More Youth, More Ready

At a recent fundraiser for a community-based college access program, the sense of opportunity was palpable. Speaking about their experiences, students and parents made clear the incredible impact the program had had on their lives, and program leaders described impressive plans for expanding students’ reach. Sitting in that room, we could easily have felt as though we were embarking on a new day—one in which all young people would have the resources and supports to pursue postsecondary education.

However, statistics tell another story: many low-income, ethnic minority, and first-generation college-bound youth are significantly less likely than their peers to enter and graduate from college. Even with strong programs in place, many young people aren’t availing themselves of support or are dropping out of the pipeline. What’s missing? We believe that one of the missing links is attention to adolescent development. Many college readiness efforts provide valuable information and support, but fail to take into account identity, motivation, peer relationships, and other developmental processes that are central to adolescents’ lives.

These processes influence all stages of the college-going process, including whether young people sign up for the programs mentioned above. Many young people dream early of going to college, but come to believe that college isn’t possible for people like them, so they don’t seek out support. Others don’t have the self-regulatory skills to engage in the behaviors that are necessary to get to and through college, so we write them off as being unfocused or uncommitted. Even more troubling is the fact that many students prematurely decide that college is not for them before they have even had the chance to explore their options.

Applying a developmental perspective can help us see each young person as an individual and understand the support that he or she needs to prepare for a productive future. It can help us to engage young people in reflective conversations, identity exploration, goal-setting and planning exercises, and a host of other strategies that can put them on a path to future success—and our communities on a path toward greater educational equity. For more, please visit Harvard Education Publishing Group's Voices in Education blog.