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.
Submitted by CCRS Center on
Preparing students for college and careers includes exposing them to a range of educational and employment opportunities. In rural communities, the geographic distance to universities and businesses can present a challenge for students and schools. However, strong community relationships and partnerships can help mitigate these challenges, particularly in rural areas.
This literature review explores the role of noncognitive factors in academic performance, which is measured by student GPA. The report develops an evidence-based conceptual framework from existing literature on noncognitive factors. The report also analyzes existing research to identify any gaps in knowledge in order to assist policymakers who wish to assess leverage points for improving student achievement. Additionally, it examines implications for student learning, presents case studies, and provides recommendations.
Submitted by CCRS Center on
This month the College and Career Readiness and Success Center (CCRS Center) released a brief titled Understanding Accelerated Learning Across Secondary and Postsecondary Education. Prepared by the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), the brief catalogs and articulates accelerated learning options across and within secondary and postsecondary education.
This report reviews literature on Advanced Placement (AP) to answer several questions about student outcomes related to taking AP classes. It finds that research is inconclusive about the effect of AP course offerings on students and schools. Research has found that students who take AP courses and pass AP exams are more successful in college than those who did not take AP courses, but this report cautions that the research is correlational, not causal.
Submitted by Melinda Mechur Karp on
As community college administrators and faculty know all too well, getting through college takes more than academic preparation. Students often face barriers unrelated to academic skills that may prevent them from completing college. Some of these barriers are obvious and concrete – such as transportation or childcare difficulties. Others are more subtle: students may find the college bureaucracy bewildering, they may have poor time-management skills, or have no sense of when and how to seek help.
Submitted by Brett Pawlowski on
In June 2013, the National Center for College and Career Transitions (NC3T) surveyed Career Technical Education (CTE) and Career Academy practitioners at the school, district, and state levels to learn about the state of pathways programs: Where they were, where they had been, and where they were headed. In August, NC3T published the results of that survey, which show regular organic growth over the past few years, with growth forecasted for the future, despite little support in the policy arena.
Some notable findings from the report:
A group of community colleges in Tennessee have been working with local high schools to create math labs for high school students. The math labs are available to high school seniors who appear likely to be in need of remediation in college and are focused on preparing students for college math. Bill Haslam, the state's governor, provided $1.1 million to the project after hearing of its success - 25% of of 200 students at a remedial, dual enrollment group at Chattanooga State Community College had completed a credit-bearing college-level math course while still in high school.
A record number of high school students, 1.3 million during the 2010-2011 school year, are aiming to cut down on college costs by completing college courses while still in high school. Some of the methods students are taking to earn college credit include taking AP and college courses, receiving college credit for life experiences, completing the College-Level Examination Program, and attending early colleges during their senior year of high school. Research has also found that high school students who are exposed to college-level work have an increased likelihood of success.
Jim Rose, director of the Wyoming Community College Commission, proposed that the state require students identified as needing remediation to take remedial courses in high school as opposed to waiting until they start college. He argues that community college students are taking too long to obtain their degrees and this proposal would assist in moving students through the community college system more quickly and save students money.
Submitted by Erin Russ on
This post is the second in a two-part series following the Webinar, “Transforming Remediation: Understanding the Research, Policy, and Practice,” where presenters are responding to questions submitted by participants.
