Bridging the Great Divide between Secondary Schools and Postsecondary Education

What forms should K-16 collaboration take in order to improve college-going and completing rates? Though they are still in the initial stages of data analysis, Mr. Kirst and Ms. Venezia share with readers some emerging themes. EDUCATION reform is sweeping the nation. The development of K-12 standards and accountability mechanisms; the assessment of K-12 schools, teachers, and students; and shifting college admissions policies are just a few of the many areas of reform activity. Although there are a number of K-16 projects in many states, little effort has been made to coordinate reform systemically across educational levels in order to improve academic opportunities and the chances of success throughout students ’ entire educational lives. Historically, educational change has been isolated within either the K-12 or the higher education sector. Standards for defining college-level coursework and remedial courses, for example, are traditionally determined solely by higher education institutions, while K-12 entities define the curricula for non-Advanced Placement “college prep ” courses in high schools. The lack of coordination between the public