The summer between high school and college as a point of intervention to help more students successfully transition from the K-12 sector to higher education is gaining notice. This qualitative study builds on recent research on the "summer melt" and offers a fresh perspective of students from an urban Los Angeles public high school who,…

Most colleges and universities in the United States require students to take the SAT or ACT as part of the college application process. These tests are high stakes in at least three ways. First, most universities factor scores on these tests into admissions decisions. Second, higher scores can increase a student's chances of being admitted to…

This 2014 Indiana College Readiness Report provides statistics for the state of Indiana on the following: (1) High School Graduates Enrolling in College; (2) High School Graduate Enrollment by College Type; (3) Indiana Public College Enrollment by College; (4) Indiana Public College Enrollment by Degree Type; (5) Indiana Public College Enrollment…

Research has shown that in addition to academic knowledge, a variety of noncognitive skills are essential to students' post-secondary success. This article summarizes a review by the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) that brought together hundreds of studies of factors that have been tied to academic success…

Preparing to Dream (PTD)--a 4-year initiative (2007-2011)-created a college-going culture in five Houston-area school districts in Texas's Education Service Center (ESC) Region 4. National College Access Network (NCAN) and Houston A+ Challenge (Houston A+) partnered with the schools to transform both their campus/district priorities and the…

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide SAT participation and performance for the 2017 graduates in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The College Board redesigned the SAT with the goal of measuring essential skills for college and career as well as relating the test content to everyday learning in classrooms. The redesigned SAT was…

This 2011 Indiana College Readiness Report provides statistics for the state of Indiana on the following: (1) High School Graduates Enrolling in College; (2) High School Graduate Enrollment by College Type; (3) Indiana Public College Students Needing Remediation; (4) Indiana Public College Remediation by Subject; (5) Indiana Public College…

This 2013 Indiana College Readiness Report provides statistics for the state of Indiana on the following: (1) High School Graduates Enrolling in College; (2) High School Graduate Enrollment by College Type; (3) Indiana Public College Students Needing Remediation; (4) Indiana Public College Remediation by Subject; (5) Indiana Public College…

At a time when more high schools are looking to their graduates' college-remediation rates as a clue to how well they prepare students for college and careers, new research findings suggest a significant portion of students who test into remedial classes don't actually need them. Separate studies from Teachers College, Columbia University, and the…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children in Texas and across the United States. The theme of this issue is "Rejecting a Return to Tracking." Articles include: (1) Getting it…

Data from a focus group of nine Latina parents, specifically mothers from a South Texas border region known as the Rio Grande Valley, were analyzed using a qualitative methodology. Grounded in the theory of social capital, the purpose of the study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of Latina parents related to accessing information…

This report, the latest in a series of studies by the Center for an Urban Future examining opportunities to expand economic mobility in New York City, takes an in-depth look at college readiness and success among the city's public high school students. It explores opportunities to dramatically boost the rate at which New York City's students enter…

As the demand for college graduates increases, it is critical (from both supply and demand perspectives) that students choose the postsecondary option that best meets their needs. Improved college readiness is an important first step to better informed choices about college. Parents and students need access to easy-to-understand data to make the…

We examined the validity of using Compass® test scores and high school grade point average (GPA) for placing students in first-year college courses and for identifying students at risk of not succeeding. Consistent with other research, the combination of high school GPA and Compass scores performed better than either measure used alone. Results…

Postsecondary early awareness strategies are a fast-growing component of college access to attainment efforts. Broadly defined, these programs and policies encourage low-income and first-generation students to gain the information, skills, and resources they need to successfully take part in higher education. They focus on students in fifth…