High School, West Virginia

by

Whitener Michael

EDD: Education Leadership

Lasley Bobby

Liberty University

2023

APPROVED BY:

Bobby Lee Lasley Jr, Ed. D

Recommendations for Solving Low Rates of College Readiness at James Monroe

High School, West Virginia

by

Whitener Michael

EDD: Education Leadership

Lasley Bobby

Liberty University

2023

APPROVED BY:

Bobby Lee Lasley Jr, Ed. D

Table of Contents
Abstract 1
Role of the Researcher 2
Permission to Conduct Research 3
Chapter One: Introduction 4
Chapter Two: Literature Review 10
Chapter Three: Procedures 31
References 40
Appendice 2 46

45

This applied study sought to offer suggestions for addressing the issue of West Virginia’s James Monroe High School’s low college readiness gaps. This applied study sought to offer suggestions for addressing the issue of West Virginia’s James Monroe High School’s low college preparation gaps. Data collection techniques both qualitative and quantitative were employed. The issue of college readiness at James Monroe High School in West Virginia is similar to what most schools are facing as at the school 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate. The low rates of college readiness at the school is an area of concern for the school administration. The study offers recommendations that would be used by other institutions to resolve the problem of low rates of college readiness. The findings of the research will highlight the problems facing James Monroe High School’s low college preparation gaps. James Monroe High School’s low college preparation gaps. The recommendations will be effectively applied to resolve the problem. The central research question for the study was; how can the problem of low college readiness gaps at James Monroe High School in West Virginia be solved? The study used three forms of data collection. The methods of data collection and analysis included; interview procedures, quantitative survey procedures, and focus group procedures. At the culmination of the study, five recommendations were proposed for the low rates of college readiness at James Monroe High School. They included; Creating bridging programs, Policies to solve the low college readiness rates, Academic preparation, College knowledge, and information, and Developing college fortitude and resilience. These key recommendations would be effectively applied to James Monroe High School and help resolve the problem of low rates of college readiness.

Keywords:
college readiness rates, underserved students, fortitude and resilience

The role of the researcher is to conduct research and offer recommendations for the low rates of college readiness at James Monroe High School. The researcher’s name is Whitener Michael a student in Education Leadership. As a student in Education, the researcher aims to investigate some of the problems facing the education industry while offering recommendations that can make the sector better. The study like most studies will encounter various biases like observer and recall biases.

Observer biases would be as a result of the participants expecting to see what they want to see instead of what is really happening. In the case the participants are the people affected by the study like the teachers and students who are more likely to be affected by this type of bias. Recall bias will occur when the participants are asked to recall events in the past.

The gatekeeper is Angie Mann. The gate keeper is the principal of James Monroe High School. As the principal she is tasked with all aspects of the school. The permission letter shows located (see Appendix 2) that the researcher has been granted the permission to conduct research for the study.

Ethical Considerations

The study will ensure the ethical treatment of the participants of the research. This will include minimizing the risk of harm for the participants which includes physical and psychological harm, obtaining informed consent, protecting anonymity and confidentiality, and avoiding deceptive practices. Participants will be randomly chosen and those who do not want to participate in the study will be free to leave at any time. The participants will include the principle, teachers, students, and parents. They will participate in interview procedures, quantitative survey procedures, and focus group procedures. Privacy and confidentiality is important and data will be protected through the collection of anonymous data. This means that the data collected will not be connected to any of the participants. Data will be stored in a computer which will be fortified by a firewall to protect the data from unauthorized users.

Overview

This applied study sought to offer suggestions for addressing the issue of West Virginia’s James Monroe High School’s low college preparation gaps. The issue of college readiness at James Monroe High School in West Virginia is similar to what most schools are facing as at the school 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate. This chapter of the study presents interview procedures, quantitative survey procedures, and focus group procedures.

Narrative Review

The goal of the literature review is to evaluate pertinent studies and understand the topic. This assessment was done to better understand a recent report about the poor college readiness levels at James Monroe High School. In this literature, college readiness is discussed at the state and federal levels, systematic approaches to college readiness, federal legislation in college readiness, and recommendations like developing bridging programs, Pass Theory, and other potential policies to address the low college readiness rates at James Monroe High School (Hofer, 2020).

According to Mokher et al. (2018), the term “college readiness” refers to the abilities, attitudes, and knowledge a high school student should possess prior to beginning their first year of college. The phrase is typically used to describe and evaluate how prepared students are before enrolling in their first year of college. Placement examinations and GPA are two examples of indicators for college preparedness, and states can select particular indicators based on their particular settings (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). Many schools now use standardized high school assessments, and disciplines like science, math, and reading are used as benchmarks to gauge students’ readiness for college (Fina et al., 2018).

The rate at which students enroll in college and in each grade can be used to compare pupils’ preparation for college. As students advance to the following grades, the enrollment rate for each grade at Monroe High School declines (Robertson, 2022). According to statistics from Watson (2020), there has been a minor dip in students enrolling in challenging subjects in high schools, such as mathematics, as their advanced courses, which has dropped from 3% to 1%. The preparedness rate for white students in the United States is 96%, compared to 1% for students of other races. According to estimates, the school currently has a high frequency of students who are prepared for college and careers.

