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The Issue
Educators and parents of high school students should be concerned not only with getting students to graduation, but also with preparing students for the transition into a good job or additional education. Too often, this transition is overly difficult, with students unprepared for college work or lacking in essential workplace skills. High schools must work with higher education and the business community to define the necessary knowledge and skills for success after high school, to make sure students know what those requirements are, and to give students every opportunity to acquire them.

The Research
The importance of preparing high school students for the next step, and the consequences of not doing so, are demonstrated in research.

• College Credit in High School: Increasing Postsecondary Credential Rates of Underrepresented Students (Jobs for the Future, 2003)
  Shows how minority and low-income students lack access to and have difficulty staying in college, and discusses a number of new transition models to help these students move on to college or careers after high school. Reviews initial positive results from these models, and outlines questions and challenges for additional research.

• Developing Pathways To and Through College for Urban Youth
  Describes four education innovations that show promise for helping disadvantaged youth move successfully from high school to college to a four-year degree.

• Raising Our Sights
  Summarizes the research of the National Commission on the Senior Year and recommends a "Triple A" program to improve the transition to postsecondary education or a career: (1) improve alignment; (2) raise achievement; and (3) provide more (and more rigorous) alternatives.

Noteworthy Practices
There are proven, innovative methods for smoothing the transition between high school and the world beyond.

• AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
  Program that focuses on average students who do not see themselves as college-bound. Students enroll in a college preparatory sequence and receive the academic and motivational support to succeed. Students are coached by college students, work in collaborative groups, and use a curriculum focused on writing and inquiry. Students also receive college level mini-courses taught by college professors.

• The College Bound Foundation
  Places College Access Program Specialists in inner city Baltimore high schools. “These Specialists work one-on-one with students, helping them through the difficult and complex process of college preparation and financial aid. CollegeBound also awards ‘Last Dollar’ grants to fill the gap when sufficient funds are not available through loans, scholarships, or work study programs.

• Early College High Schools
  Small schools where students earn both a high school diploma and two years of college credit toward a bachelor’s degree.

• Middle College Charter High School
  Located on the campus of a community college, Middle College High School encourages at-risk students to succeed through: (1) visible peer models (the community college students); (2) small classes; and (3) superior academic and support services.

• William H. Turner Technical Arts High School
  Integrates vocational/technical training with a rigorous academic curriculum. Students who complete the program obtain both a high school diploma and industry certification so they are prepared for either a career or postsecondary education immediately high school.