College Readiness Research

Throughout high school, students are prepped for college. Almost the entire curriculum revolves around getting into or being prepared for college. Many of these students are independent and intelligent individuals. College may be the perfect place for them. Linda Lee contemplates the fact that even though statistics show that college graduates make the most money, the statistics also point out that these students were “the brightest and hardest-working” students. There are also students that fall between the cracks of these statistics. Some students may be skilled in certain areas, but do not make the test scores to apply for a university. Others may be on the

Growing up, parents, teachers, and elders always emphasize the importance of an education to the younger generations. High school students are pushed and encouraged towards college for the next big step in their life. By the time kids step into high school it’s drilled into their heads that to make something of oneself they need to pursue a college education. In reality, are high school graduates even prepared for the challenges that they will soon face? High schools are not preparing their kids for the “college experience” that in turns leaves them lacking the know-how they will need for the workforce.

As an incoming EOF (Educational Opportunity Found) freshmen attending Rutgers University this fall, I had the mindset that if I did well academically, the transition from high school to college would go by smoothly. Unfortunately, college isn 't that simple. The transition to college is much more complex than people perceive it to be, in my case, it’s the most difficult obstacle I’ve ever encountered. Therefore, my aspiration is to conquer this transitional period as quickly and fluently as possible. When I had to changeover from middle school to high school, I was terrified. I didn 't know what awaited me and how much different things were going to be. It turned out high school was exactly the same, with the exception of the grades being ninth through Twelfth. There was nothing to be worried about. On the other hand, that wouldn 't be the case in college.

Being admitted into college is a difficult process, one that requires students to be diligent in their studies, engage in a number of extracurricular activities, and overcome the everyday pressures and challenges that high-schoolers face across the country. Admittedly, not everyone in the United States is born with the same opportunities as socioeconomic factors as well as historic injustices have contributed to a society in which some people are far more likely to achieve upward mobility – of which, obtaining a college degree is a necessary part – than others. While there is need to rectify this reality,

Kanno & Kangas, 2014), rigorous college preparation begins in middle school, when students must take the prerequisite classes to advanced high school courses. By the time students reach high school, advanced placement courses may be out of reach for those who have not taken the preparatory classes (Kanno & Kangas, 2014). Given that a rigorous secondary school curriculum seems to predict college success (Flores et al., 2012), ensuring that former ELLs enroll and succeed in high-level classes is integral to promoting equitable college readiness. Indeed, students who take advanced coursework tend to develop more higher-level thinking skills, analytical abilities, and positive attitudes than students who take basic courses (Kanno & Kangas, 2014). Most recently, Flores et al. (2012) analyzed student data from Texas and found that taking high-level and dual-credit courses is a strong predictor of immediate college enrollment for all students regardless of ELL

William G. Tierney, Zoë B. Corwin, Julia E. Colyar, (2005), Preparing for colleges, pp 200-264

“In fall 2016, some 20.5 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, constituting an increase of about 5.2 million since fall 2000” (National Center for Education Statistics). That number seems to be rising each and ever year, and it almost seems as students feel like they have to go to college directly after high school. Maybe it is because they feel that they have to fit in, even if college is not for them. Although some students attend college for academics, sports, and other reasons, some students attend college for no apparent reason; with that in mind, students should take into consideration the time and money that is put into going to college.

Although college readiness can be measured sing ACT and SAT scores, which developed a college readiness benchmarks to see whether a prospective college student has a high prospect of success in college courses of English, social sciences, Algebra and biology. However, if your test scores are not meeting the typical benchmarked standard does that truly determine I you are ready for college. No. One thing we have to take under deep consideration is that each student is different and some don’t test very well. What happens to a child who has a really good GPA, high determination and a low test score? College recruits deem that these children are not college ready. College readiness should be measured with a more natural eye, because some students may not be good in particular subject areas, however, what would be the likeness of high school students completing and earning a degree in a field that they enjoy. The nature of humans is to do things that they enjoy, to read stories that they can relate too, to complete a task that means a lot to them. This is the natural eye that we should look at college readiness with. How determined and passionate are the students on furthering their education. How

The faculty developed a system of support to advocate the academic and personal success for each student by utilizing the academy theme. The incoming freshman has a personal transition plan, which sets the foundation for their high school career. The personal transition plan also enable students to develop passion and deepen their purpose for life. To increase college and career readiness for economically disadvantaged and underrepresented students, the Early College program is an example of tweaking the personalized learning pathway to change the trajectory of the

It is widely agreed upon that one’s High School Grade Point Average is the best forecaster of college achievement. “High school GPA is based on repeated sampling of student performance over a period of years. And college-preparatory classes present many of the same academic challenges that students will face in college, so it should not be surprising that prior performance in such activities would be predictive of later performance” (Atkinson). A student’s application of themselves in high school, as

As a result, students and parents are starting to prepare for college much later than researchers recommend (Bell et al., 2009; Gibbons et al., 2006). According to research from Bell et al. (2009), students who attend schools with personnel dedicated to college guidance are more likely to feel confident about and familiar with the college application process. This finding is particularly significant, as first-generation college students report lower positive outcome expectations related to attending college, which can in turn impact their intentions, interests, and goals. Furthermore, with prospective first-generation college students reporting greater barriers related to college going, it is essential that counselors dedicated to college access are available to help raise positive expectations, as well as challenge negative expectations for this population (Gibbons & Borders, 2010). Although 65 percent of first-generation college students expressed interest in attending a four-year university in Gibbons et al.’s (2006) research, just 53 percent of all prospective first-generation college students were enrolled in college-preparatory courses. As a result, some counselors have started to realize how the rigor of classes is a systemic barrier

In “Assessing College Readiness: Should We Be Satisfied with ACT or other Threshold Scores?”, educational researcher and psychology teacher Geoffrey Maruyama argues that the ACT and other threshold scores do not sufficiently determine college readiness, then suggests different approaches that can be used to assess college readiness.

As I attempt to answer this question about local, state, and federal agencies and their effect on my college readiness I believe I need to describe the era and history that this occurred in. The United States was just emerging from the 1960s. The federal government was dealing with the controversy over the Vietnam War, the U.S. draft lottery, the Women’s Liberation Movement, the Civil Right Movement, and the Informal Education Movement which all had an effect on society and education. Elementary school changed their reading program from phonic to sight reading. New schools without wall were being built for a brief time due to the Informal Education Movement. Schools were renamed from junior high school to middle school. High schools were more focused on two different paths for students.

When I first came to college, I was nearly overwhelmed by the seemingly complete independence and freedom that I had. Of course, such freedom has its limitations, and going beyond those constraints will almost certainly lead to serious consequences, as I discovered watching so many of my peers crash and burn during their first semester – or at least come close to doing so. As I observed the struggles of my friends and classmates, I realized how lucky I was that my own high school experience, combined with the way my parents raised me, protected me from most of the disasters that I could have suffered during my freshman year.

The facets of college readiness theory also insists that taking action, as a student, through developing American-style learning skills and study methods, will assist Chinese international students in taking control of their academic success. Such significant educational skills include practicing excellent time-management, taking notes effectively, taking information to memory, possessing sufficiently well-developed reading skills, and the ability to conduct teamwork should all be part of preemptive academic training that can keep Chinese international students focused and on task. Conley (2015) wrote that all of the aforementioned skills are dependent upon Chinese international students having an excellent understanding of the capability needed to transition into an American university setting. The facets of college readiness theory underscores that transition skills begin for international students before setting out to fulfill their