What does it really mean to be college and work ready?

There is a strong consensus that students ought to leave high school ready for both college and careers. If a student cannot successfully complete a community college two-year certificate or degree program leading directly to a job, that student will have a very hard time supporting a family above the poverty line. So it is reasonable to say that if a student leaves high school unable to succeed in the initial credit bearing courses in their local community college, that student is ready neither for work nor college. This research study addressed a simple question: what kind and level of literacy in mathematics and English is required of a high school graduate if that student is going to have a good chance of succeeding in the first year of a typical community college program?

On 7 May 2013 during a day-long meeting, key education and policy leaders joined the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) to discuss the results of the study and its implications for community college reform, school reform, teacher education, the common core state standards, and vocational education and the workplace.

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