"College readiness" means that a student can enter a college classroom without remediation and successfully complete entry-level college requirements (Conley, 2012). In order for students to be considered college ready, they must acquire skills, content knowledge, and behaviors before leaving high school. Research on high-school performance illustrates that large numbers of high-school graduates are not adequately prepared for postsecondary education. This article will discuss the importance of college-readiness initiatives, explore the Rice University model for increasing student college readiness and building K-12 strategic partnerships, and discuss programming that could be implemented by any continuing education unit with the goal of increasing the pipeline of college-ready students in their own communities.