The District Role in Increasing College Readiness: College Readiness Indicator Systems Progress in Dallas

• In Event: Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding the Pathways From High School to College: Factors and Outcomes

Abstract

This longitudinal case study uses data from interviews and focus groups to analyze how an urban district implemented a systematic approach to improving the college readiness of its students. The College Readiness Indicator (CRIS) framework focuses on three areas (academic preparedness, academic tenacity, and college knowledge) along three dimensions (individual student, setting/school level, and system/district level). Several essential elements for successful implementation were identified in earlier works: 1) leadership commitment; 2) data infrastructure; 3) building adult capacity around data use and college readiness; 4) connecting indicators with action; and 5) partnerships with community and higher education institutions. Our study investigates how one of those districts made progress on each of these essential elements and identifies the challenges experienced.

Authors

• Martha Abele Mac Iver, Johns Hopkins University

• Douglas J. Mac Iver, Johns Hopkins University

• Emily Clark