The Iowa Department of Education collects information on joint enrollment from Iowa's 15 community colleges. Jointly enrolled students are high school students enrolled in community college credit coursework. Most jointly enrolled students enroll through Senior Year Plus programs such as Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) and concurrent…

In 2011 the U.S. Department of Education tightened the credit standards for Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Concerned about the possible effects of this change on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic's Historically Black Colleges and Universities College Completion…

The mission of the Houston Independent School District's (HISD) Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is to empower students with the academic and technical skills needed to strengthen the economic and social foundation of the city of Houston and beyond. HISD CTE programs are also tailored to prepare students to meet the current and future…

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) offers 16 Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that meet high school graduation endorsement requirements. CTE programs offer a sequence of courses that provides students with coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills…

What works to help rural students succeed in higher education? In fall 2020, MDRC partnered with Rural Matters and Ascendium Education Group to produce a four-part podcast series called "Rural Higher Education: Challenges & Opportunities." The series gathered experts from across the country to examine the realities of rural life and…

Higher education is increasingly important for individual wellbeing, the economic competitiveness of Washington state, and the state's recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. However, postsecondary enrollment trends have not kept pace with the state's changing economic needs and expanded financial aid programs. Issues with stagnant direct enrollment…

Early learning experiences at home and in classrooms build the foundations for children's later success in school and life. The pandemic has upended home life and preschool programs, making it more challenging for both parents and communities to provide optimal learning experiences for young children. These changes are likely to have important…

The 2023 edition of the Annual Condition of Education Report (COE) marks the 34th edition of the report. For over 30 years, the Department has published the COE in order to provide education stakeholders critical data about the status of Iowa's education system. The 2023 COE includes a wide variety of content including information about Iowa's…

In 1980, Andrew Egel, then a young professor of special education at the University of Maryland, was elated to hear he had received a $300,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund a model program in the public schools for children with autism. Reluctant at first, the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) agreed to work with Egel…

Given the increased enrollment in pre-K programs coupled with a lack of teacher education that consistently links to child development, this study examines a new course developed to support early childhood professionals in implementing effective teacher-child interactions. Findings suggest that an effective course can be scaled-up and used in…

Supporters and critics of free schools in England have had differing expectations about whether free schools would emerge in socially disadvantaged areas, and whether they would become socially selective. We investigate the outcomes, using information from the first three years since the introduction of the first new schools in 2011, drawn from…

This study evaluates the recent move toward Tier One by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) in light of its historical commitment to serve the largely Hispanic population of South Texas. Among the largest Hispanic-serving universities, UTSA provides a useful case study of this type of institution both historically and at the…

College students struggling to pass a college level math course required for Quantitative Literacy (QL) credit1 has been a common issue facing many institutions in higher education. In the fall of 2014, the Utah State Board of Regents solidified a statewide initiative that set goals for each of the Utah System of Higher Education institutions (UU,…

Only one in five graduates of Baltimore City Public Schools matriculates to a four-year college; the vast majority enroll in community college or look for a full-time job. Baltimore graduates and job-seekers need postsecondary training that works. "The Path to Baltimore's 'Best Prospect' Jobs without a College Degree: Career Credentialing…

Socioeconomic gaps in college enrollment and attainment have widened over time, despite increasing returns to postsecondary education and significant policy efforts to improve access. We describe the barriers that students face during the transition to college and review the evidence on potential policy solutions. We focus primarily on research…