This policy issue brief provides recommendations for state policymakers to generate a shared vision for student success that prepares all students for college, career and civic life. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides states with an unprecedented opportunity to transform K-12 education systems with new flexibility. The new law makes it…

Competency-based education (CBE) is widely viewed as an innovative alternative to traditional higher education, yet most programs serve only a narrow slice of the postsecondary population. Few are intended for adults who need to boost basic skills in order to succeed in college coursework. However, if designed with the needs of a broader range of…

In 2009, the Wyoming Community College Commission was tasked to create a blue-ribbon panel that would forge a Strategic Plan for the Community College System as a whole. This 5 year strategic plan will serve as a road map moving forward, barring any new legislative, commission or federal requirements that may require a change in the agency's…

In 2009, the Wyoming Community College Commission was tasked to create a blue-ribbon panel that would forge a Strategic Plan for the Community College System as a whole. This 5 year strategic plan will serve as a road map moving forward, barring any new legislative, commission or federal requirements that may require a change in the agency's…

"Rethinking Readiness" offers a new set of competencies to replace the narrow learning goals of No Child Left Behind and, in chapters written by some of the nation's most well-respected education scholars, explores their implications for schools. Today's students must cultivate the full range of intellectual, interpersonal, and…

Secondary students must be exposed to technology in blended learning environments across general and special education settings to ensure they learn technology skills as well as continue to learn fundamental reading skills in order to be prepared for college and careers. Reading skills affect later life outcomes, such as employment status (Kutner…

The George W. Bush Institute began the Middle School Matters (MSM) initiative in 2010 with the goal of increasing the number of students who are prepared for high school and postsecondary success. The initiative accomplishes this by drawing upon evidence-based research to develop practical tools and engaging support opportunities for middle grade…

This study examined the impact of perceived equitable treatment on Latina/o students' decisions concerning post-secondary enrollment. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with Latina/o high school students' aspirations to attend college within the context of theory concerning high school success and college choice. Data…

The purpose of this research study was to explore how incoming first year students develop their academic performance expectations, differences between students in the development of academic performance expectations, and lastly the role of the university has in communicating expectations to students. The researcher utilized case study research to…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to highlight ways two novice secondary English teachers negotiated the politics of college and career readiness along with the literacy needs of students, in the age of accountability. Design/methodology/approach: This three-year longitudinal qualitative case study focused on two participants in English…

This article discusses the importance of the professional school counselors' participation in the development of self-determination skills students with disabilities need to transition from high school to college. An intervention is proposed to guide high school counselors' involvement. Strategies to promote college readiness through the…

In Portugal, the massive expansion and diversification of higher education has led to a large and diverse student population. This has impacted on the complexity of the higher education learning environment and has implications for the teaching and learning activities. Thus, the current study examines Portuguese introductory accounting students'…

On the surface, this chapter concerns the evolution of educational assessment from a paper-based technology to an electronic one. On a deeper level, that evolution is more substantive. In the first section of this chapter, those stages are briefly described and used to place the new generation of assessments being created by the two comprehensive…

Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) computer adaptive interim assessments serve many purposes, from informing instruction to identifying students for intervention to projecting proficiency on state accountability assessments. To make sure its flagship product does the latter, Northwest Evaluation Association™ (NWEA™) routinely conducts studies…

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is one of two multi-state consortia that have built new assessment systems aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is composed of 18 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands that have worked together to develop a comprehensive assessment system aligned to the…