Curriculum

Analyses reported in this study found a positive relationship between SAT taking rates and college enrollment rates. The study also found that free and reduced price lunch and residing more than 60 miles away from a higher education institute were associated with lower rates of college enrollment.

This study calculates high school graduation rates and the percentage of all students who left high school eligible to apply for college from 1991 to 2002. The study finds that during this period the graduation rate went from 72% to 71%, while the college readiness rate increased from 25% to 34%.

Through examination of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 and its transcript component, vocational education is analyzed for a group of youth. Career and technical education (CTE) courses taken and participation in career-related programs of courses and activities are described. The findings revealed that the majority of American high school students participate in CTE courses and work-related activities, which hold true across demographic subgroups as well.

This study assesses how the High Schools that Work initiative prepares students for college and careers. The report also presents strategies that district and school leaders can use to help students become more prepared for transitioning from high school to college and careers.

This policy brief describes programs and initiatives from different states and districts that have been implemented to retain students, lower dropout rates, and help provide students with life skills to make them successful through and after high school. The authors start with a discussion of how to determine the parameters of graduation policy, i.e., identifying which courses students should be required to take and anchoring courses in standards that are aligned with college and career expectations.

This report from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University discusses the findings of a qualitative study of 13 New York City schools that have experienced success in improving student outcomes. Through interviews with school administrators, faculty, and staff, the authors discerned four effective practices or key strategies that were shared among the 13 successful schools. These include: academic rigor, networks of timely supports, college expectations and access, and effective use of data.

This report seeks to define and recommend changes to the federal role in ensuring that students not only enter college but graduate. The authors describe the current state of college matriculates, discern their goal of "increasing degree production and decreasing inequality", and discuss five strategies that need to be implemented to reach their goal. The authors conclude that the federal role, in terms of both funding and oversight, should further expand their reach to increase the number of degree holders.

This paper from EPIC asserts that a new operational definition of college readiness is needed, proposing a shift from a focus on high school coursework, grades and scores on national exams, to a new and more comprehensive conceptualization of college readiness. The author suggests, based on the last two decades of research, that there are several other key components of college success.

This fact sheet published by Achieve examines which states require students to complete a college and career ready high school curriculum. The document details specific graduation requirements set by each of these states, recent changes in requirements and other policy specifics, such as whether or not students can opt out of curriculum requirements and which future graduating classes will be impacted.

This paper from the Center on Educational Policy reports on a national survey in early 2011 of school districts’ perceptions of the impact of the common core state standards (CCSS), district progress in implementing the standards, and any challenges they have experienced in doing so. The report discusses the results of the survey based on state and district responses. The questions posed covered a range of topics, including district budgets, federal stimulus money, education reform, and the CCSS.