Evidence that physical activities are good for health and well-being is well established. However, the intrinsic motivation for many people is not high enough to generate active engagement. A simple way to encourage enrollment in ballet classes is to make course descriptions more attractive by combining textual impulses with before-and-after…

In 2021-22, Texas implemented a policy requiring all public high school seniors to complete a financial aid application. This paper examines the early impacts of this requirement on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates and college enrollment using a difference-in-differences model. First, using a sample of high schools…

In April 2022, HB22-1255, "Concerning Measures to Improve Postsecondary Education Outcomes for Students with Disabilities" was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis. This is the second statewide report to include data on students with disabilities (SWDs). This year would have been the first year for which additional student outcomes…

The current literature on early predictors of postsecondary outcomes focuses almost exclusively on the relationship between postsecondary outcomes and students' academic achievements and experiences in middle and high school. These relationships are important, but policymakers and educators might get a more complete picture of how K12 relates to…

Early College High Schools (ECs) aim to increase postsecondary enrollment and degree attainment, specifically among historically minoritized populations. Research outlines the positive outcomes of ECs, yet less research examines the unintended consequences of these consolidated college preparation programs. Through interviews with 13 EC graduates,…

Purpose: This article explores the perceptions of professionals on the implementation and impact of Dual Vocational Training (Dual VET) in the Spanish education system. Design/methodology/approach: The study involves interviews with various professionals in the education and employment sectors and two discussion groups. Findings: Results reveal…

Black students are the most underrepresented in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), Advanced Placement (AP), honors, dual enrollment (DE), and other programs for advanced learners (Ford, 2011, 2013; Hines, 2024; Hines, Fletcher et al., 2022). However, accelerated learners, particularly Black students, are usually seen as individuals who…

Certain statewide promise programs require students to demonstrate financial need, while state performance funding policies sometimes incorporate a financial bonus that incentivizes colleges to enroll or graduate low-income students. We use data on public, 4-year colleges from 2007-2008 to 2019-2020, and incorporate difference-in-differences…

Background/Context: As college tuition continues to rise, financial barriers to higher education disproportionately impact low-income students. Over the last few decades, several states have instituted merit-based scholarships not only to increase college access but to create incentives for college readiness among high school students. The…

Dual-credit courses expose high school students to college-level content and provide the opportunity to earn college credits, in part to smooth the transition to college. With the Tennessee Department of Education, we conduct the first randomized controlled trial of the effects of dual-credit math coursework on a range of high school and college…

The Iowa Department of Education collects enrollment information from all 15 community colleges. This report summarizes several aspects of community college enrollment, including: (1) Fall 2017 enrollment decreased less than one percent to 90,531 students; (2) Part-time enrollment reached a record high, comprising 62.2 percent of total fall…

Over the first two school years under the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 enrollment in public schools decreased dramatically--with losses concentrated among the youngest students--and the pandemic has had historically unprecedented effects on available learning opportunities. Little is known about where these students went and what learning environments…

The Accountability Plan is an annual report that is closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This report enhances the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by fostering greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors regarding…

The Accountability Plan is an annual report that is closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This report enhances the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by fostering greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors regarding…

This paper examines how the process of making higher education choices in the United States--whether to enter higher education, attend a particular college, or follow a particular path through college--produces and legitimates social inequality. The paper's central thesis is that a societal regime of many choices--while serving individual freedom…