Maximizing College Readiness for All through Parental Support.

AbstractThe lack of college readiness skills is a national problem, particularly for underachieving high school students. One solution is to offer authentic early college coursework to build confidence and academic momentum. This case study explored a partnership between a traditional, suburban high school (600 students) and a community college to maximize college credit accumulation for students from the middle academic quartiles and asked, "How can parental support help increase college readiness skills for academically average students? " The author analyzed data from planning meeting notes, student surveys, and interviews with leaders, teachers, parents, and students. Over three years, 74 students averaged 9.4 college credits/year with a 91% success rate. Parent engagement was indispensable for recruitment and enrollment, financial support, and emotional guidance; the financial contribution actually seemed to stimulate parental involvement.Key Words: case study, college credits, readiness, high school, dual enrollment, Massachusetts, parent participation, parent-school relationships, partnerships in education, program evaluation, school support, underachievementIntroduction and Problem StatementIn recent years, there has been growing concern that high school graduates are not ready for college, despite 25 years of standards-based reform (Conley, 2005; Kirst, 2008). This is particularly true for students who are not in the top academic quartile in their high school. Increasingly, these students are headed for college, but too many fail the college placement exams and waste valuable time and money while taking non-credit-bearing remedial courses.Currently, nearly 20% of students entering four-year colleges and over 50% of those entering two-year colleges require at least one remedial course (Complete College America, 2012). Rather than increasing graduation prospects, remediation is often the first step to dropping out. For students who start in remediation, only about one third earn a bachelor's degree in six years and less than 10% graduate from community colleges within three years (Complete College America, 2012). In Massachusetts, where this study was situated, the department of education tracked 2005 public high school graduates and found that 65% of those who enrolled in community colleges required at least one remedial course, versus 22% at state colleges and 8% at state universities (Plummer & Nellhaus, 2008). College is expensive, and any approach that will reduce the cost of college is welcomed by parents and students. Dropping out of college is even more expensive, leaving many students with loan obligations, fewer job prospects, and a lifetime of lower earnings. Dropping out is also expensive for our country. Researchers estimate that college students who matriculated in 2002 but never graduated cost the nation $3.8 billion in lost income and $730 million in lost federal and state taxes for just one year (Schneider & Yin, 2011). This paper reviews various approaches to improving college readiness for all students and asks the question: How can parental support help increase college readiness skills for academically average students? The author presents a case study of a partnership between a Massachusetts high school and a nearby state community college.Agassiz High School (AHS, a pseudonym) is the sole high school in a small suburban Massachusetts town. In 2012, 7% of the 644 students in Grades 9-12 were non-white, 21% came from low-income families, 14% had individual education plans, and less than 2% were limited English proficient (Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, 2012b). On state assessments, AHS placed near the middle of suburban high schools and boasted an 85% graduation rate. In June 2010, there were 149 graduates; 62% signaled intentions to attend a four-year college, 32% declared plans for a two-year college or trade school, and 6% were headed for work or the military (Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, 2012a). …