Jobs for the Future and the Greater Texas Foundation's new report documents an early college program in El Paso, Texas that has enabled over a thousand students to earn a bachelor's degree, and holds lessons for early college advocates and leaders. Texas has been at the forefront of the early college movement since early college--which integrates…

For many years, the General Educational Development (GED) credential has been viewed as the high school dropout's safety net. Though not as well regarded as the high school diploma, the GED has opened up educational and economic opportunity for millions of young people and adults who did not finish high school. Nearly 680,000 people take the full…

This article demonstrates how a well-designed and collaboratively supported program engages school faculty in improving at-risk student retention and transition to college. Using the "power of the site" principle, the program designers envisioned a very different high school culture that focuses on a collaborative and supportive relationship…

The value of a college degree is well documented. College graduates earn at least 60% more than high school graduates. Beyond the economic value, college graduates show higher rates of civic participation, engage in volunteer work and even have a much higher likelihood of being "happy." Students who drop out without attaining a college…

This snapshot is a guide to the School District of Philadelphia's (the District's) 13 accelerated high schools in the 2010-11 school year. The accelerated high schools were the result of a partnership between the District and Project U-Turn, a city-wide coalition dedicated to reducing student drop-out and increasing graduation rates and readiness…

The 2006 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act required that all career technical education (CTE) programs offer secondary to postsecondary programs of study (POS), which integrate rigorous academics, offer dual enrollment options, and lead to an industry-recognized degree or credential. Focused on improving students' transition to…

The graduates of high schools and vocational high schools in Taiwan have different ways to enter colleges and universities offering technology and vocational education programs. In this research, we have traced the 4-year academic performances of science and technology university students who have gained admissions through different channels. For…

The integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions through positive behavior supports (PBS) can provide benefit for students, staff, and families (Bohanon et al., 2006; Turnbull et al., 2002). However, there is limited application of PBS to high schools settings (Sugai, Flannery, & Bohanon, 2004). However, preliminary data is…

A pivotal point for students is the transition from middle school to high school. Students will decide during the first few weeks of their freshman year if they intend to continue their high school education (Hertzog & Morgan, 1999). This article provides the reader with the research surrounding this transition year, programs and practices…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions Latino eighth grade students have of school and schooling factors as they transition to high school and the factors that may influence their self-perceived likelihood of graduating from high school. Middle schools are poised to help Latino students prepare themselves for a smoother…

Despite efforts by educators, full participation by Alaska native students in the state's colleges and universities has not yet been achieved. Alaska Natives are the state's only racial group that is underrepresented in enrollments at the University of Alaska (UA). This report examines the contribution of the Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI)…

Compared to its predecessor, "Answers in the Tool Box," the preponderance of the "Toolbox Revisited" story has been on the postsecondary side of the matriculation line. Implicitly, it calls on colleges, universities, and community colleges to be a great deal more interventionary in the precollegiate world, to be more self-reflective about the…

This article summarizes intervention activities and participant outcomes from a five-year federally funded project that prepared students with learning disabilities for transition to postsecondary education. Project participants demonstrated higher first-year postsecondary retention rates than the student population and gained skills in many…

ACT's Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS[R]) is designed to guide and support schools, districts, and states in their efforts to improve students' readiness for life after high school. EPAS provides a longitudinal approach to educational and career planning, assessment, instructional support, and evaluation. EPAS components are…

This collection of readings covers critical issues related to transition of youth with disabilities from school to post-school experiences. The first paper, titled "'Cognitive Return' of Schooling for Students with Disabilities: Preliminary Findings from 'High School and Beyond'" by Delwyn L. Harnisch and Ian A. G. Wilkinson, applies…