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Recommendations for Solving Low Rates of College Readiness at James Monroe

High School, West Virginia

Michael Whitener

School of Education, Liberty University

In partial fulfilment of EDUC 850

Author Note:

Michael Whitener

I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Michael Whitener

Email: [email protected]

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Overview

This research aims to solve the issue of low college readiness rates among students

at James Monroe High School, West Virginia. The issue is that 28% of the low-income and

underserved students are ready for college, and among all the other students at Monroe high

school involves, 84% of college readiness (Vogel & Heidrich,2020). The literature review

presents the Related Literature, Theoretical Framework, and Summary of the research.

Related Literature

The purpose of the literature review is to analyze and synthesize the study that is

connected to the topic and to comprehend the topic of study. This review was done for the

reason of gaining comprehension of a recent study related to low rates of college readiness

in James Monroe High school, including historical, legal, and academic aspects of the students

of all races, all courses, and among the low-income students to solve the problem to the low

rates of college readiness for the students at Monroe High school, West Virginia.

Historical Aspects

The term college readiness means the skills, behaviors, and knowledge a high school

student should have before enrollment in their first year of college (Mokher et al.,2018). The

term is usually used in describing and analyzing the rate at which students are ready before

their enrollment in their first year at college. James Monroe High School has a total

enrollment of four hundred and fifty-two students and is ranked 56th in West Virginia

(Wallenstein,2021). The total minority enrollment is 3%, and in terms of National Rankings,

it is ranked at 9379 according to how well they prepare its students for college, graduation,

and performance. College readiness can be compared to the rate at which students enroll at

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college and in each grade. Students' enrollment rate by grade in the Monroe high school

decreases by number as the grades go up (Robertson,2022). The slight decline was reported

to be taking rigorous courses in high school such as mathematics as their advanced courses,

which decreases from 3% to 1% and likewise to science courses (Watson,2020). The rate of

readiness among the whites is 96%, and for the other races is 1%. It is estimated that the

current prevalence of the school is far above average in college and career readiness.

Legal aspects

Higher Education institutions operate in a complex legal environment comprising

laws related to admissions, enrollment, and privacy (Kurlaender, Reed & Hurtt,2019). Failing

to adhere to the laws leads to costly lawsuits. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

protects students from discrimination based on education programs. The legislation

established support for the enrollment of all students. Ensure all children ready for college

are recruited, admitted, and given counseling. And that they receive financial assistance for

all students.

Transitions

Being ready for college might seem easy, but that is not always the case. It is

challenging to align high school programs and education with college expectations

(Stafford,2019). Students fail to develop high-quality syllabi in all courses and lack early

preparation for college (Kolluri & Tierney,2020). Many students who have graduated from

high school aim to get a college degree, but only 68% enroll soon after, and even among those

who enroll, only a few complete the courses. College readiness increases the possibility that

students can continue in college and complete a degree. College readiness affects students'

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success in college (Wariyo & Asgedom,2021). Research indicates a need to solve the problem

of the low rate of college readiness in Monroe high school (Yarnetsky & Morgan,2021). It was

reported that family expectations burden high school students, and that's the fear. Families

should help their children in overcoming the fear. Also, visiting the college before they are

officially admitted was noted as being helpful as it familiarizes them with the institution and

removes the social anxiety. Improving school climate and eliminating exclusionary practices

that hinder college preparation.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework for this study includes the ecological theory of college

readiness (Lee, Kim & Wu,2019). Having theoretical propositions helps to instruct the

research and plays a great role in advancing analytic generalizations of this study’s result.

Many other big ranges of theories are necessary in guiding a case study. The low rate of

college readiness in Monroe high school was viewed as being due to a lack of earlier

preparation. The ecological theory is a widely utilized college model (Hunter et al.,.2022).

The theory considers the role of individual student characteristics and personal agency.

Summary

The purpose of this research study is to solve the problem of low rates of college

readiness among students at Monroe high school. The problem is 28% for low-income

students and 84% for other students in James Monroe. The review presented the Related

literature and theoretical framework for this research.

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References

Lee, J., Kim, N., & Wu, Y. (2019). College readiness and engagement gaps between domestic

and international students: Re-envisioning educational diversity and equity for global

campus. Higher Education, 77(3), 505-523.

Wariyo, L. G., & Asgedom, A. (2021). Building College Readiness: Theories and

Practices. Открытое образование, 25(3), 62-71.

Yarnetsky, J., & Morgan, A. (2021). Effects of high school location on first-year students’

research confidence and college readiness.

Stafford, J. (2019). Effects of Meeting College Readiness Indicators on First-Year College Credit

Attainment. Northern Kentucky University.

Kurlaender, M., Reed, S., & Hurtt, A. (2019). Improving college readiness: A research

summary and implications for practice. Policy Analysis for California Education, 1-36.

Wallenstein, P. (2021). Virginia Tech, land-grant university, 1872–1997: History of a school, a

state, a nation. Virginia Tech Publishing.

Mokher, C. G., Rosenbaum, J. E., Gable, A., Ahearn, C., & Jacobson, L. (2018). Ready for what?

Confusion around college and career readiness. Phi Delta Kappan, 100(4), 40-43.

Vogel, D., & Heidrich, L. (2020). Make Connections–ask questions. Sprachsensible Schulen im

Internationals Network for Public Schools in New York. Bremen: Universität,

Fachbereich 12. Arbeitsbereich Interkulturelle Bildung.

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Robertson, J. B. A. (2022). Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Success Indicators within

Transition Readiness in Kentucky (Doctoral dissertation, Morehead State University).

Watson, S. J. (2020). James Monroe and American Military Policy. The Virginia Magazine of

History and Biography, 128(1), 2-43.

Hunter, A., Griller Clark, H., Mason-Williams, L., & Gagnon, J. C. (2022). Curriculum,

instruction, and promoting college and career readiness for incarcerated youth: A

literature review. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

Kolluri, S., & Tierney, W. G. (2020, January). Understanding college readiness: The limitations

of information and the possibilities of cultural integrity. In The Educational

Forum (Vol. 84, No. 1, pp. 80-93). Routledge.