Betraying the College Dream: How Disconnected K-12 and Postsecondary Education Systems Undermine Student Aspirations

This study from the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research found that the overwhelming majority (80%) of Hispanic and African American students surveyed planned to pursue some kind of postsecondary education, but misaligned K-16 systems are putting up barriers to college access. Furthermore, high school assessments do not measure the same skills and knowledge that colleges require for entry. Compounding these problems is the fact that state longitudinal data systems are not sophisticated enough to track students throughout the K-16 pipeline, and students and parents are given mixed and often contradictory information on postsecondary options. The report also includes recommendations for making college access more equitable.