Outliers for equity: Choosing (and not choosing) college preparation in California’s Riverside County

Some schools prepare more of their students to succeed in college than others. This case study in Riverside County seeks to identify high schools that are outliers in college outcomes and illuminate processes that might encourage or discourage college enrollment and persistence. Leveraging the theory of loose coupling and interviews of educators in outlier schools, findings suggest that schools frame college readiness differently, and constraints on choice may expand college opportunity. While schools had similar policies regarding college-going, how educators considered for whom these policies would apply distinguished high- from low-ranking schools. Specifically, high-ranking schools limited opportunities for students to opt-out of college preparation, offered Career and Technical Education that emphasized career and college, and though often deficit-oriented, saw student characteristics as malleable in guiding students toward college.