Students vary in the degree to which high school and family life prepare them for college, and that preparation has a dramatic impact on their transition to college and subsequent success there. Rethinking College Readiness David T. ConleyThe likelihood that students will make a successful transition to the college environment is often a function of their readiness-the degree to which previous educational and personal experiences have equipped them for the expectations and demands they will encounter in college. A key problem is that the current measures of college preparation are limited in their ability to communicate to students and educators the true range of what students must do to be fully ready to succeed in college. This chapter presents a broader, more comprehensive conception of college readiness built on four facets: key cognitive strategies, key content knowledge, academic behaviors, and contextual skills and knowledge.Recent research has shed light on the key elements of college success. At the heart of college readiness is development of the cognitive and metacognitive capabilities of incoming students: analysis, interpretation, precision and accuracy, problem solving, and reasoning. Student facility with these strategies has been consistently and emphatically identified by those who teach entry-level college courses as being centrally important to college success (Conley, 2003b(Conley, , 2005Conley and Bowers, 2008; National Research Council, 2002).Close behind in importance is an understanding of specific types of content knowledge. Several studies have led to college readiness standards that specify key content knowledge associated with college success (Achieve, the Education Trust, and Thomas B.

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This article considers the importance of ownership of learning as a key component of college readiness. The article is organized around two conceptual models. The first is a four-part model of college readiness that includes key cognitive strategies, key content knowledge, key learning skills and techniques, and key transition knowledge and skills. The second is a five-part model of ownership of learning that consists of the following elements: motivation and engagement, goal orientation and selfdirection, self-efficacy and self-confidence, metacognition and self-monitoring, and persistence. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of the role and importance of ownership of learning and makes the case that these elements can and should be taught to all students, and particularly in settings where an achievement gap exists.College readiness has historically been defined in terms of content knowledge, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics (Conley, 2005(Conley, , 2010(Conley, , 2014Wagner, 2006). While such knowledge is necessary, evidence suggests it is not sufficient, particularly in an era where public policy goals seek to broaden participation and success in postsecondary education of a wider range of students, many of whom may lack complete command over foundational academic content knowledge.A key factor beyond content knowledge that contributes to college readiness is student ownership of learning. Students who demonstrate ownership of learning can be successful in a wide range of learning environments such as large classes and online courses where they have less interaction with the instructor. Strong ownership of learning can even compensate to a degree for less effective teachers. Students who own their learning can go beyond simply following teacher directions. They are more likely to complete complex assignments, solve problems that require persistence, and create original or novel work of high quality.Ownership of learning cannot compensate entirely for fundamental deficits in content knowledge mastery. However, students with strong motivation and drive, a desire to achieve goals, a belief in their own capacity for success, the ability to reflect on their learning strategies, and a willingness to persist in the face of obstacles can overcome specific shortcomings in English and mathematics content knowledge or obtain the knowledge necessary to succeed. The ability to compensate for content deficiencies is particularly important for students who receive less than ideal preparation for college but is rarely taken into account in any systematic fashion in the admissions and placement process at all but the most selective institutions. Ownership of learning is one of several key indicators of college readiness that is not sufficiently taught or measured. It can be developed systematically and will have the greatest effect on students for whom college is likely to be particularly challenging in the first place.This article outlines the research base to support the importance of ownership ...

In this cross-validation study, the authors examined the psychometric properties of a measure of academic behaviors associated with college and career readiness intended for high school students. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with a randomly selected portion of the sample ( n = 413) and resulted in four reliable factors: Goal-driven Behaviors, Persistence, Study Skills, and Self-Monitoring. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with the remaining sample ( n = 610). Goodness-of-fit indices indicated acceptable model fit. Follow-up analyses revealed significant differences in factor scores among 9th grade students according to gender and race but no significant differences between students in grades 10 through 12, showing the measure functions similarly across students for the most part and particularly for students approaching graduation. Implications for use as a value-added assessment in secondary environments are discussed.