In the United States, legislators at the federal and state levels have the authority to define policy issues through legislation and regulation and to select the tools that will be used to enact policy solutions. The federal government’s limited ability to affect education policy, practice, and resources is a result of its inability to have a clearly defined role in educational policy (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). For some time now, the federal government has made efforts to promote and even mandate college readiness. Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) was added to the Higher Education Act of 1965 in 1998. According to Durand et al. (2022), this law was created to help minority and low-income kids prepare for college.

According to Kurlaender, Reed, and Hurtt (2019), higher education institutions operate within a complicated legal framework that includes regulations regarding enrollment, admissions, and privacy. Lawsuits cost money when people break the rules. Students are protected from discrimination based on educational programs by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Cole, 2022). All students’ enrollment was supported by the Act. Ensure all children ready for college are recruited, admitted, and given counseling. And that they receive financial assistance for all students.

It may seem simple to be college-ready, but that is not always the case. Aligning high school curricula and expectations with those of colleges is difficult (Stafford, 2019). Students lack early preparation for college and fail to create high-quality syllabi in all of their classes (Kolluri & Tierney, 2020). Many high school graduates want to attend college, but only 68% do so shortly after they graduate, and even among those who do, few really finish the required courses. College preparation raises students’ chances of staying in school and earning a degree. Student achievement in college is influenced by their readiness for it (Wariyo & Asgedom, 2021). According to research, schools need to do more to prepare students for college (Convertino & Graboski-Bauer, 2018; Yarnetsky & Morgan, 2021).

The state government aims to address the issue of students who are ill-prepared for college by developing bridge programs between high school and university. 38 states have instituted P-16 or P-20 councils to assist students in making the transition from elementary school to higher education, according to the Education Commission of the States. The planned K-16 changes are focused on curricula, standards, and assessed competencies that reduce preparation shortages (Vogel & Karakaşolu, 2021).

The intricate relationships between interdependent actors that frequently lead to policymaking are known as policy networks. The way that policymakers define college readiness has been strongly affected by a variety of non-profit educational organizations, university institutes and centers, testing providers, and state policymaking associations (Bragg, 2018). The amount of information available about how to prepare students for college is, at best, scant, and actual requirements are sometimes overshadowed by suggested fixes. The achievement disparity between first-year college students and high school graduates is unsustainable, according to everyone who is concerned in educational governance (Floyd et al., 2022).

College Readiness

The emphasis on education in the United States has recently shifted away from high school graduation to college success. Policymakers and practitioners at the local, state, and federal levels, along with their community partners, have focused on preparing students with the skills and knowledge necessary to enroll and succeed—without remediation—in a postsecondary program that leads to a degree after realizing that success in today’s economy requires more than just a high school diploma (Conley 2007). This shift in focus has been accompanied by a plethora of programs and efforts, such as federal competitive grant programs, school-wide reform projects, community-based education support structures, and many more, that are designed to help children get into and succeed in college.

Every university and school are unique. However, they will all often include subjects from the common core curriculum, including arithmetic, English, science, history, and even a foreign language. The basis for further education in college is laid by this schooling. Life skills, in addition to academic abilities, are needed to succeed in college (Conley 2007). Writing essays and finishing science experiments are examples of academic competence. Time management, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and other abilities will all be necessary for college. College is difficult, and therefore, the student must be driven and conscious of their mental health. This implies that their capacity to meet and overcome obstacles will be greatly influenced by their drive and sense of self-worth. Additionally, cultivating an optimistic outlook can be beneficial (Conley, 2007).

Students will be able to handle the complete range of college courses they are likely to encounter if they are prepared to succeed in best practices courses. According to this definition, a student is considered college-ready if they can comprehend what is expected of them in college-level coursework, handle the material information that is provided, and retain the course’s most important intellectual lessons and attitudes (Conley, 2007). By comprehending the postsecondary educational culture and structure as well as the methods of knowing and intellectual norms prevalent in this academic and social setting, the student is also better equipped to make the most of their college experience.

More American high school graduates than ever before—about 67 percent—enrolled in college after receiving their diplomas in 2016 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). The increased college enrollment rate is unquestionably a success. However, there is a need to think about how many of these aspirational and hopeful young people are going to succeed in higher education. The statistics show that fewer and fewer of those who graduate from high school succeed in college. According to the most recent data available, only roughly 15.5 million students enrolled in four-year institutions in 2020 in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree and graduated four years later (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022).

According to research, one of the main reasons students struggle in college is the disconnect between what they experienced in high school and what is expected of them there. According to Conley (2007), many first-year students discover that their college courses are fundamentally different from their high school courses. College instructors anticipate that their students will make inferences, interpret findings, examine contradictory sources, back up claims with evidence, work through challenging issues that defy simple solutions, offer explanations, draw conclusions, and generally think deeply about what they are learning. Additionally, college courses move along more quickly, frequently requiring students to read eight or nine volumes in the time it took them to read just one in high school.

The emphasis on education in the United States has recently shifted away from high school graduation to college success (Floyd et al., 2022). Policymakers and practitioners at the local, state, and federal levels, along with their community partners, have focused on preparing students with the skills and knowledge necessary to enroll and succeed—without remediation—in a postsecondary program that leads to a degree after realizing that success in today’s economy requires more than just a high school diploma (Conley 2007). This shift in focus has been accompanied by many programs and efforts, such as federal competitive grant programs, school-wide reform projects, community-based education support structures, and many more, designed to help children get into and succeed in college.

