Transcript Slide 1
Lessons from Kalamazoo
Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams
Department of Political Science, GVSU
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
January 24, 2011
Educational Inequality by Race
Whites
% below “basic
proficiency” in 4th
grade reading
(2009, Michigan)
- Education Trust Midwest
High-school
graduation rates
(2007-08)
- National Center for
Hispanics
African-Americans
28
49
65
81
64
62
30
13
19
Education Statistics
% of population
with college degree
or higher (2009)
- U.S. Census
Universal v. Targeted Social Programs
Some assistance programs are directed toward those
with demonstrated need
TANF, food stamps, Head Start, Pell grants)
Others are universal
K-12 education, Medicare, Social Security
Most scholarship programs are based on financial
need and/or academic merit; Kalamazoo Promise
breaks with this model
Evidence of higher levels of political/public support for
universal programs
What is the Kalamazoo Promise?
Announced 11/05, to continue in perpetuity
Funded by anonymous private donors
Place-based: Kalamazoo Public Schools
Covers 65-100% of tuition and fees at all in-state, public
post-secondary institutions for KPS graduates
Universal: every graduate is eligible
Minimum 4-year residency & enrollment
10 years to use scholarship
Blending of educational and economic goals
Kalamazoo Public Schools Demographics
Racial composition
46% African-American
39% White
10% Hispanic
5% other
Socioeconomic makeup
69% of KPS students are economically disadvantaged
86% of African-American students
46% of White students
Disparities within district (across 17 elementary schools)
Low-income percentage ranges from 97% to 25%
Non-white percentage ranges from 96% to 28%
A tool for reducing inequality?
Distinction between inequality of opportunities
and inequality of outcomes
Kalamazoo Promise works to equalize both:
Universal college access
Structural & cultural school change
Alignment of community resources
Skocpol (1991) – “targeting within universalism”
Equalizing opportunity
Reduction in financial barriers to college attendance
Results (classes of 2006-2010)
1,900 students have received scholarships (81% of those
eligible)
1,200 are currently enrolled
$21.5 million spent
Use of Kalamazoo Promise by race closely matches
demographics of eligibility for the program.
Use of Kalamazoo Promise by low-income students closely
matches demographics of school district.
Usage by Race
(data as of spring 2010)
2006
2007
2008
2009
% eligible graduates who have
used Promise
83
83
85
73
% of eligible African-American
graduates who have used Promise
83
81
85
72
% of eligible Hispanic graduates
who have used Promise (small-n)
71
90
82
66
% of eligible Caucasian graduates
who have used Promise
86
85
85
77
Usage by Socioeconomic Status*
(data as of spring 2010)
2006
2007
2008 2009
% graduates w/ Free & Reduced Meal
status
48
50
59
59
% of KP-eligible students w/ Free &
Reduced Meal Status
46
49
58
58
% of students w/ Free & Reduced
Meal status who have used Promise
43
46
56
60
* Free & Reduced meal status is underreported for all categories because only most recent
five years of data is available and high-school FARM rates are lower than total district rates.
Tiering of attendance and attainment
Low-income students more likely to attend 2-year
rather than 4-year institutions.
Positive outcomes vary across type of institution
Students at 4-year institutions: 85%
Students at 2-year institutions: 47%
Low-income students are struggling once in
college.
KP users who qualified for Free & Reduced Meals while
at KPS account for:
35% of students in good standing
70% of students on probation
67% of students whose scholarships have been suspended
Non-financial barriers
K-12 achievement gap by income and race
Lack of college preparedness
Academic, social, emotional
Absence of role models / support
Cultural: sense that “college isn’t for me”
Importance of defining college broadly
Indirect mechanisms of support for college
access/success
Equalizing outcomes
Cultural: efforts to ensure that every student is
“college-ready”
Elementary school: full-day Kindergarten; early literacy
emphasis
Middle school: new block schedule, career awareness and
college preparation
High school: college readiness course, expanded AP offerings,
credit recovery, weighted grades
Structural: socioeconomic integration of schools
Supported by enrollment increase & new school construction
Will it extend to elementary schools? Neighborhoods?
Cultural Change
Increased Advanced Placement enrollment (2007-10)
# of AP courses taken:
+ 174%
# of students enrolled
+ 130%
Economically disadvantaged -- 63 to 259 students
African-American -- 53 to 211 students
Hispanic -- 8 to 68 students
Three years of rising NAEP scores, black-white gap reduced
Black KPS third-graders outperformed state average in 2009
82% passed reading, 89% passed math
Significant increases in Iowa Test of Basic Skills (4/10) for
first-graders (first group to have all-day Kindergarten)
Structural Change
Reversal of long-term enrollment decline
20% enrollment growth since 2005
Enrollment increase the result of:
Increased entry and decreased exit rates
Stabilization of ethnic/racial distribution
Low-income population has risen: 62% to 70%
Increased resources for school district
Per-pupil funding structure
Support for bond issues (regional)
Opening of new schools (first in 4 decades)
Redistricting to achieve better socioeconomic balance
25-Year KPS Enrollment Trend
15000
14000
Kalamazoo
Promise
Announced
Academic Year
13000
12000
11000
10000
9000
Fall Headcount
State and National Impact
Continued interest in replication nationally
About 20-30 new programs modeled on the Kalamazoo Promise
Includes El Dorado Promise, Pittsburgh Promise, Denver Scholarship
Michigan as a national leader in college access
Promise Zones: Public-private partnerships to provide universal,
place-based scholarships in ten Michigan communities
Michigan College Access Network (MCAN): Funding/support for
local college access networks (KACAN)
PromiseNet (June 2010) - 200 attendees from 20+ states
The importance of universality
Or, “Why I don’t like the New Haven Promise”
The first comprehensive account
of the Kalamazoo Promise, based
on three years of research.
Published by the W.E. Upjohn
Institute for Employment
Research, 2009.
First-graders at Parkwood-Upjohn Elementary School
Comments, questions, or suggestions:
http://michellemilleradams.com
[email protected]
Kalamazoo Promise Research Web Site
http://www.upjohninstitute.org
The Promise of Kalamazoo blog
http://thepromiseofkalamazoo.org