While many states have strengthened their high school graduation requirements over the last decade, too many graduates are still underprepared for college. In response to this problem, states across the country are administering early college readiness assessments that measure 11th grade students' readiness to successfully perform entry-level,…

Advanced coursework is one strategy education leaders and policymakers have used to improve academic performance and college readiness (Iatarola et al., 2011). Programs such as Advanced Placement (AP) and dual enrollment provide students opportunities to earn college credit while in high school. Proponents of advanced coursework argue that…

This research study examined the lived experiences of two faculty members who facilitated embedded-level English courses at Middlesex Community College (MxCC), a two-year public institution in the Connecticut State College & University (CSCU) system. The following central question guided this research study: To what extent, as perceived by…

This study examined the perceptions of community college administrators and instructors; district high school administrators, guidance counselors, and CTE department; and a workforce employer of the value of career and technical education. This study also examined the historical and present perceptions of the district- and state-level officials…

The focus of this paper is a course that may be helpful to consider for its overall role in guiding students to degree completion: Introductory Psychology or Psychology 100. The reason for focusing on Introductory Psychology is its commonality in both the Associate of Arts Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA) degree and the Associate of Nursing…

Pearson sought to explore whether the use of MyLab Foundational Skills, a mastery and competency-based online platform designed to assess and remediate a selection of skills to prepare students for college and careers, is related to students' course grades. This Research Report presents findings from two research studies: one comparative study…

This book disrupts the false dichotomy of college versus career by showing how young people and the programs created to serve them integrate the worlds of college and career readiness as students work to learn against the odds and strive toward lives that matter to them. Work-based learning at each stage of the K-college experience is crucial to…

College completion matters, especially from the perspective of equity. Who finishes, how long it takes them, how much they benefit economically and how their citizenship benefits local communities all "matter." This is especially true of knowledge-driven, innovation economies in New England. For Massachusetts--a state that ranks third…

This dissertation served as a study to address opportunity gaps that exist in urban education. The focus was exploring the problem of college academic readiness of First-generation community college minoritized students enrolled and placed into developmental English courses. One community college in the state of California was used to highlight…

In this article, "Education Next" talks with Sara Goldrick-Rab and Andrew Kelly. President Obama's proposal for tuition-free community college, seems to have laid down a marker for the Democratic Party. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders is touting his plan for free four-year public college on the primary trail; Massachusetts senator…

This study synthesizes lessons learned about the promising role of "career navigators" at community colleges to aid students in the transitions through disjunctures in their careers. Career navigators are student support personnel who follow students from recruitment, through their studies or training programs, to job placement. Findings…

This report provides an annual update on performance metrics for the Maricopa County Community Colleges District (MCCCD), including progress toward MCCCD Governing Board Outcomes. Three key areas are analyzed to determine student and organizational performance as follows: (1) Leading Indicators of Student Success; (2) Completion Outcomes; and (3)…

To address under-preparation of students for college-level course-work, Texas House Bill 5 (HB5) introduced a number of substantive changes to the state high school curriculum and graduation requirements. Among its provisions, HB5 created a requirement that school districts offer a college preparatory mathematics course for students not meeting…

A college degree remains critical to unlocking opportunity and to accessing America's middle class, yet millions of students who pursue higher education never earn degrees. At community colleges, which disproportionately serve low-income students and students of color, only a third of students earn a two-year degree within three years. At…

Research has shown that the standardized placement exams traditionally used to assess students' readiness for entry-level, or gateway, math and English courses are poor predictors of college performance and are associated with decreased student persistence and low rates of degree attainment. Informed self-placement (ISP) is an increasingly popular…