The strongest college-readiness predictors measure four broad constructs: academic preparation, aspirations and expectations, socioeconomic status, and teacher perceptions¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2017 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Exploratory factor analysis on training data and confirmatory factor analysis on test data show highly predictive variables load on a general factor plus roughly four subfactors corresponding to academic preparation, postsecondary aspirations and expectations, socioeconomic status, and teacher perceptions of readiness. → James Soland 2017

Evidence¶

James Soland 2017¶

James Soland. (2017). Combining Academic, Noncognitive, and College Knowledge Measures to Identify Students Not on Track For College: A Data-Driven Approach. Research & Practice in Assessment, Volume Twelve, Summer 2017. https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/combining-academic-noncognitive-and-college-knowledge-measures-to-identify-students-not-on-track-for-college-a-data-driven-approach/

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Factor analysis of roughly 40 variables identified as strongly predictive by random forest and lasso models; the bifactor model fit best (chi-square 2403, RMSEA .056) among candidate models compared on fit statistics.

"Beyond the general factor, the variables load on roughly four factors. The first of these factors is associated primarily with test scores and other measures of academic preparation like grades."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Socioeconomic Status — predictor: outcomes differ by group: a gap reflecting circumstances and treatment, not a cause

Related Claims¶

• Across the college-going population, course grades are consistently the strongest indicators of students' general academic preparation — related
• A more positive school climate is related to improved academic achievement beyond socioeconomic status — related
• Exploratory factor analysis indicates a four-factor solution best fits the survey response data — related
• Parental aspiration/expectation for children's educational achievement has the strongest relationship with academic achievement among involvement components — related
• Students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds fail dual enrollment at higher rates than equally achieving peers, with the gap widening as achievement rises (the readiness illusion) — related
• A few decision-tree splits identify very high-risk students, such as low-SES students who doubt they will reach college — related
• CPS students' ACT scores fall below both their college aspirations and their own expectations, and most interviewed students scored lower than they expected — related
• Teacher expectations correlate most strongly with achievement among Year-10 expectation and aspiration measures — related