This brief focuses on the potential role of County Offices of Education (COEs) in bridging the state's vision for college and career readiness with the implementation needs of local districts and schools. After summarizing the work of 10 COEs that are known for supporting districts in increasing college and career readiness, the brief raises…

A group of public education institutions throughout the Salinas Valley came together in 2016 to help more youth in the valley prepare for and succeed in college. In this brief, we draw from interviews with faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as with student focus groups, in order to answer the following question for those interested in…

Long Beach and the Salinas Valley joined Bridging the Gap to smooth transitions for students from high school to postsecondary education. Due to policy reforms at the state and system levels, working across systems increasingly became an immediate and practical need for those seeking to improve student transitions from high school to postsecondary…

In 2016, a team of education leaders from the Long Beach College Promise joined Bridging the Gap to build and strengthen student transitions from high school to college. The partners sought to assess and improve the partnership's dual enrollment programs spanning the three public institutions, pilot and implement new career exploration tools and…

This brief shares the perspectives and concerns of high school teachers in two districts regarding implementing the Common Core State Standards, specifically as the Common Core pertains to preparing more students for college and well-paying careers. The brief also makes state policy recommendations for ways to support teachers in their efforts to…

Over the next three years, the California State Board of Education (SBE) and the California Department of Education (CDE) will refine the college and career readiness (CCR) measures in the state's school accountability system. Determining which measures to use, given that they need to be robust, useful, equitable, and cost effective--and…

There is substantial work being done--in California and nationwide--to develop college readiness standards; expand concurrent enrollment programs; communicate clearly about the key cognitive strategies necessary for postsecondary success (e.g., analytical thinking); improve student supports; and implement other approaches to improve students'…