In recent years, several states and districts have implemented programs and policies that have sparked growth among high school students taking College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP® ) exams to earn college credits, with some states including CLEP in their K-12 accountability structures. In the 2018-19 school year, 22% of CLEP exams taken were…

In response to the ban on affirmative action and the decrease in racial minority enrollment, the Texas legislature created the Texas Top 10% rule, which mandates public higher education institutions to admit undergraduate applicants who graduate in the top 10% of their high school class (Cortes & Friedson, 2014; Daugherty et al., 2014; Watkins…

Previously, we had reported on the relationship between AP physics experience and exam scores, and student scores on the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation and in an introductory calculus-based mechanics course [E. W. Burkholder and C. E. Wieman, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 15, 020117 (2019)]. Two limitations to our previous work were that we…

One explanation for negative or null findings in prior research on postsecondary remediation is that college may be too late to address issues of academic underpreparedness. This study evaluates the impact on student outcomes when college math remediation is offered in the senior year of high school. The Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning…

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted several states to adopt or scale new placement methods, since many test-based placement metrics were unavailable. In April 2020, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) approved a pilot to add high school GPA as a placement method at Tennessee community colleges alongside other measures included in TBR's learning…

The Iowa Department of Education collects information on joint enrollment in Iowa's 15 community colleges. Jointly enrolled students are high school students enrolled in community college credit coursework. Most jointly enrolled students enroll through Senior Year Plus programs such as PSEO (Postsecondary Enrollment Options) and concurrent…

Workforce readiness and preparation for post-secondary education in the 21st century are critical graduation outcomes for high school students to thrive in the emerging multicultural global society. Equitable access to college coursework in high school and support for course completion and attainment of college credit varies among school districts…

The Early College High School (ECHS) provides high school students with the opportunity to earn college credit while they are still in high school. The school in the study, the Metro East Web Academy, is one such school and currently has an ECHS population of 119 students. After close examination of the five aspects of the theoretical framework,…

This study surveys superintendents about Ohio's ambitious statewide dual enrollment policy ("College Credit Plus"), specifically examining its local implications from superintendents' perspectives. In particular, we find that issues of funding related to this policy have become a growing concern, and that districts are frequently…

Many U.S. students arrive on college campus lacking the skills expected for college-level work. As state leaders seek to increase postsecondary enrollment and completion, public colleges have sought to lessen the delays created by remedial course requirements. Tennessee has taken a novel approach by allowing students to complete their remediation…

In dual enrollment programs, high school students can take college courses and earn both high school and college credit--but in the past, dual enrollment had been used mostly by high-achieving students. In 2016, the California Legislature passed a law that expanded access to students who had been underserved in higher education. The resulting…

This pilot study examines digital SAT® score relationships with first-year college performance. Results show that digital SAT scores predict college performance as well as paper and pencil SAT scores, and that digital SAT scores meaningfully improve our understanding of a student's readiness for college above high school grade point average…

States have introduced a range of policies and strategies aimed at boosting college readiness by strengthening collaborations between secondary and postsecondary education sectors. One popular strategy is Early College High Schools, which allows historically underserved student groups to complete college-level coursework and improve their college…

Recent policy efforts have attempted to increase the number of dual enrollment courses offered within Career and Technical Education pathways and there is evidence to suggest that this practice is widespread. However, there is very little research on student participation in CTE dual enrollment and on its impacts. This study examines participation…

The 3-year graduation rate is a rarely measured metric in higher education compared to its 4- or 6- year graduation rate counterparts. For the first time in college (FTIC) students to graduate in three years, they must come with certain skills, abilities, plans, supports, or motivations. This project considers two distinct but interrelated ways of…