College and Career Readiness Among California High School
Students
Defining College Readiness
Kurlaender, M., Reed, S., & Hurtt, A. (2019, August).
Improving college readiness: Leveraging research to inform
practice [Policy Brief]. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Kurlaender, M., Reed, S., Hurtt, A. (2019, August).
Improving college readiness: A research summary and implications
for practice [Report]. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Kurlaender, M., Hurtt, A., & Reed, S. (2019, April).
K-12 content standards, assessment and accountability in
California: A short primer for higher education [Research
Brief]. Policy Analysis for California Education.
Reed, S., Kurlaender, M., & Carrell, S. (2019, November).
Strengthening the road to college: California’s college readiness
standards and lessons from district leaders [Report]. Policy
Analysis for California Education.
Kurlaender, M., Reed, S., Cohen, K., & Ballis, B. (2018,
September).
College readiness in the era of Common Core [Technical
Report]. Getting Down to Facts II. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Dual Enrollment
Friedmann, E., Reed, S., Kurlaender, M. & Dykeman, K. (2024,
February).
A strong start for college and career: Dual enrollment
participation from 9th to 12th grade [Infographic]. Policy
Analysis for California Education.
Kurlaender, M., Reed, S., Grosz, M., Mathias, J., & Hughes, K.
(2021).
A foot in the door growth in participation and equity in dual
enrollment in California.Wheelhouse: The Center for
Community College Leadership and Research, Davis. California.
A rising tide: Appendix of county-level stats. (2021,
September). California Education Lab, Wheelhouse: The Center for
Community College Leadership and Research, and Policy Analysis
for California Education.
A Rising Tide, a data update on California dual enrollment.
(2020, December). Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College
Leadership and Research.
Friedmann, E., Kurlaender, M., Li, A., & Rumberger, R. (2020,
January).
A leg up on college: The scale and distribution of community
college participation among California high school students.
Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and
Research, 5(1), 1-7.
A-G Course Requirements
Reed, S., Hurtt, A., Kurlander, M., Luu, J., & Merritt, C. (2023,
July).
Inequality in academic preparation for college [Report].
Policy Analysis for California Education.
Reed, S., Hurtt, A., Kurlander, M., Luu, J., & Merritt, C. (2023,
July).
Inequality in academic preparation for college: Appendix of
county and district stats. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Hurtt A., Reed, S., Lee, P., & Kurlaender, M. (2023, July).
Addressing inequities in college preparatory course-taking
[Policy Brief]. Policy Analysis for California Education.
Hurtt, A. (2018, April). Academic rigor and English
course-taking: A descriptive analysis of differential enrollment
patterns. Paper presented at the American Educational
Research Association, New York, NY.
Reed, S., Kurlaender, M., & Hurtt, A. (2016, September 7).
Are A-G
requirements an indicator of college readiness? Memo
submitted to California Department of Education.
High School Math Course-taking
Reed, S., Merritt, C., & Kurlaender, M. (2023, February).
12th-grade
math: An updated look at high school math course-taking in
California [Infographic]. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Reed, S., Bracco, K. R., Kurlaender, M., & Merritt, C. (2023,
February).
Innovating high school math courses through K-12 and higher
education partnerships [Report]. Policy Analysis for
California Education.
Reed, S., Bracco, K. R., Kurlaender, M., & Merritt, C. (2023,
February).
Advanced innovative math course: Introduction to data science
[Case Study]. Policy Analysis for California Education.
Reed, S., Bracco, K. R., Kurlaender, M., & Merritt, C. (2023,
February).
Advanced innovative math course: Discrete math for pre-college
students [Case Study]. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Reed, S., Bracco, K. R., Kurlaender, M., & Merritt, C. (2023,
February).
Advanced innovative math course: Mathematical reasoning with
connections [Case Study]. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Reed, S., Bracco, K. R., Kurlaender, M., & Merritt, C. (2023,
February).
Advanced innovative math course: Quantitative reasoning
courses [Case Study]. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Reed, S., Bracco, K. R., Kurlaender, M., & Merritt, C. (2023,
February).
Advanced innovative math course: Transition to college level
mathematics [Case Study]. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Reed, S., Bracco, K. R., Kurlaender, M., & Merritt, C. (2023,
February).
