Network Maps the Route to College Readiness

"We challenge the nation to place a college education within reach for all of our young people," said Ann S. Coles, director of the Pathways to College Network and senior vice president for college-access services at the Education Resources Institute. "These 34 national organizations created A Shared Agenda as a to-do list for leaders in government, education, and all sectors of society."

The report underscores the achievement gap that still exists after nearly three decades of national investment in equal educational opportunity:

• Only about half of African American and Latino ninth graders graduate from high school within four years, compared to 79 percent of Asian Americans and 72 percent of whites
• Of high school graduates, those from high-income families enter college at rates 25 percent higher than those from low-income families
• A child from a family in the top income quartile is five times more likely to earn a bachelor's degree by age 24 than a child from the bottom income quartile

"A Shared Agenda shines the spotlight on the continuing chasm between the high levels of learning everyone needs and what students from poor and minority communities too often receive," said Carol Geary Schneider, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, a partner organization of the Pathways Network.

The report bases its specific recommendations for leaders and practitioners on more than 650 research studies and six core principles. The Pathways principles encourage high expectations and high-quality academic preparation for all students. Key recommendations include:

• Making the college-preparatory curriculum the standard high school curriculum for all students. Whether or not students go to college, they need demanding preparation in high school.
• Committing financial aid early so postsecondary education is seen as a realistic goal for all young people. How to pay for college can't be a guessing game for students from low-income families.
• Using data and assessment to develop effective support programs to help all students achieve success at the college level.

     Earning a college degree in the 21st century must be what receiving a high school diploma was in the 1950s, according to Coles. "A Shared Agenda is a call to action for concerted, collaborative efforts by all stakeholders."

The report issues directives to those stakeholders: state and federal officials, school superintendents and middle and high school principals, college and university presidents and deans, outreach program leaders, and community leaders and family advocacy groups.

• State and federal officials should mandate rigorous curricula for schools and provide sufficient funding for programs, teachers, and students.
• School leaders must require a college-preparatory curriculum for all students, provide academic and social support for underserved students, and ensure that teachers are well prepared to address different learning styles and cultural backgrounds.
• College and university leaders need to be clear about the skills and knowledge they expect incoming freshmen to have. They should build partnerships with schools, provide teacher training that focuses on the needs of underserved students, and target robust need-based aid and support programs to underserved students.
• Outreach program leaders must provide academic and social support for underserved students and their families, including tutoring, parent involvement, and partnership initiatives.
• Community leaders and family support groups should work with students and families to instill and reinforce the belief that all students must prepare for postsecondary education. In turn, communities and families must push schools and government to adopt a goal of universal college-readiness and achievement.

The full report is available on the Pathways to College Network's website at  www.pathwaystocollege.net.