Assessing college and career readiness through the Senior Project program

2014-07-09This study provides an in‐depth review of individual perceptions of College and Career Readiness, College and Career Readiness skills, and the effectiveness of Project‐based learning and blended learning environments as supporting or impeding College and Career Readiness in 12th grade students. The purpose of this study was to further define College and Career Readiness and describe identified skills and to determine if current programs, like the Senior Project, are successful. The purpose is also to look at how the use of blended learning environments are supporting or impeding the development of these skills. An interview protocol was used with 17 participants in order to gain a deeper understanding of College and Career Readiness at a particular school site. Publicly available documentation was also analyzed to clarify and confirm findings derived from the interview protocol. Findings from this study suggests that there is an intersection among individual perceptions of College and Career Readiness and College and Career Readiness skills, individual school elements (like Project‐based learning and blended learning environments), and school practices (like creating a culture of critical thinking and College and Career Readiness) that lead a 12th grade student towards College and Career Readiness. This study begins to address a need to further define College and Career Readiness and College and Career Readiness skills in high school systems, and contributes to a new area of research that looks at how high schools can produce graduates that are ready for both College and Career