on it. Vermonters who pay for the social services necessary to support those who drop out from high school, or those who perform below their abilities depend on it. A statewide economy that must face the demographics of an aging workforce depend on it.

Every Vermonter has some skin in this game.

(Emerson Lynn is editor & publisher of the St. Albans Messenger where this essay first appeared.)

Comments

[GEN X Vermonter]

If we want 60% graduation rate from our colleges, just lower the bar. That's what's been happening in our High schools. Students are being pushed from grade to grade. Nobody stays back anymore. There is no flunking like there was 30 to 40 years ago. So sure 80% of High school students graduate, but how many of them would have graduated back 30 years ago? Probably closer to 60%. And this doesn't even scratch the surface of the percentage of useful college degrees our kids are graduating with theses days. Its great to have a $80,000 4 year college degree and work at the local super market. Really doing that liberal arts degree justice. We need to stop focusing on the "oh I have a degree" fact and look into what can be done to "train and educate" our student workforce for a Career not a "Badge". Lets face it, if college was state funded and the students did not have to pay, 80% of students would have some sort of degree. There are at least 5 "colleges" here in VT alone that will let you create-your-own degree.

[Ed G. Mann]

Last night, NBC Nightly News, for once, did a damming piece on education and learning. There not quite the same thing.
Seems the Progressive/liberal methodology has raised the rest of the world up while the US remained constant.

Or maybe I have the chart upside down and we dropped into the bottom third of the educational world as to graduating students from HS and college that can actually DO SOMETHING.

You have another huge problem too! The teachers in today's classrooms went through that same horrible Progressive/liberal mess that the media finally looked at in disgust.
Most of them were indoctrinated rather than educated. Gorites and greenies, butterflies and rainbows, your son gets honors in self-esteem.

[DJ Butterfield]

First, let me say how much I enjoy the "Tiger". Kudos to all who submit informative, entertaining articles.
Secondly, perhaps if a higher education did not bankrupt not only the students, but their parents, who, for those who don't know, are BY FEDERAL LAW, required to support the education of their children until they reach the age of 24. The only exception to this is if the parent(s) abused the child. I have become an expert on educating children -- 5 to date, with the last 3 still attending. Three attended private universities in NY, MA and NH. The remaining two - public universities in NH. My husband and I are not wealthy, hell, far from it. I work as a paralegal, my husband drives tractor-trailer. We currently carry 142,000 in education debt. Combine that with our mortgage, the two payments alone total $2600 per month. Our monthly payments have left us eating oatmeal. Vacation (well, maybe a trip to buy more oatmeal!). My husband and I have sacrificed our future, retirement and lives for our kids' education. And don't tell me we were stupid, that parents should not borrow for their kids' education. We tried to play that card with the various educational institutions, it doesn't work. Even VSAC doesn't help. The Advantage Loans used to be available to students without a co-signer. Thanks to the Legislature, they now require one. Do you want to co-sign my child's loan???? Who does that leave? That's a no-brainer. All five of my kids work(ed) through college. At this very moment, my daughter (sophomore in NH) works 40 hours per week, carrying 18 credits. Our two sons work 30 -35 hours per week. One is off campus, paying his own rent, utilities, etc., just to minimize the loans needed to attend. And, how about those "college friendly" interest rates???? Ours (Plus) are capped at, let's see - 9%. When I inquired of VSAC as to the high rates at a time when interest is 0%, I was told to thank George Bush. Great, like he'd care! Did anyone ever stop to consider that kids are dropping out of college, or simply not going to begin with, because they cannot AFFORD to. If Mom and Dad do not help (regardless of the dribble coming out of the mouths of the "experts" who say parents do not need to help)kids don't go. Instead of commissioning studies, how about some of the geniuses who lack any common sense at all, defer to those of us who know what the "system" is doing to us. Not every parent wants to live like my husband and I do -- there are a lot of folks that just cannot stomach oatmeal!!!

[Peter Walcott]

Thank you Emerson.

What if we once again graded students based on how well they learned relative to their potential rather than to some minimum standard (lowest common denominator). What if we replaced the current system of Carnegie Units (the number of hours a student spends in a given class, also known as credits)with a system based on how well a student learned a subject, and was able to apply that subject to a real-world, twenty-first century situation. Would it raise the percentage of Vermont students who went on to post-secondary education? I don't know, but certainly more Vermont students would be better prepared to do so.

P.S. Did everyone see the results of the Gates Foundation Survey to 40,000 teachers released March 3, 2010? If not, check it out at www.mediaroom.scholastic.com/node/306.

[GreggB]

Maybe these VT HS school students are smarter than you are giving them credit for. Why get a college degree if you are going to live in VT? Just be a waste of 4 years and tens of thousands of dollars.

[Paul]

5 "colleges" here in VT alone that will let you create-your-own degree."

And if you are lucky enough to attend Goddard (and some classes at UVM)you can even create your own grade...guess it's called "self-grading".

[Justin]

Not very impressive figures for us... Hopefully this doesn't include those getting a GED.

Question - I'm not understanding how this graduation rate is being calculated. http://education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/data/dropout/educ_dropout_completion_08_rev.pdf
shows a dropout rate of 3.25% per HS grade year, which is fairly representational of years past as well. This would seem to give a graduation rate closer to 90% than 80% by my calculations. Am I missing something here?

[Wendy Wilton]

Consolidate the public school districts to 16 and expand school choice, to include VT's approved independent schools, and you will see the HS grad rate change for the better. The time is now to implement this with the Ed Fund headed for a cliff.
There is not enough college financial aid for most VT families, which is a real problem for college completion. VSAC has an army of employees, sends out fancy brochures, but the money is hardly forthcoming. To make matters worse, the legislature coud have used the tobacco settlement money to shore up scholarship funds for Vermonters attending VT colleges, or better suported UVM and the VSC, but created Catamount healthcare with it instead. You can thank Peter Welch, Gaye Symington and Jim Condos for that decision.