
	Dr. Michael W. Kirst Michael W. Kirst is Professor Emeritus of Education and Business Administration at Stanford University since 1969. Dr. Kirst received his Ph.D. in political economy and government from Harvard. Before joining the Stanford University faculty, Dr. Kirst held several positions with the federal government, including Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Manpower, Employment and Poverty. He was a former president of the California State Board of Education. His book From High School to College with Andrea Venezia was published by Jossey Bass in 2004.



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My blog discusses the important and complex subjects of college completion, college success, student risk factors (for failing), college readiness, and academic preparation. I will explore the pieces of the college puzzle that heavily influence, if not determine, college success rates.

National Assessment Will Consider College Preparedness

The National Assessment of Education Progress [NAEP] has never linked its grade 12 scores to any external measure. The scores are reported as advanced , proficient, etc. Last week the National Assessment Governing Board[ NAGBE] met to discuss the plans of its technical panel of experts to consider linking Naep to preparedness for college, work, and the military. I chair this technical panel.
The panel concluded the linkage can be done , but there should not be a single score. NAGBE may fund a number of approaches that will yield multiple indicators. This may include judgements by experts and statistical relationships with other measures like SAT, college placement tests, and ACT work-keys. Hopefully, Congress will fund state by state grade 12 NAEP in the near future. Now grade 12 Naep is only a national test.
This initiative could provide better public understanding of what NAEP tests mean in terms of crucial outcomes that people understand better than more abstract concepts like 'proficient". Linkages might be validated by using p-16 data bases like Florida that could link NAEP test scores to actual college success and college completion. NAEP does not report individual scores.

Labels: academic preparation, College Testing