Report on research from 18 states that concludes that high-stakes tests do not lead to higher student achievement. In addition, such tests can decrease student motivation to learn and lead to higher student retention and dropout rates. (Contains 2 figures and 21 references.) (WFA)

The Evergreen State College is a public liberal arts college in Washington that has been named the "number one learning community" in the nation by "U.S. News & World Report." There are no grades at Evergreen; instead, faculty provide a narrative evaluation of students' performance in their courses. There are also no majors…

This policy brief reports on a study of variation in states' school completion rates for students with disabilities and the relationship of school completion to economic, sociodemographic, and educational variables. States' school completion rates were calculated from data maintained by the Department of Education. In addition, state-level special…

This study analyzed what graduate student assistants believed they needed to persevere and graduate. Most participants were graduate students serving assistantships at the University of Alabama in 1998. The Graduate Student Services Survey was mailed to 1,150 students, and 144 responded. The survey collected information on demographics, employment…

Among freshmen who entered the City University of New York (CUNY) in fall 1970, about 60 percent of the senior college enrollees and 41 percent of community college students were still enrolled or had graduated 3.5 years later. The retention-graduation rate of students with stronger high school averages was slightly higher than for those with…

Describes a survey project for use in sociological research methods courses. The project is built around the American Council on Education's Freshman Survey, and provides instructors with valuable opportunities to design panel studies focusing on the experience of the students over their college years. Claims that the suggested project reduces the…

Independent, or private, colleges and universities are diverse in their depth and variety -- in students, faculty, academic offerings, tuition levels. Surprising to many is just how affordable a quality private college education can be. It's an attainable dream for students from every social and economic segment of the nation. A private college…

A high school diploma opens the door to many exciting new options. These might include a first full-time job, or part-time or full-time attendance at a technical school, community college, or university. Students might want to obtain a certificate, an associate degree, or a diploma. With so many choices, it can be a challenge to decide which path…

This report examines national and regional dropout rate trends; factors associated with dropping out; efforts these factors; and federal efforts to reduce dropout rates. Information came from interviews with National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) officials; review of NCES data and reports by dropout prevention experts; site visits at…

This study examined whether alumni who were resident assistants (RAs) gave more to the institution than did alumni who were not RAs. This information was deemed significant for two reasons: (1) contributions from graduates are increasingly important sources of funds for colleges and universities; (2) information on why alumni contribute is…

This study examined the robustness of the "U.S. News and World Report" graduation rate performance indicator used in the magazine's college rankings. The graduation rate performance indicator is calculated as the difference between an institution's actual graduation rate and its predicted graduation rate, and is based on a linear…

Shows that the generally high returns to high school graduation are not universal. For some specific occupations, completing high school is not economically justifiable. (BH)

Data from 4 Illinois community college districts on 846 students who took at least 1 vocational course showed the following: most took multiple vocational courses, 97% in the lowest quartile completed vocational sequences, a higher percentage of special needs students completed vocational programs, and defining program completion according to…

Conflicting policies, careless recordkeeping, and racial tension added up in turmoil for the Newton County (Georgia) Board of Education when an African-American student and a white student each claimed the honor of being class valedictorian. (MLF)