Essential Questions for Postsecondary Enrollment: Postsecondary Preparation

Percentage of high school graduates who enroll in postsecondary education, training or employment within 6 months of graduation

Students graduate from high school with a regular diploma within four, five and six years of entering high school (Education-to-Workforce).

Percentage of students who graduate with a diploma in four years (on-time) (Education-to-Workforce).

Percentage of 9th grade students who earn a B average or better. Freshmen who earn a B average or better have an 80% chance of finishing high school with at least a 3.0 GPA (CCSR).

Percentage of 9th grade students who miss less than a week of school. Nearly 90% of freshmen who miss less than a week of school per semester graduate, regardless of their 8th grade test scores (CCSR).

Percentage of students who are present for more than 90% of their enrolled days, excluding students enrolled for fewer than 90 days. The EW Framework selected an attendance rate of 90% as a minimum recommendation to align with the most commonly reported measure of chronic absenteeism, used by Attendance Works and the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) (Education-to-Workforce).

Students demonstrate satisfactory attendance by being present for 96% or more of enrolled days (Education-to-Workforce).

Students who are “at risk” are identified as being present for 91 to 95% of enrolled days (Education-to-Workforce).

Adjusted cohort graduation rate (the percentage of first-time 9th graders who graduate with a regular diploma within four, five and six years of entering high school, regardless of whether they transferred schools)  (Education-to-Workforce). 

On-time graduation in four years is most commonly reported, as it is the time to graduation that most students should aim to achieve. As such, it is important to ensure equitable outcomes in four-year rates. Data systems should also collect information on whether students complete a high school equivalency credential (Education-to-Workforce). 

Educational attainment of population ages 25 to 34 in the United States (Annie E. Casey, Kids Count Data Center).

Young adults ages 18 to 24 who are high school graduates, disaggregated by race and ethnicity (Annie E. Casey, Kids Count Data Center).

Young adults ages 18 to 24 who are high school graduates and enrolled in school, disaggregated by race and ethnicity (Annie E. Casey, Kids Count Data Center).

high school students not graduating on time, disaggregated by race and ethnicity (Annie E. Casey, Kids Count Data Center).

Young adults ages 18 to 24 who are enrolled in or have completed college, disaggregated by race and ethnicity (Annie E. Casey, Kids Count Data Center).

Young adults ages 18 to 24 not attending school, not working and no degree beyond high school (Annie E. Casey, Kids Count Data Center).

Teens ages 16 to 19 not in school and not high school graduates, disaggregated by race and ethnicity (Annie E. Casey, Kids Count Data Center).

Teens ages 16 to 19 not attending school and not working, disaggregated by race and ethnicity (Annie E. Casey, Kids Count Data Center).

The percentage of an entering freshman high school class not graduating in four years, disaggregated by race and ethnicity (Annie E. Casey, Kids Count Data Center).

Freshmen cohort graduation rates four years later. In terms of the educational pipeline, the most useful measures track a cohort of students over time to determine whether and how they progress through school. Greene and Winters (2005) and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center (2008) attempt to approximate the percentage of ninth graders who earn a regular diploma four years later (Bridget Terry Long, Dropout Prevention).

According to Greene and Winters (2005), there are several reasons why GED recipients should not be included in the high school graduation rates. They point to research that has found that the returns to a GED are far less than that of a regular diploma (see Cameron and Heckman 1993; Murnane, Willett, and Boudett 1995) (Bridget Terry Long, Dropout Prevention).

While freshmen graduation rates four years later give some sense of the students left behind without a degree, another way to measure the prevalence of dropping out of high school is to use direct estimates. Stillwell and Hoffman (2008) provide an event dropout rate, which is the proportion of students who drop out in a single year (Bridget Terry Long, Dropout Prevention).

A third (and broader) way to measure high school degree attainment is to examine at one point in time the proportion of students who have not completed a high school degree and are not enrolled in school. The U.S. Department of Education tracks this information over time to produce a status dropout rate, which includes any sixteen- to twenty- four- year- old student without a high school credential (i.e., diploma or equivalent, such as GED) regardless of when they dropped out of school (Bridget Terry Long, Dropout Prevention). 

College- and career-ready (CCR) graduation rate. The number of students who graduated with a CCR diploma divided by the total number of graduates, which may include four-year and extended-year graduates. A CCR diploma is one that satisfies a state’s content standards for English/language arts (ELA) and mathematics by twelfth-grade graduation, generally requiring students to complete, at minimum, four years of grade-level ELA and three years of math through Algebra II or Integrated Math III (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

Percentage of students who meet college and career readiness benchmarks, such as ACT/SAT benchmarks, college and career readiness assessments, etc.) (AIR).

Four-, five- and six-year high school graduation rates/dropout rates. (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Share on track to graduate. (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Share overage/undercredited. (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate: The adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) is the percentage of students who graduate in 4 years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. From the beginning of 9th grade (or the earliest high school grade), students who are entering that grade for the first time form a cohort that is “adjusted” by adding any students who subsequently transfer into the cohort and subtracting any students who subsequently transfer out, emigrate to another country (National Center for Education Statistics).

Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate: The ACGR is different from the averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR). The averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR) is an estimate of the percentage of public high school students who graduate on time (i.e., 4 years after starting 9th grade) with a regular diploma. The rate uses aggregate student enrollment data to estimate the size of an incoming freshman class and aggregate counts of the number of diplomas awarded 4 years later. The AFGR estimate is not as accurate as the ACGR, but the AFGR can be estimated annually as far back as the 1960s (National Center for Education Statistics).

Event Dropout Rate: The event dropout rate is the percentage of 15- to 24-year-olds in grades 10 through 12 who leave high school between the beginning of one school year and the beginning of the next without earning a high school diploma or an alternative credential such as a GED. The event dropout rate provides information about the rate at which U.S. high school students are leaving school without receiving a high school credential. The measure can be used to study student experiences in the U.S. secondary school system in a given year. The event dropout rates presented in this indicator are based on data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) (National Center for Education Statistics).

Status Dropout Rate: The status dropout rate is the number of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and have not earned a high school diploma or an alternative credential, such as a GED, as a percentage of the total number of 16- to 24-year-olds in the population. In this indicator, status dropout rates are estimated using both the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) (National Center for Education Statistics.)

Status Completion Rate: Data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) can be used to calculate the status completion rate, the percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds not enrolled in high school or a lower education level who hold a high school diploma or an alternative credential, such as a GED. This rate includes all civilian, noninstitutionalized individuals 18 to 24 years old who have completed high school, including individuals who completed their education outside of the United States. While the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate and the Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate focus on a particular cohort of students in the U.S. secondary school system who graduated with a high school diploma, the status completion rate, presented in this indicator, describes the educational attainment of individuals in a given age range. Moreover, the status completion rate counts both high school diploma recipients and alternative credential recipients as high school completers (National Center for Education Statistics).

State- and district-level high school graduation rates over time, disaggregated by gender, race/ethnicity and income level  (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Unemployment rates and earnings by educational attainment (i.e., Less than a high school diploma, high school diploma only, Some college but no degree, Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, etc.) (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Four-, five- and six-year high school graduation rates/dropout rates (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

College- and career-ready (CCR) graduation rate. The number of students who graduated with a CCR diploma divided by the total number of graduates in the Class of 2014, which may include four-year and extended-year graduates (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

College- and career-ready (CCR) gap. The gap in attainment of a CCR diploma between (1) white students and students of color, (2) students from low-income families and students without this designation, (3) students with disabilities and those without this designation, and (4) English language learners and those without this designation (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

The American Graduate initiative, which was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), is public media’s long-term commitment to improving youth outcomes through education and career readiness. Public media is uniquely positioned to serve as content creators, trusted communicators, conveners and community connectors. Since 2011, national producers and local stations have engaged with more than 1,700 partners, including the GradNation campaign, to create public understanding of the challenges students, especially those in high poverty communities, face on the path to a high school diploma (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Systemic Approach: This strategy for dropout prevention calls for a systemic approach and process for ongoing and continuous improvement across all grade levels and among all stakeholders, through a shared and widely communicated vision and focus, tightly focused goals and objectives, selection of targeted research-based strategies and interventions, ongoing monitoring and feedback and data-based decision making. It also requires the alignment of school policies, procedures, practices and organizational structures and continuous monitoring of effectiveness (The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention).

School-Community Collaboration: This strategy for dropout prevention focuses on the power of an engaged and responsive community where everyone in the community is accountable for the quality of education, resulting in a caring and collaborative environment where youth can thrive and achieve. Critical elements of this type of collaboration rely on effective, ongoing, and multidimensional communication so that dropout prevention is a communitywide and ongoing effort (The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention).

Early Childhood Education: Birth-to-five interventions demonstrate that providing a child additional enrichment can enhance brain development. The most effective way to reduce the number of children who will ultimately drop out is to provide the best possible classroom instruction from the beginning of school through the primary grades (The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention).

Early Literacy Development: Early literacy interventions to help low-achieving students improve their reading and writing skills establish the necessary foundation for effective learning in all subjects. Literacy development focus should continue P-12 (The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention).

Service-Learning: Service-learning connects meaningful community service experiences with academic learning. This teaching/learning method promotes personal and social growth, career development and civic responsibility and can be a powerful vehicle for effective school reform at all grade levels (The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention).

Alternative Schooling: Alternative or non-traditional schooling and delivery model options (e.g., alternative times and environments, blended learning, virtual learning, competency-based credit opportunities) provide alternative avenues to credit earning and graduation, with programs paying special attention to the student’s individual and social needs, career goals and academic requirements for obtaining a high school diploma and transitioning successfully to life beyond graduation (The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention).

Afterschool/Out-of-School Opportunities: Many schools provide afterschool, before-school and/or summer academic/enhancement/enrichment opportunities (e.g., tutoring, credit recovery, acceleration, homework support, etc.) that provide students with opportunities for assistance and recovery as well as high-interest options for discovery and learning. These opportunities often decrease information loss and can inspire interest in arenas otherwise inaccessible. Such experiences are especially important for at-risk students because out-of-school “gap time” is filled with constructive and engaging activities and/or needed academic support (The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention).

Individualized Instruction: Learning experiences can be individualized, differentiated, or personalized In an environment that is fully personalized, the learning objectives and content as well as the method and pace may all vary so personalization encompasses differentiation and individualization (The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention).

Quality CTE programs and related career pathways and guidance programs with P-20W orientation are essential for all students. Youth need workplace skills as well as awareness and focus to increase not only the likelihood that they will be prepared for their careers, but also that school will be relevant to what is next (The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention).

Leverage higher education and workforce leaders in the design of high school graduation requirements (Education Strategy Group).

Prioritize both flexibility and consistent rigor: States should maintain a streamlined set of diploma options that uphold a consistent standard of rigor, ensuring all pathways adequately prepare students for a range of high-value opportunities after high school — from college to apprenticeships to good jobs with living wages (Education Strategy Group).

Include measures of college and career readiness: States should consider a robust set of measures that indicate students’ readiness for continued education and training beyond high school, such as: earning early postsecondary credit (Advanced Placement , International Baccalaureate, dual credit); completing a CTE pathway; earning an industry recognized credential; completing work-based learning, including youth apprenticeship; demonstrating leadership on co/extra-curricular activities; demonstrating competency in core skills such as communication and collaboration; and/or completing community service hours (Education Strategy Group).

Align high school graduation requirements to college and career readiness benchmarks and indicators of a “well-rounded” education that includes coursework and other educational experiences (Jimenez and Sargrad, Are high school Diplomas Really a Ticket to College and Work?).

Create and use data to monitor and continuously improve: Develop and implement a data strategy for understanding how different student groups and geographies are meeting the graduation requirements, and report that disaggregated data publicly on an annual basis (Education Strategy Group).

Expand what students need to know and be able to do to graduate. While traditional graduation requirements are primarily grounded in content-defined course or testing requirements, competency-based education goes further. Alongside rigorous academic content, competency-based education asks students to demonstrate mastery of durable skills crucial to postsecondary and workforce readiness (KnowledgeWorks, Four Key Insights into Competency-based Graduation Requirements).

Ground advancement in mastery, not seat time. Competency-based education allows students to move at a pace that makes sense for them while making sure they have the support they need to be successful. This moves credit accumulation away from the tradition of the time-based Carnegie Unit and centers it instead on what students know. Almost all the states that we reviewed give schools and/or districts wide-ranging latitude to award credits based on mastery, with some notably going further than others (KnowledgeWorks, Four Key Insights into Competency-based Graduation Requirements).

Rethink where, when and how graduation requirements can be met. Competency-based education moves beyond the time and location constraints imposed by the Carnegie Unit and asks students to demonstrate mastery, regardless of the time, place or method that they may use for doing so. Many states have introduced policy flexibilities that codify this level of student choice (KnowledgeWorks, Four Key Insights into Competency-based Graduation Requirements).

Balance local control with reasonable state guardrails. Competency-based education moves beyond a one-size-fits-all model and seeks to personalize education for all students. While nearly every state dictates some level of baseline graduation requirements, many of the states that we reviewed balance this with considerable local flexibility in determining what students know and how they’ll demonstrate it in relation to graduation requirements (KnowledgeWorks, Four Key Insights into Competency-based Graduation Requirements).

Align high school graduation requirements to requirements for admission to state public university system (Jimenez and Sargrad, Are high school Diplomas Really a Ticket to College and Work?)

Mandating FAFSA completion (with opt-out) to promote access (e.g., Louisiana, Texas) (NCAN).

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) is considered to be the “gold standard” of graduation rate metrics; there are still ways it can be improved to guarantee the best data is available. There is still variability in what is considered a “regular” diploma, how transfer students are taken into account and how certain subgroups (e.g., students with disabilities, English learners, low-income students) are identified within the cohort. These and other issues challenge our ability to compare graduation rates across states, but more troubling, have created loopholes for states in calculating their rates (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Promote policies and practices that reduce harmful disparities. It is evident that Black, Latine and low-income students are less likely to be on track to graduate on time and enroll in postsecondary. Greater investments need to be made in these students and their schools starting in early education, and harmful, reactive disciplinary practices – particularly out-of-school suspensions, expulsions and law enforcement referrals – should be replaced with proactive practices and policies that keep students in school and attempt to address their underlying issues (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation). 

States should address inequities between high- and low-poverty school districts by establishing weighted funding formulas that provide more state funding to schools serving students with the greatest needs. States and districts should also work together to determine where those dollars can have the greatest impact and follow the evidence of what works, especially as they begin to develop comprehensive support and improvement plans for their lowest-performing schools. (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Align diplomas with college and career ready standards. Two recent reports on the quality of high school diplomas found mismatches between high school graduation requirements and state college admissions criteria, as well as the number and types of students earning a college and career ready diploma in the few states that offer one (Almond, 2017; Jimenez & Sargrad, 2018). The misalignment between what students need to graduate high school and what they need to be prepared for postsecondary hurts students, many of whom end up tracked into remediation courses (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

State leaders should establish diploma requirements aligned with state college and university admissions criteria, and schools and districts should ensure more students, especially those that are at the greatest disadvantage, earn a college and career ready diploma. Making a well-aligned college and career ready diploma the default diploma option can help ensure more students are on track to graduate prepared for postsecondary or career pathways (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Support schools and districts with comprehensive support and improvement plans. Districts with identified low-performing high schools must develop support and improvement plans. These plans must include evidence-based strategies and be approved and monitored by the state (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

States, with the help of researchers, should curate lists of evidence-based strategies and programs to assist districts in the development of these plans and connect schools and districts to organizations and networks that can provide necessary and individualized technical assistance. School improvement will not happen without a strategic, sustainable approach and schools, districts, and the communities they serve will need help determining the best course of action and implementing their plans (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Avoid and eliminate practices that lower the bar for students. Over the past decade, there has been a marked increase in the use of credit recovery courses and alternative programs to move off-track students toward their diploma. While some of these courses and programs may be useful for a small subset of students who have mitigating circumstances, many of them fail to provide a rigorous education and prepare students for life beyond high school (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

States, especially those with large numbers of credit recovery schools, should examine their quality and determine whether they are helping young people or simply offering meaningless credentials. And where these programs are having success, researchers and education leaders should do more to learn what works in engaging and graduating students who often face some of the greatest challenges (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Create state specific high school graduation plans. States should develop “Path to 90% On-Time high school Graduation for All Plans” that analyze which districts, schools and students within their state will need additional supports and/or guidance on implementing customized evidence-based approaches to enable all students to graduate, on-time, prepared for postsecondary success (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Strengthen the transition from high school to postsecondary and careers. K-12 education leaders can ease the transition from high school to postsecondary and careers by creating alignment between high school and college entry requirements, helping students understand their postsecondary options and the application and financial aid process, and providing greater access to early college, career academies and CTE coursework pathways (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Postsecondary institutions should do more to support students, particularly first generation and low-income students, both before they step onto campus and once they are there. This can include working with high schools to offer remediation courses prior to high school graduation, eliminating test score-based admission requirements, developing more structured and strategic advising and engagement opportunities for students during the summer gap and school year, particularly in the critical freshman year, and ensuring students have access to tutoring and other academic support. And as more low-income students enter postsecondary, it is important that these institutions recognize their needs and understand that financial aid packages often are not enough to cover basic expenses like food and housing (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Employers can help strengthen the transition between education and the workplace. They can increase engagement with schools by providing internships and job shadowing to ground learning in real experiences. Employers can also work with high schools and postsecondary institutions to create a more innovative last semester of high school where students can have the opportunity to have more practical, hands-on experiences (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

State-level compulsory school age requirements. In the report The Silent Epidemic, researchers observe that no state has a legal dropout age below 16, and that almost nobody drops out of school before entering high school. States set minimum and maximum compulsory age requirements to be in school. While no state has a legal dropout age below 16, the majority of states permit a student to drop out of high school when they turn 16. Typically in 10th grade, a 16-year-old student has new found authority under law to make a choice. The report’s researchers question the soundness of this policy, particularly since the U.S. guarantees, and provides substantial resources for, a public education through 12th grade. They propose that raising maximum compulsory school age requirements – specifically raising the legal dropout age to 18 – would, when coupled with well-trained staffs, more manageable caseloads, working partnerships with other government agencies to support parents and guardians who struggle to keep their children in school and efforts to address the issues that caused students to leave school, would have a significant effect on reducing the dropout rate (Civic Enterprises, The Silent Epidemic).

Accurate data at the state and federal levels. Schools and communities cannot adequately address the dropout problem without an accurate account of it. States need to do further work to make dropout rates more accurate, tracking students within states and across state lines. And more work needs to be done to build the data systems that will allow states to collect and publish graduation and dropout rates and to monitor progress state by state over time (Civic Enterprises, The Silent Epidemic).

States ensure alignment between high school diploma requirements and state college admission standards. A recent report by the Center for American Progress (CAP) compared high school graduation requirements for each state’s standard diploma to admission requirements for that state’s public university system, and to measures of quality. According to CAP’s analysis, in nearly every state for at least one subject, there is a preparation gap between the courses required to receive a standard diploma and the courses required for admission into the state’s public four-year university system. Only two states require a 15-credit college-ready curriculum, just one state requires students to take three courses in a career pathway and four states have aligned their high school diploma requirements with the requirements to be eligible for admission to the state public university system (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Align state’s diploma with college and career readiness standards (Education Strategy Group).

