America's Sorting Machine

Back in the 1930s, when many people made livings on farms and in factories, “comprehensive” high schools were created to prepare young people for a range of academic and vocational tracks. Schools assigned only some students to college-prep courses, often deciding early in students' careers whether they were “college material.” At the time, the system made sense — even students who didn't get much of an education could find menial jobs to support themselves after graduation.

Today, many public high schools still use the model of a comprehensive high school created decades ago. The problem is, the vast majority of future jobs will require education and technical skills beyond high school. For that matter, most students who go straight from high school to the workforce now need at least the same skills and knowledge as students entering college. That means schools need to prepare all students for college, and not just those they decide have the right stuff.

Many of the students that schools are not prepping for higher education are low-income students, students who would be the first generation in their families to go to college, underrepresented minorities and students with disabilities. White and Asian-American students are much more likely to take the courses that prepare them for college^[1]. By their late 20s, more than one-third of white Americans have at least a bachelor's degree, but only 18 percent of African Americans and 10 percent of Hispanics have earned degrees^[2].

The Education Commission of the States says that even though the number of college graduates is likely to increase significantly by 2015, the United States will run into trouble if the rate at which American students enroll in college does not increase. It is estimated that more than 14 million new jobs requiring postsecondary education will have been created between 1998 and 2008^[3]. If current college-going and completion rates continue, the United States risks losing its competitive edge against developed countries that have markedly increased their college participation and graduation rates^[4].

Other benefits of a college education:

If you earn a bachelor's degree, you'll likely earn nearly a million dollars more over your lifetime than someone with only a high school diploma[5]. While there is no guarantee that a postsecondary degree will lead you to a high-paying job, without some form of postsecondary education and training, you are unlikely to secure employment that will allow you to support a family.

Research shows that if you are college-educated, you are more likely and more able to assist in the education of your children, more apt to vote, and more likely to be active in civic affairs[6].

It also shows that college-educated people are more tolerant and understanding of cultures different from their own[7].

However, in a nation where equal opportunity for all is a bedrock democratic value, getting a college degree still depends far too much on your economic circumstances or ethnic heritage. Many minority students or students from low-income families who do enter college never complete a college degree. This leads to a cycle of discouragement for students, a squandering of their talents, and inefficient use of public and private resources. With a small number of exceptions, the many pathways that should lead students to promising careers instead have become one-way streets to low-level jobs and marginal status in contemporary society.