MEASURING UP 2004 THE STATE REPORT CARD ON HIGHER EDUCATION COLORADO WHAT IS MEASURING UP? This state report card is derived from Measuring Up 2004, the that the state’s population has attained. For more information national report card for higher education. Its purpose is to provide about this, see page 12 of this state report card. the public and policymakers with information to assess and In four of the performance categories—preparation, participation, improve postsecondary education in each state. Measuring Up completion, and benefits—grades are calculated by comparing 2004is the third in a series of biennial report cards. each state’s current performance to that of the best-performing Measuring Up 2004evaluates states on their performance in states. This provides a basis for assessing and comparing each higher education because it is the states that are primarily respon- state’s performance in the national context and encourages each sible for educational access and quality in the United States. In this state to “measure up” to the highest performing states. report card, “higher education” refers to all education and training In the affordability category, however, the nation as a whole is beyond high school, including all public and private, two- and “measuring down.” That is, even in the best-performing states, four-year, for-profit and nonprofit institutions. higher education has become lessrather than moreaffordable The report card grades states in six overall performance categories: when the costs of attending college are considered in relation to family income. As a result, grades in the affordability category (cid:2)Preparation:How adequately are students in each state are calculated by comparing each state’s current results to the being prepared for education and training beyond high school? performance of the top states a decade ago. This enables policy- (cid:2) Participation:Do state residents have sufficient opportu- makers to examine their state’s results in relation to other states, nities to enroll in education and training beyond high school? while also encouraging improved performance over time. A glance at the table of state grades on page 15 reveals that the affordability (cid:2)Affordability:How affordable is higher education for category is the only one in which no state receives an A. students and their families? Measuring Up 2004also compares each state’s current results with (cid:2)Completion:Do students make progress toward and its own performance a decade ago. Although this historical infor- complete their certificates and degrees in a timely manner? mation is not graded, it is offered to allow states to examine their (cid:2) Benefits:What benefits does the state receive as a result improvements and declines in performance. In gathering informa- of having a highly educated population? tion for this period, information from 1992—or the closest year available—is compared with the most recently available data. All (cid:2) Learning:What is known about student learning as a information was collected from national, reliable sources, including result of education and training beyond high school? the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education. Each state receives a grade in each performance category, and the (For more information about grading, data collection, and sources, grades are based on the state’s performance on several indicators, please see the technical report at www.highereducation.org.) or quantitative measures, in each category. Most states receive an This state report card begins by summarizing the state’s perform- “Incomplete” in learning because there are no common bench- ance today compared with ten years ago, and by presenting key marks that allow for state-by-state comparisons in learning. Five policy questions that these results suggest for the state. Next, the states, however, receive a “Plus” in learning to highlight their state’s performance in each category is described in greater detail, work in developing measures to evaluate the state’s educational followed by additional contextual information. capital—that is, the reservoir of high-level knowledge and skills A Snapshot of Improvement Over the Past Decade High school graduates are, in general, better prepared for college Completion:37 states improved on more than half of the today than their peers were a decade ago. However, most states, indicators; 9 improved on some of the indicators; 4 declined and the nation as a whole, have made little progress in translating on every indicator. these gains into improvements at the college level. Benefits:41 states improved on more than half of the indicators; Preparation:44 states improved on more than half of the 8 improved on some of the indicators; 1 declined on every indicator. indicators; 6 improved on some of the indicators. Learning:45 states receive an “Incomplete”; 5 states (Illinois, Participation:8 states improved on more than half of the Kentucky, Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Carolina) receive a indicators; 23 improved on some of the indicators; 19 declined “Plus.” on every indicator. For more information about improvement, please see Measuring Affordability:2 states improved on more than half of the Up 2004: The National Report Card on Higher Educationat indicators; 31 improved on some of the indicators; 17 declined www.highereducation.org. on every indicator. 