College Readiness

Creating College Readiness

by the Educational Policy Improvement Center The concept of college readiness moves from the abstract to the concrete in EPIC’s online release of this study of 38 U.S. high schools with proven success in preparing students for life after graduation. The selected schools represent a diverse cross-section of the U.S. education system. This document profiles each school and contains comprehensive and tangible examples of successful student preparation. June 2009

What Makes A Student College Ready?

published by David Conley in Educational Leadership A study of 38 exemplary high schools provides guidelines for ensuring that students are prepared for postsecondary success. Preparing students for college has become a higher priority in many schools as parents, business leaders, and politicians emphasize the importance of a highly educated workforce and citizenry. But what steps do schools need to take to ensure that more students are ready? October 2008

Secondary Education in Oregon and Ireland: An Overview

by David Conley Presented at the Irish American Higher Education Research Organization (IA HERO) Colloquium, this paper provides a brief overview of the American and Irish school systems, with a particular focus on upper secondary education, known as high school in the United States and as the Senior Cycle in the Republic of Ireland. We examine briefly how and why the State of Oregon and Ireland are revising their upper secondary programs, and we consider the importance of the new sets of cross-curricular skills that both Oregon and Ireland are striving to have taught in their high school and Senior Cycle programs, respectively. While the upper secondary programs in these two countries differ in structure, content, and assessment, both face similar challenges preparing more students for postsecondary education and workforce participation. August 2008

The Challenge of College Readiness

published by David Conley in Educational Leadership Shows a mismatch between high school preparation and college expectations. How can high schools prepare students for college success? About 67 percent of U.S. students who graduated from high school in 2004 went on to enroll in college at a higher proportion than in any previous year (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005). Certainly, the rising college attendance rate is an accomplishment. But before we celebrate, we must consider how many of these hopeful, ambitious young people are likely to thrive in higher education. April 2007

Redefining College Readiness

published for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The purpose of this report is to provide an operational definition of college readiness that differs from current representations of this concept primarily in its scope. The report suggests that, while much has been learned about this phenomenon, particularly during the past 20 years, few systematic attempts have been made to integrate the various aspects or components of college readiness that have been investigated in some depth during this period of time. As a result, college readiness continues to be defined primarily in terms of high school courses taken and grades received, along with scores on national tests, as its primary metrics. March 2007

College Knowledge:
What It Really Takes for Students to Succeed and What We Can Do to Get Them Ready

by David Conley

Although more and more students have the test scores and transcripts to get into college, far too many are struggling once they get there. These students are surprised to find that college coursework demands so much more of them than high school. For the first time, they are asked to think deeply, write extensively, document assertions, solve non-routine problems, apply concepts, and accept unvarnished critiques of their work. College Knowledge confronts this problem by looking at the disconnect between what high schools do and what colleges expect and proposes a solution by identifying what students need to know, and be able to do, in order to succeed.

Work Samples

Collected from freshman students and faculty at research universities across the nation, these examples of student work are accompanied by course syllabi, assignments, lab exercises, and tests. They represent the range and types of assignments students receive when they enter college. They also demonstrate the quality of work students are expected to produce to be successful in entry-level university courses. To download this publication for free visit our partner, Center for Educational Policy Research.