What Does ‘Ready’ Mean?

There is plenty of confusion about what it means to fully prepare students for life after high school.

By Lynn Olson

As high school commencement time rolls around, states are working to ensure that their graduates are “ready” for life after high school.

Eleven states report that they have adopted a definition of “college readiness,” and 14 more are in the process of doing so. Twenty-one states report they have a definition of “work readiness,” and 10 more states are tackling the issue.

Despite all the activity, there is still plenty of confusion about precisely what it means to be “college” or “career” ready. Do Americans expect all students to be ready for college and work—or just for one or the other? And if they’re saying all students should be ready for both, does that mean every teenager must have exactly the same...