This article studies state-developed courses in career and technical education (CTE) that offer students the opportunity to earn college credit during high school. Using a regression-discontinuity approach, we examine the effects of passing the end-of-course exam necessary to secure college credit on postsecondary enrollment and choice. We find…

In Utah, earning a general education certificate or an associate degree increases the likelihood of earning a bachelor's degree. This analysis uses data from Utah's public higher education institutions, tracking students who first earned a general education certificate or associate degree in the 2016-17 academic through the 2022-23 academic year.

A well-structured memorandum of understanding (MOU) documents key legal and operational aspects of an institution-foundation partnership. It serves important legal functions by specifying roles and responsibilities, appropriate use of state resources, and policies and practices supporting good stewardship, transparency, and alignment. An inclusive…

Globalization has offshored low skills manufacturing, leaving industry in the United States to adjust business models, install ever-advancing technology, and incorporate automation on their production floor. These advances in precision and computer-aided work require a labor force with technical and "soft" skills to operate complex…

This report provides findings from the evaluation of the pilot year of the Ohio College Comeback Compact, an institutional debt cancellation program being implemented at eight public institutions in northeast Ohio. The Compact provides up to $5,000 in debt cancellation for stopped-out students meeting certain requirements. As part of the…

To increase student completion, community college leaders have focused on the implementation and sustainability of organizational change efforts, particularly guided pathways, since 2015. Although researchers have studied many different change efforts and types of change in higher education, the focus of this research was on describing guided…

While community colleges intend for their students to complete their associate degree before transferring to a university, that is not always the case. Many students transfer when they are only a few course credits short of an associate degree. The study was conducted at a public university in Texas. The option of the reverse transfer process…

This paper outlines how four community colleges, and a large public university, collaborated to support over 80 paraprofessionals who sought to finish their bachelor's degree and earn licensure. Funding from a statewide "Grow Your Own" initiative allowed the teacher educators at the community colleges and university to put in place…

This report provides comprehensive data about the tuition and fee prices published by public higher education institutions in the West for academic year (AY) 2024-25, including changes in tuition and fee rates over the past one-, five-, and 10-year periods. For the first time, the report includes tuition and fees from each of the U.S. Pacific…

Teaching-focused professional development (PD) programs offered at institutions of higher education (IHEs) are uniquely positioned to be levers of change that improve the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in ways that broaden participation in STEM education, workforce development, and…

Community college presidents play a critical role in making decisions that shape the organizational cultures and policies of their institutions. This study explored the perceptions of 15 public community college presidents in Texas. Using focus groups and grounded theory methods, this research applied analytical frameworks focused on human…

Segregation is often seen in terms of race. However, it can also be based on socioeconomic status. Public colleges and universities in the U.S. had highly divergent responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite operating under similar health and legal considerations, campuses at most elite institutions were treated as essential functions while the…

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the differences, if any, are observed in the mean "Assessment Culture Scale" scores in faculty at postsecondary institutions in the United States according to "Institution Type," "Accreditation Region," and "Control Type" through a national survey:…

This ROI data tool provides an overview of the median ROI among certificate, associate's, and bachelor's degree-granting institutions, at the 10-, 15-, 20-, 30-, and 40-year time horizons. An interactive table allows viewers to compare ROI across institutions, by degree type, state, and the control of the institution (public, private nonprofit, or…

This quantitative based applied research study examined data collected fromstudents who have withdrawnfromor completed aneducator preparation program (EPP) ina small rural public community college in WestVirginia. This study compared studentretention rates with Frontier andRemote (FAR) designation by home zip code. These data informedthe research…