The purpose of my action research study was to explore possible misalignment(s) of policy, practice, expectations, and what schools are engaged in when compared to what is required for students to be successful in post-secondary environments.

Action Research is a constellations of practices of inquiry that seek to shape a more ideal future (Bradbury, 2015; Reason & Bradbury, 2008). This is accomplished through collaborations that value our local contextual knowledge, culture(s), and experience(s) as a means of developing innovations that take action on an identified problem of practice. Action research can be practical an locally based or involve system thinking to transform organizations (Bradbury, Marvis, Neilsen, & Pasmore, 2008). The various forms of action research are part of a tradition of service to humanity and can be traced to the seminal works of scholars such as Kurt Lewin, Paulo Friere, and Jurgen Habermas.

The actions taken in my study were focused on the identified problems of practice. Each iteration of action research may refine the problem of practice as part of an emergent, dynamic, and reflexive process.

Reconnaissance:

• • Possible misalignment(s) of policy, practice, expectations, and what schools are engaged in when compared to what is required for students to be successful in post-secondary environments.

Cycle 0

• • Graduation rates continue to rise while university preparedness remains the same and early assessment placement scores continue to fall.

Cycle 1

• • A course of study may neither meet student needs for post-secondary success and create systems complexity to establish a clear pathway for post-secondary success.

Cycle 2

• • Students labeled as high need are not thought of as being capable of high levels of achievement.

Cycle 3

• • Systems complexity may lead to socio-economic reification of our students’ educational and post-secondary opportunities through institutional structures that spanned ecological systems. This complexity obscured setting relevant positive goals for high school graduation, college attainment, and career success.