I examined the relationship between career readiness and academic success among a sample of approximately 500 11th grade students from selected rural school districts in South Carolina. There is limited research regarding the relationship between career readiness and academic success. I used R2W assessments to measure career readiness and the…

The PreACT® suite of assessments (PreACT® 8/9, PreACT®, and PreACT® Secure™) can be used to monitor students' progress toward college and career readiness. Scores are classified into one of three readiness levels based on chances of meeting the ACT College Readiness Benchmark. This data byte presents the updated score ranges for each readiness…

College and career readiness has emerged as a focus for school districts as they consider how to best prepare students for the choices they make after they graduate from high school. Schools are challenged with the task of implementing supports for all students, providing a balance between academics and a focus on providing students with the…

Jobs for the Future (JFF) is developing this state policy framework to outline the steps states can take toward fully adopting each of the Big Blur's four key components and creating a more effective system for grades 11-14. The Big Blur argues for the need to erase the arbitrary boundaries between high school, college, and careers and create one…

The discussion in policy circles and secondary schools focuses on the importance of being college and career readiness for all students (Conley & McGaughy, 2012). As with any type of policy, implementation is the key to success. The federally approved Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) required states to design K-12 career education based on…

In a state facing broad budget shortfalls, agricultural education programs have to show their value in relation to other key subject areas, such as math and reading. The best agricultural education programs follow a three-component model of instruction, including classroom experience, leadership development through FFA involvement, and an…

Graduation rates are steadily increasing, but students are graduating from high school with inadequate skills and knowledge to be competitive in this global economy. In addition, when students transition from elementary to middle school and then to high school, parental involvement declines. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study…

The current U.S. secondary education, postsecondary education, and workforce training systems are failing to serve the needs of many of today's students. Securing a good job with a family-sustaining wage increasingly requires workers to possess industry certifications, degrees, and credentials, but U.S. education systems are not set up to help…

This report is the executive summary to a paper that argues for a radical restructuring of education for grades 11-14--by erasing the arbitrary dividing line between high school and college--to open opportunities for the learners the current systems leave behind. The authors make the case for an entirely new type of institution--neither high…

Florida's College and Career Readiness Initiative (FCCRI) required schools to administer a community college placement test to 11th-grade students and enroll students who did not pass in a college readiness course. Christine Mokher, James Rosenbaum, Alexis Gable, Caitlin Ahearn, and Louis Jacobson surveyed teachers of the course and found that,…

There are many important questions teachers and administrators need to ask as they grapple with how to ensure high school graduates are college and career ready. What does it mean to prepare students for a world that is rapidly changing--a world in which science and technology are altering how we live, work, play, and interact? If teachers focus…

States and districts across the country have experimented with various college and career readiness initiatives designed to help students complete the postsecondary education they need to succeed in the labor market. Yet how do teachers view their students' likely college capabilities following these efforts? Can the reforms help work-bound…

By providing students with an opportunity to take college courses and earn college credits while in high school, dual enrollment programs effectively increase college access, enrollment, and degree attainment. Such programs might be particularly beneficial for high school students who might be less likely to go to college, including students from…

By providing students with an opportunity to take college courses and earn college credits while in high school, dual enrollment programs effectively increase college access, enrollment, and degree attainment. Such programs might be particularly beneficial for high school students who might be less likely to go to college, including students from…

This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a larger study exploring patterns in dual enrollment access and participation for the 2017/18 school year in the REL Central states (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming). The study also explored how dual enrollment access and participation varied with school…