Rural Student College and Career Readiness: Critical Analysis of the Current Literature and Future Directions

• In Event: Rural Student Experiences of College Readiness and College-Going

Abstract

College and career readiness (CCR) has become a national education policy priority. With more than 9.3 million rural students in the United States, rural students’ CCR is a warranted priority for education researchers. Using a framework of Conley’s (2012) CCR model, Perna’s (2006) nested model of college choice, and Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent et al., 2014), we systematically reviewed and analyzed the extant literature on rural students’ CCR. In addition to providing a comprehensive discussion of the prominent themes in the literature, we provide recommendations for future research and for changes to CCR standards and practices – most prominently, utilizing a place-based approach to CCR – that would better align with the strengths and needs of rural students, schools, and communities.

Authors

• Kessa Roberts, Utah State University

• Phillip D. Grant, Clemson University