Implementation of the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards: Improving the College and Career Readiness of High School Students

Abstract

Today’s students need college and career readiness skills to ensure they are prepared for postsecondary success, whether this includes further education or entering the workforce. All students need subject area courses that maintain a high level of rigor to prepare them to be college and career ready. To improve the college readiness of high school students, teachers need to incorporate the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) into their instruction. The Texas CCRS specify what students should know in order to be successful in postsecondary entry-level courses. The purpose of this study was to increase the implementation of the Texas CCRS in classroom lessons of the English, mathematics, science, and social studies teachers in a high school setting. This study attempted to address teachers’ understanding about the Texas CCRS and application of these standards in lessons in their classrooms. In this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study design, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered as part of the research design using two distinct phases. The research design included pre- and post-survey questionnaires. ASVAB assessments’ results of students for two years, and observation of a subsample of teachers of implementation of a classroom lesson of the Texas CCRS. The pre- and post-survey questionnaires demonstrated no statistical significance as a result of the Texas CCRS PD on the teaching efficacy levels of core-subject teachers at the school. However, the qualitative data collected revealed the recognition of teachers of the need for continuing PD on the Texas CCRS and the value of implementing the standards in lesson planning and classroom lessons to help improve college and career readiness of all high school students. This research study provided teachers with the opportunity to increase their teaching efficacy and build knowledge of the Texas CCRS and college and career readiness.