Beyond the Rhetoric: Frameworks
and Definitions of College
Readiness
Dr. David T. Conley
Director Center for Educational Policy Research
CEO Educational Policy Improvement Center
Beyond One-dimensional Models of College
Readiness to Comprehensive Conceptions
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Current models of college readiness focus on notions of aptitude
conceptualized in the 1920s and measures of achievement developed
since the 1950s
This conception of readiness is gauged with tools (tests, mostly) that do
not measure well the full range of readiness factors necessary for
success in entry-level college courses
Course titles and grades, which are also considered primary readiness
measures, vary greatly from school to school and even class to class
New conceptions of college readiness take into account four
dimensions and measure them in context:
– Key cognitive strategies
– Key content knowledge
– Academic behaviors (self-management)
– Contextual knowledge and skills (college knowledge)
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Beyond One-dimensional Models of College
Readiness to Comprehensive Conceptions
Please refer to the handout for detailed explanation of the model
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Four Key Dimensions of College
Readiness
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Key Cognitive Strategies
– Analytic reasoning, problem solving,
inquisitiveness, precision, interpretation,
evaluating claims
Key Content Knowledge
– Writing skills, algebraic concepts, key
foundational content and “big ideas” from
core subjects
Academic Behaviors (self-management)
– Persistence, time management, study
group use, awareness of performance
Contextual Skills and Awareness (“college
knowledge”)
– Admissions requirements, cost of
college, purpose and opportunities of
college, types of colleges, college
culture, relations with professors
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EPIC-developed Tools to Generate A
Complete Profile of the College-Ready
Student
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College Ready Evaluation for Schools and Teachers (CREST)
– Diagnoses a high school’s program in terms of each of the four
dimensions of college readiness from the comprehensive model
College-ready Performance Assessment System (C-PAS)
– Formative assessment of key cognitive strategies development
from 6th-12th grade
– Embedded performance tasks scored by teachers, with external
scoring moderation to ensure consistency of scoring
– Closely aligned with entry-level college courses
Aligned Courses and SyllabusMaker
– Aligned courses are pairs of an exit-level high school course and a
corresponding entry-level college course
– SyllabusMaker helps educators produce quality syllabi that address
key college readiness dimensions
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Creating Local Partnerships for
Comprehensive College Readiness Systems
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Local secondary-postsecondary partnerships, in combination with
policy changes and new tools, catalyze better alignment between high
school and college
EPIC conducted five regional secondary-postsecondary partnership
workshops in Massachusetts from April-June 2008
Over 400 secondary and postsecondary educators participated
Each workshop paired high school educators and administrators with
representatives from college that enrolled many of their students
These teams then developed plans built around specific actions to be
taken locally and tools to be used to improve alignment
EPIC developed statewide policy recommendations for improving
alignment based on the content of these plans
This type of “top-down, bottom-up” partnership can create a system in
which more students are prepared to succeed in college
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Lessons for Educators and Policy Makers
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A state’s indicators of readiness need to be more comprehensive than
course titles and tied directly to what is required for college success
Local partnerships supported by state policy provide important lessons
about systems alignment that can inform state policy in this area
High schools should be encouraged to diagnose their programs against
all four dimensions of college readiness and to develop means to help
all students become proficient in all four dimensions
High schools and colleges can benefit from coordinated data systems
that allow for more complex descriptions of student readiness (profiles)
to be transmitted in both directions
Placement testing in particular is poorly understood by high schools,
not necessarily well aligned with entry-level courses, and only assesses
one dimension of college readiness— basic content knowledge
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For More Information:
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Educational Policy Improvement Center
877-766-2279
[email protected]
http://www.epiconline.org
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