In eight states (Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming), a high school graduation test is required for students to receive a diploma. Four states (Tennessee, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia) have replaced high school graduation tests with end-of-course exams that factor into a student’s course grades (Education Strategy Group).

Several states incorporate experiences aimed at better preparing students for higher education or the workforce into their graduation requirements or “diploma pathways.” These experiences may include partaking in opportunities such as dual enrollment, industry credential programs, financial literacy courses or career preparation courses (Education Strategy Group).

Some states, like Texas, Illinois, Alabama, California and New Hampshire, require or provide the option for students to complete financial aid applications, such as the FAFSA, to facilitate access to higher education (Education Strategy Group).

A select few regions, like Colorado, Kentucky, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia, are mandating the development of individualized learning plans tailored to students’ academic and career goals, alongside requiring transition-related tasks such as resume preparation or career exploration activities (Education Strategy Group).

In 2019, Washington state eliminated the state assessment mandate for graduation, and opted to provide a range of graduation pathway options to assess and better prepare students for college and career. These pathways include meeting graduation scores in Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA),  earning credits through dual enrollment programs, achieving certain scores on AP/IB/Cambridge exams, meeting SAT/ACT graduation scores, completing transition courses, exploring performance-based options, combining multiple pathways, achieving standard on the ASVAB or completing a sequence of Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses (Education Strategy Group).

Idaho students must complete a senior project to earn their diploma, demonstrating their ability to analyze, synthesize and communicate information effectively. It includes research, thesis development using experiential or integrated project-based learning and project presentation. Additional requirements may vary by district. Completion of a postsecondary certificate/degree or participation in an approved pre-internship/internship can also meet this requirement (Education Strategy Group).

Policymakers should align their state’s diploma with college and career readiness expectations: The high school diploma should provide a more robust signal of readiness than completion of courses alone. It should represent the state’s vision for redesigning the high school experience, with the full set of college and career experiences (and intended competencies) included. While the specific demonstrations may evolve over time, the fundamental alignment must remain constant. This approach ensures the diploma continues to signal readiness, adapting to the needs of today’s economy without losing its core purpose (Education Strategy Group, Rethinking high school Graduation Requirements).

Leverage higher education and workforce leaders in the design: It’s not enough for K-12 leaders to design high school graduation requirements in the hope that the requirements will set students up to be ready for success in college and career; higher education and workforce leaders need to be deeply engaged in the development to ensure alignment and buy-in (Education Strategy Group, Rethinking high school Graduation Requirements). 

Prioritize both flexibility and consistent rigor: States should maintain a streamlined set of diploma options that uphold a consistent standard of rigor, ensuring all pathways adequately prepare students for a range of high-value opportunities after high school — from college to apprenticeships to good jobs with living wages. And students should have a variety of ways to demonstrate readiness that is inclusive of, but not solely based on, course completion and/or assessment benchmarks. States can integrate experiential learning opportunities, including work-based learning, that help demonstrate mastery of key competencies (e.g., communications, teamwork) into diploma options, providing authentic opportunity to both demonstrate and validate readiness in contexts that will engage students (Education Strategy Group, Rethinking high school Graduation Requirements). 

Include measures of college and career readiness: States should consider a robust set of measures that indicate students’ readiness for continued education and training beyond high school, such as: earning early postsecondary credit (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual credit); completing a CTE pathway; earning an industry-recognized credential; completing work-based learning, including youth apprenticeship; demonstrating leadership on co/extra-curricular activities; demonstrating competency in core skills such as communication and collaboration; and/or completing community service hours (Education Strategy Group, Rethinking high school Graduation Requirements).

Create and use data to monitor and continuously improve: Develop and implement a data strategy for understanding how different student groups and geographies are meeting the graduation requirements, and report that disaggregated data publicly on an annual basis (Education Strategy Group, Rethinking high school Graduation Requirements).

State policymakers should move from traditional high school graduation requirements which emphasize mastery of academic content standards and high school diploma attainment college and career readiness standards which prioritize both the mastery of academic content and experiential learning to support college and career readiness (Education Strategy Group, Rethinking high school Graduation Requirements).

The Education Commission of the States provides a national comparison of state policies addressing graduation requirements, including pathways, diploma types and endorsements, course and assessment requirements, as well as non-course requirements and flexibilities for students and schools. This study found: (a) At least 21 states have identified multiple diploma options or pathways to graduation in state policy; (b) At least 46 states and the District of Columbia identify minimum credit requirements to earn a standard diploma; (c) At least 44 states and the District of Columbia permit students to substitute specific courses, assessments or other experiences for existing credit requirements; (d) At least 34 states require students to complete specific assessments as a graduation requirement (Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison).

State high school graduation requirements should align with their CCR standards. The misalignment of high school graduation requirements and CCR standards diminishes the value of the high school diploma and sends the message that all students are not expected to meet the rigor required with the CCR standards (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

States with CCR diplomas should make the CCR diploma the default diploma for all students. As seen in the cases of Arkansas, Indiana, and Texas, when states automatically place students in a CCR diploma pathway — coupled with the necessary support — traditionally underserved students perform better and the gaps between student subgroups shrink (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

All states with multiple pathways should track and publicly report diploma pathway data disaggregated by diploma type and by student subgroup. Moreover, states should track this data during and through completion of postsecondary education, as Indiana does, and report the data in state and local report cards under ESSA. This will enable parents and the public to see which pathways best prepare students for postsecondary education (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

States also should track and publicly report in the aggregate and disaggregated by student subgroup data pertaining to students graduating from high school with waiver diplomas (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

School districts should track and publicly report diploma pathway data disaggregated by diploma type and student subgroup, both districtwide and by school (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

School districts and individual secondary schools (including middle and high schools) should educate parents and students about the long-term postsecondary outcomes of students who select less rigorous diploma pathways so that parents clearly understand the likely outcomes of all possible diploma options (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

For accountability requirements under ESSA, states should consider using the percentage of students enrolled in postsecondary education without the need for remediation and the percentage of students graduating with a CCR diploma as indicators of school quality or student success. This action, coupled with this report’s recommendation for disaggregating diploma pathways data during and through completion of postsecondary education, would provide meaningful data for parents and communities while ensuring the data is acted upon as part of the state’s accountability system (Alliance for Excellent Education, Paper Thin).

Ensure clear alignment of the requirements for high school graduation with the admissions requirements for the state public university system. This will require the collaboration and coordination of the high school and state college systems in the areas of course type, amount, and curricula. One subject area that needs careful consideration is science, since misalignment can occur because public universities require laboratory science and providing this type of science may be particularly challenging for under-resourced school districts.

Require completion of the 15-credit college-ready coursework required by most public university systems to receive a standard high school diploma. Research shows that non college-goers have better life outcomes if they take a rigorous high school course load regardless of college enrollment. This includes all of the following courses, or demonstrations of mastery of their equivalents: three years of math up to Algebra II; four years of English composition; three years each of social studies and science, including biology, chemistry, physics, with laboratory experience; and two years of the same foreign language. Any advanced or honors diplomas offered by states should exceed these expectations and could align with requirements for math and science college majors.

Offer an additional career-readiness diploma for students that choose not to attend a four-year university. This diploma should require at least three CTE courses in the same field in addition to the 15-credit college-ready coursework. States should make these courses available to all students and ensure that they are in in-demand fields within the local labor market that lead to a well-paying job.

Publish the graduation rates disaggregated by student group and diploma type, for example, the race, ethnicity, income, and disability status of students who received a standard high school diploma and other diploma options. Also, states report the disaggregated postsecondary outcomes for each diploma type, including course-taking patterns, credit accumulation, and college graduation rates.

Ensure that all districts have the resources and educator workforce to offer the courses and preparation needed for students to meet the requirements for both standard and career readiness-diplomas, especially in math, science, and foreign language. This could include using technology solutions to enhance course access for students.

Develop and maintain systems to monitor districts on appropriate methods to collect and analyze graduation requirement completion. Such systems would help to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the data (Center for American Progress, Are high school Diplomas Really a Ticket to College and Work?)

Failure rates in core courses to identify students who might be at risk (Promise Partnership Utah).

Grade 9 students are prepared to transition to high school and are on track to graduate on time. percentage of students in grade 9 with a GPA of 2.5 or higher, no Ds or Fs in English language arts or math, attendance of 96% or higher, and no in- or out-of-school suspensions or expulsions (Education-to-Workforce).

Percentage of students in grades 6–8 with a GPA of 3.0 or higher (Education-to-Workforce).

Percentage of students in grades 9–12 with a GPA of 3.0 or higher (Education-to-Workforce).

Percentage of students in grade 8 who meet grade-level standards in reading/English language arts and math as measured by state standardized tests (Education-to-Workforce).

High school students earn course grades necessary to gain admission to college (Education-to-Workforce).

Children ages 6 to 17 who repeated one or more grades since starting kindergarten. (Kids Count).

Proficient reading by third grade. Results of a longitudinal study of nearly 4,000 students find that those who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers. For the worst readers, those who couldn’t master even the basic skills by third grade, the rate is nearly six times greater (Annie E. Casey, Double Jeopardy).

Student grades and course failures are best predicted by earlier grades and attendance. High school test scores are strongly predicted by earlier test scores. Background characteristics, study habits and grit are not predictive of high school performance, once students’ middle grade GPAs, attendance and test scores are taken into account. Background characteristics (e.g., race, gender, neighborhood poverty, free lunch eligibility, being old-for-grade and special education status) are all related to high school grades and test scores, but they do not tell us any more about who will pass, get good grades, or score well on tests in high school, once we take into account students’ eighth-grade GPAs, attendance and test scores. Students’ misconduct and suspension records in middle school are also not predictive of high school performance, once we take into account their attendance, grades and test scores. Likewise, students’ reports of their study habits in eighth grade, and their responses on a grit scale measuring perseverance in the middle grades, are not predictive of their performance in high school beyond their current grades and attendance (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Middle school test scores are much weaker indicators of high school grades than middle school grades and attendance. Many high school interventions are based on test score proficiency — meeting standards on tests, or reading at grade level. This is the reasoning behind programs that offer support based on test scores, such as double dose coursing or grade promotion standards in middle school that delay students’ entry into ninth grade based on test scores. However, while middle grade test scores are moderately related to passing classes and getting high grades in high school, most of the relationship between test scores and later performance seems to work through students’ grades. That is, students with strong test scores are more likely to get good grades than students with weak test scores, but it is the grades that matter for later outcomes. Grades are based on a number of factors in addition to tested skills, including attendance, assignment completion, and quality of work over the course of an entire semester. Once we account for students’ GPAs and attendance in the middle grades, their test scores do not provide much additional information about their likelihood of passing their classes in high school, and they only improve the prediction of getting high grades (As and Bs) in high school among students who also have high grades in middle school (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Students need at least a 3.0 GPA in the middle grades to be college-bound; a 3.5 GPA gives them at least a 50% chance. Prior research on high school predictors of college graduation shows that, by far, the most important predictor of college graduation is students’ high school GPA. Only students who graduate from high school with at least a B average have a moderate chance of earning a college degree. Parallel to this finding about college, only those students who leave eighth grade with GPAs of at least 3.0 have a moderate chance of earning a 3.0 GPA in high school. Students who plan to go to college need to get the message that college requires very strong levels of effort and engagement in both the middle grades and in high school (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Eighth-grade GPA combined with attendance provides a better prediction of who will be on-track at the end of ninth grade than either indicator alone; adding other indicators only marginally improves the prediction (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Eighth-grade core GPA is also the best predictor of earning high grades, followed by test scores and attendance. The best indicators of students’ readiness to excel in high school classes are similar to those predicting the likelihood that students will pass their high school classes (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Prior research shows passing classes and earning high grades in high school are essential for high school and college graduation, while test scores matter for college access. There is often a perception that students’ performance on tests is what matters for high school and college graduation. While there are innumerable studies showing significant relationships between test scores and educational attainment, grades are more strongly and consistently found to be related to educational attainment than test scores (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

High grades in high school are essential for college graduation. While passing courses is critical for graduating from high school, it is not enough to be ready for college. Students who are likely to succeed in college are not merely passing courses; they are working hard and earning high grades. Research in Chicago, and across the country, has found that students’ high school grades are, by far, the most important predictor of getting into college and eventually graduating — more important than ACT or SAT scores or high school coursework (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

In California, Kurlaender, Reardon and Jackson (2008) examined the relationships between seventh-grade achievement indicators and high school graduation. They found that, among indicators studied, course failures in middle school were the strongest predictors of eventually not graduating among those they studied. Test scores, retention in the elementary and middle grades, and the timing of when students took algebra were similarly related to graduation — but not as strongly as course failures (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Eighth-grade students with less than 80% attendance or GPAs less than 1.0 are at extremely high risk of being off-track in ninth grade. These are students with extremely low grades and attendance in the middle grades. Eighth-grade students with C/D averages and chronic absence in middle school are at high risk of being off-track in ninth grade. These students are more likely to be off-track than on-track in high school; they have a 50 to 75% likelihood of being off-track (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

high school GPA as an indicator of Academic Preparation: Considered one of the best predictors of college entrance, persistence, and completion through correlation and regression analysis. Captures academic performance (cognitive) and personal attributes (noncognitive), such as motivation and perseverance. However, calculating the measure requires a GPA threshold to define “college-ready,” and though there is a linear relationship between high school GPA and college outcomes, there are no clear GPA cutoffs to indicate readiness. (An analysis of Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) data finds that more than 50% of entering postsecondary students with a high school GPA of 3.0 or above earn a credential. However, this cutoff varies by credential type, making it difficult to set one standard. Among associate-seeking students, the high school GPA threshold for reaching this 50% attainment rate is higher (3.5), while it is lower for bachelor’s-seeking students (2.5). Some studies, such as Geiser & Santelices (2007) and Roderick, Nagota, & Coca (2009) show that a threshold of 3.0 is more predictive for student outcomes than other thresholds, but variability by credential level steers the IHEP framework away from setting a specific standard. (IHEP, Toward Convergence).

The University of Chicago Consortium of School Research found that freshman GPA is a statistically valid indicator and predictor of future student academic success. It is strongly predictive of eleventh-grade GPA, which plays a big role in college admission. Freshman GPA also predicts high school graduation, college enrollment and one-year college retention, and in fact, is a much better predictor of these important milestones than test scores. It is a strong “leading indicator” of subsequent positive outcomes, suggesting that students who have strong freshman grades are likely to do well academically in the future. This evidence also supports a focus on students who are struggling in ninth grade, who may need additional help to overcome a poor freshman year and improve the likelihood of better academic outcomes in the future. (UChicago Consortium, The Predictive Power of Ninth-Grade GPA).

The percentage of students who have achieved at least a 3.0 GPA at the end of their 9th-grade year. To build a strong foundation for postsecondary success, it is essential that students start high school on the right foot. Numerous studies have shown that GPA is a better predictor of postsecondary success and less discriminatory than standardized test scores.16 And 9th-grade GPA, in particular, has been found to be predictive of 11th-grade GPA, postsecondary enrollment, and first-year retention. High schools may use GPA to qualify students for advanced coursework (such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and dual enrollment), and colleges consider GPA when making admissions, scholarship, and course placement decisions. Given these wide ranging implications, the significance of achieving a strong high school GPA is paramount. (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Average course academic grades. (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Average performance on portfolio-alternative assessments. (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Share of students on track to graduate (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Share of students who are over/undercredited (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Student academic proficiency measured by standardized assessments in math and literacy (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Student academic growth measured by standardized assessments in math and literacy and average course academic grades (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Average science performance (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Average performance on portfolio-alternative assessments (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

In recent years, districts and charter networks across the country have recognized the importance of ensuring that students start their high school careers on the right foot and, in response, have designed and implemented programs targeted specifically towards 9th graders. For example, as part of the To & Through Project, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) partnered with the University of Chicago to conduct rigorous research on the factors that impact college success for the district’s students. They found that students who were “on track” during their freshman year (defined as earning at least five course credits and failing no more than one semester of a core course) were three times more likely to graduate from high school than their offtrack peers, and 9th-grade GPA was nearly twice as predictive of high school graduation as standardized test scores. Leveraging these findings, CPS developed a rapid reporting system to alert schools of 9th-grade students with low grades, and some schools appointed “on-track coaches” to intervene with tutoring programs, peer mentors, and after-school help sessions. CPS also hosts a month-long “Freshman Connection” for students who may be at risk of not graduating. The program features half-day lessons on topics such as organization and goal-setting, as well as academic instruction in English language arts and mathematics. As a result, freshman on-track rates have increased from 65% in 2008–2009 to 89% in 2017–2018. (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Uncommon Schools, a charter network in New York and New Jersey, developed a program called “Target 3.0,” a mandatory class to boost the grade point averages of all students with a GPA below a 2.5. Uncommon developed the program after analyzing their data and recognizing that “getting above a 3.0 GPA was very significantly correlated with future college success.” With 54% of their alumni earning a bachelor’s degree within six years, Uncommon predicts that they will close the college graduation gap between low- and high-income students within the next four years, with the goal of 70% of students attaining a postsecondary degree within the next six years. 

Intervention in middle school: For students with 80% or lower attendance in the middle grades or a GPA of less than 1.0 in the middle grades, interventions are strongly warranted while they are in middle school. These students are extremely likely to drop out of school, with a risk greater than 75%, unless they experience a substantial change in the way in which they are engaging with school. Students earning a mix of Cs and Ds or below, or who attend less than 90% of the time in middle school, have less than a 50% chance of being on-track when they get to high school. Moderate interventions might be sufficient to get them to succeed in high school (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

High school transition: In the summer before ninth grade, high schools can use students’ grades and attendance from middle school to identify students for whom it is most critical to establish trusting relationships. Students with eighth-grade attendance less than 90% or a GPA of less than 2.0 in eighth grade are very likely to need support during the ninth-grade year. Schools could reach out to these students and their parents to establish positive connections before problems occur (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Maintaining high expectations: Students need to know that college readiness means at least B-level work, starting at least in the middle grades. If students do not have at least a B average in the middle grades, they are extremely unlikely to end high school with at least a B average. Students with lower than a 3.0 high school GPA have a slim chance of graduating from college, and they will be ineligible to attend many colleges or receive most scholarships. Middle schools can reach out to families of students who are not making high grades to let them know that they are not on-track to be ready for college (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College). 