2 Measuring Up 2004 COLORADO A Decade Ago and Today Colorado has made progress in preparing students for higher Weaknesses education over the past decade. However, this improvement has Preparation not been matched by comparable increases in college enrollment. (cid:2)Colorado is one of the poorest performing states in the A decline in the percentage of students graduating from high percentage of young people earning a high school credential. school, combined with a decline in the likelihood of young people enrolling in college by age 19, are causes for concern given the (cid:2)Low-income 8th graders perform very poorly on national growing numbers of high school students in the state. assessments in math. Strengths Participation Preparation (cid:2)Among the young adult population in Colorado, the gap in (cid:2)Colorado’s 8th graders perform very well on national college participation between whites and minority ethnic groups assessments in math and reading. Over the past decade the state has widened substantially. Young adults who are white are more has improved on this measure—more than the nationwide than twice as likely to attend college as young adults who are from improvement. minority ethnic groups. (cid:2)Colorado has consistently been a top performer in the proportions of students taking and scoring well on college entrance exams. Participation (cid:2)A large percentage of working-age adults are enrolled part-time in college-level education or training. However, Colorado has lost ground on this measure over the past decade. Completion – (cid:2)A very large percentage of first-year students at four-year colleges A and universities return for their second year, compared with other states. B – (cid:2)Over the decade, Colorado has seen an increase in the proportion D of students completing certificates and degrees relative to the – number enrolled. This rate of improvement has outpaced the B national increase. A Benefits (cid:2)Colorado has consistently performed very well on the percentage I of residents who have a bachelor’s degree. However, many of these residents earned their degrees in other states. Improvement ? Over Past Decade Preparation Participation Affordability Completion Benefits Learning 3 Measuring Up 2004 COLORADO A Decade Ago and Today Affordability (cid:2)Considering its declining performance in participation, can (cid:2)Net college costs for low- and middle-income students to attend Colorado create a workforce ready for new knowledge-based public two- or four-year colleges and universities represent about industries? a third of their annual income. These institutions enroll 85% of students in the state. (Net college costs equal tuition, room, and (cid:2)Can Colorado use financial aid programs more effectively to board minus financial aid.) encourage the college enrollment of students from low-income families? Completion (cid:2)Can Colorado close the gaps in educational achievement (cid:2)Over the past decade, the percentage of first-year students in between whites and minority ethnic residents, and between community colleges returning for their second year has declined high- and low-income residents? substantially—more than the national decline. (cid:2)Can colleges and universities encourage students to complete Policy Questions degrees and certificates in a timely manner? (cid:2)Can Colorado increase the proportion of students who finish high school within four years? (cid:2)Can Colorado increase the number of students earning bachelor’s degrees or will the state continue to rely on other (cid:2)The number of high school graduates in Colorado is projected to states and nations for an educated workforce? increase by 37% over the next decade. Can the state provide college opportunities for these increasing numbers of students? (cid:2)Given Colorado’s strong performance in preparing students for higher education, can the state encourage more students to participate in higher education? Measuring Up 2004 4 PREPARATION 2004 Colorado 2004 Improvement Grade Over Decade Over the past decade, Colorado has made improvements in preparing A– students to succeed in college. This year Colorado receives an A– in preparation. Graded Information COLORADO Top (cid:2)Colorado is among the poorest-per- PREPARATION States forming states in the percentage of young A Decade 2004 2004 adults earning a high school diploma or Ago General Education Development (GED) High School Completion (20%) diploma by age 24. 18- to 24-year-olds with a high school credential 88% 85%* 94% (cid:2)Eighth graders perform very well K–12 Course Taking (35%) on national assessments in math and 9th to 12th graders taking at least one upper-level reading. 36% n/a 59% math course 9th to 12th graders taking at least one upper-level (cid:2)Compared with their peers in other 23% n/a 41% science course states, low-income 8th graders perform 8th grade students taking algebra n/a n/a 35% very poorly on national assessments in 12th graders taking at least one upper-level math. math course n/a n/a 66% (cid:2)Fairly small proportions of 11th and K–12 Student Achievement (35%) 12th graders do well on Advanced 8th graders scoring at or above “proficient” on Placement tests, but the state is a top the national assessment exam: performer in the proportions scoring in math 22% 34% 36% well on college entrance exams. in reading 30% 36% 39% in science 32% n/a 42% (cid:2)About three-quarters of secondary in writing 27% 27%† 41% school students are taught by qualified Low-income 8th graders scoring at or above teachers, which compares well with “proficient” on the national assessment exam 