Preparing for College

General
College Readiness
Coursework and Preparation

General

Bridging the Gaps to Success: Promising Practices for Promoting Transfer Among Low-Income and First-Generation Students PDF, 1.1 MB, (2009), The Pell Institute

This study investigates successful practices and policies of six community colleges for transferring low-income first-generation students from two-year to four-year institutions.

The Condition of Education: Special Analysis on High-Poverty Public Schools (May 2010), National Center for Education Statistics

This report describes how high-poverty schools differed from low-poverty schools in the types of students served, characteristics of the teachers and principals and the educational outcomes for students. About 68% of 12th-graders in high-poverty schools and 91% of 12th-graders in low-poverty schools graduated with a diploma in 2007-08. Graduates from high-poverty schools declined 18% from 1999-2000 levels while the graduation rate in low-poverty schools remained about the same.

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.

2009 State of Students of Color and American Indian Students (2009), Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, Inc.

“Regardless of assessment and graduation outcomes, all kids dream of academic success, and do so fairly equally across race and culture. However, when it comes to following through on aspirations, students of color and American Indian students participate at very low rates.”

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% in 1972, 62% 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% in 1972, 79% in 2004).

Parent Expectations and Planning for College: Statistical Analysis Report (2008), National Center for Education Statistics

"Nine out of every 10 students (91%) in grades 6 through 12 had parents who expected them to continue their education beyond high school, with about two-thirds (65%) having had parents who expected them to finish college. Among students whose parents expected them to continue their education after high school, 82% 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 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.

College Readiness (Testing)

ACT Profile Report (Oct. 2009), ACT

Minnesota's average score of 22.7 was the highest in the nation among the 27 states in which more than half the college-bound students took the test. The overall average for the state masks disparities in participation and preparation by race. An in-depth report by ACT is also available for Minnesota (PDF, 6.75 MB): Measuring College and Career Readiness, the Class of 2009.

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.

NAEP 2009 Minnesota Posts Strong and Steady Reading Scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2009), 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 2009, only three states posted better scores in eighth-grade reading and six states outscored Minnesota's fourth-graders in reading. In math, only two states outperformed Minnesota's fourth-graders and eighth-graders scored second in the nation.

ACT Scores (2009), Minnesota Office of Higher Education

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.

Coursework and Preparation

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (2010), Minnesota Office of Higher Education

During the 2007-08 school year, 7,502 Minnesota high school juniors and seniors participated in the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program at a post-secondary institution. The PSEO program permits public high schools to provide college-level courses within their schools, "College in the Schools." During the 2007-08 school year, an estimated 20,464 high school students participated using this option. Concurrent enrollment is the fastest-growing form of the PSEO program.

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.

Percentage of Minnesota ACT-tested graduates meeting college algebra readiness benchmark

See how this varies by race (click on graphic to view at larger size).