School-family communication: Schools can make sure that teachers are keeping up with their grading in the parent portal and have clear grading policies, so that students and parents always know where their grades stand and can notice if they slip. For some students, this knowledge may be enough to motivate higher work effort. For others, it may take support from teachers, mentors, or support staff to reach out, determine why students’ grades are low, and then develop strategies to support their particular needs (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Class structure: The ways that teachers structure their classes can influence whether students put in strong or weak work effort. Teaching is a complex task. Teachers need to design methods for engaging students around challenging academic work, even though students enter their class with different skill levels, different histories of success, and their own issues and priorities. The ways in which teachers implement their lessons have implications for the degree to which their students put in effort. Clear grading standards and constant feedback can provide motivation to keep up with work (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Student mindsets: Teachers can modify their instruction and their interactions with students to encourage positive mindsets about the work. When a student is not putting in effort, a teacher or other adult could find out why they are putting in little effort — what it is about the class or about students’ own experiences and skills that is preventing strong performance. Teachers also can design courses so that they intentionally develop students’ learning strategies, such as metacognitive skills and study habits, as part of teaching their course subject. Explicitly teaching strategies to do better in class can pay off with better success on tests and assignments in that class and in future work (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Consistent attendance: Attendance is critical, at least as important as test performance. It may seem like a low bar — get students to come to school every day. Efforts aimed at 100% attendance could actually have substantial pay-off in students’ eventual success in college and careers, but problems with attendance are often dismissed as being of low importance compared to progress on tests. Figuring out how to get to school when other factors may interfere — from family sickness and transportation issues, to the pull of more interesting activities — is not of secondary importance to improving test scores (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Prioritize learning growth over benchmark scores: Schools and the public are concerned about meeting ACT benchmarks, but reaching benchmark scores is less important for college readiness than maximizing learning growth and getting good grades. Students need classroom environments that encourage them to put in strong effort, earn high grades and show high rates of learning growth. If students are coming into high school with strong middle school records and not performing well, high schools need to find out why (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Research has shown that students learn more when they are in orderly environments with high expectations. Schools can achieve this in multiple ways. For academically strong students, they can run honors classes, IB programs, and advanced classes. Or they can put sufficient support staff in place in mixed-ability classes so that expectations are high for all students, and so that teachers are able to provide differentiated instruction in an orderly environment. They can make sure that students with low achievement have sufficient support, time for learning and student centered pedagogy to enable them to be engaged and successful in challenging classes. Students tend to put in more effort and earn higher grades when teachers are attuned to their academic needs and provide support as soon as they start to struggle (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Early Warning Monitoring Systems: Monitoring systems could help students get the right level and kinds of support to keep them on-track for high school and college graduation. High schools in Chicago have made extraordinary progress over the last five years in improving student performance in the ninth grade by using early warning indicators to support student performance in their classes. Ninth grade on-track rates have increased from around 59% to close to 85% in just a few years. In many high schools, educators have designed systems for reaching out to ninth-grade students whose absences are high or grades are low to find out why they are struggling and figure out ways to help them perform better (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Require districts to monitor and publicly report 9th-grade on-track rates (CCSR).

Nine states currently use the accumulation of credits as the key ninth grade “on-track” indicator in their state accountability system; six of these states also implement a statewide early warning system (EWS) to monitor dropout indicators as early as sixth grade (Tennessee Department of Education).

Monitoring for “on-track” status typically occurs during ninth grade; however, within EWS/EWIMS, states often begin tracking students in middle school (grades 6-8) as early tracking and identification provides the most opportunity for intervention (Tennessee Department of Education).

Incentivize GPA thresholds for scholarships or early college access

Align course grading systems with competency standards (Getting Smart).

Use GPA-based flags in statewide early warning data systems (National Forum on Education Statistics).

Student academic proficiency measured by standardized assessments in math and literacy (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

The Institute for Higher Education Policies Toward Convergence framework recommends that higher education institutions minimally identify students as “college ready” or “not college ready” in math and in English according to their own criteria until further research develops more robust measures of academic preparation that are comparable across colleges . Often-used proxies for academic preparation include standardized test scores, high school GPA, placement or enrollment in remedial education, and multiple measures frameworks that incorporate several metrics. If college-ready assessments like the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) or Smarter Balanced gain widespread use, this recommendation should be revisited to determine whether performance on these exams could serve as an adequate measure of college-readiness (IHEP, Toward Convergence).

high school Curriculum Rigor as an indicator of Academic Preparation: Considered the best predictor of college success based on quantitative analysis by the Department of Education. However, this measure can be time and labor intensive to quantify, because measuring high school rigor requires transcript analysis. Measurement would be difficult to operationalize at scale because of the labor required to implement (IHEP, Toward Convergence).

Remedial Coursework as an indicator of Academic Preparation: Used by many initiatives, states, and institutions to signal college readiness. Not all institutions offer remediation, and many are shifting away from stand-alone courses toward co-requisite remediation models that may be more difficult to track. However, remedial placement policies vary widely across states and institutions, as there are no shared standards. The predictive value of taking remedial courses on completion varies substantially across credential types (IHEP, Toward Convergence).

Using multiple measures (e.g., GPA + coursework + assessments) for placement and support. Standardized proficiency scores can reflect opportunity gaps as much as achievement gaps. Districts should pair proficiency data with GPA, attendance and growth to design holistic interventions (Columbia University Teachers College).

Providing embedded supports in core classes rather than stand-alone remediation (RAND).

Creating math labs or literacy workshops for students close to proficiency (Institute of Education Sciences).

Measures of academic preparation are crucial for institutions to understand whether incoming students are ready for a college environment; they highly correlate with students’ college outcomes without intervention. Colleges and universities can use these data to develop and target services to best reach underprepared students and create pathways for their college success. In addition, academic preparation data allow institutions to measure the efficacy of interventions that aim to help students become college-ready after entry (IHEP, Toward Convergence).

Policymakers can use academic preparation at the state level to develop coherent and consistent policies to signal clearly to students and schools how they should prepare for college in terms of high school curriculum and remedial education in college (IHEP, Toward Convergence).

Percentage of college-intending seniors who complete FAFSA by June 30 (Higher Ed Dive).

Percentage of college-intending seniors who submit final transcripts to their postsecondary institution

Percentage of students who attend senior transition meetings or summer bridge programming (SCORE).

Percentage of students who respond to summer outreach efforts (e.g., text reminders, calls) (Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization).

Percentage of seniors matched to a postsecondary mentor or advisor (NCAN).

For schools to target support to college-intending students at risk for summer melt, school staff need relevant information about their students’ attendance rates, FAFSA completion, course progress, and college intentions so that they can monitor these measures throughout the college going process and support students as needed (Leaks in the College Access Pipeline).

Students with moderate or high rates of absenteeism during high school are considerably more likely to melt than otherwise similar peers, regardless of whether they plan to attend a 2- or 4-year college. These results imply that it could be beneficial for college counseling staff to collaborate more with the school staff responsible for student attendance to understand why students have been absent and help reduce barriers to their attendance in high school (Leaks in the College Access Pipeline).

Certainty about student’s intended college. A study by Carrie Miller and Meredith Phillips found that students who expressed certainty about the college they planned to attend were less likely to experience summer melt. Two-year college-intending students who reported on the senior exit survey that they were very certain they would attend their planned college were seven percentage points less likely to melt than otherwise similar students who reported being somewhat certain or not certain. Four-year college-intending students who were very certain they would attend their planned college were five percentage points less likely to melt to no college and seven percentage points less likely to melt to a 2-year college (Leaks in the College Access Pipeline).

Percentage of college-intending seniors who enroll in a postsecondary institution in the fall (tracked via NSC data)

Percentage of seniors who experience “summer melt,” disaggregated by subgroup (race, income, first-gen status) (Institute of Education Statistics).

Percentage of districts or schools with formal summer melt prevention programs

Percentage of LEAs receiving data from postsecondary institutions on student enrollment 

Information from the colleges and universities themselves, or from state data systems that have compiled that information, is essential for accurately estimating the extent of summer melt (Leaks in the College Access Pipeline).

The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) compiled a number of resources related to key topics around improving students’ postsecondary outcomes. This evolving list of resources focuses on best practices and case studies related to reducing the effect of summer melt and ensuring that students who intend to matriculate actually do so (NCAN, Summer Melt Resources).

NCAN Summer Melt Toolkit: This resource from NCAN is a good introduction to the concept of summer melt. It includes background information, different approaches to combating summer melt (virtual and non-virtual), and steps various stakeholders can take (NCAN, Summer Melt Resources).

Sample Summer Melt Text Messages: You don’t need to start from scratch on crafting a summer melt text messaging campaign. NCAN used these messages during a campaign with Signal Vine during a previous summer melt prevention effort (NCAN, Summer Melt Resources).

NCAN has developed two units that focus on college retention/success. In these units summer transition workshops, using social media, and summer bridge programs are highlighted as ways to prevent summer melt (NCAN, Summer Melt Resources).

Understanding and managing the college application process

Special attention must be paid to structuring the college search and application process during junior and senior years; early awareness can only take you so far (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future).

high schools must work to create strong college-going cultures. The task for high schools educators is more than convincing students and their parents that they should go to college; their task is to provide the relationships and supports that students need to understand the importance of college choice and the expert guidance on how to engage in that process (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future).

Rising college costs may be a significant barrier, but lack of knowledge of real college costs and effective participation in FAFSA should not be (From high school to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College). 

Automated and personalized text messaging campaigns remind college-intending students of required pre-matriculation tasks and can connect them to counselor-based support. In one study reviewed, this intervention substantially increased college enrollment among students who had less academic-year access to quality college counseling or information (Summer Nudging: Can Personalized Text Messages and Peer Mentor Outreach Increase College-Going Along Low-Income high school Graduates?).

The overarching goal of the College and Career Action Network (CACAN) is to increase college enrollment, with an emphasis on closing the existing gap between economically disadvantaged and non-economically disadvantaged students. The pilot of the summer melt prevention program accomplished that. Students who participated in the program were 1.4 times more likely to go to college the fall after high school graduation when compared to the matched comparison group and 3.4 times more likely to go when compared to students who disengaged from the program (Wendy Tackett et al., Lessons Learned from a Summer Melt Prevention Program).

Virtually Advising Students: CollegePoint has advised over 67,000 high-achieving, lower-income students across the country. CollegePoint advisors help students navigate the college admissions and financial aid process and apply to and attend leading colleges and universities. CollegePoint provides support and guidance on the college and financial aid process by: (a) Matching trained advisors from Matriculate with high-achieving, lower-income first generation college students; (b) Having advisors use virtual interaction tools such as text, video conferencing, and document sharing to connect with students where they are and help them navigate the complex college admissions process; (c) Offering free, high-quality online content on the college and financial aid process from Khan Academy and our partner organizations (CollegePoint).

KIPP Forward supports students to choose and prepare for the educational and career path that fits their goals and sense of purpose. Once on their way, KIPP Forward teams help alumni keep moving forward while pursuing their dreams. In collaboration with the nearly 400 KIPP Forward counselors across the country, KIPP provides high school students with: (a) Quality curriculum and college selection support in high school; (b) Guidance during the transition from high school to college; and (c) Access to partners that support students on their college and career journey (KIPP Forward).

Bottom Line: Provides personalized advising to first-generation students during the summer before college starts, focused on final steps and mental/emotional preparation. Bottom Line’s college advising programs are designed for first-generation students and the professionals who serve them on their journeys to get into college, graduate, and go far in life. For over two decades, Bottom Line has provided consistent, one-on-one support to help students navigate the challenges of accessing and succeeding in college. Through its Access Program, Bottom Line’s Advisors work closely with high school students to build lists of best-fit, affordable colleges. Once students enroll at one of its 53 Target Colleges, College Success Advisors continue supporting them for up to six years, ensuring they persist to graduation and successfully launch their careers. (Bottom Line).

National Student Clearinghouse’s Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP) is a nationwide effort to help colleges and universities gain a fuller picture of student progress and outcomes, meet various reporting requirements, and identify where to focus their resources. Data provided by participating PDP institutions captures rich information on learners and combines it with financial aid information so colleges and universities can examine early momentum metrics, such as credit accumulation and course completion, and explore the data using multiple dimensions, such as gender, race/ethnicity, enrollment intensity, college placement level, and more (National Student Clearinghouse, Postsecondary Data Partnership).

Studies suggest that both high-touch interventions that provide college counseling services over the summer months and low-touch interventions that provide information and reminders via text messages can reduce melt for some students (Leaks in the College Access Pipeline).

Identifying students who have not completed the FAFSA and connecting them with school or community-based resources to assist them with the process may increase their chances of successfully enrolling in college (see, e.g., Bettinger et al., 2012). Recent state policies mandating FAFSA completion, in California and elsewhere, may help reduce summer melt (Deneault, 2023), especially if those policies are designed to encourage early FAFSA completion (Leaks in the College Access Pipeline).

High schools may need to target some supports differently to 2- and 4-year college-intending students. Two-year college-intending students who have not registered at a 2-year college prior to high school graduation are substantially more likely to melt than otherwise similar peers. Ensuring that students successfully register prior to high school graduation, perhaps through collaborations with local community colleges, may increase the likelihood that they successfully enroll. Helping students become familiar with 2-year colleges through concurrent enrollment programs may reduce the likelihood that students experience melt (Leaks in the College Access Pipeline).

Require districts to track and report on summer melt by subgroup (Leaks in the College Access Pipeline: Examining Summer Melt in a Large Urban School District).

Encourage postsecondary institutions to share enrollment data with high schools: Educational institutions across the country rely on sharing data, often sharing student information with those outside the school or district in order to improve classroom instruction, to measure student outcomes, and facilitate implementation of educational applications to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs. While the general rule under FERPA is that personally identifiable information from education records cannot be disclosed without written consent, FERPA includes exceptions that permit data sharing under certain conditions with agencies, vendors, or individuals to conduct studies, audit or evaluate programs, enforce or comply with related Federal legal requirements, or in the case of a response to health or safety emergencies. (Protecting Student Privacy).

Fund peer mentoring or summer outreach positions. A new wave of research is highlighting the effectiveness of near-peer mentoring relationships in which older youth and young adults offer their support to those coming up behind them. These peer mentoring relationships are especially helpful around educational transitions — such as into high school or for college access and persistence — and effective entry onto a career path. These relationships have also proven to be impactful for the young people serving in the mentoring role as well, such as in boosting their leadership and communication skills (Mentor).

Percentage  of students “on grade level” in reading and math by end of 9th grade

Percentage of students scoring at college-ready levels on interim/benchmark assessments

• Percentage of students flagged as off-track for college readiness based on GPA, coursework or assessment
• percentage of students in grade 8 who meet grade-level standards in reading/English language arts and math as measured by state standardized tests (Education-to-Workforce).
• high school students earn course grades necessary to gain admission to college (Education-to-Workforce).
• Students need at least a 3.0 GPA in the middle grades to be college-bound; a 3.5 GPA gives them at least a 50% chance. Prior research on high school predictors of college graduation shows that, by far, the most important predictor of college graduation is students’ high school GPA. Only students who graduate from high school with at least a B average have a moderate chance of earning a college degree. Parallel to this finding about college, only those students who leave eighth grade with GPAs of at least 3.0 have a moderate chance of earning a 3.0 GPA in high school. Students who plan to go to college need to get the message that college requires very strong levels of effort and engagement in both the middle grades and in high school (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).
• High grades in high school are essential for college graduation. While passing courses is critical for graduating from high school, it is not enough to be ready for college. Students who are likely to succeed in college are not merely passing courses; they are working hard and earning high grades. Research in Chicago, and across the country, has found that students’ high school grades are, by far, the most important predictor of getting into college and eventually graduating — more important than ACT or SAT scores or high school coursework (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

high school GPA as an indicator of Academic Preparation: Considered one of the best predictors of college entrance, persistence and completion through correlation and regressionanalysis. Captures academic performance (cognitive) and personal attributes (noncognitive), such as motivation and perseverance. However, calculating the measure requires a GPA threshold to define “college-ready,” and though there is a linear relationship between high school GPA and college outcomes, there are no clear GPA cutoffs to indicate readiness. (An analysis of Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) data finds that more than 50% of entering postsecondary students with a high school GPA of 3.0 or above earn a credential. However, this cutoff varies by credential type, making it difficult to set one standard. Among associate-seeking students, the high school GPA threshold for reaching this 50% attainment rate is higher (3.5), while it is lower for bachelor’s-seeking students (2.5).  Some studies, such as Geiser & Santelices (2007) and Roderick, Nagota, & Coca (2009) show that a threshold of 3.0 is more predictive for student outcomes than other thresholds, but variability by credential level steers the IHEP framework away from setting a specific standard. (IHEP, Toward Convergence).

Percentage of schools using multiple measures (GPA, coursework, assessment) for placement. Studies have found that alternative measures such as high school GPA are significantly better predictors of which students will succeed in college-level courses. Combining high school GPA with other measures including state graduation tests, writing assessments, and noncognitive assessments yields more predictive power, according to the studies (Community College Research Center).

Percentage of students placed in co-requisite support rather than stand-alone remediation in 11th–12th grade

Percentage of students deemed “college ready” by state or district assessment thresholds

Public reporting of college readiness metrics by subgroup (race, gender, income, etc.)

Utilize assessment measures throughout high school so that students are aware of how prepared they are for college and assist them in overcoming deficiencies as they are identified (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Identify existing assessments, standards, and data available to provide an estimate of college readiness. Assessments can play a key role in alerting students, parents and teachers about whether students are “on track” for college matriculation when they graduate from high school  (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Utilize performance data to identify and inform students about their academic proficiency and college readiness. The information schools collect on academic performance and college readiness should be used to identify students who are falling behind and to inform all students of their progress in becoming college ready. This applies to both the courses students need to be qualified for college entry and the skills they acquire in those courses to avoid remediation once they matriculate. The use of performance data should occur as early as 9th grade to ensure that students can take the necessary steps to get back on track (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Identify students with college expectations who are performing below grade level and who are not on a college-ready track. Schools should identify students who are not meeting grade level standards and who are not on track for college but have college aspirations. Although state assessments can be used to identify students performing below grade level, course grades, grade point average (GPA), course completion and college-readiness assessments can be used to identify students who are not on track for college. For example, a school can flag students who are performing below a certain GPA or students who have not completed courses on the college preparatory track. high schools should obtain and use middle school transcripts of their incoming students to support course placement and flag entering 9th graders with academic deficiencies before those students step foot on campus (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Inform all students about their performance and its implications for accessing college. Discussions with students should be held at least annually about the progress they are making and the hurdles they need to overcome in becoming college ready. 58 Students and families should receive the results of the data collected by the school, possibly in the form of a data report or a letter.For example, a data report might include information on course grades, college-readiness assessment results and high school course completion. Students identified as below grade level or not on track for college should have an individual meeting with someone at the school to discuss the results and their implications for accessing college. Students who are not making progress toward completing graduation or college preparatory requirements should be notified of possible interventions that can help them get back on track (e.g., summer school, remediation programs). (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Create an individualized plan for students who are not on track. Students who are not on track to complete a typical academic course sequence often have trouble catching up and meeting college readiness objectives. The earlier in high school a student can catch up to a standard course sequence, the greater the likelihood of meeting college entrance requirements at the time of high school graduation. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Schools and districts can use whole assessments or a subset of items from existing college or community college placement exams as a diagnostic measure. Although many placement exams are school specific, some common assessments can be adopted by a high school (e.g., COMPASS and ACCUPLACER, an assessment developed by the College Board and used to help determine course selection for students). (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

High schools can have students take one of the college admissions exams designed for students in early high school grades (e.g., PSAT, EXPLORE, PLAN). These assessments can gauge early academic preparation in math and reading as well as reasoning and critical thinking. Later in high school, states can have all students take the college admission exams (e.g., SAT, ACT) to gauge their college readiness. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Schools in states that already conduct a college or career assessment should take advantage of these assessments and use them as an indicator of college preparedness. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

In districts, schools can use existing local benchmark assessments on a regular basis to measure students’ progress against standards tied to academic proficiency. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Colleges have traditionally placed students into developmental courses based on their performance on standardized tests. But research shows these placement tests are poor predictors of students’ success in college-level classes and as many as one-in-three test takers are placed incorrectly. Most of the misplaced students are assigned to developmental courses that are below their ability and whose credits do not count toward a degree. As a result, these students encounter an unnecessary hurdle on their path to graduation and their progress is potentially blocked altogether. Meanwhile, studies have found that alternative measures such as high school GPA are significantly better predictors of which students will succeed in college-level courses. Combining high school GPA with other measures including state graduation tests, writing assessments, and noncognitive assessments yields more predictive power, according to the studies. This approach, often called multiple measures placement, is gaining traction at colleges across the country, and more than half of community colleges use measures other than standardized tests to assess academic readiness (Community College Research Center).

