Core to College Evaluation: Statewide Networks. Connecting Education Systems and Stakeholders to Support College Readiness

The Core to College initiative aims to facilitate greater coordination between K-12 and postsecondary education systems around implementation of the Common Core State Standards and aligned assessments. Core to College grants have been awarded to teams in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. The grant model places one individual--the alignment director--at the hub of a statewide reform effort. This report examines the strategies alignment directors have used to inform and engage others in the state, particularly around their states' top priority goals for Core to College. The report focuses on the depth and breadth of the social networks that have been developed or leveraged as a result of the alignment directors' work. Researchers sought to answer several driving questions: (1) What does the current social network in each state tell us about how the Core to College initiative has spread across the state?; (2) What does this network suggest about the probability of sustained activity for Core to College efforts?; (3) What strategies have the alignment directors in each state used to engage stakeholders?; and (4) How have those strategies contributed to the development of a connected social network in the state? The report also offers considerations for Core to College states and other states looking to ensure that their higher education systems are engaged alongside their K-12 systems to prepare for the changes coming with the new Common Core State Standards. Survey responses are appended.