Analysis of 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data for school-to-work participation found that it does not appear to influence behavior associated with college attendance. It does appear to increase subjective probabilities of obtaining a high school diploma and perceived likelihood of future labor market activity. (Contains 15…

Universities assume that the conceptions of research represented in their policies and plans are universally applicable. However, if individual postgraduate research students experience significant tension between their understandings about research and those of the institution, and this tension impedes on-time completion, then the institutions…

This paper examines college commencement, a formal campus exiting ritual orchestrated for students as they conclude their academic careers. The manuscript is focused on a single commencement ritual that illuminates the power of rituals to transmit cultural norms and provides an anthropological perspective that benefits scholars, practitioners, and…

Although recent research suggests that congruence between students and their academic environment is critical for successful student outcomes, little research has been done on student college major choice. Using Holland's theory of careers, we analyze college major choice using a multinomial logit model. We use the CIRP Freshman Survey and…

North Carolina has a dropout crisis--only two thirds of North Carolina high school students graduate. One reason this crisis has not received the attention it deserves is because the state was reporting badly inflated graduation rates (supposedly as high as 97 percent) until it finally adopted a more realistic reporting method earlier this year.…

Research has documented a crisis in South Carolina's high school graduation rate. While state officials report a graduation rate above 70 percent, researchers from South Carolina and elsewhere place the rate just above 50 percent, with rates among minority students lower than 50 percent. South Carolina's graduation rate is the worst of all 50…

This report presents information for parents, students, staff, policymakers, and the general public on the quality and performance of public higher education in West Virginia. Chapters display numerous indicators addressing various aspects of higher education: preparation; participation; affordability; workforce development and education outcomes.…

Across the nation, urban school districts struggle to raise often abysmally low high school graduation rates. New York City, with a four-year graduation rate of 57 percent, is no exception. Yet, some high schools in New York, as elsewhere, succeed beyond expectations in bringing students with low academic skills and high needs to graduation in…

This booklet is addressed to parents and guardians of incoming high school students, discussing what many researchers consider the most important year of high school, perhaps the most important year of school so far. Freshman year will set the stage for whether a student graduates and whether he or she will be ready for college. Citing years of…

Using rigorous qualitative research methodology, twenty-four college students receiving their undergraduate degrees in three years were interviewed. Following analysis of the semi-structured interview transcripts and coding, themes emerged, indicating that these students possessed self-discipline, self-motivation, and drive. Overall, the results…

Public education matters, whether you're a student, parent, teacher, administrator, employer, or taxpayer. Although you undoubtedly know something about public education, you may be unaware of important facts about the U.S. educational system or may be surprised to learn how things have changed in recent years. This edition of "A Public…

A majority of junior college students intend to obtain a two-year Associate in Arts (AA) degree and transfer to a four year college, but only approximately one third of these students continue their education beyond the community college level. It was hypothesized that an intensive counseling program for sophomores would enable students to achieve…

The program is a series of interviews and montages on the topic of graduation at all levels: high school, college, graduate, and honorary degrees. Among those interviewed are: Caroline Bird, author of "The Case Against College"; Judith Harrison, Maureen Smith, and Frank Meta, graduates; Roy Forbes, Director of the National Assessment of…

Institutional accountability for performance and quality is an evolving topic with immeasurable appeal. Data and sources are abundant, but validated measures and meaningful information are scarce. While pursuing an approach centered on construct validity, this study transforms complex data into useful information. Correlation analysis reveals…

To have any real chance of success in the workplace or in college, high school students must regularly engage in more rigorous, intellectually challenging work and must make more progress during their high school years than they do now. This report, presented to the California Senate Standing Committee on Education, states that in California,…