Multiple measures placement systems can be used to decide if a student belongs in developmental or college-level courses, what level of developmental course is appropriate and what types of additional support students might need. Colleges that want to implement multiple measures placement systems have various types to choose from, starting with simple waiver systems and progressing in complexity to placement algorithms that weight each measure by its predictive power. In waiver systems, students are exempt from placement tests if they demonstrate college readiness through their high school GPA or SAT, ACT or other test scores. Colleges using decision rules define a series of steps for evaluating information on students to decide where to place them. The rules may differ depending on how many years a student has been out of high school, the student’s intended major or other factors. Decision rules that apply only to students testing within a particular score range on traditional placement tests are called decision bands. With placement formulas or algorithms, colleges weight a set of data points, combine them in a formula that produces a prediction of a student’s likelihood of success in a course and set a cutoff score for college readiness (Community College Research Center).

Mandate diagnostic assessments in 9th grade to determine placement in core courses. In Fall 2001, the Kentucky Council on Post-secondary Education mandated placement assessment completion before admission into any state college. The purpose of this mandate was to better ensure student success in college through appropriate placement in basic academic skills courses (reading, writing, and mathematics) (Madisonville Community College).

The San Gabriel Unified School District (SUSD) utilizes a Mathematics Placement Policy to ensure students are placed in the appropriate math courses based on their abilities and performance. This policy, often referred to as SB 359, is part of the California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015, which mandates that districts use a fair, objective, and transparent process for placing students in math courses (San Gabriel Unified School District).

Public reporting of college readiness by demographic subgroup: States set an equitable, statewide public goal for increasing the participation and success of traditionally underserved student groups in college in high school programs, with clear, disaggregated public reporting and accountability for progress toward the goal. Setting equity goals for college in high school programs is a foundational strategy for ensuring that policy is developed with the intent of closing access and attainment gaps. Equity goals can help a state concentrate efforts on strategies that will ensure that participation in college in high school programs matches the demographic, economic and geographic makeup of the state’s high school student population. Setting statewide equity goals is an essential step in the process for states to center the conversation on increasing access and improving outcomes for various student subgroups, including but not limited to low-income students, students of color, rural students, students with disabilities and other student groups that are underrepresented in higher education (College in high school).

Data collection, reporting, and accountability. Policy cannot be deployed to address equity gaps until those gaps are properly understood and tracked. Disaggregated data regarding access and completion of college in high school programs is critical for equity goals to be meaningful and for specific policy solutions to be targeted towards student populations in need. Under ESSA, high schools must report annual data on students taking accelerated coursework to earn postsecondary credit, disaggregated by the ESSA-identified student subgroups. Three states should go further than what ESSA requires in order to build data, reporting and accountability systems that fully track and disaggregate data related to college in high school programs at the school level, include information on low-income student participation and outcomes and make that information transparent and understandable to students, families, educators and communities (College in high school).

Provide state funding for ACT/SAT access for all juniors. For example, Ohio state law requires that schools provide the administration of a national college and career readiness assessment used for college admission (ACT or SAT) each spring to grade 11 students. To ensure that every student can participate in the state-funded administration of the ACT or SAT, districts and schools should prepare to test all students. This includes registering all eligible students and requesting accommodations that may be required for each student (Ohio Department of Education and Workforce).

In a dozen states, the ACT or SAT is now given in school, for free, on a school day during school hours. In most cases, the ACT or SAT replaces the standardized test that students would otherwise take in high school, so there is no additional time spent testing.  Sitting for the test is also required, which means that students can’t opt out because of low expectations – whether theirs or those of the adults around them. In Michigan, in 2007, the ACT became part of the test required of juniors in the public schools. As a result of this shift in policy, the share of Michigan’s high school students taking a college entrance exam rose from 54 % to nearly 99%. The growth was even sharper among low-income students, of whom only 35% were previously taking the test (Brookings, ACT/SAT for all).

There can be a tradeoff between the placement accuracy of a multiple measures system and the level of effort required to implement and use it. For instance, placement algorithms may be more precise than decision rules; but to create them, a college’s historical data must be gathered, analyzed, and interpreted. Implementing complex multiple measures placement systems is more feasible if colleges and states already have strong institutional research capacity (Community College Research Center).

Colleges need systems to gather and process the data used in multiple measures placement. High school transcripts are often the core of multiple measures placement systems, but few community colleges collect transcripts automatically. Colleges and local school systems need to establish methods to collect transcripts and integrate the data into college information systems so they are available for use in placement decisions. Some colleges allow students to self-report their high school GPA (Community College Research Center).

The function of multiple measures placement may depend on what other developmental and college completion reforms colleges are already engaging in, such as corequisite remediation and math pathways. In colleges where corequisite reforms have already enabled the majority of students to take college-level courses by coupling them with extra supports, the role of multiple measures may be to determine which students need those supports. In colleges that offer different math pathways for students depending on their major, placement systems may also need to gauge students’ readiness for several possible math options (Community College Research Center).

A new placement system will be most successful when buy-in is secured from faculty, staff and administrators. Changing placement systems often raises concerns about whether underprepared students will be allowed into college-level courses or whether new placement measures are valid. To alleviate concerns, faculty should be informed about the research on multiple measures placement and included in decisions about placement measures and cut scores. Non-academic departments — including admissions, advising, testing, information technology and the registrar — will also be affected by changes to the placement system and should be included in planning (Community College Research Center).

To ensure a new placement system is working as intended, states and colleges will need to monitor its effects by comparing developmental and college-level placement, enrollment and pass rates under the old and new systems. In addition to looking at the reform’s overall effects, it is also important to examine its effects on different student groups to make sure all are benefiting — and if they are not, to look into the data to find out why (Community College Research Center).

States and systems need to allocate resources to collect and analyze data, update information systems, prepare for enrollment shifts, prepare new individual placement reports and train advisors to explain results to students. The average one-year cost to a college to introduce decision rules in Minnesota was nearly $49,000; in Wisconsin, it was about $64,000. Ongoing costs are expected to be lower. Implementing multiple measures placement algorithms in New York cost about $121,000 per college on average in the first semester and less than half that in subsequent fall semesters. The main costs were for information technology staff time to create the data infrastructure, program staff to implement the new system and senior and administrative staff to manage the transition. There were also overhead and materials costs (Community College Research Center).

Rate of completion of a college-track curriculum (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Share of students enrolling in advanced coursework (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Average performance on advanced coursework exams (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

The College Board found that students who met the SAT College and Career Readiness Benchmark score of 1550 were more likely to have completed a core curriculum, which is defined as four or more years of English, three or more years of mathematics, three or more years of natural science, and three or more years of social science and history. However, of the students who completed a core curriculum (75%), only 49% met the SAT Benchmark, indicating a need for more rigorous core courses (College Board, SAT Report on College and Career Readiness).

Data show that students who successfully earn AP credit in high school outperform their non-AP peers both in their Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs) and their grade point averages in their first semesters of college (All 4 Ed).

The percentage of students who pass AP exams (Center for American Progress).

High school students meet typical coursework requirements for admission to a four-year college. A high school education should ensure that students are eligible to pursue their chosen pathway after graduation. In many states, however, the requirements for a high school diploma fall short of the admissions criteria at many four-year colleges and universities (Education-to-Workforce).

Percentage of high school graduates who successfully complete the coursework required for admission to a four-year college or university, which includes: four years of English classes, four years of math classes (including at least four of the following: pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, Algebra II or trigonometry, precalculus, calculus, statistics, quantitative reasoning and data science), three years of laboratory science (including biology, chemistry and physics), two years of social sciences, two years of foreign language, one year of visual or performing arts (Education-to-Workforce).

Monitor the percentage of students who complete at least two courses in a single CTE program of study, as defined under Perkins V (Florida Department of Education).

Track the proportion of CTE concentrators who earn recognized postsecondary credentials before graduation (Department of Education).

Assess the number of students earning postsecondary credits through dual or concurrent enrollment in CTE-related courses (Department of Education).

Measure student involvement in internships, apprenticeships or cooperative education experiences aligned with their CTE programs (Department of Education).

Evaluate additional factors such as the alignment of CTE programs with labor market demands, integration of academic and technical skills and the inclusion of career counseling services (Department of Education).

Share of students enrolling in advanced coursework (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Average performance on advanced coursework exams (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

high school course-taking and sequencing has been found to be a leading predictor of postsecondary success (Balfanz et al., 2016), yet statistics from the Civil Rights Data Collection shows that many high schools do not offer high-level courses that help students succeed at the next level. (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation).

Offer courses and curricula that prepare students for college-level work, and ensure that students understand what constitutes a college-ready curriculum by 9th grade. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Implement a curriculum that prepares all students for college and includes opportunities for college-level work for advanced students. This includes providing courses that are required for entry into a two- or four-year college and providing rigorous academic coursework that prepares students for the demands of college. Recommended courses include four years of English, at least three years of mathematics, two to three years of science and social studies, and one to two years of a foreign language. The What Works Clearinghouse panel recommends that at a minimum, all students should pass Algebra I by the end of their 9th-grade year. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Ensure that students understand what constitutes a college-ready curriculum. There is substantial evidence that students do not understand the curricular requirements for college entry and success, even those for community colleges. High schools should clearly communicate with students and families to ensure that they understand the courses needed for college (and that students are on track to complete them). (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Develop a four-year course trajectory with each 9th grader that leads to fulfilling a college-ready curriculum. Beginning in 9th grade, high school counselors should work individually with each student to ensure that he or she has a plan to complete the courses during high school. This could be structured as an individualized education, learning, or graduation plan that guides a student’s curricular choices throughout high school (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Dual and concurrent enrollment programs allow students to earn high school and college credit from a single course. The structure of such programs can vary widely from location to location and even from course to course. For some, their high school teachers receive special training and can offer their courses in their classrooms. Others take courses via online synchronous or asynchronous classes. Some attend their college-level classes on a college campus. Regardless, participants earn college credit, and many leave high school with both a high school diploma and an associate degree (All 4 Ed).

Like dual and concurrent enrollment programs, Early College high schools allow students to receive both a high school diploma and up to two years worth of college credit, which for some means an associate degree. Moreover, many participants in Early College high schools begin in the ninth grade to complete the traditional six years of study in four and take fewer high school-level classes to accommodate this (All 4 Ed).

Pathways in Technology Early College (P-TECH) high schools are a specific type of early college high school where students earn an industry-recognized credential alongside their high school diploma (All 4 Ed).

With the knowledge that students who met the SAT College and Career Readiness Benchmark were also more likely to have taken honors or AP courses, the College Board is working with its partners to expand access to AP for students across the country. The College Board is also working to find ways to expand access to the PSAT/NMSQT, one of the strongest predictors of AP success. This will help to identify even more students with the potential to succeed in an AP course (College Board, SAT Report on College and Career Readiness).

Universal advising guide to equip counselors and other caring adults with aligned messages and counseling resources (Education Strategy Group).

Conduct regular labor market analyses in collaboration with workforce boards and industry partners to determine which career pathways to offer. Update course offerings every few years to stay aligned with economic shifts (Without Limits).

Partner with community colleges and industry certification bodies to embed dual enrollment and credentialing opportunities into CTE pathways. Ensure that credits and certifications are portable and recognized by employers and postsecondary institutions (MDRC).

Grant programs that cover the costs of dual enrollment courses, including registration fees, books and more. For many undocumented students, the courses are completely inaccessible without this support (All 4 Ed).

Advanced Coursework Equity Act: This bill authorizes $800 million to expand access to advanced coursework (All 4 Ed).

Hispanic Education Resources and Empowerment (HERE) Act: Authorizes grants to partnerships between Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education and school districts serving large populations of Hispanic students to increase college preparation and degree attainment (All 4 Ed).

Jumpstart on College Act: This would expand dual enrollment and early college programs and empower high school juniors and seniors to take college courses and earn college credit. This bicameral legislation would make college more affordable by reducing the number of courses needed at a two- or four-year institution where students would pay per credit hour (All 4 Ed).

Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act: This would help increase high school and college graduation rates by expanding existing grants to include dual and concurrent enrollment programs. This bipartisan legislation supports various paths to college credit and gives more young people the skill to compete in tomorrow’s job market (All 4 Ed).

Title IV, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): Known as the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, this section of ESSA provides flexible funds that districts can use for various purposes, including increasing access to advanced coursework. These grants aim to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of schools to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education and improve school conditions for student learning (All 4 Ed).

Percentage of high school students who enroll in and pass at least one early college course (AP, IB, or dual credit) (Education-to-Workforce).

Percentage of students enrolled in early college coursework who earn credit-bearing scores on end-of-course tests (for example, a score of 3 or higher on AP tests or 5 or higher on IB tests) or earn postsecondary credit within their dual enrollment courses (Education-to-Workforce).

Rate of completion of college-level courses/ credits in high school (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

The percentage of students who have shown potential to be successful in advanced coursework who have successfully completed at least one course. Participation in early postsecondary opportunities — Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and dual enrollment — has been shown to increase high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment and college persistence rates. Yet, significant gaps in access exist for low-income students and students of color. White students are twice as likely to participate in dual enrollment courses than their Black and Latine peers. These gaps exist despite the fact that the country has improved tools to identify students who can succeed in advanced coursework. For instance, “AP Potential,” developed by the College Board, identifies students who are predicted to have a greater than 60% chance of earning a passing score on a particular AP exam based on their performance on the PSAT or SAT. Similar metrics can be developed using state assessment data and/or course grades for projecting potential for success with dual enrollment, industry-recognized credentials, IB or other options that enable a student to earn early postsecondary credit while in high school. For instance, Equal Opportunity Schools has found success in using non-test-based methods for predicting advanced course potential, especially among students of color (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

High school students successfully complete early college coursework (Advanced Placement [AP], International Baccalaureate [IB] or dual credit). There is growing evidence that participation in accelerated postsecondary pathways (such as early college high schools and dual enrollment) has a positive impact on students’ high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment and completion (Education-to-Workforce).

Number of AP, IB, and dual enrollment courses offered, overall and by subject (Education-to-Workforce).

Percentage of students in an early college course who take the relevant end-of-course test needed to earn credit (for example, AP or IB test), overall and by subject (Education-to-Workforce).

Student subgroup representation in AP courses. Black and Hispanic students disproportionately are underrepresented in rigorous course programs, depriving them of the opportunity to build strong academic transcripts required at elite universities and of the preparation needed to succeed in college. In 2016, Black students were 15.3% of all students in public schools, but just 7.3% of all students who took at least one AP exam. In that same year, Hispanic students comprised 26.4% of public school students but just 22.4% of AP test-takers (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation). 

AP courses are not the only rigorous classes to which Black and Hispanic have limited access. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection, Black and Hispanic students represent 42% of student enrollment in schools offering gifted and talented education programs (GATE), yet just 28% of students enrolled in such programs (U.S. Department of Education, 2016) (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation). 

Rate of completion of college-level courses/ credits in high school. (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

The What Works Clearinghouse panel recommends that schools enhance their college-ready curriculum with opportunities for prepared students to take college or college-level courses. This includes dual enrollment arrangements that allow students to take college courses for high school and college credit; AP courses; and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which also can prepare students for the academic demands of college and facilitate some students’ admission to more selective schools. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

The College Board found that students who met the SAT College and Career Readiness Benchmark score of 1550 were more likely to have taken honors or AP courses, more likely to have taken higher-level mathematics courses (e.g., precalculus, calculus and trigonometry), and more likely to be in the top 10% of their high school graduating class than their peers who did not meet the SAT Benchmark (College Board, SAT Report on College and Career Readiness).

San Antonio ISD uses College Board’s AP Potential data to identify students’ likelihood of success in each AP course, grouping them into 10-point probability bands. Counselors use the data to target outreach and guide course enrollment, while schools adjust offerings based on student potential — adding high-interest courses like AP Computer Science Principles and replacing low-enrollment ones like AP Physics with dual enrollment. Schools also receive an “AP enrollment report card” to track and improve alignment between student potential and actual enrollment (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) launched an AP activation campaign to boost enrollment in advanced coursework. Each year, the Commissioner sends letters to 10th and 11th graders identified with AP Potential. Since the campaign began, AP participation and performance have significantly increased — overall enrollment rose 64% over a decade, with Hispanic student participation increasing over 231%. AP success, defined as a score of 3 or higher, is part of the state’s accountability system, encouraging schools to prioritize access. CSDE also established a statewide AP credit policy ensuring students earn college credit for passing scores, supported by a data-sharing agreement that automates score reporting to public colleges (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

To expand access to advanced coursework, Washington became the first state to adopt an automatic enrollment policy — Academic Acceleration — which places students who meet state exam standards into more rigorous math, ELA or science classes. The policy aims to increase equity, particularly for historically underrepresented students (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Early College high schools: Use targeted outreach and admissions strategies to prioritize access for historically marginalized groups. Avoid selective admissions criteria like prior academic achievement or test scores, and instead focus on potential and interest (AIR).

Early College high schools: Build integrated support systems — including dedicated counselors, success coaches and access to college advisors — to help students persist in dual enrollment courses and plan for postsecondary success (Community College Research Center, Columbia University). 

AP Leadership Team – Establish a committee of teachers and administrators to examine data, create and model an access-centered vision, and maintain a general continuity in policy and programming for the school’s AP classes (College Board, Broadening Access to Advanced Placement).

AP Listening Session – Collect input from students on ways to improve the AP program and barriers to participation (College Board, Broadening Access to Advanced Placement).

AP Ambassadors – Set up a program for students to take a leadership role in recruiting their peers for AP classes (College Board, Broadening Access to Advanced Placement).

AP Boot Camp – Offer an event to build community, leadership capacity, and study skills in students enrolled in AP classes (College Board, Broadening Access to Advanced Placement).

AP Information Event – Share information about AP with students and families, focused on AP course offerings and potential alignment with students’ educational and career goals (College Board, Broadening Access to Advanced Placement).

AP Prep Sessions – Host review sessions by experienced AP readers or other successful AP teachers to support students as they prepare for AP Exams (College Board, Broadening Access to Advanced Placement).

AP Course Availability and Sequencing – Intentionally add AP courses that serve as a gateway for expanding access to rigorous coursework (College Board, Broadening Access to Advanced Placement).

