This annual newsletter contains updates on the latest CCRC research, new publications and details of upcoming presentations at major conferences. The feature article in this issue, "Addressing the Needs of Underprepared Students," by Thomas Bailey, summarizes the discussion found in the paper "Challenge and Opportunity: Rethinking…

The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) is at the forefront of national efforts to align high school curriculum to college and career readiness standards. Embarking on a mission it calls A Personal Journey for Next Generation Learners, Maine has employed several key strategies to ensure all of its students graduate from high school with the…

As career clusters and pathways are being implemented within the program of study requirement of the Perkins IV legislation, the current linkages between entry level occupations and careers requiring advanced certifications or degrees should be examined by career and technical education (CTE). This study examined the linkage in the healthcare…

Background/Context: Prior research on the challenges of college going and retention among adolescents today, particularly low-income, minority, and first-generation college-going youth, provide the context for this article. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This article sets the stage for the special issue articles by framing the…

In this study, we examine the role of academic preparation in the transition from community colleges to four-year institutions. We address two specific questions: To what extent do academically unprepared students transfer to four-year institutions? And, can positive experiences in community colleges diminish the role of inadequate academic…

Youth with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds are at high risk for a number of negative postschool outcomes including high unemployment, low wages, and limited access to postsecondary education and training. Cultural and linguistic differences may negatively impact transition planning for these youth as they…

The senior-year experience represents a critical period as students prepare to make the transition from their familiar academic surroundings to post-college life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a professional development curricular strand that has been infused across an undergraduate curriculum. This curricular…

The purpose of this workbook is to help youth to take the lead in planning for their adult lives. The workbook shares important information, encourages youth to begin thinking about life after high school, and offers ideas they can use to plan routes to reach their goals. This is not a workbook parents, educators or others should hand to young…

Research indicates that academic achievement from middle school to high school decreases while behavior problems, suspensions and expulsions increase early in ninth grade. Hertzog and Morgan found in their research in Georgia and Florida, that those high schools that just did building tours and meetings with school counselors for strictly…

Presents examples of developmental students who support each other both personally and academically during the transitional first year of college. Describes the learning communities program, in which linked developmental classes specifically encourage cross-disciplinary learning and peer collaboration. Emphasizes the necessity for students to take…

Since 2004, the Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) has tracked the postsecondary experiences of successive cohorts of graduating Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students and examined the relationship among high school preparation, support, college choice, and postsecondary outcomes. The goal of this research is to help CPS understand the…

Results of this review of college student retention research suggest that students from rural communities face additional challenges adjusting to large colleges and universities compared to students from urban and suburban areas. Research that describes the additional challenges faced by rural students while transitioning to large institutions is…

This applied dissertation described the evaluation of a program designed to provide students with the necessary academic and social skills needed to matriculate and graduate from the university. The problem was that there was no evidence of a formalized program evaluation to determine if the Academic Empowerment Center (AEC) was effective in…

In this article, the author discusses the need for collaboration in developmental education and proposes two major ideas for consideration: (1) that educators need to re-conceptualize how they go about delivering developmental education; and (2) that they need to collaborate more fully with others in practicing it. The author notes that of almost…

The diverse higher education members of the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education independently partner with the Hartford Public Schools and deliver more than forty programs in the schools. These programs are varied and include such areas as college access, professional development for teachers, technology initiatives, tutoring, and science…