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 third year in a row

• Graduation rates still lag

KY High School Grads in Transition: About UK

Excellence

00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-1075.0

76.0

77.0

78.0

79.0

80.0

81.0

82.0

83.0

77.7 79.377.1

78.4

78.9

77.8

76.4

81.0

80.3

81.8

First-to-Second Year Overall Retention Rate

Fall Cohort

95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-0554.0

56.0

58.0

60.0

62.0

57.257.7

61.159.6 59.8

59.1 61.4

57.759.5

58.2

Six-Year Overall Graduation Rate

Fall Cohort

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

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

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

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

KY high school grads in transition: About UK

UK RETENTION STUDIES POINT TO IMPORTANCE OF STRONG GRADES OVER ALL IN HIGH SCHOOL

Students with 3.5+ HS GPA and 20+ ACTRetention after first year = 80%-90%Graduation within 6 years = 61-75%

Students with <3.5 HS GPA or <20 ACTRetention after first year = 61%-70%Graduation within 6 years = 39-49%

Of the 4,111 first year students entering UK in Fall 2009, 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

Some synergies possible:• UK’s new Gen Ed courses with common

learning outcomes across Intellectual Inquiry area

• Statewide placement standards in math and literacy

• Statewide Transfer Gen Ed learning outcomes• KDE’s new accountability systems emphasizing

college readiness from primary grades up (Individualized Learning Plans)

• Teacher preparation programs revised• KY Core Content Standards in the sciences

KY High School Grads in Transition: About UK

UK Service Area counties = 19.5% UK Freshmen

KY High School Grads in Transition: About UK

COUNTY# FY 2009

Bourbon 21

Clark 43

Fayette 516

Harrison 15

Jessamine 75

Marion 10

COUNTY# FY 2009

Mercer 24

Nelson 31

Nicholas 4

Robertson 0

Spencer 8

Washington 12

Woodford 50

1. Why are students in some of the best schools in the state performing below benchmark ACT sciences scores?

2. How can UK sciences faculty do any more than what is already happening in introductory science classrooms?

3. How might we better understand the problems in transition to college, especially to increase degree completion in STEM disciplines?

KY High School Grads in Transition: What Are The Big Questions?

Carol Hanley, College of Agriculture, ENRI and TFISE

with• Mark Coyne, Plant & Soil Sciences• Seth DeBolt, Horticulture• Jim Krupa, Biology• Rebecca McCulley, Plant & Soil Sciences• Stephen Testa, Chemistry

KY High School Grads in Transition: Mini-Bridge Program, Spring 2011