The emerging area of college preparedness has developed over the last few years into a vast undertaking involving numerous actors and spanning multiple industries (Bragg, 2018). Keeping up with pertinent policies and efforts is both a difficulty and a requirement given the field’s quick rise and growth as well as the many actors engaged. A review of the field of college readiness can identify key roles that the community, business, and philanthropic sectors should play in developing a coordinated strategy for enhancing readiness, as well as successful strategies for doing so and gaps in research, policy, and practice.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) framework, which suggests that states hold K–12 pupils to higher standards that encourage global competitiveness, was released by the Obama Administration in 2010. Following this request, state leaders and partners launched the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) to create standards that would prepare students for college. This initiative largely reflects the blueprint’s recommendation that students should be regularly evaluated on their progress toward these standards and that college-ready students have completed a demanding elementary and secondary academic program in English language arts and math, among other important subjects.

Two overlapping coalitions of states, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (S-BAC), each received a sizeable Race to the Top grant from the federal government in order to develop assessment systems that map students’ college-ready trajectories. The PARCC and S-BAC efforts, like CCSSI, contend that a solid academic foundation is key to becoming college-ready. Researchers have long sought to define precisely what it means to be college-ready. According to prior research, being prepared for college entails possessing the academic content knowledge and skills required to succeed in college-level courses. (Conley 2007)

Federal Legislation on College Readiness

Students in high school frequently lack knowledge of the abilities required for college. 90% of high school freshmen anticipate pursuing some form of postsecondary education, although many are ill-equipped to do so (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). According to Leeds & Mokher (2019), students in low-performing high schools and first-generation college students are especially ignorant of the differences between the knowledge and abilities required to graduate from high school and those required for college. Due to the estimated $7 billion yearly cost of developmental education (DE) courses among first-time, degree-seeking fall enrollment, students’ inadequate preparation for postsecondary education has costly repercussions for both students and institutions.

The Community College Research Center found that using college placement tests to put students in DE frequently resulted in placement errors (Scott-Clayton et al., 2014). A significant percentage of students are underrepresented in DE courses when they might have passed for-credit courses. Some students are overplayed into for-credit courses in which they are predicted to fail. Although the studies from the Community College Research Center were carried out in specific contexts that might not be generalizable to other states or placement exams, the findings have been influential in policy recommendations, encouraging the use of a variety of measures for college course placement across the country (Education Commission of the States, 2016).

The federal government is currently making significant investments in college readiness through higher standards, improved assessments that are in line with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in higher education, and assistance to states in creating data systems that make it simple to track students longitudinally through the P-16 system. These are crucial (and long overdue) building blocks for producing more college-ready young people.

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the first piece of education reform legislation passed since the highly contentious No Child Left Behind Act was passed in January 2002, was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 10, 2015 (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). ESSA appears to be a response to the long-standing demands of educators across the nation for fundamental educational reform. The new 391-page law, which can be accessed here, has received a lot of attention, particularly for its nonpartisan nature and the limitations on the federal government’s role in education. Major choices regarding the majority of academic standards and how schools will adhere to them are left to the states under the ESSA.

ESSA made significant advancements in previous years, with the work of educators, communities, parents, and kids nationwide ensuring success. For instance, high school graduation rates are at record highs right now. Dropouts are at a record low (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). Additionally, more students than ever are enrolling in college. These accomplishments lay a solid foundation for future efforts under ESSA to increase educational opportunities and enhance student outcomes.

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the previous iteration of the law, was passed in 2002. In many ways, NCLB was a big step forward for the kids in the United States, especially because it made it clear where students were succeeding and where they needed more help, regardless of their race, native language, zip code, disability, or background. The law was due for reform in 2007, and as time went on, schools and educators found it increasingly difficult to comply with NCLB’s prescriptive criteria. Recognizing this, the Obama administration joined a call in 2010 from parents and educators for better legislation to ensure that every student is adequately prepared for college and the workplace (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.).

ESSA has elements that support ensuring student and school success (Adler-Greene, 2019). Some of the elements of the legislation that have improved college readiness include; demands that all students in America be taught to high academic standards that will help them thrive in college and in their professions for the first time, ensure that crucial data is communicated to educators, families, students, and communities through yearly statewide exams that gauge how well kids are doing compared to those demanding criteria. supports and fosters local innovations, such as evidence-based and location-based treatments created by local leaders and educators, in accordance with our Investing in Innovation and maintains the expectation that there will be responsibility and action to bring about good change in our schools with the lowest graduation rates and groups of kids who are not making progress (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.).

In marked contrast to its predecessor, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act (ESSA) is notable for returning authority to the states (Malin et al., 2017). ESSA is lengthy and complicated, and it contains several different policy processes pertaining to the operations of the state, intermediary, and local educators. College and career readiness (CCR) is one element of ESSA that reflects the wide policy initiative to enhance K–12 students’ readiness for the transition to higher education and the workforce. Given the long-standing influence of ESEA on state and local education policy and practice on college and career readiness, particularly in relation to equitable student access and participation, it is crucial to comprehend the extent to which this new federal law will have on those policies and practices.

