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Publications – College and Career Readiness

Indiana and Minnesota Students Who Focused on Career and Technical Education in High School: Who Are They, and What Are Their College and Employment Outcomes?

Indiana and Minnesota Students Who Focused on Career and Technical Education in High School: Who Are They, and What Are Their College and Employment Outcomes?

June 2021

Education policymakers in Indiana and Minnesota created career and technical education programs to improve high school students’ postsecondary and employment outcomes. This REL Midwest study examined whether high school graduates in each state who completed a large number of career and technical education courses in a single career-oriented program of study (concentrators) had different college and workforce outcomes from graduates who completed fewer (samplers) or no career and technical education courses (nonparticipants). Related infographics share key findings for each state.

Do College and Career Readiness and Early College Success in Indiana Vary Depending on Whether Students Attend Public, Charter, or Private Voucher High Schools?

Do College and Career Readiness and Early College Success in Indiana Vary Depending on Whether Students Attend Public, Charter, or Private Voucher High Schools?

March 2021

Indiana has a robust portfolio of high school options, including traditional public schools, charter schools, and private voucher schools. This report examines the characteristics of students who attend different types of Indiana high schools and their performance on indicators of college and career readiness and early college success. A related infographic highlights the study’s key findings.

Cover of the report titled: Postsecondary Education and Employment Pathways of Minnesota Public High School Graduates: Investigating Opportunity Gaps

Postsecondary Education and Employment Pathways of Minnesota Public High School Graduates: Investigating Opportunity Gaps

September 2019

This REL Midwest study examined differences in graduates’ postsecondary pathways one year after graduation and their college certificate and degree attainment and employment outcomes six years after graduation. A related video highlights the study’s key findings.

Cover of the report titled: Predicting Early College Success for Indiana's High School Class of 2014

Predicting Early College Success for Indiana’s High School Class of 2014

January 2018

This study examined the relationship between receiving Pell Grants and 21st Century Scholarships and early college success among the 2014 cohort of Indiana public high school graduates entering public Indiana colleges in the fall after graduation. A related infographic [289 KB PDF icon ] highlights the study’s key findings.

Cover of the report titled: Postsecondary education expectations and attainment of rural and nonrural students

Postsecondary education expectations and attainment of rural and nonrural students

March 2017

This study examined rural-nonrural differences in postsecondary educational expectations and the attainment of expectations for grade 10 students attending rural and nonrural high schools in the REL Midwest region and how these differences compare with rural-nonrural differences in the rest of the nation.

Cover of the report titled: Impacts of Ramp-Up to Readiness™ after one year of implementation

Impacts of Ramp-Up to Readiness™ after one year of implementation

March 2017

This study examined whether the Ramp-Up to Readiness program (Ramp-Up) produced impacts on high school students' college enrollment actions and personal college readiness following one year of program implementation. The study also looked at Ramp-Up's impact on more immediate outcomes, such as the emphasis placed on college readiness and the amount of college-related teacher-student interactions taking place in high schools.

Cover of the report titled: Characteristics and postsecondary pathways of students who participate in acceleration programs in Minnesota

Characteristics and postsecondary pathways of students who participate in acceleration programs in Minnesota

February 2017

This study examined participation in the various acceleration programs available to Minnesota high school students, including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate coursework, postsecondary enrollment options, concurrent enrollment, and other/unknown programs.

Cover of the report titled: State strategies to facilitate adult learners’ transitions to postsecondary opportunities

State strategies to facilitate adult learners' transitions to postsecondary opportunities

January 2017

The purpose of this study was to catalog the array of strategies Midwest states use to support adult learners' transitions to postsecondary opportunities.

Cover of the report titled: Ramping Up for College Readiness in Minnesota High Schools: Implementation of a Schoolwide Program

Ramping Up for College Readiness in Minnesota High Schools: Implementation of a Schoolwide Program

June 2016

This study examined whether the Ramp-Up to Readiness program differs from college readiness supports that are typically offered by high schools, whether high schools were able to implement Ramp-Up to Readiness to the developer's satisfaction, and how staff in schools implementing Ramp-Up to Readiness perceive the program.

Cover of the report titled: College Enrollment Patterns for Rural Indiana High School Graduates

College Enrollment Patterns for Rural Indiana High School Graduates

June 2015

This study examined 1) average distances traveled to attend college, (2) presumptive college eligibility, (3) differences between two-year and four-year college enrollment, (4) differences in enrollment related to differences in colleges’ selectivity, and (5) degree of “undermatching” (i.e., enrolling in a college less selective than one’s presumptive eligibility suggested) for rural and nonrural graduates among Indiana’s 2010 high school graduates.

Cover of the report titled: Who Will Succeed and Who Will Struggle? Predicting Early College Success with Indiana’s Student Information System

Who Will Succeed and Who Will Struggle? Predicting Early College Success with Indiana's Student Information System

March 2015

This study examined whether data on Indiana high school students, their high schools, and the Indiana public colleges and universities in which they enroll predict the students' academic success during their first two years in college.

Cover of the report titled: New Data Needed: Improving Survey Research on Two-Year College Experiences

New Data Needed: Improving Survey Research on Two-Year College Experiences

August 2007

Research can improve understanding of two-year colleges, but new detailed indicators are needed to capture the complexities of this changing sector.