How States Can Improve College Readiness

In the coming years, most observers suggest, nearly all students will need some postsecondary education—technical certification, an associate’s degree, a four-year degree or beyond—to prepare for well-paying, secure jobs. During the last five years, states have made significant progress toward aligning high school standards and course requirements with the skills colleges say are needed for success. According to Achieve—a nonprofit education reform organization that helps states raise academic standards and graduation requirements—20 states and the District of Columbia now require high school students to complete a college- and work-ready curriculum to graduate from high school. While state graduation course requirements have driven important dialogues about college- and career-ready expectations, a gap still exists between being college-eligible and being college-ready.

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