What does it mean to be “college and career ready”?
It means you’re ready for the world: College- and career-ready high school graduates have the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to succeed in life, whether attending college or starting a job. This readiness is based on a larger, community-focused approach that offers students the academic preparation, skills training, life planning, and social support and resources, beginning as children and continuing through adulthood.
Why have 21st century skills become such a focus for educators, parents, employers and policy makers? The world has changed, and the educational experience hasn’t kept pace with the demands in a competitive, knowledge-based, technology-driven society.
Here are some core questions to keep in mind as you explore 21st century college and career readiness.
What is college and career readiness?
Is there a difference between college-ready and career-ready?
What are the main components that make up college and career readiness?
How do we measure achievement toward the framework?
Are there issues with how we benchmark success?
Who is responsible for ensuring our students are college and career ready?
College and career ready in the 21st century
Traditional definitions of college and career readiness allude to the skills employers expect from their workforce. These skills include academic and behavioral knowledge, also known as cognitive and non-cognitive abilities:
Cognitive: academic proficiency in reading, writing, math, science, etc.
Non-cognitive: values, beliefs, attitudes, social and cultural awareness
Definitions of 21st century college and career readiness, however, expand beyond the traditional cognitive and non-cognitive skill set. Because of the unprecedented growth and use of technology in everyday business functions, the 21st century workforce must develop “digital literacy” and be willing to engage in lifelong learning outside the classroom. The resulting interconnectedness of organizations worldwide also places greater emphasis on cultivating the skills needed to compete in a growing global economy.
In essence, our modern-day college- and career-readiness definition augments the traditional components of cognitive and emotional intelligences with the digital and technological demands of a connected world. For instance, tomorrow’s workers will research and collaborate in an online environment, analyzing, synthesizing and creating knowledge.
Does college ready and career ready really mean the same thing?
Some thought leaders believe the two terms can be used interchangeably, while others urge for more distinct definitions. Achieve and the Educational Policy Improvement Center, two prominent education reform organizations, acknowledge noteworthy differences between the two. But they also find enough convergence and overlap of the skills and knowledge needed for success to not warrant a purposeful separation. On the other hand, the Association for Career and Technical Education refutes the interchangeability, contending that “college ready” is too often associated only with academic skills, which is just one component of “career readiness.”
Despite the differing views, the core values of college and career readiness help drive the changes needed to enhance educational and workforce goals and policies.
Framework for college and career readiness
The structures used to identify college- and career-ready individuals are as varied as the definitions themselves. What is common among the various frameworks, though, is the idea that academic and content knowledge—the traditional standards by which most students are measured—are only a fraction of the equation.
Here is a synopsis of the components of college and career readiness.
Academic and content knowledge comprise core subject area competencies and the intended applications:
Proficiency in English and language arts, literacy, mathematics, science and social sciences
Capacity to process, retain and apply content knowledge in relevant situations
Digital and technological savvy; understanding what resources are available for use, and when
Cognitive and higher-order thinking strategies refer to the processing and interpreting of information:
Independence in formulating hypotheses, critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning
Ability to identify, analyze and evaluate differing or conflicting viewpoints
Social and emotional intelligences encompass a wide range of skill sets, often referred to as “soft” skills:
Strong sense of self-awareness and self-management
Social awareness; culturally sensitive system of values, beliefs and attitudes
College and career preparedness include resources to inform and engage students about life after high school:
Academic programming/sequencing for college-level coursework
Exploration tools used to navigate roadmaps to higher education and career options
Knowledge of college and career requirements, as well as financial support opportunities
Employability and life skills include the wide net of skills desired by employers and expected of all citizens:
Self-directed lifelong learners capable of ownership and accountability
Ability to adapt communication toward a specific audience, task and/or purpose
Time management, collaboration and teamwork, organization and intellectual openness
Civic engagement and responsibilities of all citizens
This shared set of goals allows parents, educators and policy makers to better align college- and career-readiness efforts toward the expected skill set of the 21st century workforce.
How do we measure achievement toward the framework?
To truly gauge the effectiveness of the frameworks, benchmarks of success must be established. Some goals, such as those found within content knowledge and cognitive strategies areas, can be measured objectively through course completion requirements and standardized testing. Other goals, such as socio-emotional intelligence and life skills, require a more nuanced, subjective approach to evaluation.
Here are a few methods used to measure success for the various components of college and career readiness.
Academic and content knowledge
Completion of base credit requirements in each subject matter; grade point averages
Completion of advanced and/or college-credit granting coursework; advanced placement courses and exams
Cognitive and higher-order thinking strategies
Standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Testing (ACT) assessments
Social and emotional intelligences
Freestanding social and emotional learning standards, such as the Kansas Social, Emotional, and Character Development Model Standards and Pennsylvania’s Standards for Student Interpersonal Skills
Trust and reliability of school and academic counselors and workplace managers
College and career preparedness
Prevalence and use of district- and community-based college and career centers
Number of college applications completed
Employability and life skills
Performance on career and portfolio assessments
Participation and engagement rates in civic duties, such as voting
Attainment of postsecondary degrees and/or industry-recognized credentials
Can we fully trust assessment results?
Though assessments and benchmarks can help quantify and measure success, it’s important to remember some fallacies surrounding the measurements. For example, the efficacy of standardized testing has been debated since its onset, with some valuing the cognitive skill set needed to interpret and answer complex questions, while others blast its nature of rote memorization and regurgitation. Another—and possibly more significant—factor is the availability and accessibility of resources: Research clearly indicates students exposed to a wider collection of social, academic and career resources achieve to a greater extent in and out of school.
Shared responsibilities of teaching and learning
To be college and career ready means more than just eligibility to pursue a four-year degree or find marginal employment. College and career readiness signifies a student’s capacity to succeed in whatever pursuit he or she desires. Given the complexities around the various components and levels of college and career readiness, the responsibilities cannot belong to one group alone—responsibilities must be shared among all parties involved, including parents, educators, businesses and organizations, and policy makers. Partnerships among these various stakeholders allow for a collaborative approach to developing and implementing the right strategies for the students they serve.
Learn More: Click to view related resources.
"College and Career Readiness," achieve.org
"Students Who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening & Language," Common Core State Standards Initiative
"What is College and Career Readiness," National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research
"Eight Components of College and Career Readiness," NOSCA: National Office for School Counselor Advocacy
"College and Career Readiness," New York City Department of Education
"CCR Anchor Standards," Teaching the Core
"The Definition/Understanding College and Career Readiness," Educational Policy Improvement Center
"The Job Readiness and 21st Century Skills Initiative," Educational Testing Service
"Defining College and Career Readiness: A Resource Guide," National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research
"Improving College and Career Readiness by Incorporating Social and Emotional Learning," College & Career Readiness & Success Center at the American Institutes for Research
"21st Century Skills," Glossary of Education Reform created by the Great Schools Partnership