Reshaping the College Transition: States That Offer Early College Readiness Assessments and Transition Curricula

Despite the fact that many states have increased their high school graduation requirements over the last several years, too many graduates are still underprepared for college (Bailey, 2009) and the workforce (Symonds, Schwartz, & Ferguson, 2011). Reasons for this underpreparedness include, among other factors: (1) a lack of clear information on students’ progress toward college and career readiness during the high school years that could allow students to address gaps in knowledge and skills, and (2) a mismatch between what high schools teach and the expectations of colleges and employers (Venezia, Kirst, & Antonio, 2003).