Resource: Making the Connection
Aligning Advising to Improve Postsecondary Access and Success
When it comes to accessing, transitioning to, and succeeding in postsecondary education and training, high-quality advice and a helping hand can make all the difference. Unfortunately, students’ access to these elements varies widely from district to district, school to school, and even within a school.
In a moment when many are distanced and disconnected from school due to the pandemic, connections with advisors, mentors, and peers are more important than ever for helping students—especially students of color and from low-income backgrounds who have been hit hardest by the pandemic—successfully move into and through higher education and training. This is a critical moment for leaders across the education spectrum to ensure that high-quality, aligned advising is an expectation for every student, not enrichment for some.
In support of this goal, ESG has developed Making the Connection: Aligning Advising to Improve Postsecondary Access and Success – a new microsite that makes the case for prioritizing alignment of advising across K-12 and higher education, offers a vision for achieving that alignment, and lays out concrete action steps and resources for the many stakeholders who have a role to play.
Making the Connection is the culmination of extensive research, including insights from innovative leaders who are dramatically increasing students’ postsecondary readiness and success, to understand the current state of advising and how it might be improved for all students. Below you can find supplementary takeaway resources, including an overview of the new vision and key levers, action steps for each stakeholder group, and recommendations for related American Rescue Plan investment priorities.
