Making the Connection
Additional Resources
Advising StructuresAdvisor CapacityCollege and Career ExplorationCollege Match and FitCommunications and AdvocacyData UseFinancial AidFundingPolicySocial CapitalSummer Melt
- CARA College Inquiry - Whole-School Program Supporting Postsecondary Exploration, Application, and Enrollment
- Georgia State University GPS Advising - Using Data to Proactively Target Student Supports in Higher Education
- Beyond12 in San Francisco Unified School District - Supporting African American Alumni Through Postsecondary
- AchieveMpls - Leveraging a College Access Program Partnership for Districtwide Support
- BRACE Cadets in Broward County Public Schools - Leveraging Peer Mentoring to Increase Counselor Capacity
- College Possible Catalyze Model - Near-Peer College Success Coaches
- AlamoADVISE at Alamo Colleges District - Personalized Academic and Career Pathways Through Certified Advisors
- Student Leadership Network - Comprehensive College Access Programs Across 25 NYC Public Schools
- San Antonio Independent School District - Building District Leadership Capacity Around Data-Informed Advising
- DCPS Persists - Expanding Supports to K-12 Alumni
- Rubric for Postsecondary Readiness (One Goal)
- Logic Model (Beyond 12)
- Report on Postsecondary Advising: Characteristics and Conditions for Expanding Access (Bellwether)
- Policy Brief on Organizing for Access: Building High School Capacity to Support Students’ Postsecondary Pathways (CARA)
- Rubric for Peer-to-Peer Model Evaluation (CARA)
- Rubric for Whole-School Advising Model Infrastructure (CARA)
- Guide to Virtual Advising (College Advising Corps)
- Report on Advising Students Toward Opportunity (TN SCORE)
- Framework for Student Success (GEAR UP Iowa)
- Blog Post on Making Better Use of Advisory Periods (NCAN)
- Resource Center on Guided Pathways (AACC)
- Blog Post on Ways K-12 and Higher Education Can Collaborate on Pandemic Recovery (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
- Overview of Exploratory Advising for Undecided College Students (Kent State University)
- Resource Guide for Advancing Equity Through Guided Pathways (National Center for Inquiry & Improvement)
- Loss/Momentum Framework for Guided Pathways (Completion by Design)
- Toolkit on Holistic Student Supports Redesign (Achieving the Dream)
- Implementation Guide for Guided Pathways (Palm Beach State College)
- Overview of Meta-Majors and Guided Pathways (Skyline College)
- 15-Month Postsecondary Advising Calendar (NCAN)
- Policy Brief on Establishing a State-Level Postsecondary Advising Corps (ESG and ECS)
- Fact Sheet on the Importance of School Counselors (The Education Trust)
- E-Learning Modules for College Access and Success (NCAN)
- Educator Professional Learning Resources (Texas OnCourse)
- Overview of College Counseling Certificate Program (UC San Diego Extension)
- Genesys Works - Providing Skills Training, Counseling and Coaching, and Paid Internships for High School Seniors in Underserved Communities
- The Opportunity Network - Supporting Organizations in Expanding College and Career Exploration Initiatives
- Minnesota CAREERWise - Online Career Exploration Tool
- YouthForce NOLA - Connecting Young People to Work Experience and Professional Development
- CityWorks DC - Connecting Young People to Paid Work Experience and a Network of Professionals
- HERE to HERE - Brings Together Business, Education, and Community Leaders to Support Career Success for Youth in The Bronx
- Building Bridges to Careers - Uniting the Community in Creating a Cradle to Career Readiness Continuum
- Guide to Graduation, College, and Career for Students and Families (District of Columbia Public Schools)
- Lesson Plans and Materials for New College Knowledge Program (Puget Sound College and Career Network)
- Study on Impact of CTE on Postsecondary Outcomes in Nebraska and South Dakota (IES)
- College and Career Readiness Curriculum (Texas OnCourse)
- PaCE Decision-Making Framework to Support Students, Families, and Educators (Illinois Student Assistance Commission)
- Student Milestones for College and Career Readiness (Tennessee Department of Education)
- High School Quality Indicators for Individualized College and Academic Plans (Colorado ICAP)
- Planning Guide for College and Career Readiness for Districts and Schools (Minnesota Department of Education)
- Framework for College, Career, and Life Readiness (Naviance)
- College Awareness and Planning Curriculum (NACAC)
- Guidelines for Regional Workforce Collaborations (Ohio Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation)