Advanced innovative math course: Transition to college level
mathematics and statistics [Case Study]. Policy Analysis for
California Education.
Blazar, D., Heller, B., Kane, T. J., Polikoff, M., Staiger, D.
O., Carrell, S., … & Kurlaender, M. (2020). Curriculum reform in the
Common Core era: Evaluating elementary math textbooks across six
US states. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 39(4),
966-1019.
Asim, M., Kurlaender, M., & Reed, S. (2019, August).
12th grade course-taking and the distribution of opportunity for
college readiness in mathematics [Report]. Policy Analysis
for California Education, Stanford University, Palo Alto,
California.
The Role of Assessment
Kurlaender, M., & Cohen, K., (2019, March).
Predicting college success: How do different high school
assessments measure up? [Research Brief]. Policy Analysis for
California Education.
Kurlaender, M., Kramer, K. A., & Jackson, E. (2018, March).
Predicting college success: How do different high school
assessments measure up? [Research Brief]. Policy Analysis for
California Education.
Kurlaender, M. (2014). Assessing the promise
of California’s Early Assessment Program for community
colleges. Annals of the American Academy of Political and
Social Science, 655, 36-55.
Kurlaender, M., Martorell, P., & Reed, S. (2016, June 27).
High school exit
exams: A review of the literature, current state reforms, and
analysis of California assessment data (CAHSEE & SBAC).
Report submitted to the California Department of Education.
College-going Patterns
Kurlaender, M., Reber, S., Smith, E., & Ugo, I. (forthcoming).
Understanding gender gaps in college enrollment (Working Paper).
California Education Lab, Davis, California.
Asim, M., Ballis, B., Carrell, S., Kurlaender, M., & Martorell,
P. (2022). How do students respond to signals of college
readiness? Evidence from California’s Early Assessment Program
(Working Paper). California Education Lab, Davis, California.
Kurlaender, M., Lusher, L., & Case, M. (2020). Is early start a better
start? Evaluating California State University’s early start
remediation policy. Journal of Policy Analysis and
Management, 39(2), 348-375.
Kurlaender, M., Reed, S., Cohen, K., Naven, M., Martorell, P., &
Carrell, S. (2018, December).
Where California high school students attend college. Policy
Analysis for California Education.
Jackson, J. & Kurlaender, M. (2014). College readiness and
college completion at broad access four-year institutions.
American Behavioral Scientist, 58(8), 947-971.
Media
Kurlaender, M. (2018, September 11).
High expectations demand high support: Strengthening college
readiness at the California state universities.
EducationNext.
Community College Policy and Practice
Student Course-Taking, Pathways, and Success
Hart, C., Baker, R., Hill, M., Alonso, E., & Xu, D. (2024).
Online
Student Performance under Synchronous and Asynchronous
Instruction in California Community Colleges. (Working
Paper). California Education Lab, Davis, California.
Kurlaender, M., Cooper, S., Bush, E., & Rodriguez, F.
(Forthcoming). From the Disruption of the Pandemic, A Path
Forward for Community Colleges. Change: The Magazine of Higher
Learning.
Martinez, M. (Forthcoming). Portraits of Resilience: Community
College Students Navigating Challenges Amid the Pandemic [ARCC
Network Brief]. New York, NY: Community College Research Center
at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Linden, R. (May 2024).
Early Alerts: How Two California Colleges Are Using Relief Funds
to Keep Students Enrolled. ARCC Network Blog.
Hurtt, A.
Wheelhouse Research Collaboration Council: Shaping our
Understanding of Pandemic Recovery. (April 2024). ARCC
Network Blog.
Kurlaender, M. & Reed, S. (April 2024).
Focusing on Wins: California Community College Leaders Reflect on
Pandemic-Era Innovations. ARCC Network Blog.
Baker, R., Friedmann, E. & Kurlaender, M. (2023). Improving the community
college transfer pathway to the baccalaureate: The effect of
California’s Associate Degree for Transfer. Journal of Policy
Analysis and Management, 42(2), 488-524.
Li, A. (2023).
Working as designed: A causal analysis of AB 705 shows increased
rates of transfer-level course taking and passage [Policy
Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership
and Research, Davis, California.
