Data from the Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education shows that in multiple introductory history courses, first year, first-generation, low-income, and racially/ethnically underrepresented students experience alarmingly high rates of D/F/W/I grades -- leading to problems in failure, retention, and completion. In other words, courses designed as "gateways" to college-level learning too often act as "roadblocks" to higher education and degrees. The AHA “History Gateways” project guides post-secondary faculty in re-evaluating and substantially revising their introductory courses to better serve students from all backgrounds.

But what do K-12 teachers think of our work? In December 2022, panelists described the AHA’s project to teachers in the National Council for the Social Studies. We asked audience members to draw on their experience with students transitioning to post-secondary education to help guide our efforts to reframe introductory history courses in support of success, retention, and completion among historically underserved groups. Teachers responded to five questions we posed: what we need to know about our entering students; the learning and skills they bring to our campuses; what they expect to encounter at the college level; the ways they best engage in continued learning; and the strengths and weaknesses of our course revisions. Our panel will report on the teachers’ responses.