Preparing for College
General
Quality Counts 2010 (Jan. 2010), Education Week
Quality Counts 2010 reports on education policy and performance. States have made tremendous progress in implementing standards, but little progress in improving the opportunities for students to succeed throughout their lives. Both the nation and Minnesota received a "C" overall.” View state-by-state grades and summary data.Deloitte 2009 Education Survey Overview, Redefining High School as a Launch Pad (PDF, 753 KB), Nov. 2009
"When asked to identify the most important mission of high school, only 9% of teachers surveyed chose preparing students for college and only 10% said that ensuring students graduate high school is a primary mission. In stark contrast, the survey found that 42% of low-income parents and 48% of low-income students rank preparing students for college the most important purpose of high school."Achievement Gaps: How Black and White Students in Public Schools Perform in Mathematics and Reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (July 2009), NAEP
This study shows that black students are scoring better in math and reading assessments, but not enough to close a nationwide gap with white students. Scores for black students continue to improve, but because they're also improving for white students, the gap isn't narrowing. The report also provides comparisons by state.The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools (April 2009), McKinsey&Company
This report finds that the underutilization of human potential in the U.S. is costly: "For individuals, our results show that avoidable shortfalls in academic achievement impose heavy and often tragic consequences, via lower earnings, poorer health, and higher rates of incarceration.... If the United States had in recent years closed the gap between its educational achievement levels and those of better-performing nations such as Finland and Korea, GDP in 2008 could have been $1.3 trillion to $2.3 trillion higher."Promise Lost: College-Qualified Students Who Don’t Enroll in College (Nov. 2008), Institute for Higher Education Policy
"Despite the increasing importance of higher education, students who are academically qualified for college still face numerous barriers to college enrollment. These barriers range from insufficient financial aid to mixed messages about academic preparation, poor understanding of admission and financial aid application processes, and limited community encouragement. Improving access to college for these students requires policies informed by the perspectives that counselors and college-qualified students have on each of these barriers."
Trends Among High School Seniors, 1972-2004 (May 2008), National Center for Education Statistics
This report presents changes in senior class demographics, senior-year coursetaking, extracurricular activities, educational/occupational expectations and plans, and life values. Changes include decreased numbers of seniors who are White (86 percent in 1972, 62 percent in 2004); greater proportions of seniors in 2004 who took higher level courses in mathematics, science, and foreign language; and increased proportions of seniors planning to continue their education in postsecondary institutions (59 percent in 1972, 79 percent in 2004).
Parent Expectations and Planning for College: Statistical Analysis Report (2008), National Center for Education Statistics
"Nine out of every 10 students (91 percent) in grades 6 through 12 had parents who expected them to continue their education beyond high school, with about two-thirds (65 percent) having had parents who expected them to finish college. Among students whose parents expected them to continue their education after high school, 82 percent had parents who reported that the family was planning on helping to pay for their child’s postsecondary education costs."
From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College (March 2008), Consortium on Chicago School Research
Chicago public school students at all levels of qualifications do not successfully navigate the daunting process of enrolling in four-year colleges and too often default to colleges for which they are overqualified. The good news is that teachers, counselors, and administrators can improve college access for students by helping them understand how to make decisions about potential colleges and making sure that students effectively participate in the college application and financial aid process.
From Aspirations to Action: The Role of Middle School Parents in Making the Dream of College a Reality (Dec. 2007), Institute for Higher Education Policy
Parents are particularly important in helping their children complete the courses necessary for college, apply to college and figure out how to pay for their education. 87 percent of middle school parents surveyed expected their child to go to college. However, more than one-third reported having no sources of information on college preparation or admission.
From Nation-Leading to World-Competing (2007), Minnesota Department of Education (scroll down to PDF)
The Governor's Education Council developed a set of goals and indicators for P-16 student achievement, intended to serve as a compass for charting education policy in the next decade. The four goals are: 1) Core proficiency — every student graduating from K-12 should meet a core proficiency level so that they can enter the workforce or post-secondary institutions, 2) College readiness and rigorous course-taking — all students must have the opportunity to take a rigorous high school curriculum, 3) Graduation rates — 100 percent of students will graduate, 4) College success indicators — participation and persistence of students entering post-secondary institutions should be measured.
Straight from the Source: What Works for First-Generation College Students (2006), The Pell Institute
"First-generation students identified three crucial steps along the pipeline to college where support was most helpful in making a successful transition from high school: raising aspirations for college, navigating the college admissions process and easing the initial transition to college."
Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991–2002 (2005), Greene, Jay P. and Marcus A. Winters, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
Minnesota ranks 5th nationally with a high school graduation rate of 84 percent. There is a wide disparity in the Minnesota graduation rates of white and minority students. In the class of 2002, about 88% of white students graduated from high school with a regular diploma, compared to 54% of African-American students.