San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) leveraged the data in the College Board’s AP Potential report to generate a series of customized reports that list the potential to succeed for every student at every high school campus for every AP course offered by the College Board. Rather than simply using the binary definition of AP Potential — either a student has potential or does not — SAISD went further by grouping students into 10-percentage-point bands, starting at having a zero to 10% chance of passing the AP exam in a given course prior to enrolling to having a 90 to 100% chance. The school-level report lists the potential for all incoming students to help guide their advising practices around enrollment in advanced coursework, with school counselors targeting outreach to students who were identified with potential  (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

At the state level, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) has launched an AP activation campaign to encourage students identified with potential to enroll in advanced coursework. Each year, the Commissioner sends a signed letter directly to every 10th and 11th grade student identified with AP Potential. Since starting the campaign, the state has seen an increase in the number of students enrolling in AP coursework, as well as in taking and passing AP exams (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

To break down historic access barriers, Washington became the first state in the nation to adopt an automatic enrollment policy for advanced mathematics, English language arts, and science classes in all high schools. The policy, known as Academic Acceleration, automatically places students who meet standards on state-level exams in the next more rigorous course in the corresponding content area. While intended to increase access to advanced coursework for all students, the policy is particularly aimed to support students who have been historically underrepresented  (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Create data-sharing infrastructure between K-12, higher education and workforce systems to monitor and support student transitions, similar to Economic Mobility Systems.

high schools can partner with local postsecondary institutions to offer dual enrollment courses that allow high school students to earn postsecondary credits with both academic and career and technical concentrations. During the 2010-11 school year, 82% of high schools reported students enrolled in dual credit courses with an academic or CTE focus, while 53% of all postsecondary institutions reported high school students took courses for college credit within or outside of dual enrollment programs. (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation). 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) defines dual credit as a system where eligible high school students enroll in college courses and receive both high school and college credit. These courses can be taught on high school campuses by approved instructors or on college campuses. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) assigns service areas to public colleges, facilitating partnerships between high schools and colleges to offer dual credit opportunities (Texas Education Agency).

Houston ISD has implemented initiatives to increase student participation in advanced academic programs, including AP, IB, and dual enrollment courses. Notably, the district expanded the number of high schools offering the University of Texas’s OnRamps dual enrollment courses from 15 to 33, resulting in a significant increase in student enrollment and college credit attainment. These efforts aim to enhance college readiness and provide equitable access to advanced coursework (Houston Chronicle).

Differences in the participation rates for students from key demographic subgroups in rigorous courses and programs relative to those students’ representation in their school population as a whole, including opportunities, such as the following: Gifted and talented programs; Algebra I in middle school; Higher-level math courses in high school (that is, Algebra II, calculus); Early college courses (AP, International Baccalaureate [IB], and dual enrollment) (Education-to-Workforce).

High school GPA and other high-school-based criteria have been shown to be more predictive of college readiness than standardized test scores. However, immigrant, international, and older students may be excluded from reformed placement systems if they lack the applicable measures. Institutions have developed creative solutions for at least some of these students through the use of student-reported data in place of official high school transcript data. (CAPR, Bringing Equity into College Placement Reforms).

For the equitable placement of English learners, institutions should ensure that placement systems distinguish between proficiency in academic English and other knowledge and skills that students may possess. This may include looking in depth at a student’s background to better understand what academic content they have learned in other languages. Research into effective design and practice for this differentiation is ongoing.

The “AP credit funnel,” that is, the level of AP course availability for a high school student; the likelihood of a student’s enrollment in an AP course; the likelihood of a student taking an AP test; and the likelihood of a student earning a passing score on an AP exam. All data disaggregated by student demographic (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

School actions to provide access to advanced course work: (a) Schools offering access to AP coursework; (b) Student identification and course enrollment; (c) Engagement and exam funding; (d) Teacher and student supports (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

Share of students enrolling in advanced coursework (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Average performance on advanced coursework exams (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

In 2010, the Wake County Public Schools began assigning middle school students to accelerated math and eighth-grade algebra based on a defined prior achievement metric. Such a measure would identify students who might be overlooked for the recommendation to take accelerated-level courses as a result of variation in course-grading practices and subjective beliefs about which students are capable of success in these courses. This policy reduced the relationship between course assignment and student characteristics such as income and race/ethnicity, while increasing its relationship to academic skill. The policy increased the share of students on track for algebra by eighth grade. Students placed in accelerated math were exposed to higher-skilled peers but larger classes (Dougherty, S. et al. Middle School Math Acceleration and Equitable Access to Eighth-Grade Algebra).

Implementing universal screening for gifted programs has been shown to increase representation of underrepresented students. For instance, Denver Public Schools’ shift to universal screening led to a doubling of Latino student representation in gifted programs (EdTrust).

Institutions can adopt an asset-based orientation to student performance. In seeking to identify and remediate academic weaknesses among students, traditional developmental education tends to restrict or at least delay access to college-level coursework, often for multiple semesters. An asset-based orientation to student performance, in contrast, focuses on what students can do and on identifying and leveraging students’ strengths to promote their success. The implementation of corequisite remediation is an example of leveraging students’ strengths to promote their success. Corequisite remediation allows students who may have traditionally been placed into prerequisite developmental education to enroll instead in a credit-bearing gateway course along with a developmental support course or other supplemental instruction. Importantly, co-requisite support for students needs to be accompanied by equity-focused professional learning on the part of faculty and staff to better leverage students’ strengths (CAPR, Bringing Equity into College Placement Reforms).

Institutions can design placement systems to be mindful of specific student populations. To meet the needs of a diverse range of students, colleges will have to continue to experiment with different strategies to incorporate nontraditional measures into placement systems (CAPR, Bringing Equity into College Placement Reforms).

Institution-wide training on equity-focused practices can be offered to faculty, advisors, and staff. Advisors, testing staff and faculty can greatly influence the courses into which students place and how they are taught, especially under reformed placement systems that allow new students to choose what courses they would like to take based on their own self-appraisal, other assessment information and guidance from college personnel. It is critical that college personnel receive ongoing training that encourages self-reflection on their own implicit biases, knowledge, practices and assumptions. This training should also impart an institution-wide awareness of language demands that the institution places on English learners and assumptions or biases about them (CAPR, Bringing Equity into College Placement Reforms).

An example from Cuyamaca College shows how professional learning opportunities can provide college staff with equity-minded approaches to placement and pedagogical practices. The college offers an Equity-Minded Teaching and Learning Institute as a yearly cohort-based professional development activity in which faculty analyze their classroom data, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, and then make changes to their curriculum and teaching practices using an equity-minded teaching framework. Resources available more broadly include professional development opportunities offered by the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL), such as its Advancing Racial Justice and Equitable Outcomes in Community Colleges Institutes, which are open to community college faculty, student-affairs professionals, and academic-affairs administrators nationwide. Training opportunities such as these provide a clear understanding of educational equity and culturally responsive practices (CAPR, Bringing Equity into College Placement Reforms).

The federal government should resume collecting disaggregated school-level data on advanced coursework in the Civil Rights Data Collection (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

States should include detailed disaggregated data on advanced coursework on school report cards (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

Policies that automatically enroll students who meet proficiency benchmarks into advanced courses have been effective. Federal Way Public Schools in Washington implemented such a policy, resulting in increased enrollment of Black and Latine students in advanced coursework (Center for American Progress).

States should develop and invest in partnership organizations that can support schools to expand offerings, provide professional development to teachers, and help students prepare for and succeed in advanced courses, not just AP courses (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

States and districts should leverage available federal funding, including Title I, Title II, Title III and Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, to expand and improve advanced coursework offerings (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

States and districts should work to vertically align standards critical for student success at the high school level with earlier grades to prepare students for advanced coursework.

Districts should invest in ongoing collaboration between elementary, middle and high school staff to continually improve alignment and coordination of instructional concepts and vocabulary (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

States and school districts can expand access to advanced coursework by: (a) Making investments in statewide partnerships focused on equitably expanding advanced coursework; (b) Working to optimize schoolwide master schedules to reduce conflicts and open up more slots for students in advanced coursework; (c) Remaining open to leveraging technology to expand offerings, which could entail virtual offerings across schools within a district, in regional partnerships, or through high-quality state virtual schools (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

States and districts should analyze data to reduce opportunities for bias in systems used to identify students for advanced courses from elementary through high school (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

States and districts should implement automatic enrollment or academic acceleration policies that automatically place students with demonstrated proficiency in the subsequent highest available course (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

Districts should recruit and mentor students early in their high school careers to prepare them for enrollment and success in advanced coursework (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

States and districts should invest to eliminate subscription or examination fees for advanced coursework (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

Districts should initiate regular conversations with families in their home languages about advanced coursework registration timelines, program availability and cost reductions (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

State-level partnerships and districts should invest in professional development and communities of practice for advanced coursework instructors (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

State-level partnerships and districts should create supplemental opportunities for advanced coursework students to connect with and learn from peers and experts (Center for American Progress, Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps for All Students).

California laws (AB 705 and AB 1705) require community colleges to use high school coursework and GPA for placement decisions, aiming to reduce reliance on standardized tests and increase access to transfer-level courses for all students (The Campaign for College Opportunity).

Illinois mandates the use of multiple assessment tools and universal screening to identify students for accelerated programs, along with professional development for educators to support diverse learners (Illinois General Assembly).

Schools and instructors use a standards-aligned core course curriculum that meets quality standards (as defined by EdReports) and is culturally relevant, centering the lived experiences and heritage of students’ ethnic or racial backgrounds (Education-to-Workforce Framework).

The percentage of students who pass AP exams (Center for American Progress).

Schools and instructors use a standards-aligned core course curriculum that meets quality standards (as defined by EdReports) and is culturally relevant, centering the lived experiences and heritage of students’ ethnic or racial backgrounds (Education-to-Workforce Framework).

The Tier 1 curriculum, assessments, and instructional resources in use are closely aligned (Instruction Partners).

When and if appropriate, additional culturally and/or linguistically relevant materials are used alongside curricular materials to support students in making personal connections (Instruction Partners).

Schools and instructors use a standards-aligned core course curriculum that meets quality standards (as defined by EdReports) and is culturally relevant, centering the lived experiences and heritage of students’ ethnic or racial backgrounds (Education-to-Workforce Framework).

The Tier 1 curriculum, assessments, and instructional resources in use are closely aligned (Instruction Partners).

The school/system uses quality data and assessment resources consistently, cohesively, and strategically to drive instructional decision making for all students (Instruction Partners).

When and if appropriate, additional culturally and/or linguistically relevant materials are used alongside curricular materials to support students in making personal connections (Instruction Partners).

Tiered intervention programs in use are structured and systematic; they amplify and accelerate learning from Tier 1 materials (Instruction Partners).

Curriculum-embedded assessments and materials are used seamlessly to design whole- and small-group learning experiences that move every student toward reading proficiency (Instruction Partners).

The school/system uses quality data and assessment resources consistently, cohesively, and strategically to drive instructional decision making for all students (Instruction Partners).

Capstone Courses and Projects: Whether they’re called “senior capstones” or some other name, these culminating experiences require students nearing the end of their college years to create a project of some sort that integrates and applies what they’ve learned. The project might be a research paper, a performance, a portfolio of “best work,” or an exhibit of artwork. Capstones are offered both in departmental programs and, increasingly, in general education as well (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

Collaborative Assignments and Projects: Collaborative learning combines two key goals: learning to work and solve problems in the company of others and sharpening one’s own understanding by listening seriously to the insights of others, especially those with different backgrounds and life experiences. Approaches range from study groups within a course, to team-based assignments and writing, to cooperative projects and research (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

Common Intellectual Experiences: The older idea of a “core” curriculum has evolved into a variety of modern forms, such as a set of required common courses or a vertically organized general education program that includes advanced integrative studies and/or required participation in a learning community. These programs often combine broad themes — e.g., technology and society, global interdependence — with a variety of curricular and cocurricular options for students (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

Diversity/Global Learning: Many colleges and universities now emphasize courses and programs that help students explore cultures, life experiences and worldviews different from their own. These studies — which may address US diversity, world cultures, or both — often explore “difficult differences” such as racial, ethnic and gender inequality, or continuing struggles around the globe for human rights, freedom and power. Frequently, intercultural studies are augmented by experiential learning in the community and/or by study abroad (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

ePortfolios: ePortfolios can be implemented in a variety of ways for teaching and learning, programmatic assessment, and career development. ePortfolios enable students to electronically collect their work over time, reflect upon their personal and academic growth, and then share selected items with others, including professors, advisors and potential employers. Because collection over time is a key element of the ePortfolio process, employing ePortfolios in collaboration with other high-impact practices provides opportunities for students to make connections between various educational experiences (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

First-Year Seminars and Experiences: Many institutions now build into the curriculum first-year seminars or other programs that bring small groups of students together with faculty or staff on a regular basis. The highest-quality first-year experiences place a strong emphasis on critical inquiry, frequent writing, information literacy, collaborative learning and other skills that develop students’ intellectual and practical competencies. First-year seminars can also involve students with cutting-edge questions in scholarship and with faculty members’ own research (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

Internships: Internships are an increasingly common form of experiential learning. The idea is to provide students with direct experience in a work setting — usually related to their career interests — and to give them the benefit of supervision and coaching from professionals in the field. If the internship is taken for course credit, students complete a project or paper that is approved by a faculty member (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

Learning Communities: The key goals for learning communities are to encourage integration of learning across courses and to involve students with “big questions” that matter beyond the classroom. Students take two or more linked courses as a group and work closely with one another and with their professors. Many learning communities explore a common topic and/or common readings through the lenses of different disciplines. Some deliberately link “liberal arts” and “professional courses”; others feature service learning (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

Service Learning, Community-Based Learning: In these programs, field-based “experiential learning” with community partners is an instructional strategy — and often a required part of the course. The idea is to give students direct experience with issues they are studying in the curriculum and with ongoing efforts to analyze and solve problems in the community. A key element in these programs is the opportunity students have to both apply what they are learning in real-world settings and reflect in a classroom setting on their service experiences. These programs model the idea that giving something back to the community is an important college outcome and that working with community partners is good preparation for citizenship, work and life (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

Undergraduate Research: Many colleges and universities are now providing research experiences for students in all disciplines. Undergraduate research, however, has been most prominently used in science disciplines. With strong support from the National Science Foundation and the research community, scientists are reshaping their courses to connect key concepts and questions with students’ early and active involvement in systematic investigation and research. The goal is to involve students with actively contested questions, empirical observation, cutting-edge technologies and the sense of excitement that comes from working to answer important questions (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

Writing-Intensive Courses: These courses emphasize writing at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum, including final-year projects. Students are encouraged to produce and revise various forms of writing for different audiences in different disciplines. The effectiveness of this repeated practice “across the curriculum” has led to parallel efforts in such areas as quantitative reasoning, oral communication, information literacy, and, on some campuses, ethical inquiry (AAC&U, High-Impact Practices).

Legislators promote the selection and periodic review of high-quality curriculum. High-quality curriculum not only provides a clear framework for teachers, but also ensures coherence across grades and schools. It is essential that legislators promote the selection and periodic review of evidence-based instructional materials and resources in districts. This will help determine if they meet students’ needs or if additional materials and supports are necessary. Don’t remove resources, even flawed ones, without providing educators with effective alternatives first. (Model state: Delaware) (Shanker Institute).

The SAT Benchmark score of 1550 is associated with a 65% probability of obtaining a first-year GPA of B- or higher, which in turn is associated with a high likelihood of college success. Studies show that students who meet the SAT College and Career Readiness Benchmark are more likely to enroll in a four-year college, more likely to earn a higher first-year GPA, and more likely to persist beyond the first year of college and complete their degree. For instance, among students who met the SAT College and Career Readiness Benchmark, 78% enrolled in a four-year college or university, compared to only 46% of those who did not meet the SAT Benchmark (College Board, SAT Report on College and Career Readiness).

The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are the minimum ACT® college readiness assessment scores required for students to have a high probability of success in credit-bearing college courses — English Composition, social sciences courses, College Algebra, or Biology. The ACT Test Benchmarks are as follows: English (18); Reading (22); Mathematics (22); Biology (23). Students who meet a Benchmark on the ACT or ACT Compass have approximately a 50% chance of earning a B or better and approximately a 75% chance of earning a C or better in the corresponding college course or courses (ACT Research and Policy).

High test scores help students get access to college. When colleges make entrance decisions, they usually rely on both students’ grades and their scores on college entrance exams (the ACT and SAT). For this reason, higher scores on the college entrance exams help students gain access to more selective colleges and programs. High test scores also can help students obtain scholarships (UChicago CCSR, Looking Forward to high school and College).

Percentage of grade 11–12 students who take the SAT/ACT (Education to Workforce Framework)

Percentage of grade 11–12 students who earn a “college-ready” score, based on the benchmarks set by the SAT and ACT (Education to Workforce Framework)

Average college admission test scores at an institution (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

College Entrance Exam Scores as an indicator of Academic Preparation: Used by many institutions during the admission process to determine college readiness Both SAT and ACT scores are predictive of first-year GPA and student outcomes, such as retention and completion, in college (For example, scoring a 1550 out of 2400 or above on the SAT is associated with a 65% probability of earning at least a B- average in the first year of college. For the ACT exam, scoring 22 or above is correlated with a 75% chance of earning a C or better in collegiate English and math courses). However, many students at open-access institutions, such as community colleges and for-profit schools, do not take these tests (IHEP, Toward Convergence).

Universal testing mandates: Evidence suggests that standardized tests like the SAT and ACT can be a useful and cost-effective approach for identifying high-achieving students from marginalized backgrounds for the purposes of college access and outreach initiatives. There is evidence that universal testing mandates requiring all students to take the ACT or SAT raise college enrollment rates among students from low-income households (Education-to-Workforce).

Free college admission exams: One way states are attempting to increase postsecondary access to students is to provide college enrollment exams for free. To date [i.e., as of 2018], 26 states have made either the ACT or SAT a requirement for 11th graders and have administered the exams to students free of cost. Using data from Lumina Foundation’s A Stronger Nation report shows states that require a college admission test have slightly smaller subgroup gaps between white and Black students (13.6 vs. 14.5 percentage points), as well as white and Hispanic students (21.1 percentage points vs. 22.6 percentage points). Increasingly, high schools are joining the movement to provide free college admission testing and some have devoted school hours to SAT test-taking or provided vouchers to cover the cost of ACT exams (Civic Enterprises, Building a Grad Nation). 

Expanding access through fee waivers and SAT School Day: Since 1970, the College Board has provided SAT fee waivers to low-income students for whom exam fees would present an undue burden in the college-going process. More students than ever are using SAT fee waivers (College Board, SAT Report on College and Career Readiness).

First offered in the spring of 2010, SAT School Day helps states and districts foster a college-going culture and increases access to college. Enabling students to take the SAT for free during the school day ensures that promising students who might otherwise face barriers to standard Saturday testing — such as part-time jobs or family responsibilities  —  do not miss out on a chance at the college-going process (College Board, SAT Report on College and Career Readiness).

Several U.S. states have policies or funding mechanisms in place that cover the cost of SAT or ACT exams for high school students, often as part of a college access or accountability strategy, including Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Universal SAT/ACT testing produces small, discernible increases in college attendance, especially at four-year colleges. And it’s cheap: states have to run a high school test anyway, plus parents pay for the college entrance exams if the school system does not. Joshua Hyman, an assistant professor at University of Connecticut, calculates that a universal testing program is one of the least costly ways to increase college attendance rates (Brookings, ACT/SAT for all).

Percentage of grade 12 students who complete the FAFSA by June 30 (Education-to-Workforce).

Rates of FAFSA completion. Students who report completing a FAFSA are more likely to enroll in college, enroll in a four-year rather than a two-year college, and enroll full time rather than part time compared to students who do not complete an application (Education-to-Workforce).

Rates of FAFSA completion for low-income students: Students from low-income households who complete a FAFSA are 127% more likely to enroll in college in the fall after graduating high school than their peers who do not. One study found that, among students who applied and were admitted to college, there was a 29 % difference in enrollment — 84% of students who were admitted and completed the FAFSA enrolled in a four-year college, compared with 55 % enrollment by students who were admitted but did not complete the FAFSA (Education-to-Workforce).

