College and career pathways represent a significant national educational reform movement supported by federal, state, and philanthropic funding. High school pathways combine career and technical education with rigorous academics, work-based learning, and student supports to provide equitable access to postsecondary opportunities. Strong research…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how early college high school (ECHS) principals promote the success of the first generation, students of color and low-income students they serve. Three ECHS principals were examined through two lenses: the traditional role of principals and a conceptual framework of democratic, socially just,…

The topic of this article is high school social justice curriculum [SJC]. Three socially-just focused studies were critically analyzed. Sample sizes in these studies varied from n = 12 to n = 55. It is the author's belief, based on the research of others (Kerssen-Griep & Eifler, 2008) that an effective SJC should consist of the following elements:…

In many respects, Hispanic families share the aspirations and anxieties of many other families nationwide: They are keenly focused on the role completing high school and going to college will play in their children's future. Students and young adults see success in school and college as key to interesting work and a prosperous future, and most are…

This qualitative research case study examined the supports required for 31 academically average 10th grade students to succeed on three dual enrollment college courses. Conceptually, support was a team effort, with contributions considered from administrators, faculty, parents and students. The paper documents support contributions from all four…

Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) researchers visited 38 public high schools around the United States in 2007 and 2008 with the goal of validating and operationalizing a definition of college readiness. Schools in the sample were selected because they were demonstrating success at enabling more students from underrepresented groups to…

The purpose of this study is to rigorously examine the implementation and impact of the Early College High School (ECHS) model in North Carolina. The primary goal of the ECHS model is to increase the number of students who graduate from high school and who continue on and succeed in college. Therefore, the anticipated long-term outcomes for the…

Although the school counselor could play a critical role in the school to college transition for students with learning disabilities, it appears that these students are not being adequately served by the school counseling profession. A school counselor can assist students with college training potential in a number of ways: (1) begin planning well…

Noting the positive relationships between reading skills and academic performance, a study investigated the relationship between the reading skills of 172 freshmen in developmental reading courses and the number of college preparatory courses completed in high school. It was hypothesized that there would be a significantly positive relationship…

This paper analyzes approaches to facilitating school-university transition in South Africa and explores the theories underlying this process. A review of the literature and a case study of the process at the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE) show what is happening to the school-university transition at the end of apartheid. UPE has taken a…

This article, written in 1896, discusses the opportunity provided by the dilemma which at that time confronted those concerned with American secondary education: the potentially conflicting demands for adequate preparation imposed on the high school by colleges and universities and for terminal education demanded by the general community. (GC)

The level of preparation for college entrance tests, university mathematics placement tests, and beginning college mathematics courses was studied for students who completed the Standards-oriented curriculum "Contemporary Mathematics in Context" (A. Coxford, J. Fey, C. Hirsch, H. Schoen, E. Hart, B. Keller, and A. Watkins, 2001), the…

Project THISTLE: Thinking Skills in Teaching and Learning was designed to improve both the reflective thinking capabilities of urban high school students and their pre-college preparation. This study was conducted to elicit teacher perceptions of factors inhibiting reflective thinking in schools. Most important among the perceived constraints on…

The effects of various college preparation programs, aptitude scores, and student background characteristics on college retention were studied. The data were obtained from the National Education Longitudinal Study: 1988-2000 and NELS:88/2000 Postsecondary Education Transcript Study. The effective sample contained 4,445 first-time freshmen students…

This presentation summarizes findings from a Maryland case study of policies and practices affecting the transition of students from high school to college. A particular focus is the role of a formal, high-profile statewide K-16 structure, the Maryland K-16 Partnership for Teaching and Learning, in promoting policies and practices that help…