Over the past few decades, standards-based educational reforms in the U.S. have sought to enhance students' college and career readiness. The most recent wave of such reforms has emphasized writing as an essential aspect of college readiness and a 21st century skill necessary for success in the workplace. A common feature of these conversations…

Community college mathematics faculty have instituted changes to address inadequate preparation of incoming students to learn college-level mathematics. However, they could do more to develop student cognitive capabilities to enable underprepared students to successfully learn college mathematics. This basic qualitative study examined the…

Statement of Purpose and Method of Study: Conley's college readiness model includes four key indicators: cognitive skills, content knowledge, academic behaviors, and transition knowledge and skills. The study determined how State Educational Agencies (SEAs) outside Mississippi with an average or above-average post-secondary retention rate measure…

An estimated two-thirds of job openings require postsecondary education. Unfortunately, the national three-year graduation rate for associate degrees at public institutions is 25%; the six-year graduation rate for bachelor's degrees is 60%. With roughly 450 high schools serving 320,000 students, NYC public high schools play a pivotal role in…

Although improving the college and career readiness (CCR) skills of high school students has become a higher priority in recent years, educators must continue to seek better and more effective ways of preparing students for life after high school. Unfortunately, many high school students continue to be inadequately prepared for college or a career…

This study investigated the preparedness and experience of students for the fast-paced convergence of ICT and higher education. Overall, 366 distance students with a history of self-directed learning through correspondence courses were profiled using structured text-based online interviews. Twelve students' attributes on ICT material possession…

English language learners (ELs) often attend schools where there are (1) inequitable access to appropriately trained teachers and limited professional development opportunities, (2) inadequate instructional time, and (3) inequitable access to instructional materials and curriculum. These conditions place ELs at a considerable disadvantage.…

A stable learning environment is critical to high school reforms aimed at promoting postsecondary educational success. High teacher attrition can disrupt stable learning environments by uprooting student-teacher relationships and harming school climate. Educational leaders need greater understanding of how college readiness reforms alter learning…

This qualitative case study sought to understand the strategies and services utilized by Early College High School educators to support at-risk students. At-risk students need diverse types of academic and social and emotional support before they attend college, and high school instructors must recognize which strategies propel students into…

Access to the college readiness curriculum has become a civil rights issue. Social class continues to impact those underrepresented on college campuses. This dissertation study aims to gain foundational knowledge that can be used to take action by developing recommendations that support a culture in which students from an economically…

This study examines implementation of college-and-career-ready (CCR) education standards across five school districts in Ohio, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Drawing on the policy attributes theory, we found that the specificity of districts' approaches to two long-recognized policy levers, curriculum and professional…

This brief summarizes data from the 2021-22 collection of the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC)--released in early 2025--for information on access and opportunities for students with disabilities. It marks the sixth time CLE has analyzed data from the CRDC, the primary benchmark of America's ongoing work to build an education system that serves…

Despite national efforts to improve STEM retention, students from historically marginalized backgrounds, particularly those with high financial need or limited academic preparation, continue to leave STEM fields at disproportionately high rates. While many programs offer support, there is limited understanding of how students experience and…

"Getting Prepared" fulfills the legislative mandate (Minnesota Statute 13.32, subdivisions 3 and 6) to provide summary information about Minnesota public high school graduates who enrolled in developmental courses at Minnesota postsecondary institutions (that offer developmental education coursework) within two years of high school…

Since the reauthorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) in 2018, a new focus has been placed on career-focused indicators within state accountability systems. Among all possible career-focused indicators, dual enrollment participation/success is the most…