Student reasons for not completing a FAFSA. (e.g., among fall 2009 ninth-graders who graduated from high school and reported, or their parents reported, not completing a FAFSA, 33% thought they or their family could afford school or college without financial aid; 32% thought they or their family may be ineligible or may not qualify for financial aid; 28% did not want to take on debt; and 23% did not have enough information about how to complete a FAFSA) (Stats in Brief, Why didn’t students complete a FAFSA).

The percentage of eligible high school seniors who complete the FAFSA by June 30. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) eases the burden of college affordability by providing access to federal — and in some cases, state and institutional — financial aid. Completing the FAFSA significantly increases the odds that a student will enroll in a postsecondary institution directly after high school, with 90% of students who complete the FAFSA seamlessly enrolling, compared to just 55% of non-completers. Students who complete the FAFSA are also more likely to persist in their college coursework and obtain a degree. To increase FAFSA completion, one of the highest-leverage strategies is to provide high school principals and counselors with access to student-level data that they can use to target support to the students who need it most. To further tailor support, we also encourage tracking additional, more nuanced FAFSA data, such as flagging students who have started, but not submitted the application, as well as students who have submitted, but not completed the form. According to data from the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), more than 66,000 fewer students have completed the FAFSA by the end of May 2020 compared to the same time in 2019. Nationally, this equates to over a 3-percentage point decrease. With many families facing financial hardship, it is more important than ever to ensure students complete the FAFSA. (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

% of students completing a FAFSA. A study of the 2009 high school Longitudinal Study conducted by the National College Attainment Network found that students from the lowest socioeconomic quintile who completed a FAFSA were 127% more likely to be enrolled in the fall following high school graduation than their counterparts without a FAFSA completion. Among high school graduates from the class of 2013, 37.4% of students from the lowest SES quintile who did not complete a FAFSA had a postsecondary enrollment in November 2013, compared to 83.8% of students from the highest quintile who did not complete a FAFSA. Contrast these figures with students who did complete the FAFSA: 85% of students from the lowest quintile who completed a FAFSA had a postsecondary enrollment in November 2013, compared to 97.8% of students from the highest quintile who completed a FAFSA. The findings show that FAFSA completion associates with a narrowing of the postsecondary enrollment gap based on socioeconomic status by about 34 percentage points. (NCAN, Survey Data Strengthen Association Between FAFSA Completion and Enrollment).

Reasons why students do not complete a FAFSA. In a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, parents or students reported the following reasons for not completing a FAFSA: (a) they could afford school or college without financial aid (33% of respondents who reported not completing a FAFSA); (b) they thought they would be ineligible or may not qualify (32%); (c) they did not want to take on debt (28%); (d) they did not have enough information about how to complete a FAFSA (23%); (e) they had no plans to continue education after high school (22%); (f) they did not know you could complete a FAFSA (15%); they thought the FAFSA forms were too much work or too time-consuming (9%). (NCES Stats in Brief, Why Didn’t Students Complete a FAFSA?).

percentage of Prior Graduates Who Completed the FAFSA:The percentage of 2004 graduates, the prior cohort, in the school who reported on the 2004 CPS Senior Exit Questionnaire that they had completed the FAFSA. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future).

Completed the FAFSA: Student reported on the 2005 CPS Senior Exit Questionnaire completing the FAFSA. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future). 

Student Leadership Network’s CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) places full-time directors of college counseling in high-need public schools. One of the program’s objectives is to support students in completing financial aid applications by providing comprehensive financial aid counseling, helping complete the FAFSA application, and conducting one-on-one meetings with families (Student Leadership Network).

Increase families’ financial awareness, and help students apply for financial aid. Financial aid plays an important role in making college affordable and improving access to college, especially for first-generation students and students from low-income families. However, these students and their families often have limited knowledge of financial aid opportunities and may overestimate the cost of college. high schools can ensure that students take the necessary steps to obtain financial aid by educating students and their parents early in high school about college affordability and the availability of financial aid and by helping them identify potential sources of aid. Students benefit from hands-on assistance in meeting financial aid deadlines and completing application forms (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Organize workshops for parents and students to inform them prior to 12th grade about college affordability, scholarship and aid sources, and financial aid processes. high schools should inform students and parents about financial aid and the cost of college early in high school. The What Works Clearinghouse panel recommends that high schools organize separate workshops to inform parents and students about financial aid. The workshops should address misconceptions about college costs and build awareness of financial aid (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

The What Works Clearinghouse panel recommends holding an initial workshop on college affordability in 9th or 10th grade, ensuring that students and parents understand the cost of college and the aid available to make it affordable. A workshop on scholarship and aid sources should occur in 10th grade so that students and parents can begin to think about the sources of different forms of aid. Although students complete the FAFSA in their senior year, information about the financial aid application process should be covered in the junior year to prepare students for the process (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

College affordability. Students who think that college is too expensive or who lack information about the availability of aid may not take the necessary steps early in high school to prepare for college. The What Works Clearinghouse panel recommends that high schools provide information about college affordability — both the cost of college and ways to cover the cost — starting in 9th grade. Schools can create a worksheet that displays potential costs for college next to potential sources of financial aid to demonstrate the realistic cost to families. Students should receive information on the typical tuition cost for two- and four-year colleges, differences between public and private institutions and tuition estimates for local and regional colleges  (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

high schools can provide a worksheet that has a side-by-side comparison of the cost of these schools and should help students and parents distinguish the different types of college costs, including tuition, fees, room and board, and books and supplies. Students need to understand the types of financial aid available to cover these costs, including grants, loans, scholarships, tax credits, and work-study programs. Descriptions of financial aid, loan obligations, and grants can be confusing for individuals who may have limited interactions with banks and lending agencies; accordingly, conversations should be developed in a manner that is understandable to the student and his or her family. The workshops should encourage students and parents to estimate their financial aid eligibility using a tool to forecast eligibility based on FAFSA (e.g., FAFSA4caster, www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov). (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Scholarship and aid sources. One workshop should assist students in navigating the vast array of financial aid sources to identify relevant opportunities. A list of available federal and state grants and their eligibility requirements can help students determine likely sources of aid. During the workshop, high schools also can provide a list of local and regional sources of scholarships available for students, as well as websites on which they can search more broadly for scholarships (e.g., www.fastweb.com, www.latinocollegedollars.org). Although high school advisors often maintain information on scholarship opportunities, students may not access this information unless they regularly visit a school’s advising office. High schools can disseminate scholarship information during the workshop and follow up with updated or additional information on the school’s website or in its monthly newsletter. Schools can designate a staff member to collect and update financial aid, scholarship, and grant opportunities for students (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Financial aid application process. high schools should hold workshops to inform students and parents about the financial aid application process, including details about the process for submitting the FAFSA. Students should understand the information that is needed to complete the FAFSA and should know about the online and hardcopy versions of the application. High schools should explain that the FAFSA plays a role in determining eligibility for federal loans and grants as well as state grants, scholarships, and other forms of aid. Informing students about key concepts, such as the estimated family contribution (EFC), can help students understand the meaning of their financial aid materials. Students should understand the steps in the process that occur after submitting the FAFSA, including receipt of the student aid report and a financial aid package (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Workshops on financial aid should be held for parents as well as for students. high schools should develop a plan for engaging parents and encouraging them to become invested in the financial aid and college application processes. For example, a parent institute that includes sessions on financial aid and other aspects of the college entry process could be held throughout the school year. Inviting parents to informal social gatherings at the school, such as picnics or family dinners, can encourage parent involvement as well. Offering child care at these events can make it easier for parents to attend and participate. The workshops for parents should discuss how they can help students complete the financial aid process and encourage them to assist students in meeting key deadlines. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Help students and parents complete financial aid forms prior to eligibility deadlines. In addition to workshops providing information about financial aid, high schools should hold workshops to assist high school seniors and their parents in completing the FAFSA form, to answer student questions, and to explain the information requested on the form. The workshops should include volunteers who are knowledgeable on the FAFSA and can provide one-on-one help in completing the application form. High schools should reach out to financial aid officers from local colleges who can train teachers or volunteers on the FAFSA and who can assist individual students during the workshop. Students should be notified of the information needed to fill out the FAFSA, such as income information from parents’ tax forms, before the session. High schools can coordinate with the school library or computer lab so that students can complete the FAFSA on the Internet. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Even though high schools can reach a broad group of students through line-by-line assistance at a workshop, students may have complex questions specific to their financial situation or may be uncomfortable raising questions at a group meeting. Therefore, high schools should provide individual assistance or counseling following a workshop to further assist students in completing the FAFSA or other aid applications. For high schools that provide mentoring services, mentors can provide one-on-one assistance if they are knowledgeable about financial aid or if they receive training. Individual financial aid counseling also can be helpful for answering questions about the Student Aid Profile, award letter, or financial aid decisions that are made after a student submits the FAFSA. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

The role of FAFSA Verification in exacerbating summer melt: A 2020 study from Rice University found that one-third of Houston Independent School District college-intending students were flagged for FAFSA verification (i.e., a process requiring a student to submit additional documents such as tax transcripts and W-2 forms so the financial aid office at their college can see that the information on these documents matches the student’s FAFSA application) and that racial and ethnic minorities were especially at risk of verification. The study also found that students flagged for FAFSA verification were five percentage points more likely to delay their college enrollment than students who were not flagged for verification. Overall, results suggested reducing FAFSA verification and/or providing support to students and families managing the process might be a way to improve college enrollment rates and reduce summer melt. (Holzman, B., & Hanson, V. S., Summer melt and free application for federal student aid verification.)

Counselors set up systems for success. This includes: (a) Create a FAFSA completion tracker for the students on your caseload; (b) Identify local resources to support families in the financial aid process, such as free local tax prep resources; (c) Train your team (and yourself!) in FAFSA completion and financial aid processes in your state. If your student population includes students without documentation or with DACA, research alternative financial aid support. (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors support juniors to complete FAFSA4Caster. This includes: (a) Host a workshop (or workshops) during junior year to introduce key concepts like the cost of college, financial aid options and documents needed to complete financial aid. Consider collecting tax documents at this time to prepare to support your students for FAFSA completion senior year; (b) Create and deliver checklists for juniors to gather the information they’ll need to complete FAFSA4Caster; (c) Support juniors to complete FAFSA4Caster, either on their own, in workshops or in one-on-ones; (d) Once FAFSA4Caster is complete, schedule time with each junior on your caseload to review their EFC and cross-examine their wish list. Make adjustments, as necessary, to ensure there are financial fits; (e) Where needed, connect families with local resources for tax completion. (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

During students’ senior year, counselors help students and families complete FAFSA and the financial aid process. This includes: (a) As a college counseling team, meet regularly to review progress-to-date on FAFSA submission to identify needs and triage support; (b) Host a workshop, office hours or one-on-ones to help students and families complete FAFSA; (c) Help students identify and complete the necessary financial aid steps for the colleges on their wish lists. Some colleges may require additional forms; (d) If students are applying to private colleges, support them to complete the CSS Profile (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors review and evaluate student aid offers as they arrive. This includes: (a)  Remind students to submit offer letters for analysis; (b) Support students to review and compare letters, identifying the total anticipated out-of-pocket cost of college and anticipated loan payments after college; (c) If necessary, support students and families to appeal financial aid offers. (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

According to KIPP’s Financial Aid Checklist, before the end of junior year students should: (a) Create their FSA ID which they’ll need to complete FAFSA. (Visit: fsaid.ed.gov); (b) Complete the FAFSA4Caster to get an early estimate of their potential financial aid. (Visit: fafsa.ed.gov/spa/fafsa4c); (c) As they build their college wish list, review every option to determine if it’s a “financial fit,” ensuring to include options that are more affordable on their list; (d) Begin gathering the documents they’ll need to submit FAFSA in the fall: Social Security number (if applicable); Family taxes and earnings from previous year; Information on investment, checking and savings accounts; (e) Begin researching scholarships. Create a simple tracker with scholarship names, links, requirements and submission dates (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

According to KIPP’s Financial Aid Checklist, in October and November of Senior Year, students should: (a) Work with their family to submit FAFSA. They can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to populate with tax information. (Visit: fafsa.ed.gov); (b) Review their Student Aid Report (arrives a few days after FAFSA submission) to ensure all the information is accurate; (c) Continue researching potential scholarships; (d) Apply for scholarships as deadlines approach; (e) Review the financial aid requirements for every college they plan to apply to. Make plans to submit any additional financial aid forms on time. (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

According to KIPP’s Financial Aid Checklist, in January and February of Senior Year, students should: (a) complete FAFSA verification, if required; and (b) Check in with colleges to ensure they have all the information they need for financial aid (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

According to KIPP’s Financial Aid Checklist, from March through May of Senior Year, students should: (a) Submit financial aid offers to their counselor so they can review together; (b) If needed, work with their counselor to submit financial aid offer appeals; (c) Analyze each award letter to better understand their out-of-pocket cost and future loan payments; (d) Prepare to submit a deposit to their selected college by May 1 (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Louisiana has consistently been one of the leading states for FAFSA completion rates for the past several years. In addition to requiring students to complete the FAFSA to graduate from high school, the state maintains a statewide data system that includes student-level FAFSA completion data. The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA), which manages the data, shares reports to schools on a weekly basis. Louisiana also includes FAFSA submission data on its School Finder information platform to provide parents and community members with meaningful data on students’ postsecondary preparation (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) manages a statewide, public-facing FAFSA tracker that enables individuals to view FAFSA completion data by school, enrollment, region, and county and compares current completion rates to the previous year. Schools and districts can use this tracker to monitor their progress relative to their peers across the state. To spur competition, the tracker also features a leaderboard of the top schools in the state by both overall completion rate and growth from the previous year. This competition is further supported by the College Cash Campaign, which provides incentives to schools for meeting certain benchmarks (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Vancouver Public Schools (VPS), located in Washington, shares student-level data through an online portal. Managed by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), the state’s higher education coordinating board, the portal allows all high school counselors and principals to have real-time data on students who have not only completed the FAFSA, but also who have missing information or errors on their application, or who have started, but not completed the form. VPS conducts trainings with school staff on how to analyze and leverage this data to focus the support they provide to students and families (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Simplify the FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) effectively serves as the gateway to higher education for millions of students each academic year. However, the complex and extensive nature of the FAFSA has resulted in the significant underutilization of federal aid. The implementation of the FUTURE Act and the FAFSA Simplification Act will eliminate unnecessary FAFSA questions and help create early awareness of financial aid options among younger students. FSA should continue working to decrease the burden caused by the audit-like verification process. (National College Attainment Network, Fix FAFSA)

LEARN MORE Universal FAFSA Completion with Supports: Data show FAFSA completion increases the likelihood of enrollment and persistence in higher education. States should require FAFSA completion for high school graduation, with a robust opt-out option for students with special circumstances. And counselors, advisers, and students should be provided with the support needed to meet the requirement. (National College Attainment Network, Universal FAFSA Completion with Supports).

Student-level FAFSA Data Sharing: Through agreements with Federal Student Aid, states can access student-level data on FAFSA submissions, completions, and more. Nearly every state has signed an agreement to receive this data, and these agreements also permit states to pass this data along to districts, schools, and other approved organizations. Having access to student-level FAFSA completion data can help districts, schools, and community organizations: Drive FAFSA completion campaigns; Change postsecondary advising practices; IncreFAFSAase FAFSA completion rates; Better connect students with the financial aid that would make their postsecondary pathways more affordable (NCAN, FAFSA Data Sharing).

high school educators and college access counselors hold information sessions to help students and families understand the process and timeline for FAFSA submission this year (U.S. Department of Education, Better FAFSA Toolkit).

high school educators and college access counselors support students as they create a StudentAid.gov account by giving time to do it with trained school personnel or volunteers (U.S. Department of Education, Better FAFSA Toolkit).

high school educators and college access counselors set FAFSA completion goals for your or key partners’ high schools and use available data to know your school’s current submission rate  (U.S. Department of Education, Better FAFSA Toolkit).

high school educators and college access counselors train teachers, support staff and volunteers on how to fill out the FAFSA (U.S. Department of Education, Better FAFSA Toolkit).

high school educators and college access counselors visit ed.gov/Better-FAFSA to access resources like the Financial Aid Toolkit for counselors and the roadmap for counselors and advocates (U.S. Department of Education, Better FAFSA Toolkit).

high school educators and college access counselors Develop a roadmap for their school and community support providers (U.S. Department of Education, Better FAFSA Toolkit).

High school graduates select the best “match” college among the institutions to which they were admitted, based on the institutional graduation rate of similar students. Nationwide, 50% of students from low-income families attend a less selective college than those to which they have access, even though attending a more selective college can lead to higher graduation rates and future income (Education-to-Workforce).

Percentage of high school seniors who select a college within 10 percentage points of the best matched postsecondary institution to which they were admitted, based on the institution’s graduation rate for similar students by race, ethnicity, or income status (as measured by Pell Grant receipt) (Education-to-Workforce).

The percentage of high school seniors who are admitted to at least one “match” postsecondary institution. Where a student attends college matters. Research shows that students from low-income families are more likely to attend less selective universities than their academic credentials would otherwise allow, known as “undermatching.” Students who are undermatched are significantly less likely to complete their postsecondary degree given that these institutions often offer less financial aid and support services. As such, many districts and charter networks have started to set goals around the percentage of students admitted to at least one “match” school and have aligned their advising supports to guide students toward the schools where they are likely to be the most successful as early as 9th grade. With students indicating that, in light of the pandemic, they are considering attending a community college, an institution that is more affordable or closer to home, or deferring their college plans altogether, it is essential that students are guided to the institutions where they are most likely to be successful (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

percentage of students affected by student-college “academic undermatch,” which occurs when a student’s academic credentials permit them access to a college or university that is more selective than the postsecondary alternative they actually choose. Using a nationally representative dataset, we find that 41% of students undermatch in their postsecondary choice. We also find that academic undermatch affects students with a range of academic credentials, but is more common among those students from low socioeconomic status families, who live in rural areas, and whose parents have no college degree. Finally, we show that between the 1992 and 2004 high school senior cohorts, academic undermatch has decreased by nearly 20%. The decrease is partially due to students being more likely to apply to a matched college (Smith, J. et al., The full extent of student-college academic undermatch).

percentage of low-income, high-achieving students applying to a well-matched college. A Brookings study shows that the vast majority of low-income high achievers do not apply to any selective college. This is despite the fact that selective institutions typically cost them less, owing to generous financial aid, than the two-year and nonselective four-year institutions to which they actually apply. Moreover, low-income high achievers have no reason to believe they will fail at selective institutions since those who do apply are admitted and graduate at high rates. The study demonstrates that low-income high achievers’ application behavior differs greatly from that of their high-income counterparts with similar achievement. The latter generally follow experts’ advice to apply to several “peer,” a few “reach,” and a couple of “safety” colleges.  By contrast, low-income high-achieving students who do not apply to selective colleges often come from districts too small to support selective public high schools, are not in a critical mass of fellow high achievers, and are unlikely to encounter a teacher who attended a selective college (Hoxby, C. and Avery, C., The Missing “One-Offs”: The Hidden Supply of High-Achieving, Low-Income Students).

College match of high school graduates. (Urban Institute, Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools).

Participated in Activity at School: Student reports on the 2005 CCSR Senior Survey at least weekly participation in school clubs or after-school activities (like student council, ethnic/cultural clubs, newspaper, drama, or After School Matters). (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future). 

Applied to Three to Five Schools/Applied to Six or More Schools: Student reports on the 2005 CPS Senior Exit Questionnaire of the number of applications completed. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future). 

