Topics College Readiness

May 26, 2019

Don’t use the SAT or ACT to undermine education accountability

College admissions tests rank students on a curve rather than measuring how well they are meeting state standards and are weaker predictors of college performance than high-school grades.

Pamela Burdman and Christopher Edley, Jr.

March 29, 2019

Another push to expand use of SAT in California amid criticism of test

One bill would let school districts give the SAT or ACT to all students, at state expense; another calls on UC and CSU to consider phasing out the tests altogether.

March 10, 2019

Grades must reflect mastery, not just effort

More attention, training needed to solve the problem of misleading grades, author says.

January 30, 2019

California schools help unaccompanied immigrant students combat trauma, language barriers

Unaccompanied immigrant students face a daunting set of obstacles to finish high school. Many students have survived severe trauma in their home countries or missed years of school.

January 14, 2019

As California community colleges gear up to teach less remedial math, one college shows how it can be done

College of the Canyons has been a trailblazer for several years with its policy of placing more of its students in math classes that count for transfer instead of remedial courses.

December 6, 2018

When $500 million career pathways’ grants ran dry, so did regional collaboration

The California Career Pathways Trust funded alliances among school districts, businesses and colleges that established hundreds of new career pathway programs, but regional commitments were hard to sustain, a study found.

John Fensterwald

October 24, 2018

California's SAT scores rise, beat national averages

While overall scores rose, only 48 percent of California students did well enough on the SAT to be considered fully college ready. Ethnic disparities remain as well.

Larry Gordon

October 2, 2018

Too many college students are not going back to school this fall

But social and emotional support can help more students succeed in college.

Omar Butler

September 30, 2018

Gov. Brown vetoes bill to let districts give SAT or ACT as 11th grade test

Dozens of districts are offering the tests at their own expense already, because scores on SAT and ACT, not Smarter Balanced, are what matters to high school juniors.

John Fensterwald

September 23, 2018

Newsom's 'cradle-to-career' education pledge will require sweeping changes in California

California's likely next governor has yet to spell out how much implementing his strategy will cost.

Karin Fischer

September 20, 2018

California’s next governor has opportunity to set a bold new higher education agenda

Smoothing pathway to, and through, college would help California be more competitive.

William G. Tierney

September 17, 2018

Multifaceted reforms needed to reach California’s education goals, research project finds

Getting Down to Facts II finds strong support for education reforms but also obstacles to student achievement and a need for more funding.

John Fensterwald

September 6, 2018

California to add chronic absenteeism, career/college indicators to education 'dashboard'

The State Board of Education has no answer to a basic question: Should the state measure readiness for 'college and careers' or 'college or careers'?

John Fensterwald

August 23, 2018

Renewed push to offer SAT and ACT as California's 11th-grade test

Superintendents say free college readiness testing for all would raise SAT/ACT scores and boost college admissions. Opponents say AB 1951 would undermine the usefulness of high school testing.

John Fensterwald

August 20, 2018

Research backs California's push to reform remedial math education

Students do better in for-credit classes with extra support than when they are pushed into no-credit remedial algebra, studies show.