Four Levels of Post-Secondary Readiness

Four Levels of
Post-Secondary
Readiness

The Path to College Readiness

A Series of four Infographics

1. TAKING HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

CFEED’s research unequivocally demonstrates that taking accelerated middle school courses is a vital step towards gaining entry into competitive universities.

Participation in middle school acceleration among Osceola and Orange County students has been steadily declining from 38% in 2019 to 34% in 2022.

Considering ~90,000 students graduated from public schools in Osceola County and Orange County from 2018 to 2022, the total number of students affected by this decline is 30,386.

The downward trend, especially among students facing significant challenges, is alarming and may have long-term consequences for college readiness.

Notes: Students in this study were within the CFEED ecosystem, which consisted of high school students in Osceola County or Orange County Public Schools. Data for the study was collected from five years of student records for the years 2018 to 2022.

Definition: MS Acceleration – a student takes at least one accelerated course during grades 6-8. These are courses that are either high school honors, (pre) AICE, (pre) IB (or IB Mid-years), or AP courses.

INSIGHTS FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA
EDUCATION ECOSYSTEM STUDENTS

Five-Year Middle School Acceleration Trend
for Core High School Students

Middle School Acceleration by
Ethnicity/Race

Only 25%

Of Black and Hispanic students have taken a high school course in middle school. In contrast, other groups have a much higher participation rate.

Compared to students admitted to UCF, one in four ecosystem students now begin their college journey at Valencia, highlighting the difference between competitive-entry pathways and open-access enrollment.

With educators and administrators shining a light on the student journey, we can act now to reverse the downward trend, ensuring students are on a trajectory towards college readiness.

OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT

30,386

students did not participate

Educators and administrators can act now to ensure all students are on a trajectory towards college readiness. Considering that approximately 89,373 students graduated from public schools in Osceola County and Orange County from 2018 to 2022, the decline in middle acceleration affected 30,386 students (35% of the total number). For future impact, students must start accelerating coursework as early as middle school.

2. ADVANCED RIGOR IN CORE CURRICULUM CLASSES

When looking at students who had achieved Advanced Status in core curriculum coursework (such as Honors, AICE), CFEED found only 1 in 4 students who attend Valencia College had achieved Advanced Status during high school.

Taking accelerated courses is a key goal for attending a competitive university.

Fewer Black and Hispanic students achieved advanced status

When CFEED analyzed demographic data for matriculated students, we found that for Black and Hispanic high school students, only 1 in 5 had achieved Advanced Status.

In contrast, 1 in 2 of all other ecosystem high school students had achieved Advanced Status in high school.

OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT

20% vs. 48%

Only 20% (average) of Black and Hispanic ecosystem students enrolled directly into UCF had achieved Advanced Status in high school. This lower participation rate may negatively impact students’ entry into college and competitive university. We must help students plan early to ensure college readiness.

Notes

Advanced Students had to earn at least a 3.0 GPA in the advanced courses, and, they had to have attempted at least 4 honors or above courses, such as High School Honors, AICE, AP, or IB courses.

3. PASSING ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS

CFEED found that 4 out of 5 (81%) ecosystem students who got into UCF had passed at least one AP exam while in high school. In addition, the five-year trend for ecosystem students who got into UCF, who had passed at least one AP exam, grew slightly from 34% in 2018 to 36% in 2022. This is an indication that taking advanced courses can pave the way toward college readiness.

WHICH STUDENTS ARE MISSING OUT?

Five-year AP exam Trend for Core High School Students

AP Exam Pass Versus by Ethnicity/Race

When looking at ecosystem students who got into UCF, CFEED found that only 15% of Black students, and 35% of Hispanic students had passed at least one AP Exam while in high school. However, while Black and Hispanic students participate less in AP courses, both participate much more than the other groups in IB. All groups participate heavily in honors coursework.

OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT

15% vs. 40%

Just 15% of Black ecosystem students who got into UCF passed an advanced placement exam. In contrast, the average for other groups that had passed an AP exam is 40%. A lower participation rate in advanced coursework may have long-term consequences for college readiness. Educators and administrators can act now to ensure students are on a trajectory towards college readiness and success.

Notes

Students in this study are within the CFEED ecosystem, which consists of high school students in Osceola County or Orange County public schools. Data for the study was collected from five years of student records for the years 2018 to 2022.

4. EARNING COLLEGE CREDITS THROUGH DUAL ENROLLMENT

Among UCF ecosystem students, CFEED found that 50% had attempted at least one DE course, while only 23% of ecosystem students at Valencia College had done the same. The DE students at UCF also achieved a higher GPA during their first term, showing the importance of advanced courses while in high school.

DUAL ENROLLMENT DROPS BY 3%

CFEED found that DE participation experienced a 3% decline, mirroring a broader trend. The percentage of ecosystem students attempting at least one Dual Enrollment course decreased from 24% in 2021 to 21% in 2022.

Ecosystem Students Who Had Attempted at Least One Dual Enrollment Course

First- term Ecosystem Students with D, F, or W Grades Dual Enrollment vs. No Enrollment

FIRST TERM GRADES & DUAL ENROLLMENT

Among matriculated students who had attempted at one DE course:

55% of UCF students who had no dual enrollment received a D, F, or W grade in their first term, compared to 49% of dual enrollment students.
49% of Valencia students who had no dual enrollment had received at least one D, F, or W grade in their first term, while only 22% of dual enrollment students met this metric.

This difference in grading outcomes shows that dual enrollment has a positive impact for achieving success in the post secondary environment.

OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT

REVERSE A DOWNWARD TREND. The data shows that high school participation in Dual Enrollment is declining, and that DE students often struggle in their first term. When students miss out on the benefits of advanced coursework in high school, it can impact college readiness and future academic success. It is important to address the declining trend in DE participation, now, to ensure that more students benefit from DE opportunities, and are better prepared for college readiness.

Notes

Study Population: Students in this study are within the CFEED ecosystem, which consists of high school students in Osceola County or Orange County public schools. Data for the study was collected from five years of student records for the years 2018 to 2022. Matriculate students graduated beginning in 2019 until 2022.