The Uneven Promise of Readiness: Which College and Career Readiness Indicators Actually Predict Success after High School? Policy Brief No. 1
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| Title: | The Uneven Promise of Readiness: Which College and Career Readiness Indicators Actually Predict Success after High School? Policy Brief No. 1 |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jacob Kirksey, Jennifer Freeman, Wesley Edwards, Brian Holzman, Han Bum Lee, Texas Tech University (TTU), Center for Innovative Research in Change, Leadership, and Education (CIRCLE) |
| Source: | Center for Innovative Research in Change, Leadership, and Education. 2026. |
| Availability: | Center for Innovative Research in Change, Leadership, and Education. Texas Tech University, College of Education, 3002 18th Street, Room 168, Lubbock, TX 79409. Tel: 806-834-2923; e-mail: circle.educ@ttu.edu; Web site: https://hdl.handle.net/2346/88837 |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 12 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Texas 2036 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | High Schools Secondary Education Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | College Readiness, Career Readiness, High School Students, Educational Indicators, Success, Dual Enrollment, Credentials, College Entrance Examinations, Rural Schools |
| Geographic Terms: | Texas |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | SAT (College Admission Test), ACT Assessment |
| Abstract: | Texas uses the College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) framework to assess whether high school students are prepared for life after graduation, and these measures are directly tied to school accountability and district funding. Although students can meet CCMR in many ways, the state the accountability system assigns equal weight to all CCMR indicators, implicitly treating them as equally predictive of students' postsecondary success. We examined statewide data for nearly 1 million Texas high school students across eight graduating cohorts from 2015-16 to 2022-23. By linking K-12 records to postsecondary enrollment, attainment, and workforce data, we show that some CCMR indicators link to meaningful postsecondary and workforce trajectories, while others provide a false signal of readiness that does not translate into postsecondary success. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED679042 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Texas uses the College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) framework to assess whether high school students are prepared for life after graduation, and these measures are directly tied to school accountability and district funding. Although students can meet CCMR in many ways, the state the accountability system assigns equal weight to all CCMR indicators, implicitly treating them as equally predictive of students' postsecondary success. We examined statewide data for nearly 1 million Texas high school students across eight graduating cohorts from 2015-16 to 2022-23. By linking K-12 records to postsecondary enrollment, attainment, and workforce data, we show that some CCMR indicators link to meaningful postsecondary and workforce trajectories, while others provide a false signal of readiness that does not translate into postsecondary success. |
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