College Readiness Essay

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Student Voices College Readiness from Student’s Perspective Although the impact of college readiness has been investigated, there is little information on what this experience is like from the student’s point of view. The primary purpose of this qualitative research study is to understand the experience as recounted by 5 college students. The findings include three major themes. Implications for practice are discussed. The road to college readiness began approximately three decades ago with a report commissioned by President Ronald Reagan on the state of secondary schools and students in America. Although the report was intended to create avenues for academic success for students in the U.S., little did the authors know that hey set the course to high-stakes standardized testing and stringent accountability measures without considerations for fueling other requisite skills and strategies necessary for college success—creativity, critical thinking, self-efficacy, and self-regulation (Amrein-Beardsley, 2009; Bell, 1993; Berliner, 1993; Bracey, 1998, 2003; Crosby, 1993; National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983; Ravitch, 2009, 2010; U.S. Department of Education, 2008a; Zhao, 2009a, 2009b). Although success in rigorous academic courses and high scores on standardized tests are good indicators of academic preparedness, high school and college personnel must work together to help students develop an understanding of the academic and non-academic expectations of entering and succeeding at postsecondary institutions, thereby internalizing a college-going attitude. Tinto (1993) indicated that an important component of persistence is the willingness of students to work toward the attainment of their goals. Similarly, Astin (1975) reported that first year college students who strived for a doctorate or professional degree were most likely to persist in

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