College readiness metrics are declining among high school students. How can institutions position themselves better to be ready for a new generation of learners?
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Colleges and universities will welcome the class of 2028 to campus this fall, another cohort of learners whose high school experience was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning.
Over the past few years, higher education practitioners have noticed differences in how today’s students learn compared to their peers, some disparities directly attributed to the pandemic and others a symptom of isolation and online learning.
Rather than asking students to catch up and mold to higher ed’s traditional structures, experts in the field are asking, are colleges set up to help students succeed?
Survey Says
A July 2023 report from Tyton Partners found 60 percent of student were unaware of the full scope of support services offered at their college or university. Higher education professionals—including administrators, advisers and faculty members—were much more likely to say resources were available, highlighting a gap in how institutions recommend and refer students to resources.
What’s different: Student readiness has declined from a number of angles: historically low ACT scores, a lack of study skills, class attendance, classroom participation and meeting deadlines consistently. Teenagers entering higher education are also more likely to say they struggle with their mental health and loneliness.
In addition to the new challenges traditional-aged students face in higher education due to their pandemic-related learning loss, today’s student demographics are changing, says EAB’s Alexa Silverman, senior director of student experience and well-being research.
Close to half are employed and many are simultaneously caring for a dependent and an older adult in their family. Additionally, the number of students with psychological-based disabilities have increased and more first-generation learners are enrolled than ever before.
Higher ed tends to make assumptions about what students know how to do. “We tell students ‘You should know how to study,’ but have we really broken down what those skills are?” Silverman says.
Making use of office hours is one example of an assumed-skill, Silverman says. Many students aren’t familiar with the language of office hours and don’t know how to effectively engage with their professor when they do show up.
“While a lot of these changes to processes and resources have been made to address learning loss for the traditional student, I think this set of challenges or barriers have also faced our post-traditional students, adult learners and first-generation students,” Silverman says.
Reframing the issue: College readiness is the idea that a student should be prepared and equipped to succeed at their institution, but many in higher ed want to shift the conversation to institutional readiness. Student success leaders share their perspective that, if a college enrolls a student, that is the indication the student can be successful there.
In speaking to over 100 administrators and leaders, Silverman found institutional readiness was a strong theme in their conversations about serving students, but how that’s being modeled is just starting to be seen.
Instead of placing responsibility on students, she says, colleges and universities can model institutional readiness through:
- Making implicit assumptions explicit. Also called the “hidden curricula of higher education,” institutional leaders, staff and faculty members can provide education to students about the college experience and what skills they need to be successful. Montclair State University launched a campaign in spring 2024 to provide weekly themes of student success and practical strategies to students to promote their academic and co-curricular achievement.
- Modeling a growth mindset. Historically, higher education has had a “weed out” mentality that assumes a student who struggles is not capable of completing their degree. Rather, Silverman argues institutions should emphasize growth and that struggles are part of learning. Practitioners should share with learners that asking for help is not failure and using campus resources such as tutoring is part of good practice. Colorado College integrated an intervention in its first-year seminar that frames support resources as athletic trainers or coaches to hone academic skills, making students aware of services and how those services can serve their individual needs.
- Supporting faculty development. Many of today’s learners are very different from the faculty who are teaching them now, Silverman says, so campus leaders should increase instructors’ awareness of student demographics, how to break down implicit requirements in the classroom and how to refer learners to other offices, if needed. Administrators can also make investments in peer-coaching models or ready-to-use tools and materials to support this work. Texas A&M University at Kingsville implemented the Caring Campus program from the Institute for Evidence-Based Change to promote belonging among diverse student groups and implement best practices for student success.
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