The College and Career Readines and Success Center closed on September 30,2019 because the grant cycle for the U.S. Department of Education Comprehensive Centers ended. The information on this website will no longer be updated. Visit www.air.org for updates on college and career readiness.
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 brief sponsored by Achieve, Inc., discusses the results from a poll of registered voters to examine: 1) whether they support the goal that students graduating high school should be college and career ready, and 2) whether they support the policies necessary to reach the goal. Voters polled indicated a strong belief in rigorous, well rounded high school academic requirements that are aligned with college and career expectations.
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 paper reviews research and makes the case for a definition of academic preparation that includes academic rigor, grades, and specific academic skills that students will need to be successful in a college level course. The authors assert that though it may be difficult to measure, it is important to consider all of these aspects in defining readiness and in helping students meet a threshold of it.
This policy brief outlines the policy agenda of the Coalition for a College and Career Ready America. The authors note that the coalition supports: high standards with supports for students, providing states and districts with access to quality data and technical assistance, recognizing the role of charter schools and high-quality models, turning around all low-performing schools, and aligning state and federal initiatives with these principals.
To better predict high school graduate preparedness for college course taking, the authors use Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) to analyze ACT English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science test scores to discern the utility of these scores as predictors of success or failure in first year college students taking typical freshman year courses. They found that although the test scores are useful predictors of success in first-year college courses, ACT scores above the cutoffs do not guarantee success.
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.