- Planning Resources for Students, Families, and Educators (Delaware Department of Education)
- Lesson Plans, Videos, and Resources for CUNY Explorers Program (CUNY)
- Resource Center on CTE and Career Exploration (AdvanceCTE)
- Resources to Equip Youth and Adults to Explore, Articulate, and Pursue their Purpose (nXu)
- Playbook for College and Career Match (KIPP)
- Tool for Match and Fit List Builder for Students and Families (Achieve Atlanta)
- Toolkit on Fit and Match for Schools and Districts (NCAN)
- Guide to Incorporating Fit and Match into Advising and Program Data (NCAN)
- Brief on Promoting College Match and Fit: Lessons for Practitioners (MDRC)
- Toolkit on College Fit (Oregon GEAR UP)
- Resources on Find the Fit for Advisors (U.S. Department of Education)
- Resources on Find the Fit for Students (U.S. Department of Education)
- Digital Toolkit and Communications Resources for Counselors (Get Schooled)
- Text Messaging Software for Higher Education & Non Profit Businesses (SignalVine)
- Resources for Schools and Districts on Engaging Families of Under-resourced, Multilingual Communities (TalkingPoints)
- Guide for Talking about Social Capital (Equitable Futures)
- Public Education Foundation - Working Toward Success Metrics in Partnership with Hamilton County Schools
- Say Yes Cleveland Postsecondary Planning System - Tracking Student Indicators and Connecting Families with Support Services
- Boston WINS
- Strive Partnership of Cincinnati - Collaborative Effort to Track and Improve 53 Education Outcomes
- CUNY Network for College Success - Sharing Real-Time, Actionable Student-Level Data to Counselors
- CT Rise Network - Using On-Track Data Teams to Support Students
- Road Map Project - Building a Data-Driven Network to Close Equity Gaps
- Report Examining Most Predictive Measures of Postsecondary Preparation, Access, and Success for State and District Leaders and related case studies (ESG)
- Research Brief on Leading Indicators for Community College Improvement (CCRC)
- Toolkit: The MOU: A Tool for Formalizing Partnerships (JFF)
- Tools for Calculating Freshmen On-Track Indicator (University of Chicago Network for College Success)
- Report on College Readiness Indicator Systems (The Annenberg Institute)
- Tool to Benchmark Data Quality for Pathway Programs (Advance CTE)
- Tool from "Show Me the Data" State Report Card Trends (Data Quality Campaign)
- Roadmap for K-12 and Postsecondary Data Linkages (Data Quality Campaign)
- Factsheet on State Inclusion of Postsecondary Enrollment Data on Report Cards (Data Quality Campaign)
- FAFSA Resource Library (NCAN)
- Dashboard on State, National, and District FAFSA Completion Trends (NCAN)
- Report on the Importance of FAFSA Completion for Postsecondary Transitions and Related Case Studies (ESG)
- Toolkit on Financial Aid for Counselors, College Access Professionals, Nonprofit Mentors, and Other Advisors (Federal Student Aid)
- Quick Guide to Financial Aid Award Letters for Families (NCAN)
- Dashboard on Affordability Trends at Public Institutions (NCAN)
- Report on the Value of Postsecondary Education in Promoting Economic Mobility and Social Justice (Postsecondary Value Commission)
- Resource Center on Promise Programs (College Promise)
- Resources to Bridge the Gap of Financial Opportunities in Higher Education for Immigrant Families (DREAMer’s Roadmap)
- Resources to Help DREAMers Graduate from College with Career-Ready Degrees (TheDream.US)
- Brief for State Policymakers on Use of Federal Stimulus Funds to Support Transitions to Postsecondary Education and Careers (Jobs for the Future)
- Case Study on How States are Using Federal Stimulus Funds for College and Career Readiness (74Million)
- Article for State Policymakers on Reimagining Outcomes Based Funding (The Education Trust)
- Guide to Funding Guided Pathways Guide for Community College Leaders (CCRC)
- Infographic on How State and Local Governments Can Use Federal Funding for Education Data (Data Quality Campaign)
- Hamilton County (TN) Future Ready Performance Targets - Establishing District Wide Targets for College Readiness
- Louisiana FAFSA Requirement - Mandating FAFSA Completion for High School Graduation
- Idaho Direct Admissions Policy - Proactively Admitting Qualified Students to College
- South Dakota Direct Admissions Policy - Proactively Admitting Students to the State's Public Universities and Technical Institutes
- Report on Aiming for Equity: A Guide to Statewide Attainment Goals for Racial Equity Advocates (The Education Trust)
- Report on Moving Forward: Policies Supporting Transitions from High School to Postsecondary (Education Commission of the States)
