Purpose: Responding to a deficit in research on information literacy skills proficiency at the secondary level, and specifically in a low-socioeconomic urban school district, the purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore and to compare the information literacy skills knowledge and proficiency of 12th-grade students to their academic achievement. These students ranged academically from low-achieving to high-achieving, at a large high-minority, high-poverty urban school district. This comparison was made by using an information literacy skills assessment, Tool for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (TRAILS) to ascertain job market or college and career readiness for employing information literacy skills after high school. The TRAILS is an online multiple-choice assessment, created based on the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. TRAILS assesses students on five criteria: ((a) developing the research topic; (b) identifying potential sources; (c) developing, using, and revising strategic searches; (d) evaluating sources and information; and (e) using information responsibly, ethically and legally.

Method: For the quantitative phase, Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients was employed to analyze scores from the TRAILS assessment and academic achievement, as measured by collegiate and weighted GPAs of 12th-grade students. Following the quantitative phase, qualitative interviews were conducted using extreme-case criteria of students scoring highest and lowest on the assessment. Mixed analysis was conducted by comparing interview response data to participant assessments to deepen the understanding of perspectives on information literacy knowledge.

Findings: Findings indicate there was a correlation between TRAILS scores and academic achievement based on collegiate and weighted GPA. The majority of students achieving higher TRAILS scores also correlated with earning a higher GPA, and the majority of students receiving the lowest TRAILS scores similarly were associated with lower GPAs. Males scored higher for total correct, while having a slightly lower GPA. Qualitative findings indicated higher-achieving students have a better perception of job market or college and career readiness as compared to lower-achieving students.