ERIC Number: ED532393
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-May
Pages: 83
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Preparing High School Students for College: An Exploratory Study of College Readiness Partnership Programs in Texas
Barnett, Elisabeth A.; Corrin, William; Nakanishi, Aki; Bork, Rachel Hare; Mitchell, Claire; Sepanik, Susan
National Center for Postsecondary Research
The current study examines a number of college readiness partnership programs operating in Texas and identifies their features, targeted students, and intended outcomes. It also examines the partnerships that created these programs. The findings presented here are based on a search and analysis of the relevant research and Texas policy literature, an online scan of college readiness partnership programs in Texas with a web presence, and site visits to high schools, colleges, and community-based organizations in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas. The authors observed that most college readiness partnership programs could be classified into two types: those that focused on academic subjects and those that focused on college knowledge. The former tended to be intensive, short-term programs that targeted a small group of students and provided a direct experience of college; the latter tended to be light-touch, long-term programs that were open to all students and provided little direct experience of college. Although few rigorous evaluations of these programs have been conducted, their potential to improve college readiness for students in the "academic middle" is generally supported by the literature and the research presented here. The authors identify a number of implications for college readiness partnership programs and the partnerships themselves. It is clear that college readiness partnerships create opportunities for secondary and postsecondary institutions to leverage each other's services, eliminating redundant services and aligning programming to maximize gains for students. In some cases, college readiness partnership programs also lead to long-lasting relationships between institutions and continued collaboration. College readiness partnership programs may have the best chance of improving outcomes if commonly encountered challenges--such as issues related to student recruitment and program sustainability--are considered early in the planning stages. The authors emphasize the value of choosing interventions that show the greatest promise in a given context and matching students to the interventions that best meet their needs; they also note that building a stronger evidence base would enhance high schools' and colleges' ability to make sound decisions about which potential program models to implement. Appended are: (1) Site Visit Program Descriptions; and (2) Scan Summary of Local College Readiness Partnership Programs. Individual chapters contain footnotes. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.) [This paper was written with Heather D. Wathington, Joshua Pretlow, Beth Hustedt, Nikki Edgecombe, Alissa Gardenhire, and Nicole Clabaugh. For "Preparing High School Students for College: An Exploratory Study of College Readiness Partnership Programs in Texas. Executive Summary," see ED532398.]
Descriptors: College Preparation, High School Students, College Readiness, Partnerships in Education, College School Cooperation, High Schools, Colleges, At Risk Students, Program Descriptions, Classification, Barriers
National Center for Postsecondary Research. Teachers College, Columbia University, Box 174, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212-678-3091; Fax: 212-678-3699; e-mail: ncpr@columbia.edu; Web site: http://www.postsecondaryresearch.org/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED); Houston Endowment Inc.
Authoring Institution: National Center for Postsecondary Research (ED)
Identifiers - Location: Texas
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A060010
Author Affiliations: N/A