- Webinar and Guidance on State FAFSA Requirements (Education Commission of the States)
- Report on State FAFSA Requirements (The Century Foundation)
- Policy Brief on Better Connecting Secondary to Postsecondary Education (Jobs for the Future)
- Fact Sheet on Why States Can and Must Include Postsecondary Enrollment Data on Report Cards (Data Quality Campaign)
- Guidebook on School Leader Evaluation Framework at DC Public Schools
- Playbook on the 5 Steps to Building & Strengthening Students’ Networks (Christensen Institute)
- Toolkit on Designing Pathways: Striving to Thriving: Youth Occupational Identity Formation (Equitable Futures)
- Report on Peer Connections Reimagined: Innovations Nurturing Student Networks to Unlock Opportunity (Christensen Institute)
- Framework on Developmental Relationships Search Institute: Developmental Relationships (Search Institute)
- Partnership for LA Schools Summer Melt Initiative - Supporting a Community of Students Attending the Same College
- CT RISE Network Summer Bridge - Summer Transition Program for Rising High School and College Freshmen
- Dallas Commit Text Messaging to Bridge Summer Melt - Text Messaging Initiative to Encourage Postsecondary Enrollment
- Texas College Bridge Program - Online Math and English Skill-Building Program
- Indiana Bridging the Gap Summer Bridge Program - Developmental Education Supports for Academically Underprepared Students
- CUNY College & Career Bridge for All - Near-Peer Matriculation Coaches
- Georgia State Summer Melt Initiative - Chatbot to Answer Enrollment Questions
- Handbook on Summer Melt for Schools and Districts (Harvard Strategic Data Project)
- Checklists on College Transitions for Schools (Puget Sound College and Career Network)
- Toolkit on Summer Melt for Schools and Districts (LA Unified School District)
- Toolkit on Summer Melt for Schools and Districts (NCAN)
- Templates for Student Text Messages for Summer Melt (Find the Fit)
- Guide to Sending Nudges to Students (Nudge; ideas42)
- Research Summary on Summer Melt (Education Northwest)
- Article on Pandemic Impacts and Strategies for Summer Melt (Hechinger Report)
Making the Connection: Aligning Advising to Improve Postsecondary Access and Success was authored by Lauren Norton and Ryan Reyna. The authors wish to extend gratitude to Emily Blatter Boyer, Monica Maldonado, and Tiffani Williams for contributing their research and expertise; to Kelly Van Beveren for her editorial and communications leadership; and to the team at Outright for their design assistance.
We also would like to offer a special thanks to members of our Expert Work Group (listed below) for sharing their insights and feedback.
This site was made possible with financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Adelina Silva (Vice Chancellor of Student Success, Alamo Colleges)
- Ajuah Helton (National Director, KIPP Through College)
- Aleesia Johnson (Superintendent, Indianapolis Public Schools)
- Andrea Soonachan (Dean of K-16 Initiatives, City University of New York)
- Andy Tucker (Director of Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness, Colorado Department of Education)
- Bill Tucker (Senior Advisor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
- Blake Freeman (Executive Director of Early Postsecondary Success, Hamilton County Schools)
- Caroline Altman-Smith (Senior Program Officer, Kresge Foundation)
- Christian Granlund (College and Career Network Manager, Puget Sound College and Career Network)
- Cornelia McCowan (Executive Director of College Readiness, Grand Prairie Independent School District)
- Erin Bibo (Former Deputy Chief of College and Career Education, District of Columbia Public Schools)
- Eve Shapiro (Chief Knowledge Officer, Beyond 12)
- Jorge Aguilar (Superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District)
- Karlo Silbiger (Coordinator of College-Going Culture, Partnership for Los Angeles Schools)
- Katie Graham (State Director of Career & Technical Education, Nebraska Department of Education)
- Kayla Elliott (Director of Higher Education Policy, The Education Trust)
- Melissa Connelly (CEO, OneGoal)
- Mike Krause (Former Executive Director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission)
- Noe Ortega (Chief, Pennsylvania Department of Education)
- Shana Payne (Director of Higher Education, Delaware Department of Education)
- Tim Renick (Vice President of Enrollment Management & Student Success, Georgia State University)
- Tina Fernandez (CEO, Achieve Atlanta)
- Troy Grant (Senior Director of College Access, Tennessee Higher Education Commission)
- Yarbrah Peeples (Senior Regional Director-East, College Advising Corps)
