Report Finds that Most HS Seniors Aren’t Ready for College or Career
Get can’t-miss family activities sent to you!
Get the Best Family Activities
With that in mind, Ho and his colleagues found that just under 40 percent of students score at college and career ready levels on NAEP. The test includes a combination of factors that contribute to students’ readiness for college, including content knowledge, cognitive strategies, learning skills and transitioning skills.These scores can then strongly predict if students will be able to succeed doing college-level academics, or with on-the-job training in a position requiring only a high school diploma.
But since more than 40 percent of kids graduated from high school last year (the nationwide graduation rate last year was 82 percent), does that mean schools are handing diplomas to students not ready for the “real world”?
"I think the charitable view is that graduation is not just reading and math," says Ho, meaning that high school diplomas also include things like "social studies, science, the arts, PE and showing up." The end result: the diploma captures achievements over time, rather than the ability to do well on a short, mostly multiple-choice test taken on a single day.
RELATED: Find More Schools Near You
Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest updates on fun events and other family activities in your area.