The Persistence of Unaligned K–12 and Higher Education Systems: Why Have Statewide Alignment Efforts Been Ineffective?

In: The annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Volume 655, Issue 1, p. 16-35

Abstract

High rates of academic remediation among college students suggest that many states have still not aligned high school and college curricular standards and assessments to ensure college readiness. One structure created by many states that is designed to improve this alignment is the P–20 Council. To understand why the lack of alignment persists despite the creation of this, and other, structures, this article draws on data collected through case studies of P–20 councils in ten states to explore these councils' origins, implementation, and outcomes. Analyses pay particular attention to the ways that state leaders contribute to these stages of the policy process. The analyses also point to situational characteristics that have limited the effects of P–20 councils on P–20 policy reform.