High school administrators, teachers, coaches, and guidance counselors, collectively termed as educators, are responsible for educating teenage students while preparing them for adult life. High school students culminate their education not just with a diploma, but also a decision about what to pursue as an adult. Although there is a common desire…

The Early College High School (ECHS) Initiative was created to increase college readiness and postsecondary degree completion by combining high school and college to smooth the transition from secondary to higher education. Outcomes for ECHSs include high rates of student educational progress and degree completion for graduates. While ECHSs are…

Teachers are not provided in-depth professional development opportunities to explore and understand college readiness. This problem has a direct impact on rural schools which are likely to experience increased college readiness barriers. The purpose of this hermeneutic, phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of high school teachers…

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended, requires that school counselors provide college preparation and readiness assistance to students experiencing homelessness. This NCHE brief explores the role of school counselors in providing college preparation and readiness supports to students experiencing homelessness and recommends…

Twenty-six states or systems have authorized the use of innovative developmental education instructional methods and interventions. This resource provides data on the use of instructional methods, and which ones are used or allowed per state. [View the full "50-State Comparison: Developmental Education Policies" here:…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative case study of ten urban high school teachers' classroom practices in terms of pedagogical strategies and curriculum development approaches for college preparation of African American students. Arkansas released a High School-to-College Success Report in 2012 to assess how well high schools…

Utilizing course grade data from 22 four-year higher education institutions, this study highlights the trends in first-year grade point average (FYGPA) between the 2017-2018 and 2021-2022 academic years, the period immediately before and after the pandemic disrupted both K12 and higher education. Results showed that while FYGPAs generally…

Over the past few years, leaders and educators at East Hartford High School in East Hartford, Connecticut, have sought out and tested ways to ensure that each of their 1,700 students have opportunities to form meaningful relationships with adults, engage in rigorous instruction, and receive tailored support. They have prioritized initiatives aimed…

Recent updates to federal policy governing career and technical education (CTE) in the United States have emphasised the need to include work-based learning (WBL) experiences as central components of CTE programming. Many of these experiences showcase an informal learning component which has strong ties to early career success as suggested by the…

Decades of student achievement data reveal that schools in the United States do not adequately equip students with the skills needed for success in college. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the AP Capstone program, an Advanced Placement (AP) diploma program launched by the College Board in 2014, promoted specific…

Limited research has examined Black girls' college readiness, college enrollment, and college persistence. As a result, this study analyzes the outcomes relative to AP course enrollment, dual credit enrollment, and high school grade point average of Black girls. Attention has been given to black men's disparity and lack of educational attainment…

Since its inception in 1955, dual credit has become an increasing popular way to not only prepare high school students for the rigors of college courses but to give some high school students the opportunity to complete anywhere from a few college courses to a complete associate degree while still in high school. High school dual credit programs…

Numerous national and state endeavors have advocated for approaches, funding, and programs focused on expanding the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce of the nation and investing in education to cultivate a more diverse and impactful cohort of students who pursue STEM pathways. Educators, support personnel, and…

In 2015, Wisconsin began mandating the ACT college entrance exam and the WorkKeys career readiness assessment. With population-level data and several quasi-experimental designs, we assess how this policy affected college attendance. We estimate a positive policy effect for middle/high-income students, no effect for low-income students, and greater…

In 2020, nearly half of Texas's 385,000 public high school graduates were unprepared for college-level reading or math. Limited research reveals K-12 faculty perceive limited roles and responsibilities in the college process, relying heavily on guidance counselors and college admissions counselors for preparing students for college and careers.…