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When we released “The Writing on The Hall,” the first installment of our new Echoes From the Gap series, we didn’t just want to release a different kind of paper; we wanted to start a different kind of conversation — one sparked by the perspectives of students, but driven by you.

Last month, we asked you to share your perspectives on college and career readiness with us. Now, it’s my job to echo you back.

Here’s what we asked:

Despite broad college aspirations, only 3 in 10 public high school graduates take the academic coursework necessary for college entry. Why do you think this is?

Here’s what you said:

While some of you pointed to students’ skills and preparation (19%) or work habits (13%), nearly half of respondents (49%) attributed the disconnect to an information gap, where either students don’t know what classes they need to take to prepare for college (36%) or high schools provide too many choices and not enough direction (13%).

Said one respondent: “Schools don’t prepare them academically, don’t guide them adequately, and they don’t know how to prepare.”

Deja, a Michigan high school student, would agree. Check out her story here.

But we also asked your thoughts on what happens to students beyond high school.

Here’s what we asked:

While 3 out of 4 public school sophomores expect to attain at least a bachelor’s degree, only 38 percent enroll in a four-year college after high school. Why do you think this is?

This is what you said:

More than a third of you (36%) attributed the gap between college aspirations and actual enrollment to high schools that are more focused on getting students to graduation than to real college readiness. (Tre’s story illustrates this.) Meanwhile, an additional 19 percent of you said that the biggest problem was really, again, one about information and guidance, where students need more help to manage the college search and application process. Others said cost and lack of academic preparation are barriers.

I want to send a huge thank you to all of you who took the time to share your thoughts.

Now, we want your pictures…

Send us a picture of the writing on your wall and tell us how you put those words into practice in your classroom, school, or district. We’ll run the best-ofs here on The Equity Line!