Do High Schools Prepare Students for Community College?

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: Issues in Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Community colleges have increased college access, but they have poor retention rates. While reformers have tried to improve retention rates by implementing changes within community colleges, the role of high schools, students’ first source of guidance, is understudied. Through interviews with 42 high school counselors, we find that counselors see their role as encouraging students to pursue postsecondary education, so they value community colleges because they offer open admission. However, counselors are generally unaware of community colleges’ complexities — while counselors proactively encourage students to apply, they rarely give specific guidance on how to navigate the many options community colleges offer and address common obstacles. In contrast to these widespread practices, we also describe the advising of a few exemplary counselors.

Authors

• Gorana Ilic, Northwestern University

• Isabelle Matthies

• James E. Rosenbaum, Northwestern University