College and career ready
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College-ready and career-ready are terms that can be used to describe either students or educational programs. If students are considered college-ready or career-ready, it means they are believed to be equipped with the knowledge and skills that will be essential for success in college or a career. Educational programs focusing on college readiness or career readiness offer learning opportunities to better prepare students for college or careers after high school.[1][2]
The terms college-ready and career-ready have become part of a larger debate about what should be taught in public schools as well as what should be the purpose of public education. Advocates of college and career readiness maintain that the purpose of public schools should be to give students the knowledge, skills, work habits and other traits necessary to succeed in adult life, whether that is to continue their education at a higher education institution or to integrate into the workforce. Rather than reflecting the completion of one stage of life, advocates of college and career readiness would want a high school diploma to reflect the ability to step to the next.[1][2]
There are those who believe the two terms should be separated, and that college readiness programs should not be universally administered to public education practices as they may disenfranchise students who choose to pursue military careers, industry certifications or other jobs that do not require a college education. Those in favor of college and career readiness programs argue that the knowledge and skills learned through such programs will be used regardless of a student's intended path and that the distinction between the two terms is essentially moot.[2]
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