The College and Career Readines and Success Center closed on September 30,2019 because the grant cycle for the U.S. Department of Education Comprehensive Centers ended. The information on this website will no longer be updated. Visit www.air.org for updates on college and career readiness.
This report provides an overview of the state of postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) in the United States, including strengths and challenges of the CTE system. It also includes examples of various aspects of CTE systems in other countries and state case studies and recommendations for improving student outcomes of the postsecondary CTE system with a focus on three issues: quality and funding, credentials, and transitions.
This report includes findings from an impact evaluation of the Early College High School Initiative, launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The study compared the educational outcomes of students who applied and received admission into Early College through a lottery system to the outcomes of students who participated in the lottery system but did not receive admission. The study sample included 2,458 students and included data from 2004 to 2012.
This brief challenges the need for a fourth year of high school, addressing the controversy around “senior year” and its tendency to draw out the high school experience. In proposing the topic of early graduation, the document outlines a number of policy approaches and their successful implementation in various states. Among these programs are scholarship incentives, dual enrollment, virtual classes, and proficiency-based credits.
Submitted by Debra Bragg on
During the tenure of the Obama administration, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program has made an unprecedented investment—nearly $2 billion—in community colleges. Designed to transform community colleges in order to help put Americans back to work and improve the U.S.
This report includes the results of a study conducted by the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning which examined the effect of Prior Learning Assessments (PLA) on student outcomes at 48 higher education institutions. The study findings indicate that PLA students had better graduation rates and persistence compared to students who did not receive PLA credit and PLA students also completed their degrees in a shorter period of time. The report also examined institutional policies expected to have the greatest impact on student degree completion in regards to PLA credit.
This report highlights the Successful Transitions and Retention Track (START) Program at Idaho State University. The START Program, which consists of three components (classroom instruction, career and personal counseling, and math/English tutoring), is aimed at providing holistic support to students in order to increase the retention of GED holders entering college. This report also discusses some positive preliminary results on START initiatives, and provides first steps for implementing a START program.
This spotlight from The Condition of Education 2013 examines employment rates by educational attainment among 20-64 year olds between 1990 and 2012. Findings include the following: employment rates for those with a bachelor's degree were generally higher than for those without a bachelor's degree and there was a male-female gap in employment rates. To access the full Condition of Education 2013 report, visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2013/2013037.pdf.
This brief discusses the barriers to community college completion faced by students, such as lack of preparation, financial aid, and competing obligations. The brief also offers solutions for improving community college student outcomes through implementing promising practices and strategies, some of which include curriculum alignment and student supports.
