Examining the NAF Academy Elements Associated with College Matriculation for High School Graduates

Abstract With the growing awareness of the value of earning postsecondary degrees to increase an individual’s chances of attaining better workforce outcomes and a higher chance of gaining a quality life, school administrators have embraced a college and career readiness agenda. The adoption of career academies as a model for high schools across the nation is one strategy designed to provide the learning contexts students need to fulfill their quests to successfully transition from secondary schools to college and/or into the labor market, thus preparing them to be college and career ready. Using data from the National Student Clearinghouse, we examined the college enrollment likelihood and matriculation rates of 15,851 U.S. high school graduates who participated in NAF (formerly known as the National Academy Foundation) academies in 2019. We analyzed how these rates differ by NAF student characteristics, school programmatic quality measures, and student participation in dual enrollment courses. Multilevel modeling revealed that NAF academy students who completed NAF courses, internships, and participated in dual enrollment were significantly more likely than their NAF academy peers—who did not experience those components of the NAF academy model—to matriculate into college.