Attended a College Fair: Student reported on the 2005 CCSR Senior Survey attending a college fair while in high school. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future). 

Used a College Guidebook: Student reported on the 2005 CCSR Senior Survey using college guidebooks (online or print) while in high school. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future). 

Took the PSAT: Student reported on the 2005 CCSR Senior Survey taking the PSAT/NMSQT (the preSAT) while in high school. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future). 

Followed the Steps Up to Being Accepted into a Four-Year School: Student reported on the 2005 CCSR Senior Survey and the 2005 CPS Senior Exit Questionnaire following the steps to college enrollment up to being accepted into a four-year college (aspired to a four-year degree, planned to attend a four-year college, applied to a four-year college, and was accepted into a four-year college) (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future). 

By combining internal data on their students’ academic performance with postsecondary outcomes data from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), districts and charter networks can set their own benchmarks for identifying match institutions for their students (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

As part of the To & Through Advising Challenge, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (PLAS) harnessed data from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to create counselor resources for improving postsecondary fit and match. PLAS was formed as a collaboration between Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the city of Los Angeles, and other public and private partners, and they manage 18 of the “most historically underserved schools” in the city. They used the NSC data to develop criteria for the “best fit” schools that had a track record of successfully supporting LAUSD students. Schools with an average admitted student GPA above 3.5 with a 75% or higher minority graduation rate, or schools with an average admitted student GPA below 3.5 and a 55% or better minority graduation rate. PLAS created individual data sheets for each of the “best fit” schools to share with counselors, teachers, parents, and students (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

The KIPP charter network has developed a College Match Framework that breaks down the key practices — and aligned performance indicators that schools can use to measure progress — that students and counselors should take throughout the college application and selection process. Students explore their “passion, purpose, and plan” to identify their priorities. They then build a “SMART Wish List,” with students encouraged to apply to at least six institutions, including a balance of schools they are “likely” to be accepted to, schools that are “targets,” and schools that are “reaches” based on their academic performance. Counselors have access to a dashboard that tracks student progress in meeting each of these goals. Schools continue to monitor students as they apply for financial aid, select an institution to attend, and complete the critical steps to enroll and transition in the fall. By following this approach, KIPP has found that students at all levels of performance are more likely to matriculate to colleges with historically strong graduation rates for Black and Latine students than their peers who apply to fewer schools. (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Achieve Atlanta has partnered with Atlanta Public Schools (APS) to develop a Match and Fit List Builder, which supports students with creating a balanced college list, including at least two each of “target,” “reach,” and “likely” schools. The tool uses data provided by the district, including GPA and the highest score on the ACT or SAT. To provide students with information about the potential cost of the colleges on their list, the tool also asks students to provide their household income. (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has partnered with the University of Chicago Consortium to develop a College Match Grid that categorizes institutions to apply to based on a student’s GPA and SAT or ACT score: two-year colleges, “less selective” four-year colleges, “somewhat selective” four-year colleges, “selective” four-year colleges, and “very selective” four-year colleges. For example, while a student scoring below 940 on the SAT or 18 on the ACT and with less than a 2.0 GPA might want to consider a two-year college, a student with a 3.0 GPA and the same test scores might look at “selective” colleges. The grid is paired with a “College Selectivity List” of institutions for each of those categories (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Student Leadership Network’s CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) places full-time directors of college counseling in high-need public schools. One of the program’s objectives is to increase student awareness of college and career options by coordinating college trips and fairs, facilitating college awareness lessons and workshops, and connecting students to alumni enrolled in college (Student Leadership Network).

Since 2013, the Colorado Department of Higher Education has been working to develop earnings outcomes tools accessible to Colorado students and families. This interactive tool depicts annual median earnings for Colorado graduates one, five and 10 years following the completion of a credential. Students and families can use this tool to search for median earnings based on institution of higher education, degree level, and program of study (Colorado Department of Higher Education, Postsecondary Degree Earnings Outcome Tools).

Counselors conduct 1–on–1 meetings throughout students’ junior & senior years on topics relevant to their place in the college process (Knowledge is Power Program, College match strategies framework).

Counselors build Family Investment by engaging families early and throughout the college process. Hold family nights about college matching in junior and senior year Plan family meetings on critical match topics including wish lists, matriculation decisions, and financial aid decisions. (Knowledge is Power Program, College match strategies framework).

Counselors use data tools to build SMART wish lists, track progress to Match goals, and analyze wish lists and financial aid awards. Data tools include: KIPP Student Match Tool, KIPP Counselor Match Tool, KIPP Alumni Database, KIPP Strong Transition Dashboard, Under-matching and ECC tracker, uAspire Award Analyzer, and Department of Ed College Scorecard. (Knowledge is Power Program, College match strategies framework).

Rigorous progress monitoring: Rigorous and realistic bottoms up goals; Weekly tracking of metrics using Counselor Match Tool; Regular email communication to communicate progress to goals; Monthly Match Meetings (Knowledge is Power Program, College match strategies framework).

Leadership alignment: All students take ACT 2–3x, with first test in April of junior year; Curriculum and academic policies oriented towards college and career readiness; Shared goals and accountability; All KIPP HS’s have 11th/12th Seminar (ideal   —   9th–12th); Dir. of College Counseling and/or KTC Director on HS Leadership team; Resources for fee waivers, college trips, and PD. (Knowledge is Power Program, College match strategies framework).

Whole school engagement: School and dept PD aligned to college match process; School-wide Match campaigns; Regular teacher-counselor communication and updates. (Knowledge is Power Program, College match strategies framework).

Counselor competency and development: Align JD, performance review, and PD to Match Strategies Framework; Regional PD days; Attendance at national KIPP Through College webinars and in person retreats; Visits to regional colleges and counselor fly-ins; Professional memberships and conferences (NACAC, NCAN, etc.). (Knowledge is Power Program, College match strategies framework).

Students prepare for college match: (1) Get an early start; (2) Explore your Passion, Purpose, and Plan, and priorities for college fit; (3) Prepare for the cost of college: submit parent taxes, request tax verification documents, and get preliminary EFC; (4) Know your Numbers (academic and financial). (Knowledge is Power Program, College match strategies framework).

Students build a SMART college wish list. At KIPP, most students make a list of 9 schools with at least 6 being likely-plus, target and reach. These goals may differ based on academic profile. Students check their list according to the following aspects of fit: (a) Career alignment: Does my options have my anticipated major(s) or a path to my desired career?; (b) Financial Fit: Do I have options that I am confident will provide me sufficient financial aid?; (c) Academic fit: Do I have options that are strong fits for my academic profile? Do I have a balanced list of likely-plus, target, and reach schools? (d) Success fit: Do my options have strong graduation rates and supports to ensure I complete? (e) Personal fit: Do my options reflect my desired postsecondary experience and community: (f) Family fit: Are my parents supportive of my options? KIPP recommends all juniors complete a draft wish list by the end of their junior year, about May 31st. Seniors should refine their wish list by September 30th so on October 1 they can move into financial aid and postsecondary applications.  (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors support students to draft, refine and finalize a Smart Wish List. This includes: (a) Outline recommended college and career options for students by academic profile. Use graduation and admissions data – as well as feedback from students – to determine which colleges support students well, and recommend these options to students to explore at the start of the process; (b) Introduce students to their wish list search tool and make sure the counselor has access; (c) Support students in using financial aid, career, college priority and fit factors to draft wish lists; (d) Review first draft of wish lists for quality fit factors; meet with students/or families to provide feedback; (e) Support students in refining Smart Wish List using: ACT/SAT scores, GPA, college priorities, career interests and Expected Financial Contribution. Vet for balance across college options; (f) Ensure students share wish lists with parents for feedback and complete a Wish List Defense Project to share with peers and teachers; (g) Ensure every junior finalizes an initial Smart Wish List that meets key criteria. (Recommended by May 31).  (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors support ACT and SAT registration and completion. This includes: (a) Connect students to ACT and SAT prep resources. (For example, the free online ACT Academy.); (b) Support ACT/SAT registration and hold ACT/SAT support events (Pre-breakfast, pep rally); (c) Support students in taking the ACT and/or SAT at least two times. (Research shows students do best taking the tests three times) (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors ensure every student completes the FAFSAForecaster and collects critical financial aid documents. This includes: (a) Hold family meeting to complete FAFSA4caster and review draft wish list; (b) Use FAFSA4caster results (anticipated Expected Family Contribution) to refine wish lists for financial fit; (c) Collect student documents needed to complete FAFSA in a safe storage area to use for financial aid submission in fall of senior year  (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors help students draft and prepare for personal statements. This includes: (a) Determine when students will complete personal statements (e.g., in English class, at a writing retreat, independently w/ support of faculty/advisors); (b) Establish an online storage space for personal statement drafts; (c) Ensure students have plans to solicit and incorporate feedback from teachers and peers; (d) Verify that student drafts are completed by recommended date. (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors help students identify and prep potential recommenders. This includes: (a) Ensure students complete an online “Brag Sheet” and send to recommenders; (b) Hold training for teachers to learn about best practices for letters of recommendation; (c) Determine where letters will be stored (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors ensure students make plans to explore the colleges on their wish lists. This includes: (a) Run student college trips. We recommend organizing trips by academic segment. (Note: these can occur in spring or summer.); (b) For Early Decision applicants, ensure students apply to school’s summer programs and/or diversity fly-ins (if available and no or low cost) (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

According to KIPP’s College Search Checklist, before the end of junior year students should: (a) Take a career assessment; (b) Start exploring and having conversations with others about what careers you might be interested in. Research what might be required; (c) Craft and revise a “Smart Wish List” of colleges and postsecondary options you want to pursue and share that list with your family; (d) Take the ACT, SAT or other standardized tests at least once; (e) Complete FAFSAForecaster and collect financial aid documents. Share tax documents with your college counselors; (f) Draft a personal statement and collect feedback from friends, teachers or other adults you trust; (g) Create a “Brag Sheet” and give to potential recommenders; (h) Make plans to visit or virtually explore the colleges and programs on your wish list. This might include attending summer programs; (i) Talk to your counselor about whether or not “Early Decision” or “Early Action” is the right choice for you (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

According to KIPP’s College Search Checklist, by September 30 of Senior year students should: (a) Refine and finalize your “Smart Wish List and share it with your family; (b) Take the ACT, SAT or other standardized tests. (It’s recommended that you take them two or three times.); (c) If applying Early Action or Early Decisions, visit the college and complete your application on time. (Likely by 11/1); (d) Once your wish list is finalized, make a list of all the materials you’ll need to complete your applications. If students had not finished the following steps in their junior year, they should finish them immediately: (a) Complete FAFSAForecaster and collect financial aid documents. Share tax documents with your college counselors; (b) Draft a personal statement and get feedback and advice from friends, teachers and other adults you trust; (c) Create a “Brag Sheet” and give to potential recommenders; (d) Make plans to visit or virtually explore the colleges and programs on your wish list, potentially applying for and attending summer programs (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

According to KIPP’s College Search Checklist, in August and September of Senior year students should: (a) Revisit your wish list and research when applications will be due and what’s required; (b) Create a  work plan for your application process. For each application, note the due date, application link, what’s required and create a place to track completion of each application element; (c) Identify who can be on your application “team” to draft recommendations. Send them a “brag sheet,” along with a deadline to complete. (Set this deadline a few weeks before you plan to submit.); (d) Revisit your personal statements, seeking feedback from teachers, family and peers. Update and adjust where necessary; (e) Talk to your counselor about requesting “fee waivers” to avoid paying the cost of application fees. Capture requirements in your application work plan (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

According to KIPP’s College Search Checklist, in October and November of Senior year students should: (a) Submit necessary fee waivers; (b) Send reminders to recommendation writers, emphasizing when you plan to submit your applications; (c) Schedule time with your college counselor to review applications before final submission; (d) Submit all applications; (e) Confirm that colleges received all your application materials (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Grade 12 students submit a well-balanced portfolio of at least three college applications. Research shows that students who apply to at least two colleges are more than 40 % more likely to enroll in a four-year college than those who apply to only one (Education-to-Workforce).

There are disparities by race, ethnicity, and income in the rates at which students apply to college. One study found, for instance, that students from low-income households were less likely to apply to college and less likely to apply to multiple colleges than their peers. As another example, among Chicago Public School (CPS) students who aimed to achieve a four-year degree, Black and Latino students were least likely to apply to and enroll in college (Education-to-Workforce).

The percentage of eligible high school seniors who submitted at least two college applications. According to research from the College Board, increasing the number of applications from one to two can increase a student’s probability of enrolling at a postsecondary institution by 40 %, and 89 % of students submitting at least two applications are accepted by at least one four-year institution (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads). 

While submitting two applications is a foundational goal, schools and districts should consider setting more ambitious targets. One Goal, a program that partners with districts in six cities across the country to improve high school graduation, encourages students to apply to at least seven best-fit colleges (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).. 

As part of their College Match Framework, the KIPP charter network tracks the percentage of students who apply to at least six institutions (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

percentage of Prior Graduates Attending a Four-Year College: The percentage of 2004 graduates, the prior cohort, who enrolled in a four-year college after high school based on NSC data. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future).

percentage of Prior Graduates Who Applied to Three or More Schools: The percentage of 2004 graduates in the school who reported on the 2004 CPS Senior Exit Questionnaire that they had applied to three or more schools. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future).

Teachers’ Assessment of the College Climate in their School: Teacher reports from the 2005 CCSR teacher survey of the overall expectations and press for college in the school environment. Teachers were asked the extent to which they would agree (strongly disagree to strongly agree) that: (1) teachers (in this high school) expect most students to go college; (2) teachers help students plan for college outside of class time; (3) the curriculum is focused on helping students get ready for college; (3) teachers feel that it is a part of their job to prepare students to succeed in college; and (4) many of our students are planning to go to college. The measure is constructed using Rasch rating scale analysis and represents the average of teacher reports in the high school (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future).

Student Leadership Network’s CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) places full-time directors of college counseling in high-need public schools. One of the program’s goals is to support students in completing college applications assisting students with registering/preparing for the PSAT and SAT exams; providing one-on-one assistance with college selection; helping students hone their interview skills; assisting seniors in writing essays, recommendation letters, and resumes; and offering parent education and outreach (Student Leadership Network).

A College Board Advocacy & Policy Center study found that increasing the number of college applications from one to two can increase a student’s probability of enrolling at a four-year college by 40%, and increasing the number of applications from two to three can increase a student’s probability of enrollment by 10%. (Smith, J. Can applying to more colleges increase enrollment rates?)

Counselors set up systems to guide the work ahead. This includes: (a) Create a system to track student applications and submission status; (b) Identify which students might apply Early Action or Early Decision and adjust your own support and deadlines accordingly; (c) Identify and distribute instructions to students who may be eligible for fee waivers; (d) Train high school staff on supporting strong applications, including their role in writing recommendations and reviewing personal statements; (e) Connect with key high school staff to support the work, including English teachers to support personal statements and special education teachers who can support the application process; (f) Offer students a template for tracking their own work, including critical components of each application to submit; (g) Schedule key opportunities to engage students and families, including workshops and one-on-one conversations (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors introduce students and families to the application process. This includes: (a) Host a summer or fall workshop to introduce key postsecondary vocabulary, the process ahead and strategies for personal statement and recommendation completion; (b) Share resources with families like vocabulary worksheets and questions to ask so they can be active partners in the application process; (c) Prepare and distribute application support materials for students, including application work plans, resources for recommendations and strategies for personal statements; (d Continue identifying and distributing instructions to students who may be eligible for fee waivers; (e) For students applying to test-optional schools, create recommendations for how to build quality applications without test scores. (For example, creating guidance for and reviewing writing samples.); (f) Track the status of student applications in progress (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

Counselors support students and families to complete quality applications. This includes: (a) Continue to track application statuses, leaning in to provide support for students who may be falling behind; (b) Enlist high school staff to offer regular reminders and support for personal statements and recommendations; (c) Host regular check ins with students to check in on applications. Provide feedback on personal statements and application artifacts like writing samples; (d) Host application work sessions. This might happen in a college and career seminar class, advisory, or other academic class or it could happen after school. (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

For students considering CTE and military options: The process of applying to CTE options and preparing for military enlistment requires research, preparation and organization. For CTE programs, the application length, timeline and requirements will vary by organization (ie, community college or standalone program housed in a nonprofit). We recommend applying the same principles that a student might apply to the college application process: research application requirements and timelines; create an application plan; and work with students, counselors, teachers and families to complete applications. For students considering military options, we recommend students research different military careers and corresponding requirements, including scores on the ASVAB test, and develop a preparation plan (KIPP, Supporting Students to Find Their Match).

As part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s To & Through Advising Challenge, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and Achieve Mpls have partnered to help close the city’s postsecondary enrollment gaps. They aim to grow the number of students who apply to two or more postsecondary programs to increase the likelihood of student enrollment. All seniors are expected to complete a graduation plan that captures preferences for enrollment, military enlistment, and employment. Regardless of their preferences, all students receive information on multiple postsecondary pathways, and Achieve Mpls staff run Career and College Centers (CCCs) in eleven MPS schools and five St. Paul Public Schools, where they provide one-on-one advising and support to students to help them map their plan for the future, identify “match” institutions, and complete college and financial aid applications (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

Idaho sends every eligible high school senior a letter notifying them that they’ve already been accepted to some or all of the state’s public colleges and universities  —  no application required. The program led to a 6–15% increase in enrollment at Idaho public colleges, particularly for low-income and rural students (Education Commission of the States).

Policymakers and higher education practitioners can increase college enrollment among traditionally underrepresented students by encouraging students to submit more applications and by developing approaches to assist these students in the application process. A relatively simple “small-scale” approach to encouraging the submission of more college applications is to provide information on the college application process well in advance of application deadlines. That is, getting students to apply to more colleges may involve informing guidance counselors, parents, college counselors or the students themselves about the benefits of numerous applications. This small “nudge” to apply to more colleges can yield powerful results (Smith, J. Can applying to more colleges increase enrollment rates?) 

Application fee waivers: Another potential “large-scale” initiative involves incentivizing students to submit more applications through financial incentives for low-income students, such as fee waivers. In many instances, low-income students receive application fee waivers, and modest compensation for application completion might provide the thrust necessary for students contemplating the submission of additional applications (Smith, J. Can applying to more colleges increase enrollment rates?)

Initiatives that provide students with direct assistance in completing applications are likely to stimulate college enrollment. This type of policy is already under way in North Carolina with College Application Week in which students, especially first-generation students and students with no pre-existing intentions to apply to college, receive help with their applications (Smith, J. Can applying to more colleges increase enrollment rates?)

At the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), high school principals are assessed for the percentage of college-bound seniors who have submitted at least one college application. To support school leaders in tracking their students’ progress towards this goal, the district has created a dashboard that includes both aggregate and student-level data for key college and career readiness measures, including college application and FAFSA completion. School leaders, counselors, career and technical education teams, and college and career coordinators all have access to the dashboard, enabling them to target support to individual students. In recent years, DCPS has also integrated the concept of “smart college choice,” which identifies higher education institutions that meet scaled benchmarks for graduation rates based on a student’s GPA and SAT score. For most institutions, DCPS uses graduation rates for Pell Grant eligible students. For institutions that have had at least 20 DCPS graduates attend across two cohorts, the district calculates a specific DCPS graduation rate. The aforementioned dashboard tracks students who have both applied to and been accepted to a “smart college choice.”  (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads). 

