Aspirations

New CCRS Center Brief: The District Role in Supporting College and Career Readiness for Students

As school systems across the country recommit themselves to ensuring college and career readiness and success, they must rely on districts to translate federal and state policies into the local context.

Early outcomes of the GEAR UP program

This study evaluates the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEARUP), which targets low-income students and their families in order to increase knowledge, preparation and expectations for postsecondary education. The researchers compared a sample of 18 middle schools and 18 comparison schools. Overall GEARUP had positive effects on parent and student knowledge of postsecondary education, higher parent involvement and expectations for their children.

Puente: What we have learned about preparing Latino youth for postsecondary education

This study analyzes the impact of students participating in High School Puente, a program aimed at increasing the number of educationally disadvantaged students enrolling in a postsecondary institution. Data was collected form 1,000 Puente and 1,000 non-Puente students in 18 high schools. Results showed significant differences between Puente students and the non-Puente comparison group in terms of attitudes on school, college aspirations and preparation, and students attending a four-year postsecondary institution.

Are New York City's Public Schools Preparing Students for Success in College?

This report from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform discusses whether or not New York City (NYC) public high school graduates are prepared for college success. The author uses national research as well as NYC high school achievement and college admissions and performance data to address four key questions: 1) How should we think about being ready for college? 2) Are New York City public high school graduates ready for college? 3) Is the college readiness system adequate for promoting college readiness?

Potholes on the Road To College: High School Effects In Shaping Urban Students’ Participation in College Application, Four-Year College Enrollment, and College Match

This article presents on the degree to which college-going indicators in urban high schools are associated with low-income students applying to, enrolling in and attending four-year colleges. Findings indicate that students that are provided substantial guidance through the college application process, attend schools with patterns of and high expectations for college attendance and have high participation in financial aid applications are more likely to apply to, enroll in, and attend four-year colleges that match their qualifications.

An Introductory Mixed-Methods Intersectionality Analysis Of College Access and Equity: An Examination of First-Generation Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

This longitudinal study uses a nationally representative sample of high school sophomores to explore if first-generation Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students suffer from inequalities in college access. The analysis revealed that first-generation AAPI students face inequalities in terms of college access, which results in lower educational expectations, lower probability of educational expectations, decreased probability of taking college entrance exams, and applying to and attending higher education institutions.

Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared

This resource from Achieve discusses the results of research by Peter D. Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies on public high school graduates from the classes of 2002, 2003, and 2004. The results found that many graduates cite gaps in preparation, college instructors/employers confirm graduates’ lack of preparation, few employers feel high school graduates prepared for advancement, and graduates who faced high expectations were twice as likely to feel prepared, among others.

Paving the Way to Postsecondary Education: K-12 Intervention Programs for Underrepresented Youth

This report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) identifies and reviews selected K-12 postsecondary education college access programs. Information on how the program works and under conditions and limitations on the research are discussed, and characteristics of effective programs based on the research is provided.

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