More and more states, communities, school districts, colleges and universities are focused on helping students get to and through college. Increasingly we understand that to have the strongest impact, K-12 and higher education must work together. Greater alignment and shared ownership of college readiness and success can lead to more students ready for and succeeding in college and earning postsecondary credentials that can lead to a brighter future.
Some states have engaged for many years in activities to align their K-12 and higher education sectors. But in many states there continue to be policies and practices that are not aligned. These range from defining and assessing college readiness to preparing teachers to succeed in today’s classrooms and ensuring college gateway courses build on the college and career readiness standards that drive students’ high school experiences. Misalignment creates obstacles to student success.
Core to College is a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors with funding from Lumina Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York. The project supports activities in ten states to improve K-12/higher education alignment by defining college readiness, using assessments to inform placement decisions, and through other activities designed to improve student readiness and the transition from high school to college. Similarly, the State Higher Education Executive Officers have been working with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and seven states on the College and Career Readiness Partnership, doing similar work.
In a new set of six policy briefs, K-12/Higher Education Alignment: An Action Agenda for Increasing Student Success, Education First and SHEEO explore key alignment issues based on the experiences of Core to College and the College and Career Readiness Partnership. These briefs include descriptions of the challenges, practical advice for action, important resources and state examples. The briefs cover the following topics:
- Brief 1: Achieving the Benefits of K-12/Higher Education Alignment
- Brief 2: Defining College and Career Readiness
- Brief 3: Adopting New College and Career Ready Assessments
- Brief 4: Developing and Using College Readiness Courses
- Brief 5: Aligning Gateway College Courses
- Brief 6: Redesigning Educator Preparation Programs
For more information, please visit: https://www.dropbox.com/s/upa45zv2gjp1l11/EdFirst-K12HiEdAlignment-ALL_BRIEFS-July2015.pdf?dl=0
