FAQ

How were the schools selected?

EPIC set out to identify 30 high schools across the nation demonstrating consistent success in preparing students for college. Toward this end, EPIC asked education experts throughout the United States to nominate schools that provide programs and practices designed to prepare students for enrollment and success in higher education. In addition to the nominations, EPIC conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on college readiness to identify other outstanding high schools. The initial list of schools was then refined to identify the schools that appeared to be the most focused on college preparation. This final sample of schools was selected purposively to include schools enrolling students from a wide range of socioeconomic, racial, and cultural backgrounds. In addition, the final sample includes different types of schools, schools with a variety of enrollments, and schools in different regions of the country.

What research does EPIC use to inform the CREST data collection process?

College readiness is a multi-faceted concept comprising numerous variables that include factors both internal and external to the school environment. This study uses an organizational structure that considers college readiness in terms of four concentric levels. These four areas of college readiness knowledge and skills emerge from a review of the literature and are those that can be most directly influenced by schools.

At the center is a range of cognitive and meta-cognitive capabilities, often described as "key cognitive strategies," that have been consistently and emphatically identified by those who teach entry-level college courses as being as important or more important than any specific content knowledge taught in high school. Examples of key habits of mind include analysis, interpretation, precision and accuracy, problem solving, and reasoning.

Close behind in importance is student understanding and mastery of specific types of content knowledge. Several studies have led to college readiness standards that specify key content knowledge associated with college success. The "big ideas" of each content area are very important building blocks for students to master in high school. These have been identified with some degree of consistency across several studies of college readiness (Achieve, The Education Trust, & Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, 2004; ACT, 2005; Conley, 2003; The College Board, 2006)

Similarly important are a series of attitudes and behavioral attributes associated with self- management and self-awareness that students who succeed in college must demonstrate. Among these are study skills, time management, awareness of one's relative and absolute academic performance, persistence, and the ability to utilize study groups. This category of college readiness contains both specific skills and more general attitudes, but all of them require high degrees of self-awareness and intentionality on the part of students as they enter college.

Finally, an increasing number of studies have highlighted the importance of the contextual knowledge that a student must possess to be ready for college. These studies highlight the college experience as having a strong cultural component, one that will be easier for students from some communities and cultural backgrounds to master than others. This cultural information helps students understand how to apply to college in the first place, the differences among colleges and how to select the college that best suits them, how college is different from high school, how to interact with professors and peers in college, and a host of other types of "privileged" knowledge that become critical to student success both as they apply to college and once they arrive there (McDonough, 1997).

In practice, these various components are not mutually exclusive or perfectly nested as portrayed in the model. They interact with one another extensively.

How does EPIC collect data during the school site visits?

At least two EPIC staff members conduct each site visit. Each site visit takes place over two days and consists of the following activities:

• A focus group with 6-8 parents
• A focus group with 6-8 students
• A focus group with 6-8 teachers from core subjects
• Individual or small group interviews with lead teachers in each of the four core content areas of English/ Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
• Individual or small group interviews with the principals and other key administrators
• Individual or small group interviews with college counselors/advisors
• Classroom observations in each of the four core content areas (English/language arts, math, science, social studies)

In addition to these activities, individual schools have offered to schedule other activities such as alumni focus groups or classroom observations in non-core subjects. To the extent that time allows, EPIC staff also participate in these activities.

What are the benefits to participating schools?

Schools participating in CREST will benefit in three ways. At the school level, each school will receive customized, data-driven feedback on the school's college readiness programs and practices. Such data will include recommendations about how the school can further enhance student preparation for college success. Secondly, schools participating in CREST will receive public recognition for their efforts to date in improving student college readiness. Lastly, through their participation in CREST, schools will have the opportunity to influence the definition and measurement of college readiness nationwide.

What does the list of scheduled schools look like?

There is a wide range of schools participating in the CREST study. Geographically, there are schools from California to Maine and from remote rural areas to the inner city. The participating schools range in size from 216 to 4,760 students. These schools enroll students from a wide range of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Finally, these schools include magnet schools, charter schools, and comprehensive schools. All of the participating schools exhibit success on one or more indicator of college readiness and have evidence of programs and practices designed to improve student readiness for college.