Definitions for College and Career Readiness

College and Career Readiness means that students exit high school prepared for success in a wide range of high-quality post-secondary opportunities. Specifically, college and career readiness refers to the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to be successful in postsecondary education and/or training that lead to gainful employment. Today’s workplace requires that all workers be lifelong learners in order to advance in their careers. Therefore, it is necessary that there be a common set of knowledge and skills that all individuals acquire to successfully transition into postsecondary education or the workplace. As individuals select specific career paths, they will then have to focus on the amount and type of additional knowledge and skills they should acquire to be successful in their chosen field.

A student’s goals, desires, and interests influence the precise knowledge and skill profile necessary to be ready for success in their chosen postsecondary endeavors and the level of postsecondary education needed to accomplish a student’s individual career aspirations. All students should exit high school with a full understanding of the career opportunities available to them, the education necessary to be successful in their chosen pathway, and a plan to attain their goals.

College readiness involves being prepared to enroll in and successfully complete entry-level, credit-bearing, academic collegiate programs at two- and four-year postsecondary schools without remedial work or assistance, as well as being equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to make that transition successfully. This entails having mastered rigorous content knowledge, demonstrated ability to apply knowledge through higher-order skills and the ability to navigate the pathways and systems that will gain access to positive postsecondary opportunities.

Knowledge and Skills

A college-ready person is proficient in the core academic subjects, as well as in specialized topics in their selected areas of interests. This foundational knowledge base includes competence in a broad range of academic subjects grounded in rigorous internationally benchmarked standards. Prerequisite skills and capabilities include, but are not limited to, proficiency in reading a range and type of material, with an emphasis on informational texts; fluent writing in several modes, most notably expository, descriptive and argumentative; quantitative literacy through algebra and including geometry, combined with the ability to understand and interpret data; a understanding of the scientific method and some insight into the organization of knowledge in the sciences; an awareness of how social systems operate and how they are studied; basic proficiency in a second language and awareness that languages reflect cultures; and experiences in and appreciation of creative and expressive arts. While not every person needs exactly the same proficiency in each of these areas, as student’s interests influence the precise knowledge and skill profile necessary for postsecondary studies.

Career readiness involves three major areas: core academic skills and the ability to apply those skills in concrete situations in order to function in the workplace and in routine daily activities; employability skills (such as critical thinking and responsibility) that are essential in any career area; and technical, job-specific skills related to a specific career pathway. These skills allow students to enter true career pathways that offer gainful employment and opportunities for advancement.

Knowledge and Skills

A career-ready person is proficient in the core academic subjects, as well as in technical topics. This foundational knowledge base includes competence in a broad range of rigorous internationally benchmarked standards. It also includes a level of technical-skill proficiency aligned to a chosen career field and pathway, and the ability to apply both academic and technical learning in the context of a career.

Dispositions

While there may be specific dispositions necessary for individual careers, the basic dispositions for postsecondary success are essentially the same for both college and career readiness. Supported by research as strongly predictive of academic and lifelong success, these dispositions can be defined broadly as:

        Self-efficacy

        Initiative

        Integrity

        Intellectual Curiosity

        Adaptability

        Time and Goal Management

        Leadership

        Ethical Decision Making and Social Responsibility

        Resilience

        Collaboration

        Working in Teams and Independently

        Clear and Effective Communication

        Problem Solving

        Critical Thinking

        Self-Awareness

        Self-Control

        Applied Knowledge

        Social and Personal Responsibility