Overview

Washington State’s 2004 Master Plan for Higher Education, Section 8, Helping Students Make the Transition to College, calls for a collaborative effort to define college readiness in the subject areas of math, science, English, social studies, world languages, and the arts.

In 2005, the governor and state legislature earmarked funding for the Higher Education Coordinating Board to define college readiness in English and science.

Thus, the 2005-06 phase of the Board’s College Readiness Project targets English and science. The project is undertaken in collaboration with the Center for Learning Connections at Highline Community College, and the Educational Policy Improvement Center, located in Eugene, Oregon.

Content development and expert review teams, made up of faculty and staff from the three major educational sectors—K-12, community colleges, and baccalaureate institutions—havel collaborated to developing and refine the college readiness definitions.

Additionally, a Project Coordination Team, representing educational stakeholders in
K-12, community colleges and baccalaureate institutions, has helped to oversee the project.

In defining college readiness in the subject areas above, the Board seeks to:

• Define what students must know and be able to do to succeed, without remediation, in two- and four-year colleges, universities and technical schools.
• Align requirements for college success with the learning outcomes emphasized in K-12 reform.
• Adopt college readiness definitions to be used by K-12, higher education institutions, and employers to improve student transitions to colleges, universities and/or the workplace.

In addition, it is anticipated college readiness definitions readily could be applied to students whose postsecondary path is college or the workplace. As noted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (July 2005, Perspectives), “It is now widely acknowledged that advanced skills and preparation, regardless of a student’s post-high school path, are essential for success in the emerging economy.”

College Readiness Project Contacts:

Ricardo Sanchez, Project Manager Higher Education Coordinating Board 917 Lakeridge Way SW Olympia, WA 98504 360-753-7833 ricardos@hecb.wa.gov

Julie Jacob, Project Coordinator Center for Learning Connections Highline Community College PO Box 98000 MS 99-285 Des Moines, WA 98198-9800 206-870-3784 jjacob@highline.edu

 

Transition Mathematics Project
In addition to the initiative to define college readiness in English and science, the Board has been a partner in the Transition Mathematics Project, an effort to develop college readiness standards in mathematics. Proposed standards will be available for public discussion in early 2006.

For additional information, go to: www.transitionmathproject.org.

< Back to main page