Essential Questions for Postsecondary Enrollment
Postsecondary Enrollment Playbook: Chapter 2
Overview
Postsecondary enrollment is a powerful pathway to economic mobility and long-term stability. With 70% of U.S. jobs expected to require education or training beyond high school by 2031, what comes after graduation matters more than ever. Postsecondary options — including two- and four-year colleges, career and technical education programs, apprenticeships and the skilled trades — all share a common goal: preparing students for careers that offer a living wage and a future. Communities can expand access to these pathways through strong college and career counseling, rigorous coursework, financial support and coordinated systems that help every student find and pursue their next step.
This is part 2 of StriveTogether’s Cradle-to-Career Outcomes Playbook: Postsecondary Enrollment. The playbook synthesizes research and practical guidance communities can use to improve postsecondary enrollment.
Postsecondary Enrollment
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1. Are students matriculating to well-matched postsecondary institutions that successfully graduate their students with credentials of value? -
2. Do students’ chosen postsecondary institutions provide adequate financial aid and are they adequately funded to offer a quality education?
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3. Are students’ chosen work-based learning programs broadly accessible, aligned to workforce needs and offer pay?
Postsecondary preparation
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4. Are all students graduating from high school on time, ready to successfully transition into further education, training or employment?
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5. Do students have access to and complete rigorous and accelerated coursework to prepare them for college, career and life success?
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6. Are students taking the steps to apply to college, enroll in training or enter the workforce after high school with sufficient counseling support?
Support networks that build social capital
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7. Do students have strong, supportive relationships with teachers, counselors, mentors and other influential adults?
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8. Do students have effective, representative teachers and leaders?
Experiences and neighborhood conditions
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9. Do families live in well-resourced neighborhoods?
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10. Do families with children have access to public support (i.e., health care access, nutrition programs, economic support, etc.)?
Positive, supportive environments
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11. Do students attend high schools, postsecondary institutions and/or work-based programs with safe, inclusive and supportive environments?
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12. Do students attend high schools, postsecondary institutions or work-based programs that prioritize their social, emotional and physical health?
Postsecondary Enrollment Playbook
Download the playbook