U.S. high school graduates for whom the home language is not English run the risk of inadequate preparation for the rigors of higher education. Whether this poor preparation is the result of disruptions caused by the transition to a new country/language/culture, or of a watered-down high school curriculum that reacts to language error but does not…

In the current study, we examined factors that influence rural West Virginia high school students' college attendance decisions. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory of human development as a theoretical basis, we studied direct and indirect influences of environmental factors upon the academic aspirations of rural Appalachian youth.…

While "early college" programs designed for high-school-age students are beginning to proliferate nationwide, a small New England school has been successfully educating teens for nearly four decades. In this article, the author features Simon's Rock, a small liberal arts college located in the Great Barrington, Massachusetts, that has…

There currently are 32 states in the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network, each dedicated to developing and implementing a college and career readiness agenda. At the same time, all fifty states are implementing requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006. The Perkins Act and the American Diploma…

This report examines the extent to which California high school students fail to meet the high school course requirements for admission to California's four-year public universities. It investigates students' course-taking patterns and whether the courses they take meet the universities' entrance requirements. Because students from a variety of…

With interest in university-college partnerships increasing, this paper presents an example of an effective college-church partnership. A Christian college partnered with 19 urban churches to offer precollege activities for urban youth in grades 7 through 12. As expected, the level of poverty associated with young people's neighborhoods (i.e.,…

The "Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005" created two new grant programs for undergraduates: the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) program and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART) Grant program. The ACG program is intended to encourage students to take challenging courses in high school and thus…

Educators across the United States continue to enable a wider and ethnically diverse proportion of students to achieve success in AP[R]. Significant inequities remain, however, which can result in traditionally underserved students not receiving the sort of AP (Advanced Placement) opportunities that can best prepare them for college success.…

Getting ready for college is a process--one that starts as soon as one enters high school. It has many steps and many deadlines. The good news: There are resources to help you stay organized. Talk to your college advisor, and use the resources in this guide to get information and to identify test dates and other important deadlines. Make your…

This study investigated the self-concept of 150 college preparatory students in grades 10, 11 and 12. The independent variables were gender, educational classification (grade level), residency status, involvement in extracurricular activities, family structure, and family concept. The dependent variable was the self-concept score obtained from the…

Critically examines a study of Project Upward Bound by the General Accounting Office, the purpose of which was to determine the effectiveness of Upward Bound programs in preparing disadvantaged students for college, charging that the GAO researchers were insensitive in determining Upward Bound success and criticizing the role of education in…

This paper asks why college students fail, not only in the sense of academic criteria, but also in terms of the quality of the total college experience. It also considers what counselors can do to insure the best chance for success for their students in their new college environment. The author examines the developmental process of transition and…

Past and present forces affecting curriculum articulation between schools and colleges are discussed. There now exist sufficiently pressing conditions, at both secondary and postsecondary school levels, to bring the issue of program continuity to the forefront. Particular attention should be paid to the assumptions underlying new articulation…

Programs conducted by the City University of New York (CUNY) for helping disadvantaged youth prepare for and succeed in college are described. An Urban Center program runs several projects, notably a College Adapter Program which helps high school students who are not qualified for college admission. The community colleges provide 2-year terminal…

The Pre-College Program is a unique design in inductive learning for the high school student from a family of low or modest income. In this program the student is not "taught," he is provoked to learn. It aims at encouraging him to integrate and profitably use his present knowledge, as he continues to increase it in a free and informal…