The Netflix docudrama, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, illustrates how college admissions, particularly at elite colleges, favors the privileged. Higher educational attainment overall favors the informed. Prospective students have many options when it comes to earning a college degree, with some of the more visible options…

In 2015, Wisconsin began mandating the ACT college entrance exam and the WorkKeys career readiness assessment. With population-level data and several quasi-experimental designs, we assess how this policy affected college attendance. We estimate a positive policy effect for middle/high-income students, no effect for low-income students, and greater…

Background/Context: Although dual enrollment (DE) programs have indicated positive impact on various high school and postsecondary outcomes, access to DE programs remains unequal; historically marginalized students are less likely than other students to attempt college credits in high school. Despite DE being a widely adopted program at the state…

Schools no longer have a choice between providing students with either college or career readiness; they are now accountable for guiding students through the achievement of both (Malin, Bragg, & Hackmann, 2017). This requirement includes those who participate in a career and technical education (CTE) sequence of courses, defined as a program…

Systemic racism in the United States has a far-reaching impact, including on generational wealth and access to education. Extensive research reveals that Black Americans encounter significant barriers in building generational wealth due to a history of discrimination, including redlining and exclusion from government programs. The absence of…

This qualitative action research case study examined the high school to college transition experiences of 11 Latino/a parents of first-generation college students. Participants attended a two-day workshop series, the purpose of which was to provide parents with college knowledge information to better support their children when transitioning to…

The problem addressed was parents and guardians desire more involvement during the transition of their special needs children from secondary to post-secondary education due to concerns about their child's preparedness for post-secondary education. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to understand the perceptions and experiences…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the educational trajectory of foster care alumni regarding the social capital held by their foster parents as it relates to college access by employing the framework advanced by Perna and Titus (2005) which was based on Bourdieu and Passeron (1990). This age group was chosen because despite…

Helping students transition from high school to college typically involves creating online transition programs in high school, which could lead to higher retention rates in college. The course developers that create online transition programs for high school-aged students understand that online learning methods are an excellent way to reach more…

Ensuring equity in higher education access and success for Black and Latino Californians requires building and maintaining robust pathways from Los Angeles' high schools to its colleges and universities. In this report, the authors note that California's high schools, community colleges, and public four-year universities have increased enrollment…

Many high school seniors who plan to attend college do not enroll, and others enroll but do not return for a second year. Low-income students are more likely than their higher-income peers to fall off track after high school ends, when they often have limited connections to advisors, insufficient information about key college transition steps, and…

Many high school seniors who plan to attend college do not enroll, and others enroll but do not return for a second year. Low-income students are more likely than their higher-income peers to fall off track after high school ends. Text-message-based advising is a popular strategy to get students timely information and support, including among…

The New Castle County VoTech School District (NCCVT) in Delaware, with St. Georges Technical High School as a school within this district, embraces the vision of creating graduates who are college and career ready, advocating for the use of rigorous academic curricula to equip students with the necessary skills for life beyond high school. Despite…

This report explores the development of a bridge between secondary and postsecondary education through professional development and college preparation by examining the current processes that high schools are using to address student success outside of the counselor setting. This research seeks to understand how Alaska schools can use an…

Often without guidance in completing college-related tasks, first-generation students face unique challenges during the summer before college. This case study investigates this critical time period by studying a cohort of 33 newly graduated students from the same urban, public high school. Guided by social capital, college readiness, and…