Overview

The Office of College and Career Readiness (CCR) in the Division of Postsecondary and Career Education is responsible for state-level activities focused on postsecondary access, awareness and readiness, including early college programming; college readiness metrics; career exploration; access to academically rigorous coursework; postsecondary entrance exams; and resources and professional development to promote smart college choices.

Description of Services

CCR promotes college access by exposing DC students to college and academically rigorous programs such as Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, and the OSSE Scholars program. Similarly, this office supports college access by providing funding for SAT and ACT college entrance exams and corresponding in-school preparation courses.

This office also focuses on increasing college persistence and completion rates for students attending public schools in DC by implementing programs that promote FAFSA and college application completion, information sharing for students and educators around making smart college choices, and supporting summer bridge programs with a local university to help ensure students are academically ready to be successful in a postsecondary setting.

Finally, CCR fosters collaboration among key college access stakeholders and LEAs by bringing them together through the Postsecondary Access and Completion Change Network (PACCN) to share data, promising practices, and lessons learned, in addition to providing professional development opportunities for guidance counselors at middle and secondary schools. CCR also helps support the 9th Grade Counts Change Network – facilitating the sharing of critical student-level data across sectors for students making the transition from eighth to ninth grade.

Goals

• To increase the number of DC students who enroll in and complete postsecondary education.
• To increase the number of DC students who access academically rigorous experiences and entrance exams.
• To increase the number of students who transition through secondary education and are ready to enter postsecondary education

Eligibility

Programs and initiatives targeting District of Columbia residents that are preparing to pursue postsecondary education are eligible for funding from the Office of College and Career Readiness.

Program and Initiatives

• Adult College Completion Initiative (ACC)
• Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Funding
• Bridge to College Success
• Bridge to High School
• College and Scholarship Conversations
• College Rising Mentorship Grant
• DC College Application and Exploration Month
• DC Decision Day
• DC FAFSA Completion Initiative
• OSSE Dual Enrollment Opportunities
• OSSE Postsecondary Access and Readiness Series
• OSSE Scholars Summer Enrichment Program
• SAT School Day
• United States Presidential Scholars Program
• United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP)
• What's Next

Program Contact

Christina Beal, Director, College and Career Readiness
Division of Postsecondary and Career Education
[email protected]