Li, A. (2023). Remedial
education reform in California and community college student
outcomes [Working Paper]. California Education Lab, Davis,
California.
Linden, R., Kurlaender, M., Martorell, F., &
Carrell, S. (2022).
Pandemic-period enrollment and persistence in California
Community Colleges [Infographic Report]. Wheelhouse: The
Center for Community College Leadership and Research, Davis,
California.
Carrell, S., & Kurlaender, M. (2019). Estimating the productivity
of community colleges in paving the road to four-year college
success. In Hoxby, C. & Stange, K. (Eds.), Productivity in Higher
Education (pp. 291-315). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Hart, C. M. D., Friedmann, E., & Hill, M. (2018). Online course-taking and
student outcomes in California Community Colleges. Education
Finance and Policy, 13(1), 42-71.
Friedmann, E., Kurlaender, M., & VanOmmeren, A. (2016). Addressing college readiness
gaps at the college door. New Directions for Community
Colleges, 176, 45-52.
Kurlaender, M., Carrell, S., & Jackson, J. (2016). The promises and
pitfalls of measuring community college quality. The Russell
Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 2(1),
174-190.
Baker, R., Friedmann, E., & Kurlaender, M. (2018, March).
Associate degrees for transfer: A snapshot of progress across
California community colleges. [Research Brief].
Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and
Research, Davis, California.
Kurlaender, M., Carrell, S., & Jackson, J. (2018, March).
College quality: The promises and pitfalls of
measurement. [Research Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center
for Community College Leadership and Research, Davis, California.
Baker, R., Friedmann, E., & Kurlaender, M. (2020).
Improving the pathway to the BA: An examination of the Associate
Degree for Transfer. [Research Report]. Wheelhouse: The
Center for Community College Leadership and Research, Davis,
California.
Baker, R., Friedmann, E., & Kurlaender, M. (2020). ADTs at
year 10 [Infographic Report]. Wheelhouse: The Center for
Community College Leadership and Research, Davis, California.
Baker, R., Friedmann, E., & Kurlaender, M. (2018).
Associate Degrees for Transfer: A snapshot of progress across CA
Community Colleges. [Research Brief]. Wheelhouse: The
Center for Community College Leadership and Research, Davis,
California.
Kurlaender, M., Carrell, S., & Jackson, J., (2018)
College quality: The promises and pitfalls of measurement.
[Research Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College
Leadership and Research, Davis, California.
Grosz, M. (2017). The
returns to a large community college program: Evidence from
admissions lotteries [Working Paper]. California Education
Lab, Davis, California.
Reed, S., Friedmann, E., Kurlaender, M., Martorell, F., Rury, D.,
Fuller, R., Moldoff, J., & Perry, P. (2022).
Disparate impacts of COVID-19 disruptions for California college
students. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 51(1), Article 7.
Special Populations
Nunez Martinez, M., Cuellar, M., Reed, S., &
Esposito-Noy, C. (2023, June).
Enlace comunitario: Identifying opportunities to enhance
community college outreach and recruitment of Latinx/a/o
students [Research Report]. Wheelhouse: The Center for
Community College Leadership and Research, Davis, California.
Reed, S., Grosz, M., Kurlaender, M., & Cooper, S. (2021, March).
A portrait of student parents in the California Community
Colleges [Research Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center for
Community College Leadership and Research, Davis, California.
Britton, T., Friedmann, E., & Adan, S. (2021).
Higher learning inside: An exploration of the demographic make-up
of incarcerated persons taking postsecondary courses in
California [Research Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center for
Community College Leadership and Research, Davis, California.
Financial Aid
Rodriquez, O., Payares-Montoya, D., & Cook, K. (2024, May).
How did pandemic recovery funding support California community
colleges? San Francisco, CA: Public Policy Institute of
California. [Submitted to ERIC, pending approval.]
Cooper, S. (April 2024).
Zero Textbook Cost: In California, a Community College President
Leveraged Short-Term Funds for Long-Term Impact. ARCC Network
Blog.
Escobar, C., Friedmann, E., & Tovar, S. (2023). More than just money? Early
outcomes of Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) College
Promise Program. New Directions for Community Colleges, Fall
2023, 49-61.