College and career readiness (CCR) initiatives can take many different forms in federal, state, and local education policies (Malin et al., 2017). It is crucial to comprehend how CCR has been expressed and prioritized in the ESSA legislation, in part because public education mandates the education of all students, especially those from historically underprivileged student populations. Determining whether and how equality is included in this new version of federal policy is our goal, therefore. Our interest in this aspect of CCR stems from claims that equity needs to be addressed more forcefully in CCR policy. The country runs the risk of sustaining imbalances between student groups that could have a long-lasting negative effect on society if CCR is not acknowledged as crucial for all students.

CCR includes the creation of standards-aligned examinations as one of its components, along with criteria for college and career readiness. Each state was required to establish rigorous academic standards under the NCLB Act of 2001, and school systems and states were held responsible for students’ academic performance (Malin et al., 2017). These standards had to be attained by all students overall as well as by particular demographic subgroups. Academic proficiency was narrowly defined as student performance in reading and math, and NCLB did not include any accountability mandate to ensure students are prepared for careers, despite the fact that mandating academic standards was an important step for the law.

The ability to compare student learning across the 50 states has been hindered by the fact that each state has different standards and definitions of proficiency. As a result, policymakers have questioned whether the knowledge and abilities required for success after high school and to compete in the global economy are sufficiently reflected in the states’ present standards (Malin et al., 2017). However, given the United States’ past biases on race and intelligence, Malin et al., 2017) claimed that an education strategy that prioritized the elimination of racial academic success gaps was “nothing short of remarkable.”

The creation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which includes a focus on CCR, was motivated by a goal to equip all children with the skills necessary to succeed in the global economy and society. Conley (2014) remarked that “one of the most important goals of the Common Core State Standards is that they provide the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college, career, and life” (p. 4) while describing the inspiration for the development of the CCSS. The K-12 English Language Arts and Mathematics standards were later produced by the Common Core State Standards Initiative (n.d.), which is currently being used by 42 states and Washington, D.C. The math and English language arts standards have been altered in certain jurisdictions, but an examination shows that most of these adjustments have been small. The design process helped to define state curricular standards, local educational strategies, and some uniformity for evaluating students’ CCR. However, there are still large achievement gaps between various student groups. According to national statistics, kids of color are less prepared for college than White college students in terms of postsecondary enrollment and completion rates (Malin et al., 2017).

School-Level Efforts to Address College Readiness

Conley (2007), published a monograph titled “Redefining College Readiness”. It outlined a four-part conceptual model for college readiness that included four dimensions: key cognitive strategies, key content knowledge, academic behaviors, and contextual knowledge. According to Conley (2007), key cognitive strategies are deliberate actions that help students acquire, comprehend, remember, utilize, and apply information from a variety of subjects. The majority of students arrive unprepared for the intellectual demands and expectations of post-secondary environments, according to college instructors across the country, regardless of the selectivity of the institution (Conley, 2007). According to additional research, college professors anticipate their students to draw conclusions, interpret findings, evaluate contradictory sources, provide evidence to support claims, address complex issues with no clear solution, draw conclusions, provide explanations, conduct research, participate in debates about ideas, and generally think critically about the material they are being taught. When confronted with content information they have not previously developed these cognitive techniques, students who have limited prior experience struggle.

Understanding the teaching, learning, and assessing of the Key Cognitive Strategies required for college readiness derives from research on human cognition (Conley, 2007). This also includes dispositional-based theories of intelligence, which assert that intelligence can be taught and developed, thinking skills, cognitive learning theory, which asserts that learning is a product of thinking, and competency theory (Conley, 2007). This provides a way to think about learner progression. In order to develop increasingly more difficult learning opportunities that are precisely calibrated to result in student readiness for college success, college-ready schools draw on these features of human learning. The School Diagnostic lists the following specific Key Cognitive Strategies: problem formulation, research, interpretation, communication, and precision/accuracy.

According to Conley (2007), key content knowledge is the fundamental knowledge required to understand academic disciplines, including all-encompassing reading and writing abilities, as well as knowledge and abilities in the core academic subject areas of English/language arts, mathematics, science, social sciences, and world languages. For instance, compared to high school, college students are expected to read a far wider breadth of literature, typically in much larger volumes. College-level writing is required to convey concise, well-supported arguments drawn from a range of reliable sources and to be delivered flawlessly in accordance with a predetermined style guide.

Students need academic behaviors in order to handle the demands of the workload and rigor of college. These behaviors include self-management abilities, attitudes, and habits. These differ from important cognitive strategies in that they typically don’t depend on a specific subject area and are primarily composed of self-awareness and study techniques. Academic behaviors do not necessarily reflect mental aptitude; rather, children who display these behaviors are better able to apply their intellectual prowess to academic success. Examples include the capacity for self-advocacy, collaboration, self-evaluation, time management, note-taking, goal-setting, and self-monitoring (Conley, 2007).

