Dreaming of College Versus Going to College: Expectations and Enrollment Among Autistic Students

This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study 2 to examine relationships between expectations about college education and enrollment patterns among students on the autism spectrum. Results reveal that although more than half of the students reported that they were likely to attend college, among their individualized education programs, only 44% listed postsecondary education as a primary transition goal, and just a third of parents reported expecting that their children would pursue a college education. Furthermore, parental expectations were predicted by cognitive ability, home language, access to the general education curriculum, psychological services, and occupational therapy, while actual enrollment patterns were predicted by a different set of variables: cognitive ability, self-care skills, household responsibilities, conversational skills, access to the general education curriculum, occupational therapy, assistive technology, parent-teacher meetings for postsecondary goal planning, and proportion of White students in school. The predictive patterns suggest practical implications for college-bound students on the spectrum.

Texas High School Counselor Perceptions of Agricultural Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of high school counselors across the state of Texas toward agricultural education. This study was descriptive in nature. High school counselors had an overall positive attitude toward agricultural education. They did not believe agricultural education courses were intended for lower-performing students. High school counselors agreed their local agricultural education program was valuable for college bound and non-college bound students. An overwhelming majority (85%) of high school counselors reported that student interest was their top priority when advising students to enroll in an agricultural education course. They had low to very low awareness of many opportunities available for agricultural education students. It is recommended that agricultural education teachers continue to develop strong, positive relationships with school counselors to provide education and awareness of the agricultural education program opportunities.

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”: Prevalence and Predictors of the Aspiration–Attainment Gap After the School-to-Work Transition

This study examined the prevalence and predictors of the aspiration–attainment gap (AAG) after the school-to-work transition. We operationalized the AAG as the discrepancy between the socioeconomic status (SES) of young people’s realistic occupational aspirations and that of the position they actually attained. As a case in point, we investigated non-college-bound students transitioning into a vocational education and training (VET) position in Germany. Our aims were twofold: first, to establish how many students experience an AAG of what size; second, to identify characteristics that predict whether students experience an AAG. In this regard, we considered sociostructural characteristics, cognitive ability and school grades, and Big Five personality traits as predictors (i.e., potential determinants) of the AAG. Anal-yses in a representative sample (N = 2,478) of intermediate secondary school (Realschule) students/graduates from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS; Starting Cohort 4) revealed that 45.9% of students experienced an AAG. Two-part regression models showed that the level of aspirations was the strongest predictor of the experience and size of an AAG. Aspirations also mediated the effect of several other predictors, most importantly parental SES and school grades. Some individual resources proved to have contradictory effects: They indirectly increased the risk of experiencing an AAG by raising aspirations, but at the same time they lowered this risk by directly increasing attainment. Overall, our results suggest that the AAG during the transition from school to VET is a widespread experience among students in Germany that is worthy of further investigation.

An Exploratory Study of the Benefits of a Three- Week Cycling Expedition for Potential First-Generation, College-Bound Students

This exploratory study examined the benefits of participating in a three-week, multi-state bicycling trip for eight adolescents who participated in a first-generation, college-bound program. The primary purpose of this study was to explore participants’ perceptions of their own resilience, independence, responsibility, and problem-solving and to identify elements of the program that help facilitate the development of these outcomes. Analysis of focus group comments six weeks post experience suggests a cyclical experiential learning model exemplifying the effects of participation, feedback, and reflection on participants’ acceptance of challenge and the process needed to support it. Application of the characteristics described within the model as they apply to first-generation, college-bound student success is provided.

Across the Divide

The School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee coordinated a precollege program with rural, urban, and suburban high schools students to explore issues of race, class and geography to ameliorate the divide that often exists when high school students from monocultural communities move to more culturally diverse institutions of higher education. Through this program, participants engaged with each other via a common curriculum while participating in school projects and joint discussions. The goal of the program was to influence changes in the behavior of college-bound students, behaviors that often result in conflicts on campus when diverse cultures co-exist in new settings. Findings reveal that when institutions of higher education help connect and facilitate discussions among high school students, the potential benefits are high. Exposing high school students to diversity issues, while introducing them to a college experience, helps prepare them to ultimately take an active role in their communities.

Contemporary College Students’ Reflections on Their High School Peer Crowds

High school peer crowds are fundamental components of adolescent development with influences on short- and long-term life trajectories. This study provides the perspectives of contemporary college students regarding their recent high school social landscapes, contributing to current research and theory on the social contexts of high school. This study also highlights the experiences of college-bound students who represent a growing segment of the adolescent population. Sixty-one undergraduates attending universities in two states participated in 10 focus groups to reflect on their experiences with high school peer crowds during the late 2010s. Similar to seminal research on peer crowds, we examined crowds and individuals along several focal domains: popularity, extracurricular involvement, academic orientation, fringe media, illicit risk-taking, and race ethnicity. We find that names and characteristics of crowds reflect the current demographic and cultural moment (i.e., growing importance of having a college education, racial-ethnic diversity) and identify peer crowds that appear to be particularly salient for college-bound youth. Overall, this study illuminates how the retrospective accounts of college-bound students offer insight into high school social hierarchies during a time of rapid social change.

Predicting College Completion Among Students With Learning Disabilities

The authors analyzed National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 (NLTS2) data to examine the role of high school academic preparation and receipt of postsecondary academic support services (PASS) in predicting college completion among students with learning disabilities. Logistic regression analyses revealed that students who earned a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in a college preparatory curriculum were more than twice as likely to complete college than those with a similar GPA who did not complete a college preparatory curriculum. Furthermore, among students who completed a college preparatory curriculum, earning a higher GPA and accessing PASS both dramatically increased the likelihood that they would complete college. Results underscore the importance of incorporating a college preparatory curriculum into transition planning for college-bound students with learning disabilities.