College Readiness and the SciencesA Conversation About Transitioning to UK

College Readiness and the SciencesA Conversation About Transitioning to UK

• One of 9 universities in the US to offer studies ranging from agriculture and art to engineering, law, medicine and pharmacy on a single campus

• Most comprehensive research university in KY• Approx. 27,000 students, 70% undergraduate• Fall ‘09 = 4,153 incoming first year students

mid-50% range ACT composite scores 22-28• Outreach efforts in science education include

KY P20 Innovation Labs, PIMSER, Farmer Institute

KY High School Grads in Transition: About UK

• “War on Attrition” resulted in retention rate over 80% for second year in a row

• Record high fall-to-spring retention rate of 94.5%, compared to previous high of 92.3%

KY High School Grads in Transition: About UK

Excellence

99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-0974.0

75.0

76.0

77.0

78.0

79.0

80.0

81.0

82.080.4

77.7

79.3

77.1

78.478.9

77.8

76.4

81.080.3

First-to-Second Year Overall Retention Rate

Fall Cohort

94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-0452.0

54.0

56.0

58.0

60.0

62.0

55.3

57.2 57.7

61.1

59.6 59.8

59.1

61.4

57.7

59.5

Six-Year Overall Graduation Rate

Fall Cohort

• UK has highest retention/graduation rates of all public universities in KY

• Students who enter UK with a STEM major as their goal tend to succeed better overall

• Half of all students who do not complete their bachelor’s degree at UK leave in their first year

KY High School Grads in Transition: About UK

Graduating cohort entering Fall 2008

Fall ‘08 Fall ‘09 % retained at UK

STEM major 1,064 867 81.48%

Not STEM major 3,015 2,408 79.97%

UK students who pass all their classes with a C or above in their first year tend to have:– High school GPAs of 3.5 and above– AP course credits accepted toward

graduation at UK– Studied 10+ hours/week during their

high school senior year– Identified with being a good student– Self-reported a “drive to achieve”

KY high school grads in transition: About UK

Of the 4,111 first year students entering UK in Fall 2009, 1,267 or 31% earned college credit from successful Advanced Placement exams

KY High School Grads in Transition: About UK

Top Science and Math Credits Earned by UK 2009 Cohort

AP Test Scores UK Course StudentsCalculus AB or BC 3-5 MA 113 483

Statistics 3-5 STA 291 133

Chemistry 3-5 CHE 105/111/107 102

Biology 4-5 BIO 150/151/152/153 90

Calculus BC 3-5 MA 114 73

Goals:

1. Introduce yourself to your colleagues and get to know each other

2. Demonstrate understanding of state and federal emphasis on improving transition to college, especially to increase degree completion in STEM disciplines

3. Begin exchanging information about teaching and learning expectations in science classrooms of Kentucky

4. Plan future events that involve discussions for problem-solving transition issues

KY High School Grads in Transition: Why We Are Here Today