College access initiatives should focus on adolescent development so that students develop a sense of active agency as they explore postsecondary options.
In Tool Set B, the Network for College Success highlights two sources that can help Counselors and other educators as they integrate a developmental approach to college access: Foundations for Young Adult Success: A Development Framework by the UChicago Consortium and Ready, Willing, and Able by Savitz-Romer and Bouffard. The UChicago Consortium research offers a developmental framework to consider students’ needs from preschool to young adulthood. Ready, Willing, and Able posits how adolescents move toward their postsecondary destinations and how educators can help support them through college readiness activities.
Use the Tool Set
The full Integrating a Developmental Approach to College Access Tool Set is available for download. The download includes the four tools in this Tool Set.