This paper provides a brief review of major research findings on how the kind and level of courses students take in high school affect their performance on tests, their readiness for college-level work, and their persistence in earning a degree. It also features a look at what constitutes a "rigorous" high school curriculum. Highlights from four…

Research on the learning disabilities of adolescents and young adults and the findings on metacognitive development and its impact on academic learning provide a framework for the design and development of a secondary school curriculum foundation program for college bound learning disabled students. The major practical implications of the research…

In 2002, Catching the Dream (CTD) provided college scholarships to 208 American Indian students as well as grants to improve education in schools that serve Native students. This annual report describes CTD's programs and activities in 2002. Contents include short descriptions of CTD's scholarship, fellowship, and internship programs; describe…

Designed to encompass multiple perspectives and orientations on community college-high school cooperation, this collection of essays provides a theoretical and historical background to joint programs between colleges and schools and describes a sample of current approaches. The volume includes: (1) "Reconnecting Youth: The New Wave of Reform," by…

More and more programs are being developed to strengthen the academic preparation of incoming community college students, reduce overlap between college and high school curricula, and facilitate the transition between secondary and postsecondary education. This paper highlights various programs devoted to these goals. First, efforts to strengthen…

Since 1980, efforts to strengthen the academic preparation of students for college have been made on national, regional, state, and local levels. Cited as evidence of a problem in academic preparation have been: (1) the decline in students' college admission test scores in language, study, and computing skills over the past 17 years; (2) low…

The Partnership for Academic and Career Education (PACE), established in 1987, is a consortium bringing together the seven school districts of Anderson, Oconee, and Pickins counties in South Carolina (representing 16 high schools and 4 secondary vocational/career centers); local businesses; and Tri-County Technical College (TCTC). Seeking to…

Each year, African American high school students in grades 11 and 12 take the College Board/Educational Testing Service Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations. Large numbers of these students are not successful. Nationally, African Americans take a total of 13,844 examinations and 5,447 qualify for advanced placement. This means that 61 percent of…

Ribault (Florida) Senior High School has reported a dramatic increase in student achievement levels since implementing a comprehensive college preparation curriculum. Among the program changes that contributed to those gains are: (1) the establishment and consistent enforcement of a strong discipline program, including rules for student conduct, a…

Some of the ways in which colleges can work with high schools to enrich secondary school experiences and increase access to and success in higher education, are described, and an essay on successful cooperative activities is presented. In "Pieces and Parts," James Herbert notes efforts to improve the preparation of students for college…

This volume presents selected research articles related to early intervention for college programs. This is part of a two volume set designed to showcase some of the best cutting edge research on early intervention programs. Providing an introduction to the types of these programs, this issue: presents research on why the programs are necessary;…

This annual serial issue contains six papers dealing with business education and training. "A Direction for Focusing Business Curricula" (Sharon Lund O'Neil) discusses the standards against which business curricula of the future must be measured. The importance of business communication in general education programs is emphasized in…