This study was a cooperative effort of the Texas-ACT College Success Research Consortium, a research partnership between ACT and the following Texas four-year postsecondary institutions: (1) The University of Texas at Austin; (2) Texas A&M University at College Station; (3) Texas A&M University at Commerce; and (4) University of Texas--Pan…

This report provides system-level graduation and retention rates for the University of North Carolina (UNC), with campus-level and corresponding peer benchmarks appended. Where possible, corresponding national rates are reported as well. In all measures, UNC surpasses these national rates. Traditional definitions for graduation and retention rates…

Building on prior research by two of the present authors, which uses lottery-like features in New York City's high school admissions process to rigorously demonstrate that new small public high schools in the district are markedly improving graduation prospects for disadvantaged students, the present paper demonstrates that these graduation…

Early College High Schools partner with colleges and universities to provide students with an opportunity to earn an Associate's degree or college credits toward a Bachelor's degree at no or low cost to students. In a recent study, researchers found that attending Early College High Schools improved some high school and postsecondary outcomes for…

The 2013 study, "Looking Beyond Enrollment: The Causal Effect of Need-Based Grants on College Access, Persistence, and Graduation," examined whether eligibility for the Florida Student Access Grant (FSAG), a need-based grant for low-income students in Florida, affects college enrollment, credit accumulation, persistence over time in…

The accountability of No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2001) provided assurance that "all children (would) have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments" (Section 1001). According to…

This is the third annual Governing Board Monitoring Report for Maricopa Community Colleges that utilizes the Board outcome metrics adopted in 2010 to gauge institutional effectiveness. This Executive Summary focuses primarily on the 11 metrics considered "Key Metrics" but includes other select metrics, institutional data, and context…

This report uses statistics to examine current conditions and changes over time in education activities and outcomes for different racial/ethnic groups in the United States. The indicators in this report show that some traditionally disadvantaged racial/ethnic groups have made strides in educational achievement, but that gaps still persist. The…

Educators and researchers have long recognized the importance of mastering reading by the end of third grade. Students who fail to reach this critical milestone often falter in the later grades and drop out before earning a high school diploma. This study relies on a unique national database of 3,975 students born between 1979 and 1989. The…

Each year, "Diverse: Issues In Higher Education" publishes lists of the Top 100 producers of associate, bachelor's and graduate degrees awarded to minority students based on research conducted by Dr. Victor M.H. Borden, professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the Indiana University Bloomington. This year, Diverse staff…

Institutions of higher education have experienced increased scrutiny. Legislative and policy developments rapidly impact institutional accountability and student access. While various accountability measures are available to assess institutional quality and student success, information currently collected is not sufficient for a broader…

In this digital age, teaching has transcended the classroom. So why should school walls confine college counseling? The question is driving innovation that could change the way students prepare for college and careers. Just as learning is now a hybrid of face-to-face and virtual interactions, the transmission of college know-how is fast becoming a…

With many states crafting assessments based on the common-core standards--and an increasing emphasis on college and career readiness--some are rethinking the kind of tests high school students must pass to graduate, or whether to use such exit exams at all. Twenty-five states, enrolling a total of 34.1 million students, make exit exams a…

When students receive a doctoral degree and find their first job, they will be exposed to the realities of academic life. What will it be like? How should they navigate that particular real world they are thrust into? Most students, even those who taught part time before earning a Ph.D., have only the vaguest concept of what it is like to work in…

This study investigated one potential mechanism mediating continuity and discontinuity in low-income status across generations: children's educational aspirations and expectations. Data were drawn from a community sample of 808 participants who were followed from age 10 to 30. Four trajectory groups of children's educational aspirations and…