The Pennsylvania Department of Education revised the statewide graduation requirement (Act 158) to include postsecondary preparedness effective with the 2023 graduation class. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was adopted to mandate schools to provide the resources to assist students to meet academic standards leading to career and college…

Linked Learning is a college and career readiness reform designed to engage students in a rigorous curriculum to prepare for all post-secondary options. School districts nationwide have implemented Linked Learning in high schools with various levels of fidelity to the Linked Learning model. Schools that have achieved Linked Learning certification…

Linked Learning is a school reform model for K-12 education, primarily high school, designed to make school engaging through real-world, hands-on learning that integrates college and career preparation. Linked Learning is an equity-focused approach with a focus on the achievement of underrepresented groups such as African Americans, Latinos,…

The school-based agricultural education (SBAE) program comprises important components that directly impact its success. The SBAE program is designed to empower youth through a unique perspective allowing student voice and student engagement as it relates to real world issues addressing the areas such as global food economy through the lens of…

The problem that was addressed by this qualitative phenomenological study was that African American males who are student-athletes in high school are often not receiving adequate academic support from school counselors. This is an ongoing and relevant secondary education problem that needs to be addressed as many counselors are not adequately…

Gifted education focuses on academic excellence at the expense of equity and, therefore, gifted students are often not educated in a culturally responsive manner (Ford & Harris, 2000; Mun et al., 2020). Also, the K-12 population has the most significant growth in diverse student populations, yet the college transition rate for students of…

This qualitative study examined the career readiness practices of high schools in one rural school district. Specifically, the researcher investigated how school counselors spent their time, the role of Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) in the career readiness practices of the district, and how leaders influence the school…

The problem addressed in this study was the ineffectiveness of federally implemented college and career readiness programs to ensure that at-risk African American male students are adequately prepared for academic and career success. Academic performance for at-risk African American males in high schools is significantly lower than their peers. In…

As educators and school leaders work towards building students' capacity throughout a student's academic career, the goal is to facilitate opportunities for students to develop college and career readiness skills that can be applied to novel and challenging problems long after high school graduation. Hess' Cognitive Rigor Matrix (HCRM) is a tool…

This study was an investigation of three rural high schools in western North Carolina to examine the perceptions of community employers, principals, and career and technical education (CTE) directors as to the skill levels of graduates from CTE programs. The study also determined if the skills being taught in secondary schools meet the needs of…

The definition of postsecondary readiness is evolving from discrete tracks emphasizing preparation for college or career to one that emphasizes college and career. Ideally, such a definition would provide all students access to the curriculum and instruction that weaves together career skills and knowledge with the traditional academic curriculum.…

This study was designed to add to the body of work around specialized campuses in the state of Texas. These campuses are becoming increasingly popular across the nation and there is little data to support whether they or traditional campuses are more successful when it comes to student outcomes. This research aims to determine if specialized…

The purpose of this study was to determine if K-12 public school students are receiving adequate college and career readiness guidance (CCR Guidance), and, if not, to characterize the nature, extent, and cause of the shortfall. Adequacy is defined as the ability of students to meet with a CCR Guidance counselor; the counselor's willingness to get…

Historically, school counselors have been the primary facilitators in supporting the career and college transition process for students, but many school counselors do not have the knowledge, resources, or materials to support students in this transition (Belasco, 2013). One way to help support career and college readiness is to develop…

This quantitative study examined factors that determined if economically disadvantaged and English language learner students graduating from traditional or early college high school were college and career ready. Effective data was collected from campuses in the Region One educational service center in South Texas. The study was guided by the…