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…

The historical roots of developmental education are traced in a three-part article extending across three serial issues. "Educating All the Nation's People," by Hunter R. Boylan and William G. White, Jr., reviews the historical antecedents of developmental education, focusing on efforts in the 17th century to prepare English-speaking American…

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…

This paper discusses the relationship between education and earnings, explaining that most states still consider college preparatory courses to be electives, and the skills and content needed for further education are not typically reflected in state high school assessments. It discusses the implications of this mismatch for young people, focusing…

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…

The way that remediation affects the costs and the academic quality of higher education is discussed, and approaches to dealing with these problems are addressed. Recent increases in the number of underprepared students entering college have resulted in a greater need for remedial education to prepare them for college-level work. In addition 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…

Part of a series on the transition of students with disabilities from school to adult roles, this guide focuses on the transition to postsecondary education. It presents a model, the Opportunities in Postsecondary Education through Networking (OPEN) model, to assist students, parents, and school personnel in the decision-making, planning, and…

This 1993 edition offers 23 papers on various aspects of learning disabilities, presented in four sections on: (1) social and emotional dimensions of learning disabilities, (2) creative environments for students with learning disabilities, (3) thoughts for parents, and (4) thinking about college. Articles include, among others: "Building Strength…

Components of transition planning to prepare students with learning disabilities for postsecondary education are described, with attention to student self-determination, self-evaluation, and selection of post-school transition goals and appropriate educational experiences during high school. Provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Act,…

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…