New CCRS Center Brief: Considerations for Collaboration to Support College and Career Readiness

The College and Career Readiness and Success Center (CCRS Center) recently released a brief titled Considerations for Collaboration to Support College and Career Readiness. The brief is intended to serve as a facilitative tool for states as they consider collaborations to better align expectations and supports for students across education systems.

Smooth transitions between K-12 systems, higher education institutions, and the workforce enhance a student’s readiness and success in college and careers. To achieve alignment of content and support, collaborative processes need to take place among key stakeholders within and outside of education. Aside from establishing the collaboration, achieving impactful change may be difficult to facilitate. To address these challenges, the brief provides a table of 8 guiding questions that highlight the core elements of a successful collaboration and identifies key factors to achieve quality results.

The table is organized into 3 categories of considerations:

1. Purpose of the Collaborative Effort. States must set attainable goals for the collaboration that will maximize impact on systems alignment.
2. Participants in the Collaborative Effort. Collaborative players must be dedicated to the cause, communicate consistently, and keep to the agenda in spite of changes in leadership. 
3. Implementation of and Accountability for the Collaborative Effort. Collaborations must have the independent authority to implement change, maintain a policy of accountability, and alleviate resource burdens.

Following the guiding tool, Appendix A of the brief discusses the research base and examples of effective state efforts. The resources presented in this brief encourage meaningful collaborative interactions, work and, ultimately, results that benefit the postsecondary preparedness and success of all students.

For more information, read the full version of the CCRS Center’s brief here.

Kathryn Balestreri is a research assistant with the College and Career Readiness and Success Center.