Incentives

The active involvement of postsecondary education leaders and faculty members in the alignment process is a critical first step in helping to improve the percentage of American students prepared to enroll in college and persist in a timely manner.  However, the alignment of high school standards and assessments with college expectations alone will not ensure that high school students will be motivated to reach more rigorous levels of academic performance.   Postsecondary leaders play a critical role in ensuring that policies are in place that link financial aid, college admissions and placement preferences to students who demonstrate college-readiness.  Some promising policies and practices are emerging.

• The Indiana General Assembly made completion of the Core 40 curriculum a graduation requirement for all students beginning with those entering high school in fall 2007.  The legislation also makes Core 40 a minimum college admission requirement for the state’s public four-year universities beginning in fall 2011.
  

• Indiana students who complete a Core 40 diploma and meet other financial aid and grade requirements can receive up to 90 percent of approved tuition and fees at eligible colleges. Core 40 with Academic Honors graduates can receive up to 100 percent, and some colleges also offer their own scholarships specifically for students who earn this diploma.
  

• The California State University System’s Early Assessment Program supplements state assessment, signals college readiness of high school juniors and provides resources to build student proficiency prior to their exiting high school.  Students who qualify on the EAP while in high school waive the requirement for additional assessment for placement upon entering a CSU institution.