Mandating College Readiness

In the United States, postsecondary higher education remains essential for obtaining credentials, degrees, and fulfilling work (Floyd, et al., 2022). For many years, community colleges in particular have been the Ellis Islands of America’s higher education system, enabling access to a better standard of living for everybody. The workforce, career, and technical education are what are driving the growth of higher education in the post-secondary sector. It is the key to filling middle-wage and high-skill, high-wage positions. Technical colleges, community, and state colleges, private colleges, and public universities continuously evaluate their roles in meeting the needs of the country’s workforce and successfully constructing a workforce fit for the twenty-first century as the United States post-secondary higher education works to close a nationally identified skills gap.

As success in the modern labor market depends on students possessing postsecondary education and training as well as employability skills, preparation for college and careers is becoming more and more crucial (Floyd, et al., 2022). The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gives states a number of legislative tools to enhance homeless youth’s preparedness for college and the workforce (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). Children from underserved communities face educational difficulties, such as transportation issues, trouble enrolling in classes, and financial difficulties that prevent them from paying for materials or extracurricular activities. According to research, such students are at least twice as likely to be chronically absent and are more likely to drop out of school than the general student population.

The ESSA changes mandate that states and localities review state laws, regulations, practices, and policies that might serve as obstacles to the enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless youth and others from underserved communities. This is to provide evidence in their Title I plans of how they intend to remove those obstacles. This is because homeless youth face a number of educational challenges. According to the legislation and non-regulatory guidance states should: remove obstacles brought up by charges, penalties, absences, and missed enrollment deadlines (Kannam, 2018). If there is a disagreement over enrollment, school choice, or eligibility, enroll pupils right away in their first choice until a solution has been reached.

The Ability of High School Students to Think Abstractly and the Outcomes of Their Studies

Computational Thinking is regarded as the foundation of all STEM science disciplines, according to Hanif et al. (2021). Five constructs—abstraction, generalization, algorithms, modularity, and decomposition—can be used to assess the levels of computational thinking proficiency. It is not necessary for abstract thoughts to be founded on actual physical experience; instead, they might be constructed on ideas based on greater experience. In this instance, Zehetmeier, et al. (2019) carried out a literature review on the topic of abstract thinking and discovered an indication that may be used to gauge abstract thinking or to be named the Abstract Thinking Framework.

According to Hanif et al. (2021) a student who is prepared for college can conceptualize, or pair abstract concepts with real-world examples. Using metaphors and sayings from the past is one of the best ways to encourage pupils to think abstractly. Students will initially react as described above, but with enough practice, they will be able to understand to think abstractly, works like Carol, Dr. Suess, and Milton, such as Horton the El true meaning of the proverbs. Understanding the diversity of literature, both classical and modern, requires the ability to think abstractly (Hanif et al. 2021).

SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (previously known as the Scholastic Achievement Test) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (formerly known as the SAT) are both standardized tests used to assess key competencies needed for tertiary-level academic performance (Van Schalkwyk, 2017). The SAT is a standardized test that is typically taken by middle and high school students as a means of preparing for admission to colleges and institutions in the United States. It is administered by the College Board. In order to create tests that would make sense in a society where problem-solving abilities, effective communication, and an understanding of complex relationships have become essential for success in both career and life, the College Board reviewed and redesigned the SAT. This was done in order to better align it with the work high school students do in the classroom.

The updated SAT Suite of Assessments, which includes the SAT Math and SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW), was first given in the spring of 2016 in both the United States and abroad. The exam lasts, on average, 3–4 hours, with an additional 50 minutes for the SAT with an essay (Van Schalkwyk, 2017). The updated test no longer penalizes pupils for guessing or giving incorrect answers, and the 1600-point scale, which includes sub-scores and cross-test scores, gives educators insight into each student’s unique strengths and weaknesses so they may modify their education as necessary. The College Board also formed new agreements with top online providers who offer practice problems and instructional films to assist students to get ready, improving accessibility for various populations.

A student who is prepared for college can conceptualize, or pair abstract concepts with real-world examples. Using metaphors and sayings from the past is one of the best ways to encourage pupils to think abstractly. Students will initially react as described above, but with enough practice, they will be able to understand the think abstract, works like Carol, Dr. Suess, and Milton, such as Horton the El true meaning of the proverbs. Understanding the diversity of literature, both classical and modern, requires the ability to think abstractly. Without the ability many students in the United States graduate from high school without having acquired the information and skills necessary for success in college (RN-30, 2007). Only 34% of high school pupils were considered college ready in 2002.

HSGPA: High School Grade Point Average

Grades from high school courses are important measures of academic accomplishment for learners, teachers, and institutions of higher learning (Allensworth & Clark, 2020). However, because all students are evaluated using the same activities and settings, standardized test scores are frequently considered to be more accurate and objective measures of academic readiness than students’ grades. To assess students’ progress toward college readiness standards, all states use standardized examinations, with 45 states adopting ACT or SAT scores (Nayar, 2015). The What Works Clearinghouse practice guide on how to prepare students for college makes it clear that standardized test scores should be used to monitor students’ college readiness, while HSGPAs are discussed as one performance indicator to take into account along with curriculum and assessments (Allensworth & Clark, 2020).

Grades from high school courses are important measures of academic accomplishment for learners, teachers, and institutions of higher learning. However, because all students are evaluated based on the same activities under the same circumstances, standardized test scores are frequently considered to be more accurate and objective measures of academic preparation than students’ grades. To assess students’ progress toward college readiness standards, all states use standardized examinations, with 45 states adopting ACT or SAT scores (Nayar, 2015). The What Works Clearinghouse practice guide on how to prepare students for college makes it clear that standardized test scores should be used to monitor students’ college readiness, while HSGPAs are discussed as one performance indicator to take into account along with curriculum and assessments.