11% 13% 23% top-performing states. in math Number of scores in the top 20% nationally on Change in Graded Measures SAT/ACT college entrance exam per 1,000 high 182 250 227 school graduates (cid:2)Over the past decade, the percentage of 8th graders performing well on national Number of scores that are 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement subject test per 1,000 high 80 153 219 assessments in math has increased. school juniors and seniors (cid:2)Over the past few years, the percentage Teacher Quality (10%) of 8th graders performing well on nation- 7th to 12th graders taught by teachers with al assessments in reading has increased a major in their subject 61% 72% 81% by 20%, in contrast to a national decline of 3% on this measure. *Seventy-six percent of 18- to 24-year-olds have a regular high school diploma; 9% have a GED. Note: Indicators in italics are new for 2004. †Data from Measuring Up 2002were used because updated state information was not available. 5 Measuring Up 2004 PREPARATION 2004 Colorado (cid:2)Colorado has consistently performed (cid:2)Among young adults, 9% receive a very well on the proportions of 11th and GED rather than a high school diploma, 12th graders who do well on college one of the highest percentages in the entrance exams. nation. (cid:2)During the past decade, the proportions (cid:2)About 12% of children under age 18 of 11th and 12th graders taking and live in poverty, compared with a national scoring well on Advanced Placement rate of 17%. exams have almost doubled. (cid:2)Policymakers and state residents do Other Key Facts not have access to important information about the courses students take in high (cid:2)The percentage of young adults who school, as well as 8th graders’ perform- are from minority ethnic groups and ance in writing and science, because the who earn a high school credential has state declined to participate in the declined from 74% to 65% over the past national survey and assessments. decade. Currently, young adults from minority ethnic groups are only about two-thirds as likely as whites to earn a high school credential. The preparation category measures how well a state’s K–12 schools prepare students for education and training beyond high school. The opportunities that residents have to enroll in and benefit from higher education depend heavily on the performance of their state’s K–12 educational system. Measuring Up 2004 6 PARTICIPATION 2004 Colorado 2004 Improvement Grade Over Decade Colorado’s generally good performance in enrolling students in higher B education has declined over the past decade. This year Colorado receives a B in participation. Graded Information COLORADO Top (cid:2)Compared with other states, the PARTICIPATION States chance of Colorado high school students A Decade 2004 2004 enrolling in college by age 19 is only fair, Ago because few students graduate from high Young Adults (60%) school and enroll in college. Chance for college by age 19 39% 37% 52% (cid:2)However, a large percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college 31% 28% 40% working-age adults (ages 25 to 49) Working-Age Adults (40%) are enrolled part-time in college-level 25- to 49-year-olds enrolled part-time in any type education or training. of postsecondary education 5.5% 4.7% 5.4% Change in Graded Measures (cid:2)Over the past decade, the percentage (cid:2)A decade ago, 29 of every 100 young (cid:2)About 11% of the adult population has of working-age adults who are enrolled adults from low-income families were less than a high school diploma or its part-time in college-level education or enrolled in college; now 34 of 100 are. equivalent, compared with 14% of adults training has declined by 15%, compared nationwide. with a nationwide decline of 11%. (cid:2)The state’s population is projected to grow by 16% from 2000 to 2015, faster than (cid:2)In Colorado, 3,257 more students are Other Key Facts the national rate of 13%. During approxi- entering the state than are leaving to attend mately the same period, the number of high college. About 15% of Colorado high school (cid:2)Among the young adult population school graduates is projected to increase by graduates who go to college attend college (ages 18 to 24), the gap in college partic- 37%. out of state. ipation between whites and minority ethnic groups has widened substantially. Young adults who are white are more than twice as likely to attend college as young adults who are from minority ethnic groups. The participation category addresses the opportunities for state residents to enroll in higher education. A strong grade in participation generally indicates that state residents have high individual expectations for education and that the state provides enough spaces and types of educational programs for its residents. 7 Measuring Up 2004 AFFORDABILITY 2004 Colorado 2004 Improvement Grade Over Decade Over the past decade, Colorado has made no notable improvement in D– providing affordable higher education opportunities. Colorado receives a D– in affordability this year. Graded Information COLORADO Top States (cid:2)Compared with best-performing states, AFFORDABILITY A Decade families in Colorado devote a fairly large A Decade 2004 Ago share of family income, even after finan- Ago cial aid, to attend public two- and four- Family Ability to Pay (50%) year colleges and universities, which enroll 85% of college students in the Percent of income (average of all income groups) needed to pay for college expenses minus state. financial aid: at community colleges 20% 21% 15% (cid:2)Colorado’s investment in need-based financial aid is very low when compared at public 4-year colleges/universities 22% 24% 16% with top-performing states, and the at private 4-year colleges/universities 62% 59% 32% state does not offer low-priced college Strategies for Affordability (40%) opportunities. State investment in need-based financial aid as 17% 41% 89% compared to the federal investment (cid:2)Undergraduate students borrowed on At lowest-priced colleges, the share of income average $3,495 in 2003. 