High School Dropout Rates, 2005, Atlas of Minnesota Online Edition, Center for Rural Policy and Development
Dropout rates are important information for school districts, families and the community in general.Students of Color
2006 State of Students of Color (2006), Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, Inc.
“Any effort to increase college attendance for students of color should examine whether students are participating in the necessary activities that prepare them for college….of those Minnesota high school students who took the ACT in 2004-05, students of color were less likely to be prepared for college level work in composition, social sciences, algebra and biology.”
Great Expectations: How the Public and Parents — White, African American and Hispanic — View Higher Education (2006), John Immerwahr with Tony Foleno, Public Agenda
“Federal statistics show that Hispanics and African Americans are less likely than whites to complete college. Public Agenda research has found that the problem isn't motivation or encouragement....Hispanic and African American parents are actually more likely to emphasize the value of higher education than whites.”With Diploma in Hand: Hispanic High School Seniors Talk about their Future (2006), John Immerwahr, Public Agenda
“Focus group sessions with Hispanic high school students… suggest some other barriers students might face in pursuing higher education. Some promising students, particularly when they are the first in their family to go to college, may be derailed by poor understanding of how the admissions game is played, and little nuts-and-bolts guidance from adults who lack experience with college themselves.”
College Readiness (Testing)
The Road Map to College and Career Readiness for Minnesota Students (PDF) June 2009, Postsecondary and Work Force Readiness Working Group, Minnesota P-16 Partnership
Based on a year-long exploration of postsecondary and workforce readiness, this report outlines recommendations for defining, ensuring pathways and measuring readiness -- as well as making readiness information accessible to Minnesota students, families, educators and others. For example, the group recommends that all Minnesota students develop a college and career attainment plan in consultation with a mentor, counselor, or adviser.The Forgotten Middle: Ensuring that All Students Are on Target for College and Career Readiness before High School (Dec. 2008), ACT
ACT data show that fewer than two in ten eighth-graders are on target to be ready for college-level work by the time they graduate from high school. The results suggest that in the current educational environment, there is a critical defining point for students in the college and career readiness process. If they are not on target by the time they reach this point, the impact may be nearly irreversible.NAEP 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress Results Show Closing Achievement Gap (2007), Minnesota Department of Education
Known as the "nation's report card," the NAEP is a federally mandated project. Since 1969, NAEP has measured and reported on the knowledge and abilities of America's fourth, eighth and twelfth grade students. In 2007, Minnesota students in grades 4 and 8, as a whole, performed better than the national average when compared to other states. While performance on reading and mathematics tests failed to show any significant increase in achievement levels since 2005, long-term gains in reading and mathematics test scores have reduced the achievement gap for students of color.ACT Scores (2007), Minnesota Office of High Education
Minnesota High School Profile Report, ACT
Minnesota's average score of 22.5 was the highest in the nation among the 26 states in which more than half the college-bound students took the test. 70 percent of Minnesota high school graduates in 2007 took the assessment. The overall average for the state masks disparities in participation and preparation by race. Minnesota's students of color are far less likely to take the ACT exam.Coursework and Preparation
Minnesota Advanced Placement Scores and Participation Increase (August 2009), Minnesota Office of Higher Education
The number of Minnesota students taking Advanced Placement (AP) tests increased 10% from 2008 to 2009. Students scoring a three or higher on their exams (the cut score used by most colleges to award college credit to new entering students) increased 13%. The AP program allows high school students to take college-level courses in a high school setting.The Condition of Education 2008 (Dec. 2008), National Center for Education Statistics
“What we see are improvements, such as higher math and reading scores for 4th- and 8th-graders, and increases in college enrollment. But persistent challenges remain in educating a growing and increasingly diverse population...gaps in achievement and high school and college graduation rates between White and minority students continue."Diploma to Nowhere (Sept. 2008), Strong American Schools — ED in '08
"The extent of college remediation is far greater than previously believed. A conservative analysis of the data on college students in 2004 shows that 43 percent of all students at public two-year institutions have enrolled in a remedial course. 29 percent of all students at public four-year institutions have enrolled in a remedial class.Postsecondary Enrollment Options (2006), Minnesota Office of Higher Education
During the 2004-05 school year, 7,441 Minnesota high school juniors and seniors participated in the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program at a post-secondary institution. The program has documented measurable student benefits. However, some segments of the student population including low-income and students of color, are under-represented in PSEO programs. In addition, the PSEO program permits public high schools to provide college-level courses within their schools, "College in the High School." It is estimated that, during the 2004-05 school year, 14,000 high school students participated using this option.(Click on graphic to view at larger size.)
Parent Expectations and College Planning
See how planning for college is related to household income.
