As college costs become unsustainable and the white collar job market tanks, the bloom is off the rose when it comes to America’s holy grail of sending all students to college. In New Jersey, only 68%  of enrolled students end up graduating from 4-year colleges and only 32% graduate from community colleges, often saddled with debt. At Kean University 48% of students end up with a diploma after six years of trying; at Mercer County Community College, it’s 17%. New Jersey is ranked 15th in the country for college readiness because 46% of students have to take remedial courses in college.

Yet, says the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, college completion is still the most reliable pathway to “good jobs,” especially in a white collar-leaning state like NJ. What can we do to up the odds of its high school graduates landing on their feet? According to JerseyCAN’s new report, “Credit Where Credit is Due: Charting the Course for Cost-Effective, Career-Ready Futures in New Jersey,” we can start by ensuring that all high school students graduate college or career-ready, with the non-profit offering seven strategies, all rated on access, affordability, and assistance. 

The key, said Executive Director Paula White in a recent interview with NJ Education Report, is substantially increasing the number of students earning college credit in high school, as well as those earning industry credentials. This doesn’t mean inventing new trajectories, just taking advantage of the ones already there.

“We need to democratize college completion,” said White, “make it available to all students. Sixty-six percent of well-paying jobs in New Jersey still require a college degree but we underperform in part by not being transparent about the fact that some of our students aren’t adequately prepared in K-12 schools, even when they walk away with a high school diploma. Making these shifts provides an opportunity for accountability.” 

What are those shifts that NJ needs to make?

JerseyCAN recommends all high schools increase support for students taking AP courses and taking the end-of-course test, pointing to data that shows earning college credit through AP exams increases the likelihood of students graduating college after four years of matriculation. The report highlights  North Star Academy Charter School in Newark, where 82% of high school students enroll in AP courses (the state average is 39%): With a  well-planned suite of student supports, 46% of North Star students get a score of 3 or higher on the test (twice as high as the state average), which gives them college credits. 

And let’s make sure students get the credits they earned: White testified in favor of a state bill proposal, A929, which would, with occasional exceptions, require all state public colleges to accept an AP test grade of 3 for college credit.

White is also a strong supporter of the  College Level Examination Program (CLEP), which allows high school students, as well as adults, to get college credit for proving competency in 34 subject areas covering first and second year college courses in history, economics, mathematics, foreign language and other subjects. 

“No one knows about CLEP,” she said, “but it’s an important program – accepted by 72% of colleges throughout the U.S. —  that allows students to get college credit before they graduate, even without seat time. It tells a student, ‘I am college material!’” White recommends  Modern States, which offers free CLEP-aligned online courses. 

The cost for a CLEP test is $93 per course (comparison: one three-credit course at NJ colleges can run $10,000); JerseyCAN recommends waiving the fee for low-income students. In addition, CLEP passing scores are not subject to political pressures like NJ’s diploma-granting test where the State Board lowers cut scores and students can bypass the test altogether. If you can pass a CLEP test you’re ready for college-level rigor, unlike the NJGPA. 

Dual-enrollment in high school and community college is one more way for students to jumpstart their futures by allowing them to take college level courses and simultaneously earn high school and college credits. JerseyCAN recommends that we join 20 other states that require schools to notify parents and students about dual enrollment opportunities. The New Jersey Dual Enrollment Study Commission Report found that students who enroll in these programs finish college more quickly with higher GPAs. 

Early College high school programs are another avenue. For example, Camden County College works with Mastery Charter High School of Camden, Camden Academy Charter, and Camden County Technical Schools to enroll 60–70 students each year who graduate high school with an associate’s degree.

Finally, not everyone has to go to college, although students should be college-ready. For those who are certain that skilled trades and technical careers are where they’re headed, NJ schools must offer a full suite of industry-valued credentials. The report cites a study showing  “52% of good jobs are expected to be on the middle skills pathway, denoting jobs that require credentials beyond a high school diploma but not a bachelor’s degree.”

“Students want credit where credit is due, whether through the college pathway or credentials earned in a non-college field,” explains JerseyCAN.  “By establishing policies that grant widespread access to college credit and workplace credentials in high school,  an economically sustainable future will be secured for the Garden State.”