1. College Readiness: Concepts and Issues Michael W. Kirst, Stanford University

2. College Readiness is Elusive and Multifaceted Habits of Mind – intellectual openness, inquisitiveness, analysis, reasoning Overarching Academic Skills – writing, research, English, math Academic Behavior – metacognition, mastery of study skills, time management Conceptual Skills and Awareness – understanding of college admission/placement

3. College Culture Has Many Secondary School Elements College Talk Clear Expectations Information and Resources Comprehensive Counseling Model College Partnerships

4. Student Engagement in Secondary School A great majority of students are bored every day, if not in every class 55% spend 0 or 1 hour reading per week, 90% spend 5 hours or less Girls report being more engaged across all dimensions of high school engagement than boys.

5. Content Within College Preparation Courses is Crucial – ACT Survey English/Writing: Postsecondary instructors ranked mechanics more important than high school teachers. Colleges want technical reading skills as well as literature. Mathematics: High school mathematics teachers gave more advanced topics greater importance. Science: High school science teachers consistently rated science content as more important to student success than science process/inquiry skills.

6. Understanding Placement Exams: A Crucial Part of College Readiness Research on the content, reliability, and necessary preparation for placement exams is scant Placement standards are not well publicized to prospective students or secondary school teachers.