The focus on test scores in policy and practice is predicated in part on the idea that college admission exams are reliable indicators of preparation. However, research shows that high school grade point averages (HSGPAs) are better predictors of college outcomes than test scores contradicting the emphasis on test scores over grades in policy and practice recommendations (Nayar, 2015).

By examining whether students with the same HSGPAs are systematically more likely to graduate from college if they attended specific high schools and whether the slope of the relationship varies by high school, Allensworth & Clark (2020) directly addressed questions about the variability in HSGPAs across high schools as predictors of college readiness. Then, using ACT scores—which are typically believed to be equal. The study administered identical exams. Additionally, the study determined the degree to which high school effects on college graduation exist but are not evident in either students’ HSGPAs or ACT scores.

PASS: Planning, Attention-arousal, Simultaneous, and Successive

PASS: Planning, Attention-arousal, Simultaneous, and Successive

Luria’s work serves as the foundation for the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, and Successive (PASS. The model is proposed as a comprehensive conceptualization and framework for cognitive processes (Naglieri & Das, 2005). The experimental tasks created by Das and Naglieri to measure these processes as well as Luria’s perspective on them are provided in depth. A study of the WISC-R and K-ABC from the PASS model was presented by Naglieri & Das, 2005). The current experimental tasks employed in the Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System are described, as well as factor analytic, criteria-related, and discriminant validation of the PASS model. Finally, responses are given to some of the reviewers’ criticisms from the conference.

Choosing the appropriate course of action in the face of a challenge or unknowable circumstances requires planning. The ability to selectively ignore some stimuli while attending to others is known as attention arousal, which is the brain’s first functional unit. Simultaneous processing calls for the capacity to incorporate various stimuli and data into our knowledge base as a whole. The capacity to logically arrange incoming inputs and data is necessary for successful processing.

Recommendations

Over the years there have been various studies offering recommendations that would be able to improve college readiness for students. Conley (2007) offered a framework that would help in improving college readiness and thus helping in resolving the low rates of college readiness. In one of the recommendations, Conley (2007) points out the importance of high school students in understanding the differences between college and high school. Along with the expectations for participation, autonomous work, motivation, and intellectual development, the student-teacher relationship undergoes a significant adjustment. All of this takes place at a time when numerous young people are for the first time experiencing major independence from their families and from the role of a child. It makes sense that the transition from high school to college is one of the most challenging times for many people in their lifetime.

Theoretical Framework

J.P. Das et al. (2021) created the PASS (Planning, Attention-arousal, and Simultaneous-success) Theory of Intelligence. Choosing the appropriate course of action in the face of a challenge or unknowable circumstances requires planning. The ability to selectively ignore some stimuli while attending to others is known as attention arousal, which is the brain’s first functional unit. Simultaneous processing calls for the capacity to incorporate various stimuli and data into our knowledge base as a whole. The capacity to logically arrange incoming inputs and data is necessary for successful processing (Asari et al. 2020).

The idea is based on four basic processing systems: planning, attention-arousal, simultaneous, and successive (PASS). A frontal lobe function is planning. It is one of the key skills that sets humans apart from other primates and is more precisely connected to the prefrontal brain. The prefrontal cortex is essential for setting goals and objectives as well as for creating the action plans needed to achieve them. It chooses the cognitive abilities necessary to carry out the plans, coordinates these abilities, and applies them correctly. The prefrontal cortex is also in charge of determining if our activities were successful or unsuccessful in relation to our aims.

The first functional unit of the brain is in charge of the process of attention-arousal, which is crucial to all behavior and involves the ability to selectively attend to inputs while ignoring other distractions. Arousal is the process of keeping people awake and alert. It is believed that the brainstem and thalamus are involved in arousal processes. These challenges are experienced by those with attention deficit disorder (ADD). When we are appropriately aroused, the most crucial element of a circumstance is brought to our attention.

Simultaneous processing is the process through which our brains combine many stimuli and pieces of information to build a coherent whole known as our knowledge system. The occipital and parietal lobes are thought to be extremely dependent on these mechanisms. For instance, in the Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPM) Test, a layout is given without one of its components. One of the six options that completes the design must be chosen. We can better understand the relationship between the offered abstract things thanks to simultaneous processing. Together, the parietal and occipital lobes process information simultaneously.

Successive processing is the ability to blend inputs and information into a sequential order. Sequential processing is used in the learning of numbers, alphabetic characters, multiplication and division, and more. The temporal lobe is known to be involved in this type of processing. Planning is the ability to make decisions on how to handle problems and complete tasks. It comprises determining goals, coming up with plans to reach them, and foreseeing the effects of those plans. Planning is linked to the frontal lobes of the brain.

Summary

This applied study sought to offer suggestions for addressing the issue of West Virginia’s James Monroe High School’s low college preparation gaps. The issue of college readiness at James Monroe High School in West Virginia is similar to what most schools are facing as at the school 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate. This chapter presented the Narrative Review and the Theoretical Framework.