Linden, R. (2022).
Funding incentives for CCCs: Impacts of the SCFF on financial aid
receipt [Research Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center for
Community College Leadership and Research, Davis, California.
Linden, R. (2022).
Understanding the Student-Centered Funding Formula [Research
Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership
and Research, Davis, California.
Kurlaender, M., Martorell, F., & Friedmann, E., (2021). Financial aid for California
Community College students [Research Brief]. Wheelhouse: The
Center for Community College Leadership and Research, Davis,
California.
Friedmann, E. & Martorell, P. (2019).
Why do some students fail to receive Pell Grants? [Research
Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership
and Research, Davis, California.
Rios-Aguilar, C., Kurlaender, M., Lyke, A., Martinez, T. (2019,
June).
College affordability in every corner of California: Perspectives
from the 2019 PACE/USC Rossier poll [Policy Brief]. Policy
Analysis for California Education.
Friedmann, E. & Martorell, P. (2018, April).
Money left on the table [Research Report]. Wheelhouse Center
for Community College Leadership and Research, 3(3),
1-7.
Career Technical Education
Boochever, A., Reed, S., & Kurlaender, M. (2023, November).
Career Technical Education among California high school
graduates [Infographic]. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Reed, S., Dougherty, S., Kurlaender, M., & Mathias, J. (2018,
September).
A portrait of career technical education pathway completers
[Report]. Getting Down to Facts II. Policy Analysis for
California Education.
Grosz, M., Kurlaender, M., & Stevens, A. (2018, September).
Capacity and
flexibility in CTE programs: Program offerings and student
success (Working Paper). California Education Lab, Davis,
California.
Grosz, M. (2018, August). Do postsecondary training
programs respond to changes in the labor market? (Working
Paper). California Education Lab, Davis, California.
Student Financial Aid
Linden, R. (2022).
Funding incentives for CCCs: Impacts of the SCFF on financial aid
receipt [Research Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center for
Community College Leadership and Research, Davis, California.
Kurlaender, M., Martorell, F., & Friedmann, E., (2021). Financial aid for California
Community College students [Research Brief]. Wheelhouse: The
Center for Community College Leadership and Research, Davis,
California.
Friedmann, E. & Martorell, P. (2019).
Why do some students fail to receive Pell Grants? [Research
Brief]. Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership
and Research, Davis, California.
Rios-Aguilar, C., Kurlaender, M., Lyke, A., Martinez, T. (2019,
June).
College affordability in every corner of California: Perspectives
from the 2019 PACE/USC Rossier poll [Policy Brief]. Policy
Analysis for California Education.
Friedmann, E. & Martorell, P. (2018, April).
Money left on the table [Research Report]. Wheelhouse Center
for Community College Leadership and Research, 3(3), 1-7.
California’s Public School Students & Schools
Public Schools and the Students They Serve
Luu, J., Wyels, K., Hurtt, A., Reed, S., & Kurlaender, M. (2023,
June).
Exploring alternative schooling in California. Presentation
prepared for the Stuart Foundation. California Education Lab,
Davis, California.
Reed, S., Luu, J., Hurtt, A., Olaffsen-Goldberg, E., &
Kurlaender, M. (2022, August).
A portrait of California’s adolescents and the schools that serve
them. Presentation prepared for the Stuart Foundation.
California Education Lab, Davis, California.
Reed, S. (2021, March). Beyond the white
picket fence: A picture of suburban schools in
California. California Education Lab, Davis, California.
Student Perspectives
Hurtt, A., Kurlaender, M., Sun, C., & Zhou, B. (2024, March).
The
transition to college: Voices from the class of 2023 [Policy
Brief]. Policy Analysis for California Education.
Reed, S., Friedmann, E., Kurlaender, M., Martorell, F., Rury, D.,
Moldoff, J., Fuller, R., & Perry, P. (2021, June).
California college students’ experiences during the
global pandemic [Report]. California Student Aid
Commission, Sacramento, California.
Reed, S., Kurlaender, M., Martorell, P., Rury, D., Hernandez
Negrete A., Perry, P., Moldoff, J., & Fuller, R. (2020,
December).
College uncertainties: California high school seniors in spring
2020 [Report]. California Student Aid Commission, Sacramento,
California.
