This article provides a history of the two large-scale assessment consortia that were funded in 2010 as part of the Race to the Top Competition, the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC), and the Smarter-Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). I compare the goals the consortia were funded to meet between 2011…

The secondary-to-postsecondary transition is a critically important step on a student's path toward economic success. The majority of jobs in the United States continue to require some sort of postsecondary attainment, whether that be a bachelor's degree, associate's degree, or other college coursework. However, the nation loses students as they…

College- and career-readiness skills can easily get lost if you don't have a clear school-wide plan for teaching them. While curriculum in schools is primarily meant to ready students for college and career skills, ensuring those skills actually transfer is another story. Andrew Miller lays out a system for teaching and assessing key…

This study analyzed the strengths and areas for improvement in the resources and support provided to college access practitioners serving in urban charter and public-school communities. Prior research has examined the impact that college and career readiness resources and support have on students' postsecondary preparation and success. Limited…

School principals are responsible for improving low College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores; however, little was understood about how K-12 school principals' leadership practices were perceived to improve CCRPI scores in schools. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the leadership practices of K-12 school…

The transition from high school into postsecondary education and a career has become particularly challenging given today's complex, fast-moving, and highly technological economy. To combat this problem, one approach widely adopted in the United States is the career academy model, which combines a college-preparatory and career and technical…

In this article, we describe the conceptualization and development of the Secondary Transition Fidelity Assessment (STFA), a measure intended for use by high school leadership teams to examine secondary programs and practices demonstrated by research to lead to meaningful outcomes for secondary students with and without disabilities. We describe…

This research study focused on the potential factors impacting students with disabilities (SWDs) course placement and graduation rates at Simmons High School (SHS), a large urban school in Massachusetts. Preliminary research found that approximately 50% of SWDs graduate each school year at SHS and are historically marginalized compared to their…

Hmong adolescents face many challenges during high school, particularly college and career readiness. School counselors are trained professionals who can help. This transcendental phenomenology study explored the lived experiences of six Hmong adolescents and how they make sense of college and career lessons in a group work format over six weeks.…

Policy makers have taken more interest in career and technical education (CTE) in recent years, but evidence regarding what kinds of programs produce the most important outcomes is still emerging. Shaun M. Dougherty summarizes what recent research tells us about the impact of these programs. Evidence has shown that CTE-dedicated schools, career…

This study aimed to investigate the relationships, if any, between Ready to Graduate indicator, average ACT scores, chronic absenteeism rates, and school counselor to student ratios in Tennessee's four urban counties surrounding Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, Tennessee. Only eight of Tennessee's 95 counties have a population that…

The problem addressed in this study was the ineffectiveness of federally implemented college and career readiness programs to ensure that at-risk African American male students are adequately prepared for academic and career success. Academic performance for at-risk African American males in high schools is significantly lower than their peers. In…

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine the degree of relationship between school protective factors, student internal assets, and College and Career Readiness Indicator outcomes. The population for this study included comprehensive, public high schools across California, including only schools that…

School psychologists serve a critical role directly and indirectly in postsecondary transition of adolescents with disabilities, given their expertise and skills in special education and interventions. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Domains of Practice (2010) provide guidelines for school psychologists' service delivery,…

Many high schools struggle with developing an efficient system to effectively deliver college and career readiness (CCR) instruction and experiences to all students. The implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in high schools offers an opportunity to consider how the PBIS framework can support CCR for all students.…