This quantitative study investigated whether a relationship existed between principal's instructional leadership behavior and college readiness as measured by ACT scores in Catholic and private schools in south Louisiana. The study surveyed both teacher and principal perceptions of principal instructional leadership behaviors through the Principal…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among collective efficacy factors, as measured by the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, and college readiness scores, as reported by American College Testing (ACT), for high schools in the state of Illinois. The 5Essentials have been considered crucial to school success and therefore used to…

High school GPAs (HSGPAs) are often perceived to represent inconsistent levels of readiness for college across high schools, while test scores (e.g., ACT scores) are seen as comparable. This study tests those assumptions, examining variation across high schools of both HSGPAs and ACT scores as measures of academic readiness for college. We find…

High school GPAs (HSGPAs) are often perceived to represent inconsistent levels of readiness for college across high schools, whereas test scores (e.g., ACT scores) are seen as comparable. This study tests those assumptions, examining variation across high schools of both HSGPAs and ACT scores as measures of academic readiness for college. We found…

The Algebra II Variable explores state-level mathematics policies on Algebra II, with specific examinations of graduation requirements and assessment policies and alignment to postsecondary expectations. This brief explores inconsistencies that exist both within and across states and reflects on the role and purpose of Algebra II as the Launch…

Each year, ACT releases data on the most recent class of high school graduates. In addition to providing an objective and standardized measurement of readiness used in college admissions decisions, the data provided by the ACT® test can be used to inform states, districts, schools, teachers, parents, and students themselves about students'…

This study adds to the currently limited evidence base on the efficacy of interventions targeting non-college-ready high school students by examining the impact of Kentucky's Targeted Interventions (TI) program. We focus on interventions that students received under TI in the senior year of high school based on their 11th grade ACT test scores.…

During the past decade, education leaders and policymakers have made significant investments to better align California's K-12 and postsecondary education systems and to address persistent disparities in educational attainment by race and socioeconomic status. This report distills important lessons emerging from these efforts, integrating the…

This quantitative ex post facto study investigated the effects of career academies on academic achievement and college readiness. A total of 1,206 12th-grade participants (196 career academy and 1,010 nonacademy students) were used in this study. These participants came from six high schools located in one large urban school district. Each of the…

Federal law requires that, at a minimum, states assess high school students at least once in English language arts/literacy (ELA), mathematics, and science; these results are used for school accountability. With states' recent transitions to new assessments and accountability systems, Achieve wanted to know more about how these varied assessments,…

Due to increased college admission requirements and a 20-year flat-lined trend in ACT scores, it is imperative for education leaders across the nation to implement effective strategies to increase ACT composite scores. High school principals, as instructional leaders and decision makers, are the major stakeholders who are vested in the outcomes of…

This report explores the availability of college readiness supports in LAUSD high schools. We draw on data collected from high school counselors and other organizations to describe the types of available supports and the barriers schools face in providing students the help they need with the college application and financial aid process. We…

The "Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students" (Texas State Plan) represents the accountability plan for measuring the performance of districts in providing state-mandated services to students identified as gifted/talented (G/T). The State Board of Education approved revisions in July 2019. The Texas State Plan…

We use statewide administrative data from Missouri to examine the role of high schools in explaining students' initial college and major placements at 4-year public universities. To facilitate our investigation of postsecondary sorting, we develop a "preparation and persistence index" (PPI) for each university-by-major cell in the…

The report brief describes campus-level ACT test results for AISD students in the 2014-2015 school year. A separate report provides a district-level summary. [For the main report, see ED626796.]