The Idaho State Board of Education instituted a direct admissions program that sends a letter offering admission to all eight of the state’s public postsecondary institutions for any high school student who meets set benchmarks for GPA and SAT or ACT scores. In the four years the policy has been implemented, the state has reduced the gap in seamless enrollment for low income students, and students of color who received the letter enrolled in college at higher rates than White students who received a similar letter. (EdStrategy, From Tails to Heads).

The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act, this initiative rewards high school students who complete a set of experiences — academic coursework, career exploration, and postsecondary planning — with a “college and career endorsement” on their diplomas. Some public institutions offer preferential admissions or placement for students with endorsements (Postsecondary Workforce and Readiness Act – Illinois).

Students believe they will graduate with the skills and knowledge to be successful in the job market and in the workplace (Strada-Gallup, Crisis of Confidence).

Students believe their major will lead to a good job (Strada-Gallup, Crisis of Confidence).

Students speak often with faculty or staff about their career options (Strada-Gallup, Crisis of Confidence).

Students have at least one university official initiate a conversation with them about their career options (Strada-Gallup, Crisis of Confidence).

Students believe their school is committed to helping their students find a rewarding career (Strada-Gallup, Crisis of Confidence).

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a student-to-counselor ratio of 250:1. Schools meeting or bettering this 250:1 benchmark often report higher rates of college counseling engagement, FAFSA completion, applications submitted, and ultimately, enrollment (ASCA).

An additional high school counselor is predicted to induce a 10 percentage point increase in four-year college enrollment (Hurwitz and Howell, 2013).

percentage of Graduates Who Found their Counselor Very Helpful: The percentage of graduates in the school who reported on the 2005 CCSR senior survey that the counselor has been very helpful in helping them plan what to do after high school. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future). 

Counselor Press for Academic Achievement: The average of graduates’ reports on the 2005 CCSR senior survey of the extent to which counselors in their school: (1) helped select courses needed for work or admission to college; (2) encouraged taking AP/honors courses; (3) encouraged continuing education after high school; and (4) talked about colleges/schools that were suited to the student’s interests and abilities. The measure is constructed using Rasch rating scale analysis. The student-level version of this variable is also used in some analyses. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future). 

Teacher/Counselor Structured Support: The average of graduates’ reports on the 2005 CCSR senior survey of the extent to which teachers or counselors helped students with the college search and application process. Students were asked the extent to which teachers or counselors: (1) encourage students to apply to several different schools; (2) talk to students about what college would be like; (3) help students fill out applications for colleges or vocational/technical schools; (4) help students find scholarships to apply for; (5) help students decide which school to attend; (6) help students plan how to pay for tuition and other expenses; and (7) help students with college application essays or personal statements. The measure is constructed using Rasch rating scale analysis. The student-level version of this variable is also used in some analyses. (Roderick, M. From high school to the Future).

Engage and assist students in completing critical steps for college entry. Low-income and first-generation students often face challenges in completing the steps to college entry, such as taking college admissions tests, searching for colleges, submitting college applications, and selecting a college. Students may not be aware of these steps, may lack information on how to complete them, and may not receive sufficient support and advice from those around them (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Ensure students prepare for, and take, the appropriate college entrance or admissions exam early. College entrance exams, both the practice exams and actual exams, represent a potential barrier for students interested in a four-year college. However, students may not know about the exams or may not know how to prepare for them, and they may not follow through in scheduling or taking the exams. High schools should make sure that students interested in attending a four-year institution prepare for and take the practice exams by 11th grade, and the actual exam before 12th grade. Students who wait until their senior year to take the actual exam could miss a college application deadline or not have an opportunity to retake the test (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Assist students in their college search. Students should receive assistance in finding a postsecondary program that matches their qualifications, interests, and goals. Schools should set up one-on-one meetings with students to discuss the types of schools that are a good fit for them to consider and submit applications. School staff should help students coordinate their career interests and future plans, encouraging students to consider factors such as: Geography/location; Tuition cost; Financial aid; School size; Admission requirements; Retention rates; Demographics; Available majors. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

high schools should organize trips for students to visit college campuses. These visits can introduce students to college and the college environment, inform students about the college application and selection process, and help them consider different college options. These trips should be more than a campus tour — students should have a chance to explore campus resources, observe campus life, and interact with college students. For example, students can shadow college students, possibly alumni from their high school, throughout their day, attending classes, eating lunch and walking around campus together. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Assist students in completing college applications. By providing one-on-one assistance with college applications, schools can ensure that students submit applications that are complete, on time, and of sufficient quality. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Schools should provide students who plan to attend a four-year college with hands-on assistance in completing their college applications. High schools should work with students to ensure that their applications are complete, submitted by deadlines, and (if applicable) of sufficient quality for acceptance. Because each student’s needs and interests are unique, the What Works Clearinghouse panel recommends that, to the extent possible, school staff provide assistance to students one-on-one or during small workshops or classes designed to assist students with completing college applications, writing application essays, or reminding them about application deadlines. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

The What Works Clearinghouse panel suggests that schools develop mechanisms for clearly communicating timelines for application milestones that occur over the course of the year. Schools can provide a handout that lists the key dates that students need to consider for the application process in their junior and senior years. The components of a timeline could include college entrance exams, college applications, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and state financial aid forms, admission acceptances, and financial aid and housing acceptances. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

In later high school years, students still need one-on-one attention — from a counselor, a teacher, an administrator, or program staff — to facilitate and encourage rigorous course taking. A high school might schedule drop-in hours for students to receive academic advising and assistance with selecting courses from a teacher, counselor, or other staff person. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Schools and districts also should provide continuing professional development or counseling for counselors, registrars, teachers, and other staff on college prep course requirements, so that they can serve as an informative resource for students. (What Works Clearinghouse, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College).

Get Your Data; Know Your Data: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s StudentTracker service is both widely available and relatively affordable ($595 per high school per year at the time of this writing). Despite this, too few districts and schools are subscribing to the service and accessing the postsecondary outcomes data of up to eight graduating classes of high school students. Districts and schools should be accessing this data to understand what happens to their students after high school graduation. Those postsecondary outcomes are important for understanding how well students are being prepared to make their next steps following high school graduation. Data from the NSC can make those efforts much easier. Even if districts and schools only make use of the preconstructed charts and never dive into the granular-detail data, they will still be getting access to valuable insights that are not easily accessible through other means (Using Data to Lift Completion Likelihood).

Map the Postsecondary Pipeline: As described above, students’ matriculation patterns tend to be place-based and proximate to their high school. That pattern emphasizes the importance of districts and schools knowing how students fare when they matriculate. Using data to understand the percentages of students heading to a given set of institutions and then understanding how the students do when they get there is critical. It also starts new conversations. For example, a district sending 40% of its students to an institution delivering a 30% second-year persistence rate should be asking why students are stumbling and what can be done to connect them with supports, better prepare them before arriving on campus, or both. Districts with better alternative destinations for their students can be changing the postsecondary advising conversation with students and parents. If meaningful progress cannot be made with an institution regarding students’ outcomes, districts and schools should consider advising toward alternative pathways that would offer a higher likelihood of completion (Using Data to Lift Completion Likelihood). 

Put Completion on the Forefront for Students: Students make college-going decisions on the basis of all kinds of factors: cost and affordability, location, academic programs, family advice, institutional reputation, where their friends are going, campus atmosphere and amenities, and even the institutions’ sports teams. These factors and more combine to comprise the concept of “fit” in fit and match. But our experience is that too few students are putting the likelihood of completion toward or at the top of their list of deciding factors. Tools like the College Scorecard allow students to look up completion rates for institutions, and this brief’s analysis emphasizes the importance of considering completion in this critical decision (Using Data to Lift Completion Likelihood).

A study by Wei-Cheng Mau, Amber Fernandes investigated differences in use of and satisfaction with career counseling services as a function of sex, race, and age based on a nationally representative sample of college graduates of different ages, gender, and ethnicity. Finding that Hispanic students were less likely to use career counseling services, they recommend employing outreach efforts that target this group and that are tailored to increase use may be helpful. Counseling professionals need to take a proactive role in reaching this population. For example, Flores and Spanierman (1998) have suggested that flyers be posted in the community at establishments that serve these targeted students. Providing information and making a presentation at a Hispanic American student association meeting may be more appropriate than waiting for students to seek counseling help at the center. Consideration should be given to taking programs and services to locations where various subpopulations of students naturally congregate (Bishop, 1990). The ability to reach out effectively to minority students will be increasingly important, and service delivery systems must be adapted to accommodate such populations (Characteristics and satisfaction of students who used career counseling services).

Counselors who are interested in increasing the use of services by nontraditional students may want to make themselves more available and flexible during evenings and weekends when those students are more likely to be on campus and enrolled in classes. Creativity in programming that would make nontraditional students more aware of the programs and services available on campus should be applied. Rayman (1999) has made several excellent suggestions on how to be responsive to the needs of nontraditional students (Characteristics and satisfaction of students who used career counseling services).

Use multiple measures to assess postsecondary readiness and place students. Most open-access institutions require incoming students to take brief standardized assessments in math, reading, and writing. The results of these assessments are used to place students in either developmental or college-level courses. However, there are concerns about misplacement rates arising from single placement tests used in isolation. One way to improve college readiness assessment (and therefore to reduce misplacement) is to use multiple measures — such as high school GPA, the number of years since high school graduation or equivalent, the number of courses taken in the subject (e.g., English or math), and the highest level taken in the subject (e.g., Algebra I or Algebra II) — to inform placement decisions (What Works Clearinghouse, Strategies for Postsecondary Students in Developmental Education).

Require or incentivize regular participation in enhanced advising activities. Advising, guidance, and counseling services help students determine academic majors, understand the relationship between school and subsequent employment, and address a variety of academic and personal issues. Some colleges have created more intensive advising experiences, often called “enhanced advising” or “intrusive advising.” Enhanced advising replaces the quick, transactional structure of traditional advising (e.g., a focus on class schedules, degree requirements, and financial aid procedures) with a more holistic structure in which advisors ask deeper questions and engage with students to help them succeed. Mentoring programs that aim to build relationships between students and knowledgeable adults on goal-oriented academic planning may also be considered enhanced advising (What Works Clearinghouse, Strategies for Postsecondary Students in Developmental Education).

Offer students performance-based monetary incentives. Performance-based incentives are monetary awards that students receive when they meet specific academic benchmarks. These awards supplement students’ financial aid packages, which may be based on need (e.g., Pell grants) or past achievement (e.g., state merit aid grants). The short-term goal of such initiatives is to encourage students to perform better in (and successfully complete) their classes. A longer-term goal is to support students’ progress through developmental education and course requirements to increase degree attainment (What Works Clearinghouse, Strategies for Postsecondary Students in Developmental Education).

Compress or mainstream developmental education with course redesign. Participation in accelerated developmental experiences, referred to interchangeably as “intensive,” “compressed,” “condensed,” or “time-shortened” models, can minimize the negative effects of being placed into developmental education. Students who register for more than one sequential course in a semester are more likely to enroll in the second course, thereby improving retention. Accelerated courses that mainstream developmental education students into college-level work with contextualization or supplemental instruction also help students achieve the goals and outcomes of the college level course assignments. Acceleration may promote persistence and academic success because the reduced time in developmental education also reduces the opportunity for external factors, such as work or family responsibilities, to hinder students’ success (What Works Clearinghouse, Strategies for Postsecondary Students in Developmental Education).

Teach students how to become self-regulated learners. Traditional academic instruction emphasizes learning content. Many students, including those in developmental education, arrive on college campuses with little knowledge about how they learn and which study strategies might work best. Schools and teachers should attempt to incorporate self-regulated learning strategies into existing subject-matter coursework. The training should encourage students to monitor and reflect on their learning and focus students on the parts of the learning process that they have control over. Typically, teaching students to become self-regulated learners involves demonstrating how to (a) approach a task, (b) implement that approach or strategy, (c) evaluate how well the approach or strategy worked, and (d) decide what to do next (What Works Clearinghouse, Strategies for Postsecondary Students in Developmental Education).

Implement comprehensive, integrated, and long-lasting support programs. Some institutions have implemented comprehensive and integrated support programs that incorporate a variety of components. Although many colleges offer multiple supports to their students, what differentiates this practice from business as usual is the intentional focus on integrating these supports and incentivizing participation in the long term. One example is the City University of New York’s (CUNY’s) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP). ASAP provides a comprehensive, integrated package of student services, monetary incentives, linked courses, an ASAP seminar, and other supports. The program’s implementers sent consistent, strong messages to ASAP students to enroll full time, take their developmental classes early, and graduate within three years (What Works Clearinghouse, Strategies for Postsecondary Students in Developmental Education).

Colleges and universities that are serious about addressing systemic racial inequities in student outcomes should allocate sufficient resources to ensure that academic advisors can offer students of color critical culturally engaging support. Allocating sufficient resources requires providing professional development opportunities and ensuring that academic advisors have manageable caseloads to spend a significant amount of their time learning about the realities of students of color, reflecting on their own practice and grappling with questions about how it can be more culturally engaging, and cultivating relationships with educators in culturally relevant curricular and cocurricular programs on their campuses (Revisiting the Role of Academic Advising in Equitably Serving Diverse College Students).

Institutions of higher education should ensure that advisors are evaluated and rewarded for having commitments and investing substantial energy in cultivating the ability to provide culturally engaging advising. Doing so might mean the prioritization of supporting activities that enhance culturally engaging academic advising skills through the allocation of professional development funding, annual performance reviews, and recognition awards (Revisiting the Role of Academic Advising in Equitably Serving Diverse College Students).

Colleges and universities should also consider the importance of providing culturally engaging academic advising in hiring practices. While it is increasingly common for institutions of higher education to ask about and consider a candidate’s experience with diversity and difference, the attention given to these factors can be superficial. Academic advisor search-and-hiring processes can more meaningfully center on a candidate’s capacity to provide culturally engaging support to their students and advocate equity on their campuses. Such processes might involve including explicit language about prioritizing abilities to provide humanized, proactive, and holistic support to advisees. Such approaches might also warrant explicit interview questions and search committee conversations about a candidate’s knowledge of diverse communities, their commitment to providing culturally engaging support, and evidence of their providing such support in the past or alternatively their capacity to do so (Revisiting the Role of Academic Advising in Equitably Serving Diverse College Students).

On the ground, academic advisors should engage in continuous reflection on their own practice and how they might more effectively integrate humanized, proactive, and holistic approaches into the ways in which they support students. They can ask themselves questions that require self-reflection, such as: How can I approach interactions with students to cultivate more meaningful relationships with them? How do my students know I really care about them? What opportunities do I need to deepen my knowledge about so I can proactively encourage students to take advantage of them? What relationships do I need to strengthen on campus to ensure that I am able to be an effective conduit to the larger support network? The many demands most academic advisors face and the reality that they might not have been socialized into prioritizing these types of support means such reflection will likely be difficult for many people. Over time and with practice, however, such continuous reflection can become easier and even normalized (Revisiting the Role of Academic Advising in Equitably Serving Diverse College Students).

Academic advisors should also make efforts to cultivate relationships with ethnic studies programs and other curricular and cocurricular units that provide culturally relevant learning opportunities across their institutions. Such connections are vital to academic advisors developing the capacity to provide holistic support and serve as a conduit to transformative learning environments for students of color on their campuses. Cultivating these networks can also break down organizational silos and maximize the likelihood that educators in such culturally relevant learning environments are more equipped to reach out to advisors for support when it is necessary to proactively, holistically, and effectively serve their students (Revisiting the Role of Academic Advising in Equitably Serving Diverse College Students).

Academic advisors should invest time and energy in understanding the unique issues their students of color often face. Higher education scholars have generated a plethora of research on the experiences of students of color, which can serve as an ample resource for academic advisors. However, advisors have a much broader range of resources available to them, such as culturally relevant literature from ethnic studies, diversity and equity programming on their respective campuses, and the wide range of digital resources (e.g., digital stories, blogs and vlogs, and online communities) college students of color create themselves and are now available online. These forms of knowledge can be critical tools for advisors who seek to enhance their capacity to find common ground with their students (Revisiting the Role of Academic Advising in Equitably Serving Diverse College Students).

Institutional leaders must consider the investment of additional resources in academic advising services so that advisors can take the time to provide humanized, holistic, and proactive academic advising for students of color (Characteristics of Academic Advising That Contribute to Racial and Ethnic Minority Student Success at Predominantly White Institutions).

Academic advisors working with students of color should make every effort to incorporate a human element into advising and demonstrate that they care about and are committed to their students’ success. For advisors to be viewed as authentic, they should avoid being overly empathetic or completely disengaged. An overly empathetic advisor may seem disingenuous and patronizing to a student of color, and a completely disengaged advisor may give an impression that he or she is disinterested in the student. To be perceived as authentic human beings, advisors can share their own personal stories and struggles with their advisees. Advisors can also humanize academic advising by using the advisee’s name during meetings, talking about pop culture or social activities with students, learning to pronounce an advisee’s name correctly, sending an advisee useful individualized resources between meetings, inquiring about their advisees’ home life, and being honest about the student’s academic standing (Characteristics of Academic Advising That Contribute to Racial and Ethnic Minority Student Success at Predominantly White Institutions).

Advisors should provide holistic academic advising. This means that advisors should both try to understand nonacademic challenges faced by students of color that might be influencing their academic experiences. For example, Asian American students encounter immense pressure to succeed, which results from both high family expectations and racial stereotypes that perpetuate assumptions that all Asian Americans are overachievers (Museus, 2008; Museus & Kiang, 2009). This pressure has been associated with negative psychological consequences, and Asian American students who are more likely than other groups to underutilize counseling services (Kim & Omizo, 2003; Suzuki, 2002). This can be detrimental for many Asian American students who come from communities that are already economically under-resourced and who are at risk. Understanding such nonacademic factors can enable advisors to more effectively understand the issues that their students face and when they should refer their racial and ethnic minority students to other offices on campus to address such issues (Characteristics of Academic Advising That Contribute to Racial and Ethnic Minority Student Success at Predominantly White Institutions).

Those working in academic advising offices should frequently ask themselves how they can make their delivery of services more proactive and less passive. Beyond typical academic-advising duties (e.g., helping students plan their course taking activity or fulfillment of graduation requirements), for example, advisors should consider proactively introducing or accompanying students of color to activities, events, and networks that will expose them to faculty members and peers with similar interests. Advisors should also consider how they can more fully incorporate intrusive advising practices into their work, including systems of monitoring and early intervention systems (Characteristics of Academic Advising That Contribute to Racial and Ethnic Minority Student Success at Predominantly White Institutions).

The information and assistance an effective counselor provides can have considerable and long-lasting benefits for his or her students, boosting college outcomes years after they graduate high school. Schools and districts can help students do better not just by improving teacher performance, but by supporting more effective counseling, as well (Better School Counselors, Better Outcomes).

Improving access to effective counselors may be a simpler and more cost-effective way to increase educational attainment than improving access to effective teachers. There are far fewer counselors than teachers, so it is probably cheaper, and possibly easier, to deliver training to them. Counselors’ limited (and often nonexistent) training on college advising means that even basic training may have large effects on postsecondary outcomes. And because counselors already work in nearly every U.S. high school, improving their effectiveness may be a more attainable goal than increasing student access to highly personalized (and often expensive) interventions aimed at improving college access (Better School Counselors, Better Outcomes).