Overview

This applied study sought to offer suggestions for addressing the issue of West Virginia’s James Monroe High School’s low college preparation gaps. The issue of college readiness at James Monroe High School in West Virginia is similar to what most schools are facing as at the school 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate. This chapter of the study includes interview procedures, quantitative survey procedures, and focus group procedures.

Interview Procedures

Semi-structured interviews were the first method of data collection in this study. Prior to presenting the interviews to the participants, they were initially drafted. When acquiring data that can answer research questions or provide additional insights on a certain topic, interviews are useful. All of the interview questions were created using a variety of college preparedness reading sources. Seven instructors from James Monroe High School in West Virginia took part in the interview. The participants were chosen via convenience sampling. The seven teachers comprised of the school principal, two teachers from the examination department, and four teachers who taught students from 9th to 12th grade. The choice of the school principal was based on the fact that the principal is the decision-maker in the school. Their participation was required in resolving the problem. The teachers from the examination department would be effective when implementing strategies to help in correcting the problem.

Face-to-face interviews were performed in one of the school’s brand-new classrooms. When they felt ready for the interview, the participants had to let the interviewer know. Each participant had a fifteen to twenty-five-minute interview session. Prior to transcription and coding, each session with participants was recorded in order to discover recurring themes regarding college readiness at the school. The researcher examined participant replies and discovered themes that cut across them using coding. To show how they were discovered, the codes and themes table was used.

Interview Questions

1. What criteria or indicators are utilized to assess a student’s readiness for college?

The purpose of the inquiry was to ascertain whether the participants were aware of the elements that affected JMHS students’ preparation for college. Leeds & Mokher (2019) assert that utilizing placement tests to place students in developmental courses frequently leads to misplacement.

2. How are measures of college preparedness included in the high school curriculum?

The purpose of the inquiry was to enable the researcher to ascertain whether or not the school’s curriculum was created to assist students in preparing for higher education. The impact of Programs of Study (POS) on preparing students for college and careers was examined by Castellano et al. in 2016. They discovered that enrolling in POS increased learners’ graduation rates and resulted in good retention using a structural data analysis method.

3. What are the potential reasons why students from underserved and low-income neighborhoods are less prepared for college?

Understanding learner or institution-specific variables that contribute to high school pupils’ inadequate college readiness was the question’s main goal. They stated that depending on test scores and other indicators can result in students being underprepared and misdirected (Leeds & Mokher, 2019).

4. What current problem in your school or educational setting would you like solved?

The question was intended to help determine whether the teachers at the school recognized low college readiness rates as a problem. The information could help to delve deeper into what the school was doing to mitigate the challenge after it was identified (Leeds & Mokher, 2019).

5. What is the best way to solve this problem?

The question was asked to the participants to understand further how much they knew about each intervention. Morin (2021) mentions collaboration between teachers and parents and allowing parents to visit JMHS as some solutions that can help improve students’ performance.

6. What role will data play in solving the problem?

Data are important in education. The academic achievement of JMHS students can be compared to national and state averages. Additionally, typical patterns in pupils’ performance can be found by comparing them throughout the year. The question sought to determine if the institution used data to enhance instruction (Leeds & Mokher, 2019).

7. What is your knowledge of test results and assessment results in relation to college readiness?

School assessments can be used by teachers and government representatives to implement educational improvements (Tillema et al., 2011). Additionally, these tests are utilized to evaluate the proficiency of JMHS students in various topics and to simplify education to strengthen their areas of weakness.

8. What outside assistance is required by the school to address this issue?

If the local, state, and federal governments had also contributed to the school’s low college preparation, the researcher would be better able to comprehend that (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). The school might use outside assistance to expand the learning resources it offers pupils and to provide financial aid to those who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

Second Data Collection Method Procedures

The second data collection method was the use of a quantitative survey. There were sixteen participants in the survey: eleven teachers, three current students, and two alumni. Data was gathered by phone while each participant completed the survey at their convenience. Before the researcher performed the first survey, participants were informed seven days in advance, and participation was optional. The sixteen participants were chosen through deliberate sampling, and descriptive statistics were used to examine the data that had been gathered. The poll asked both demographic and non-demographic questions. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data obtained, identifying recurrent themes in the responses. The analysis of multiple-choice questions used averages and frequencies.

Survey questions

Part A: Demographic Questions

Instructions: Choose one response only for each question with multiple choices

1. What is your annual household income?

A. Less than $20,000
B. $20,000 – $50,000
C. $50,000 – $80,000
D. $80,000 and above

E. Prefer not to say

The question would help in finding the correlation between socioeconomic factors and income.

2. Which languages are you capable of speaking fluently?

A. English

B. Spanish

C. Other

D. Prefer not to say

The inquiry would enable the researcher to ascertain whether James Monroe High School had any students who spoke other languages. It would also aid in exploring how student/teacher language impacts preparedness for college.

3. What is your race or ethnicity?

A. White

B. Black

C. Hispanic

D. Asian

E. Other

F. Prefer not to say

The inquiry would enable the researcher to assess the relationship between students’ race or ethnicity and college readiness.

4.
Do you believe there are differences between students from underserved and low-income families and those from wealthy backgrounds?

