Maryland College and Career Readiness Empirical Study. Final Report

The "Blueprint for Maryland's Future," passed by the 2021 Maryland General Assembly, requires that a college and career readiness (CCR) standard be set for Maryland public school students that "certifies that by the end of 10th grade, and not later than the end of 12th grade, a student has the requisite literacy in English and math to be successful in first-year, credit-bearing coursework at a Maryland community college or open enrollment postsecondary institution" (Blueprint for Maryland's Future Act, 2021, p. 9). The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) contracted with the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) to conduct the empirical study required by the "Blueprint" and to explore additional possible measures of student readiness for college and career success. This report addresses the study's four objectives: (1) identify knowledge and skills required to be college and career ready; (2) assess the alignment between Maryland's College and Career Ready Academic Content Standards and postsecondary expectations; (3) assess how well the interim CCR standard and alternative specifications of the standard predict postsecondary progress; and (4) identify potential areas of bias within assessments used to determine CCR.