Special Report

Broader Horizons

The Challenge of College Readiness for All Students
June 11, 2009
  • Education About Graduation Briefs
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    June 5, 2009
    2 min read
    States State of the States (Diplomas Count 2009)
    More states are spelling out a definition of college ready.
    Rebecca Wittenstein, June 5, 2009
    4 min read
    Federal Gauging Graduation, Pinpointing Progress
    Some observers have argued that graduation rates are failing to reach a level necessary to put the United States on a solid footing in a competitive global economy.
    12 min read
    Federal Enthusiasm Builds for Data Systems
    Enthusiasts are convinced that data can be a critical lever in helping schools focus on what matters in preparing students for college.
    Dakarai I. Aarons, June 5, 2009
    8 min read
    Federal Beyond a Focus on Graduation
    At a time when only seven in 10 American students graduate from high school in four years, an ambitious new president is demanding that the nation raise its educational sights even higher.
    Catherine Gewertz, June 5, 2009
    14 min read
    IT Infrastructure & Management Executive Summary
    What it means to be ready to attend college is open to argument, with no firm consensus on how to measure college readiness or ensure that all students clear such a bar.
    The Editors, June 5, 2009
    6 min read
    College Prep: Victoria Esiobo, 16, a 10th grader at Cooper City High, works on a trigonometry assignment. The school receives feedback on how its students fare in college classes.
    College Prep: Victoria Esiobo, 16, a 10th grader at Cooper City High, works on a trigonometry assignment. The school receives feedback on how its students fare in college classes.
    Andrew Innerarity for Education Week
    Federal Florida Schools Steer by Numbers
    Florida has been hailed as one of the nation’s bright spots in the use of longitudinal data, with a history of building an information-rich “data warehouse” that connects K-12, postsecondary, and workforce information.
    Dakarai I. Aarons, June 5, 2009
    7 min read
    School & District Management Opinion Leadership Key to Creating Data Systems
    "Our goal is to put data systems to work so that by the time our students graduate from high school, we can award them a diploma with confidence that they are well prepared for the real world that awaits them," writes Edward G. Rendell.
    Edward G. Rendell, June 5, 2009
    5 min read
    Federal NCLB Rules Back Common Rate
    Federal regulations have opened a door that allows schools to get credit under the No Child Left Behind Act for students who take five or more years to earn a high school diploma.
    Catherine Gewertz, June 5, 2009
    5 min read
    School & District Management Opinion Smart, Bold Reform for Powerful Schools
    School systems prosper when they have opportunities to learn from a research and data capacity that can inform school design and tactics to increase graduation, writes Michele Cahill.
    Michele Cahill, June 5, 2009
    6 min read
    Education Sources and Notes

    DEFINING READINESS


    College-readiness definition: State has formal expectations for what students will need to know and be able to do in order to be admitted to state’s two-year and/or four-year institutions and enroll in credit-bearing courses. State approaches to defining college readiness have been classified into the following categories: courses, skills, standards, and tests. Some states’ definitions may include elements that do not fall into categories established for this analysis. EPE Research Center annual state policy survey (2008-09 school year), 2008.
    June 5, 2009
    3 min read
    Expert Guidance: Junior Valerie Oliver, 16, registers for the SAT at Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy in Baltimore with the help of Mavis Jackson, right, a CollegeBound counselor.
    Expert Guidance: Junior Valerie Oliver, 16, registers for the SAT at Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy in Baltimore with the help of Mavis Jackson, right, a CollegeBound counselor.
    Christopher Powers/Education Week
    Federal Building a Culture Aimed at College
    As the national drumbeat for college readiness grows louder, policymakers and scholars trumpet the potent role that a school’s “college-going culture” can play.
    Catherine Gewertz, June 5, 2009
    8 min read
    College & Workforce Readiness Opinion 'College for All' Is Making Me a Bit Nervous
    "The idea of 'college for everyone' is a road paved with good intentions, but locking every student into a college path is actually limiting," writes Mel J. Riddle.
    Mel J. Riddile, June 5, 2009
    5 min read
    Curriculum Consensus on Meaning of 'Readiness' Remains Elusive
    The backdrop for policy debates continues to be formed by a host of disconcerting statistics about the college readiness and college-completion rates of American students.
    Sterling C. Lloyd, June 5, 2009
    7 min read