A. Yes

B. No

C. I don’t know

The inquiry was meant to aid the researcher in learning more about how the school views its students (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). The researcher could provide suggestions to enhance performance at JMHS by comprehending how various kids are handled.

5.
Do you agree with the ratio of black students to white at James Monroe School?

3	2	1
Agree	Neutral	Do not agree

The issue of diversity has been previously mentioned as one of the causes of the low rates of college readiness at the school. The question would aid the researcher in learning more about any gaps in the enrollment of students.

6.
Does the school administration regularly organizes meetings with parents?

A. Yes

B. No

C. I don’t know

The purpose of the inquiry was to assist the researcher in ascertaining whether parent-teacher collaboration took place frequently at James Monroe High School. This would aid in determining whether there was a problem with collaboration at the institution. The answer to this query will aid the researcher in formulating appropriate recommendations for initiatives to close the college readiness gaps at the school between students from low-income and underprivileged households and those from wealthy homes. In schools that work with parents, there should be a high rate of college attendance. Low performance was also anticipated when parents showed less interest in their children’s education. If the majority of respondents firmly concur that the school administration regularly held meetings with parents, the issue was not related to parental involvement in their children’s educational process.

7. Do teachers use data in designing teaching plans?

A. Yes

B. No

C. I don’t know

The goal of the inquiry was to determine the data analytics function at James Monroe High School. The data would also be compared to information from the interviews. Data is crucial to the process of teaching and learning. The utilization of data improves a thorough assessment of past and present educational initiatives. When compared to children from wealthy homes, JMHS performance statistics showed that students from underserved and low-income communities were least prepared for college (Garner, 2019). The researcher would come to the conclusion that the performance disparity was not caused by inadequate data use if the majority of respondents agreed with the assertion. However, if a large number of participants disagreed with the assertion, the researcher would draw the conclusion that the issue in the school might in part be caused by a lack of data utilization.

8.
Do all the students have equal access to learning resources?

A. Yes

B. No

C. I don’t know

Any student’s success depends on their access to learning resources, which has an impact on their preparedness for college. Resources for learning materials can include books, libraries, classrooms, and teachers. When students have equal access to learning resources, there is relatively little performance inequality, but there is significant performance inequality when students have unequal access to learning resources. The goal of the question is to help the researcher determine whether racial gaps in college preparation are the only explanation. If a large percentage of those surveyed agreed with the claim, discrimination was not present in the school and the success inequalities were caused by other factors. However, the researcher would come to the conclusion that JMHS discriminated against students if a large number of respondents disagreed (Morin, 2021).

9.
The teachers play their role in helping the students set their goals (pick one).

5	4	3	2	1
Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree

The process of defining goals for kids is greatly aided by teachers. Focusing on what to do is the primary goal of goal-setting. Since educators can provide crucial assistance, the question would enable the researcher to determine whether educators were active in their students’ goal-setting processes. Most students will probably figure out what they need to do to achieve if instructors assist them in setting their goals (Elias, 2019). The answers to the question let the researcher determine whether poor goal-setting abilities are also a factor in low college preparation among low-income and neglected groups.

Third Data Collection Method Procedures

Focus groups were the researcher’s third strategy for gathering information from the institution. The focus group’s participants were chosen at random. A focus group about JMHS students’ readiness for college was arranged by the researcher. The focus group session, which was held in the school’s dining hall after classes, only accepted eight participants. Three of the eight participants were currently employed as teachers at JMHS, while one had previously worked there. Two participants were JMHS alumni, while the other two were neighbors who also happened to be JMHS parents. Following the steps mentioned below, the researcher examined data obtained using the thematic data analysis approach. The steps included Step 1: familiarization. Step 2: coding. Step 3: generating themes. Step 4: Review themes. Step 5: Defining naming themes. Step 6: Write up the themes.

Summary

This applied study sought to offer suggestions for addressing the issue of West Virginia’s James Monroe High School’s low college preparation gaps. The issue of college readiness at James Monroe High School in West Virginia is similar to what most schools are facing as at the school 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate. This chapter of the study includes interview procedures, quantitative survey procedures, and focus group procedures.

James Monroe High School

142 James Monroe Dr, Lindside,

WV 24951,

Phone: 304-753-5182

April 22, 2023

Michael Whitener

9531 Farrow Rd, Columbia

SC 29203

Dear Mr. Whitener,

We have reviewed your request to conduct a research project involving James Monroe High School and a quantitative survey for our college readiness rates. Your study aims to provide recommendations for solving low college readiness rates among our low-income and underserved students. I believe that this project will be beneficial to James Monroe High School. You have permission to distribute a survey to our students, staff, and senior management employees and use internal data for help in your project analysis.

The following stipulations should be observed:

· The research project should not interfere with regular school activities.

· The study results should be shared with the school administration and the HR department.

· Any data collected should not reveal the identities of individual students, teachers, or staff members.

· The research project should be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

· The research project should be conducted with the utmost respect for the privacy and safety of all involved.

· The methodology and results of the research project should be documented and accessible to all parties.

· The research project should be conducted ethically and in accordance with the school’s Code of Conduct.

If you have any questions regarding this letter of approval, please do not hesitate to contact me at 304-753-5182.

Thank you for considering James Monroe High School for your research project. We wish you all the best in your research endeavors.

Sincerely,

.

Principal, James Monroe High School