Getting Prepared 2017: Recent High School Graduates and Development Courses

Overview & Synopsis

"Getting Prepared 2017" examines Minnesota public high school graduates from the classes of 2008-2015 who enrolled in postsecondary education and those enrolled in developmental education. This report provides insight into the academic readiness of Minnesota public high school graduates. Developmental education adds to the overall cost of college for students in terms of both tuition and opportunity costs for students who spend additional time finishing developmental course requirements before starting program-specific courses. Overall, Minnesota does well in moving students from public high school to college (77% of 2014 graduates enrolled in college within 2 years of high school graduation). However, gaps in college enrollment exist for students of color and lower income students. "Getting Prepared 2017 "provides policymakers one measure of college readiness--enrollment in developmental education. Twenty-four percent of 2014 public high school graduates enrolled in one or more developmental courses within two years of graduating high school. Overall developmental education rates for recent high school graduates declined between 2008 and 2014. Almost all graduates enrolling in developmental education (98%) enrolled at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Disparities in enrollment in developmental education also exist for students of color, non-English speakers and lower income students. [The Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS), managed jointly by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE), Minnesota Departments of Education (MDE) and Employment and Economic Development (DEED), provided data for this report. For "Getting Prepared 2016: Recent High School Graduates and Developmental Courses," see ED610322.]