Increasing Postsecondary Access
Explore resources designed to help educators to support students successfully navigate the path to college. 
- View a visual diagram of all five practices
- Watch a topic overview and download planning templates
- Listen to an expert
Explore the subtopics below to learn more about the recommended practices:
- Prepare Students Academically
- Assess and Intervene
- Foster College Aspirations
- Assist with College Entry
To learn more about the research underlying these practices, view the IES Practice Guide, Helping Students Navigate the Path to College: What High Schools Can Do.
Student Advisories: Taking Ownership
Increasing Postsecondary Access > States and Districts
Learn more about the Albuquerque Public Schools Student Advisory Program for grades 6 to 12 in the district. This program promotes deeper and more personal connections between students and faculty...
Resource Type
Expert Interview
The Academic Path to College
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Prepare Students Academically > Learn What Works
Watch this interview with Dr. Neal Finkelstein to learn more about the importance of preparing students for the academic rigors of college.
Resource Type
Expert Interview
Relevance Makes Rigor Possible
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Prepare Students Academically > Learn What Works
Dr. Willard R. Daggett of the International Center for Leadership in Education, Inc. describes how high school courses and instruction need to change in order to prepare students for success in...
Resource Type
Expert Interview
Visual Diagram: Helping Students Navigate the Path to College
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Overview & Tools
This diagram illustrates four research-based practices recommended for increasing postsecondary access for all students. Technical assistance providers can use the diagram to give an overview of...
Resource Type
Visual Diagram
Assigning Students to the Right Classes
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Prepare Students Academically > See How It Works
A counseling department chair talks about her high school's process for scheduling students in academic classes that will prepare them for college. Counselors use such tools like the sample...
Resource Type
School Example
Senior Year Redesign
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Prepare Students Academically > See How It Works
A high school redesigns the senior year to better prepare students for college. The sample material, Anatomy and Physiology Course Syllabi, provides an example and The Senior Year: Smoothing the...
Resource Type
School Example
A Personalized Learning Experience
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Assess and Intervene > See How It Works
A high school principal and literacy coach describe the multiple forms of assessment they use to build a profile of college readiness. They also describe the ways they provide support for students...
Resource Type
School Example
Preparing Students for Rigorous Work
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Prepare Students Academically > See How It Works
A middle school math teacher describes the strategies her school uses to prepare students for a rigorous high school program. She describes the mathematics assignment in the sample material,...
Resource Type
School Example
Gateways for College Readiness
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Assess and Intervene > See How It Works
Hear a principal and teacher describe the gateway process students must complete in order to graduate high school. Data from student assessment results are also analyzed at an indicator level to...
Resource Type
School Example
Linking High School and College Assessments
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Assess and Intervene > See How It Works
Hear how a state ties its eleventh-grade standardized test to its college system's expectations for incoming freshmen. Students who perform at college level are exempt from placement testing in the...
Resource Type
School Example
The Right Fit for Ninth Graders
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Assess and Intervene > See How It Works
Hear a high school dean of instruction explain how administrators use middle school data to determine course placements for incoming freshmen. They try to gain a complete picture of each ninth...
Resource Type
School Example
Getting Students to Think for Themselves
Increasing Postsecondary Access > Prepare Students Academically > See How It Works
An English teacher illustrates the ways that his high school incorporates rigor into its curriculum. The sample materials, One High School's Reading List and Using Literature Circles for Reading...
Resource Type
School Example