13% 13% 7% that the poorest families need to pay for tuition Change in Graded Measures Reliance on Loans (10%) (cid:2)Over the past decade, the state has Average loan amount that undergraduate students $3,094 $3,495 $2,619 borrow each year increased its investment in need-based financial aid. Nonetheless, the share of Note: In the affordability category, the lower the figures the better the performance for all indicators except for income, including financial aid, needed “State investment in need-based financial aid.” to pay for college is fairly large compared with other states. Other Key Facts (cid:2)In Colorado, 35% of students are enrolled in community colleges and 50% in public four-year colleges and universities. The affordability category measures whether students and families can afford to pay for higher education, given income levels, financial aid, and the types of colleges and universities in the state. Measuring Up 2004 8 AFFORDABILITY 2004 Colorado Community Public 4-year Private 4-year colleges colleges/universitiescolleges/universities A CLOSER LOOK AT Average Percent Percent Percent family of income of income of income FAMILY ABILITY TO PAY Net Net Net income needed to needed to needed to college college college pay net pay net pay net cost* cost* cost* college college college cost cost cost Income groups used to calculate 2004 family ability to pay 20% of the population with the lowest income $14,000 $7,137 51% $7,945 57% $21,023 150% 20% of the population with lower-middle income $31,176 $7,554 24% $8,385 27% $20,417 65% 20% of the population with middle income $50,300 $7,805 16% $8,878 18% $18,995 38% 20% of the population with upper-middle income $75,886 $7,894 10% $9,159 12% $18,520 24% 20% of the population with the highest income $128,000 $7,903 6% $9,256 7% $20,403 16% 40% of the population with the lowest income $22,588 $7,346 33% $8,165 36% $20,720 92% *Net college cost equals tuition, room, and board, minus financial aid. (cid:2)Those who are striving to reach or stay (cid:2)If the same student were to attend a in the middle class—the 40% of the public four-year college in the state, their population with the lowest incomes— net cost to attend college would represent earn on average $22,588 each year. If a about 36% of their income annually: student from such a family were to attend a community college in the state, their Tuition, room, and board: $9,618 net cost to attend college would represent Financial aid received: –$1,453 about 33% of their income annually: Net college cost: $8,165 Tuition, room, and board: $7,950 Percent of income: 36% Financial aid received: –$ 604 Net college cost: $7,346 Note The numbers shown above for tuition, Percent of income: 33% room, and board minus financial aid may not exactly equal net college cost due to rounding. 9 Measuring Up 2004 COMPLETION 2004 Colorado 2004 Improvement Grade Over Decade There has been a substantial improvement over the past decade in the B– proportion of Colorado’s students who earn a certificate or degree in a timely manner. This year Colorado receives a B– in completion. Graded Information COLORADO Top (cid:2)Compared with other states, a fairly COMPLETION large percentage (50%) of first-year A Decade States students in community colleges return Ago 2004 2004 for their second year. Persistence (20%) (cid:2)A very large percentage (75%) of fresh- 1st year community college students returning 59% 50% 63% men at four-year colleges and universities their second year return for their sophomore year. Freshmen at 4-year colleges/universities 73% 75% 84% returning their sophomore year (cid:2)In addition, a large percentage of first- Completion (80%) time, full-time college students complete First-time, full-time students completing a a bachelor’s degree within six years of bachelor’s degree within 6 years of college 49% 53% 64% enrolling in college. entrance Certificates, degrees, and diplomas awarded (cid:2)However, only a fair proportion of at all colleges and universities per 100 13 16 21 students complete certificates and degrees undergraduate students relative to the number enrolled. Change in Graded Measures Other Key Facts (cid:2)Over the past decade, the percentage (cid:2)During the past decade, the number of of first-year community college students Hispanic students receiving certificates and returning for their second year has degrees has increased from 10 to 14 per 100 decreased substantially in the state. enrolled, narrowing the gap in performance between Hispanic and white students in the (cid:2)However, Colorado has seen an state. increase in the proportion of students completing certificates and degrees rela- tive to the number enrolled. The completion category addresses whether students continue through their educational programs and earn certificates or degrees in a timely manner. Certificates and degrees from one- and two-year programs as well as the bachelor's degree are included. Measuring Up 2004 10