California Student Aid Commission (2020, July). COVID-19 student survey
[Report]. California Student Aid Commission, Sacramento,
California.
Pandemic Response
Hurtt, A., Reed, S., Dykeman, K., & Luu, J. (2023). Ensuring educational
continuity in the midst of crisis: Policy and planning during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Educational Policy. Advance online
publication.
Hurtt, A., Reed, S., Dykeman, K., & Luu, J. (2022, June).
From
policy to plans: Supporting students during COVID-19 [Policy
Brief]. Policy Analysis for California Education.
Reed, S., Hurtt, A., Hibel, J., & Garrett, D. (2022, June).
Serving English learners during the COVID-19 pandemic
[Report]. Policy Analysis for California Education.
Hurtt, A., Cohen, K. & Reed, S. (2021, March).
Early pandemic responses in California: Identifying the
structural and instructional changes in K-12 [Report]. Policy
Analysis for California Education.
Charter Schools
Boochever, A. & Rose, H. (2023).
Student-teacher ethnoracial matching at charter and traditional
public schools. Journal of School Choice, 17(3), 324-351.
Reed, S. & Rose, H. (2020). Serving the
underserved? Student characteristics and staffing patterns in
California charter schools. Journal of School Choice, 14(2),
190-227.
Reed, S., & Rose, H. (2018). Lessons in
charter school accountability: Evidence from California.
Journal of School Choice, 12(3), 355-381.
Reed, S., & Rose, H. (2015). Charter school
spending and saving in California. Journal of School Choice,
9(3), 407-445.
School Quality
Carrell, S., Kurlaender, M., Martorell, P., & Naven, M. (2021).
The impact of school quality on postsecondary success: Evidence
in the era of common core (Working Paper). California
Education Lab, University of California, Davis.
Naven, M. (2020). Within-school
heterogeneity in quality: Do schools provide equal value added to
all students? (MPRA Paper 100123). Munich Personal RePEc
Archive.
Naven, M. (2019). Human capital
formation during childhood and adolescence: Evidence from school
quality and postsecondary success in California (MPRA Paper
97716). Munich Personal RePEc Archive.
Other Work
Reed, S. (2019, January).
Special education in California schools: The challenges and
solutions from multiple perspectives. [Practice Brief].
Policy Analysis for California Education.
Coburn, C. Friedmann, E., & Stipek, D. (2018, November).
Fostering
pre-K to elementary alignment and continuity in mathematics in
urban school districts: Challenges and possibilities
[Practice Brief]. Policy Analysis for California Education.
Reed, S. (2018, January).
Community collaboration in teacher recruitment and retention
[Continuous Improvement Brief]. Policy Analysis for California
Education.
Harris, K., Hovis, S., Krausen, K., Chida, B., Reed, S., Wilson,
A., & King, J. (2016, October).
In school + on track 2016: Attorney General’s 2016 report on
California’s elementary school truancy and absenteeism
crisis. Special report produced by California Attorney
General’s Office.
Student Success and Persistence in College: The Role of Faculty
Carrell, S. E., & Kurlaender, M. (2023). My professor cares:
Experimental evidence on the role of faculty engagement.
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 15(4), 113-141.
Reed, S. (2018, January).
Community collaboration in teacher recruitment and retention
[Practice Brief]. Policy Analysis for California Education.
Intersegmental Partnerships and Alignment
Reed, S., Rios-Aguilar, C., Smith Arrillaga, E., Vargas, J. &
Kurlaender, M. (2019, June).
Empowering the intersegmental agenda: Opportunities for research,
policy, and practice. [Policy Brief]. Policy Analysis for
California Education.
Reed, S., Lee, P., Kurlaender, M., & Hernandez, A. (2018, July).
Intersegmental partnerships and data sharing: Promising practices
from the field. [Policy Brief]. Policy Analysis for
California Education.
Lee, P., Reed, S., Hernandez, A. & Kurlaender, M. (2018).
Intersegmental data partnership resource guide [Practice
Resource]. Policy Analysis for California Education.
Friedmann, E. (2017, June).
Building intersegmental partnerships [Policy Brief]. Policy
Analysis for California Education.