This report presents findings of a nationwide study of student transitions from secondary to postsecondary education that is based on a survey of state higher education agencies and site visits to six states. The report finds a growing role for state higher education agencies in setting minimum college admissions requirements, coexistence of…

Asserts that most research into the effects of high school economics curriculum upon performance in college level economics courses fails to consider that secondary economics education rarely teaches micro- and macroeconomic concepts. Discovers that any gap in learning between students in economics is narrowed by the first semester in college.…

The City University of New York (CUNY) New York City Technical College (New York) piloted an "immersion" developmental-studies program for CUNY applicants who failed one or more of three admissions assessments (reading, writing, mathematics). If successful, the program may serve as a case study for remediation reform. The program…

A project to improve a program in English for academic purposes in Malaysia is described. The program is a university preparatory curriculum for Malaysian students wishing to attend colleges in the United States. In the program, students are placed in one of three tracks based on English language proficiency. The project was intended to integrate…

This guide for college-bound black students begins with essays written by black professional educators on themes identified by black college students. The essays describe students' experiences from the junior or senior year in high school through the first year in college, and include: "Making Sure You Have the 'Right Stuff'" (Kermit R.…

This chapter draws on an extensive literature review to examine factors that influence the access and achievement of American Indians and Alaska Natives in higher education. American Indians are less likely to attend college than other U.S. ethnic groups. This underrepresentation is partly due to precollege attributes: low scores on college…

The California Academic Partnership Program (CAPP) is a state-established and state-funded program involving public schools and both public and private colleges. CAPP funds curriculum development and diagnostic testing partnerships in accordance with its goal of developing cooperative efforts to improve the academic quality of public secondary…

This study examined academic literacy (the reading, writing, and verbal demands on students) as a foundation for a collaboration between high school and university faculty designed to ease transitions by students from secondary to postsecondary education. The 3-year project was conducted at an urban public university that enrolls approximately…

Though educationally relevant factors are the most important in explaining college destinations, socioeconomic factors still play a big role. Influence of the ascriptive factors of race, ethnicity, and sex are more mixed in their effect. The academic and socioeconomic "rich" become richer, while the academic and socioeconomic "poor" become poorer.…

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program has begun to attract attention as an alternative approach to enhancing the academic preparation of college-bound high school students. The rigorous, comprehensive, two-year curriculum offers eleventh- and twelfth-grade students the opportunity to take college-level coursework and exams while also…

At the request of a special commission appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts for an investigation relative to technical and higher education in that Commonwealth, Dr. George F. Zook, specialist in higher education in the Bureau of Education, recently directed and completed a survey. One of the chief problems involved was the possibility of…

Rapid tuition increases over the last few decades have made public institutions much less affordable than they once were. This and other policy changes may be affecting college enrollment rates across the country. This article examines how student preparation and college supply interact with the usual factors of tuition, financial aid, and family…

This report presents data on the plans and expectations, preparation and course-taking patterns, college enrollment rates, and college persistence and completion of minorities in comparison with the majority, white population. The data reported show the following: (1) that while almost all high school seniors expect to complete at least some…

This practicum paper sets out a leadership development action plan (LDAP) at Mount Vernon Nazarene College (MVNC) in Ohio intended to help the director of retention and academic services in efforts to improve preparedness and readiness levels of prospective students at the school, a church-related coeducational college of arts and science. The…

In 1984 the Governor of California signed into law a bill establishing the California Academic Partnership Program (CAPP), a program to develop cooperative efforts to improve the academic quality of public secondary schools and the preparation of all students for college. CAPP grants are awarded to collaborating secondary and postsecondary…