This is a Power Point presentation that I presented to parents, K-12 educators and administrators at the 2014 Wisconsin Education Association of Student Support Programs (WEASSP) Conference.

1. PARTNERING WITH YOUR
CHILD FOR COLLEGE
READINESS
Dr. Erica D. Wyatt

2. INTRODUCTIONS &
BURNING QUESTIONS

3. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
• The State of College Readiness in the U.S.
• Define College Readiness
• College Readiness Statistics
• Importance of Understanding the College Readiness Problem
• Ensuring that your Child is College Ready

4. DEFINING COLLEGE READINESS
• Refers to the content knowledge, skills, and habits that students must possess
to be successful in postsecondary education training that leads to a
sustaining career
• A college ready student can qualify for and succeed in entry-level, credit-
bearing college courses without the need for remedial or developmental
coursework
EPIC: Educational Policy Improvement Center. (2014). Understanding College
and Career Readiness. Retrived from
https://www.epiconline.org/Issues/college-career-readiness/definition.dot

5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQeOBC
QLfMQ

6. WHY ALL THE FUSS OVER COLLEGE
READINESS?
• Demographic shift taking place that is significantly impacting secondary
schools, colleges and their ability to serve students
• The U.S. Census Bureau has projected that the U.S. will have a majority-
minority population by 2043
• Academic achievement gaps continue to persist among minority, low-
income and potential first-generation students
• Schools (both secondary and post-secondary) are facing challenges in how
to close these gaps and prepare all students for college
• If the profile of the typical first-year college student will be minority, low-
income and first-generation, we must do something to address college
readiness for these populations

7. COLLEGE READINESS STATISTICS
• Of the 1.8 million high school grads who took the ACT in 2013, only 26%
reached college readiness benchmarks in all four subjects
• 27% met 2 or 3 of the benchmarks
• 16% met just one of the college readiness benchmarks

8. MUCH WORK TO BE DONE
• Only 2 states (Minnesota & Wisconsin)—more than half of high school grads
meet three or more of the ACT benchmarks
• No state had more than 56% of ACT-tested students meeting those
benchmarks
• In 5 states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina)
fewer than 1/3 of students met three or four benchmarks

9. CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS
• Changes in the diversity of students preparing for college makes college
readiness a challenge
• Over the past 5 years, 126,000 more Hispanic students and 43,000 more
African American students took the ACT
• The number of multiracial students who took the ACT increased 80 percent
• No more than 48% of African American, American Indian and Hispanic ACT-
tested students met the English benchmark
• The gaps between minority and non-minority students continues to be large

10. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
• Each year in the U.S. 60% of first-year college students discover that they are not
ready for post-secondary course work.
• These students must enroll in remedial courses which do not earn college credits.
• The majority of students who begin in remedial courses never complete their post-
secondary degree programs.
• The college readiness gap is costly to students, families, institutions, and taxpayers
The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. (2010). Beyond the
rhetoric: Improving college readiness through coherent state policy. Retrieved from
http://www.highereducation.org/reports/college_readiness/gap.shtml

11. WHEN DOES COLLEGE READINESS
BEGIN?
• ACT Policy Report (2005)—College Readiness Begins In Middle School
• To increase the number of students who are college ready, parents and
students must have information and resources to navigate high school and
college preparation
• Students need challenging and rigorous high school curriculum
• High school courses must be aligned with desired major/program of choice
• Students must be academically, mentally and emotionally prepared to
address the challenges of high school

12. WHAT CAN WE DO???
• In order to increase the number of students who are college ready after high
school, we have to create partnerships between students, parents and
educators, businesses and community organizations
• These partnerships will ensure that students are engaging in all aspects of
college readiness prior to leaving high school
• College readiness is about more than academics; therefore, the solution to
the problem must be holistic in nature

13. ROLE OF PARENTS IN COLLEGE
READINESS
• Encourage and motivate students to take challenging and rigorous courses
• Advocate for students and teach them self-advocacy to ensure they
receive all the assistance and support needed
• Seek out additional programs and resources to obtain information and
resources for college preparation
• Constantly engage with your student to make sure they are on track to not
only graduate but to enter into post-secondary education college ready

14. SOFT SKILLS AND COLLEGE
SUCCESS
• Self Advocacy
• Responsibility
• Self-Management
• Communication
• Team Work and Collaboration
• Critical Thinking and Problem
Solving
• Study Skills
• Comfort with Technology
• Comfort w/ Diversity
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to follow directions
• Have personal goals
• Be engaged
• Academic Motivation
• Self-Efficacy