Increasingly, researchers, policymakers, school leaders, and concerned citizens are recognizing that high schools in the United States are in need of major reform. Current research shows that high schools are not preparing students for college, work, or life, and that they are leading to increased alienation among students. In a much-noted speech…

The numbers are astonishing and unfortunately all too familiar--while four in five high school students expect to complete a college degree, fewer than a third will actually emerge from the high-school-to-college pipeline with a baccalaureate six years after high school graduation. A growing number of parents see a college degree as absolutely…

The nation's 50 flagship universities serve disproportionately fewer low-income and minority students than in the past, according to this fifth report in the Education Trust's series on college results. Students in the entering and graduating classes at these schools look less and less like the state populations those universities were created to…

This brochure provides an overview of the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network and describes the urgent need for improvements to the U.S. educational pipeline to ensure that all students are adequately prepared for the demands of the twenty-first century workplace. Through the ADP Network, states will: (1) make their high school standards,…

This study uses panel data to examine the direct link between state funding and graduation rates at four-year public institutions. When other factors are held constant, a $1,000 increase in state appropriations per FTE student at four-year public institutions is associated with about a one percentage point increase in graduation rates. This…

In this paper we review the research evidence on the effects of affirmative action in employment, university admissions, and government procurement. We consider effects on both "equity" (or distribution) as well as "efficiency." Overall, we find that affirmative action does redistribute jobs, university admissions, and…

This is the second annual report from the National Charter School Research Project (NCSRP) at the University of Washington's Center on Reinventing Public Education. Like last year's debut edition of Hopes, Fears, & Reality, the 2006 volume explores some of the most current and controversial issues facing the charter school movement. This…

Among the recent changes to existing Pennsylvania state education regulations was the change from Carnegie units, or time spent in the classroom, as a requirement for graduation to mastery of student learning outcomes as a requirement for graduation. Once the changes became law, school districts became responsible for designing outcomes that fit…

Using a data base compiled by the Graduate School of Northwestern University, a longitudinal study of the graduate school careers of 2,211 students in 14 programs was conducted. Among the most prominent findings was the increase in the enrollment of foreign students. The patterns of attainment of graduate school milestones, such as Ph. D.…

The two highest risk nights for teens are prom and graduation. Many students feel as if they have not really celebrated if they have not been drinking or using other drugs. Virginia Operation Prom/Graduation (OP/G) addresses the issues of youth drinking, drugging, and driving behavior during these high-risk social seasons. It encourages a positive…

This report discusses measures taken in response to Colorado Senate Bill 92-155, which requests institutions of higher education in the state to ensure that students have the opportunity and needed assistance to complete degrees in a reasonable time. The report also examines degree completion times at Colorado colleges and universities, and…

A practice test has been prepared to give students experience with test items that are similar to those on the Ohio Ninth-grade Proficiency Tests. The practice test consists of one writing prompt, 20 reading questions, 20 mathematics questions, 25 citizenship questions, and 20 science questions. This manual contains instructions to the teacher, as…

In June 1993, revisions to the Pennsylvania School Code changed requirements for high school graduation from time spent in the classroom to mastery of 53 student learning outcomes. Districts were mandated to develop a strategic plan that included active community participation in implementing these new regulations. This study examined 17 districts…

This fact sheet presents information about the Ohio Proficiency Test for grade 12 in Reading. Beginning in February 1994, all students who have passed the Ohio Ninth-grade Proficiency tests in all areas will take the twelfth-grade proficiency tests in writing, reading, mathematics, and citizenship. The reading test is designed to measure a…

Twelfth-grade students in Ohio who have passed all the sections of the ninth-grade proficiency tests take the twelfth-grade tests. Beginning in 1995-96, these tests will include science, although science will not become a factor in earning a diploma until the year 2000. This fact sheet provides information about the Twelfth-grade Proficiency Test…