This article describes Washington State's Student Achievement Initiative, an accountability system implemented in 2005-06 that measures students' gains in college readiness, college credits earned, and degree or certificate completion. The goal of the initiative is to increase educational attainment by focusing on the critical momentum points…

The 1944 GI Bill provided fully for postsecondary education, democratizing ambition and access to American higher education, and providing the idea of attending college and the financial means for doing so to a previously largely-unserved segment of the national population. The GI Bill, along with the civil rights movement and the women's…

The media communicates the existence of two distinct types of college applicants: the frenzied, overachieving, anxious student who applies to many institutions, and the underprepared, less advantaged student whose parents are not at all familiar with the application process. The purpose of this study is to more realistically describe distinct…

Secondary schools have been focused on adding rigor to course work for all students in response to research indicating that high school graduates are not well-prepared for college or the workforce. Research shows a correlation between a demanding high school curriculum, particularly in mathematics and science, and postsecondary success. Success…

Multiple pathways connect college-preparatory curriculums with exceptional career and technical education, motivating students to learn by helping them answer the question, Why do I need to know this? Real-world learning is organized around such industry sectors as finance and business; health science and medical technology; building and…

In this Brief, the authors focus on partnerships between community colleges and high schools that may make it more likely for students to complete "three important milestones" on the road to college completion: (1) Enrollment in college; (2) College readiness at enrollment; and (3) Persistence in college. There is a broad range of goals and…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "The High Cost of Low Educational Performance": New OECD Report Finds that 25 Point Increase in PISA Scores…

This article examines the effects of a statewide effort to reduce college remediation rates by training high school teachers and providing them with an expository reading and writing curriculum. The authors rely on mixed methods, including observations, teacher and student surveys, and test data from urban high schools. Findings suggest that the…

"Paterson Teachers for Tomorrow" is a project designed to attract high school students from Paterson, NJ to careers in teaching. This article is based on an exploration of high school students' sense of self, college awareness and preparedness, and academic achievement during a year-long pre-college program. Data indicate that students…

This report is the ACT annual report on the progress of U.S. high school graduates relative to college readiness. This year's report shows that 59% of students in the 2015 U.S. graduating class took the ACT® test, up from 57% last year and 49% in 2011. The increased number of test takers over the past several years enhances the breadth and depth…

Using the 2002 Educational Longitudinal Study database, a national survey conducted by the National Center of Education Statistics, the authors investigated the characteristics of students who seek out professional school counselors in order to receive college information. Results indicated that African Americans and female students were more…

A gap year allows people to step off the usual educational or career path and reassess their future. According to people who have taken a gap year, the time away can be well worth it. This article can help a person decide whether to take a gap year and how to make the most of his time off. It describes what a gap year is, including its pros and…

The National Center for Educational Achievement (ACT/NCEA), a department of ACT, Inc., defines College and Career Readiness as when a student has reached an academic achievement level that indicates they are likely to have success in postsecondary learning or training that leads to skilled careers. This paper provides answers to the following…

When students make the transition from one curriculum to another, with significant overlap of content, the challenge is not so much to impart new information but rather to tap into students' existing knowledge base. The purpose of this study was to determine if achievement in an external examination that requires analysis could be enhanced by the…

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…