September 2007

New College Access and Success Publications from the Pathways to College Network
Two new resources of interest to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners are available at the “Pathways Publications” section of our website. The Facts: Postsecondary Access and Success, provides compelling information to support the need to increase college access and success among underserved populations. Frequently Asked Questions about College Access and Success addresses a number of commonly asked questions and concerns about the importance of college readiness for all, the difference between college preparation and college readiness, the achievement gap, and factors that prevent students from entering college and graduating.
[Read The Facts]
[Read Frequently Asked Questions]

Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Releases Three New Resources on Assessing Student Learning Outcomes
To advance a more informed debate and help campuses develop more effective practices, AAC&U has released a number of new publications on assessing student learning outcomes. These resources highlight the importance of accurately assessing what students are actually learning in college. These new resources include: Assessing Student Learning, Assessment in Cycles of Improvement, and A Brief History of Student Learning Assessment. For excerpts and additional information about these publications, visit www.aacu.org/publications.

Achievement Trap: How America is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families
A study from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and Civic Enterprises estimates that there are 3.4 million lower-income K-12 students who are high academic achievers. The report warns, however, that many of these high-achieving students do not realize their academic potential. Lower-income high achievers are more likely to fall out of the high-achievement group and to drop out of high school and are less likely to attend selective colleges, graduate from college, and earn graduate degrees as compared to high-achieving, higher-income students.
[View report]

The Learning Season: The Untapped Power of Summer to Advance Student Achievement
The achievement gap between poor and non-poor elementary school students has been traced to differences in the amount of educational ground children lose during the summer months. This is the starting point of The Learning Season, a report commissioned by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation that reviews the research on summer learning. The author argues for a broadened public policy that includes a focus on the summer learning gap. The report also examines different types of summer programs and the related evidence regarding their effectiveness.
[View report]

Toward a More Comprehensive Conception of College Readiness
What do our children need to be prepared for college? A recent paper by David Conley argues for a definition of college readiness that addresses four types of preparedness: “habits of mind,” “key content,” “academic behaviors,” and “contextual skills and awareness.” The author develops this framework into a 12-point operational definition of college readiness and suggests strategies to measure readiness in each area.
[View report]

Perceptions and Expectations of Youth With Disabilities
A report from the National Center for Special Education Research details survey findings on the self-perceptions of disabled youth aged 15-19 conducted as part of the ongoing National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. The study presents a broad range of information related to how disabled youth view themselves, their families, their friendships, and their school experiences. Of particular interest for college access issues is that the percentage of disabled youth who expect to graduate from high school is very similar to the percentage in the general youth population. However, the survey disabled youth are “less likely than youth in general to expect to attend or complete postsecondary school.”
[View report]

The Progress of Education Reform 2007: Dropout Prevention
A recent issue of The Progress of Education Reform by Education Commission of the States summarizes the findings of five studies on dropout prevention. These studies suggest the importance of monitoring students and intervening early to address problems; targeting attendance, behavior, and student engagement; establishing a strong academic curriculum; and moving towards a system of smaller schools with high levels of organizational trust.
[View report]

Beyond Access: How the First Semester Matters for Community College Students' Aspirations and Persistence
More than half of a sample of California community college students who entered higher education with the goal of completing a four-year degree abandoned this goal after just one semester, according to a recent study by Policy Analysis for California Education. The report suggests that by encouraging first semester students to enroll in as many credit courses as they can handle and by supporting their classroom progress with tutoring and other academic services, persistence rates in the pursuit of four-year degrees may increase.
[View report]