The paper assesses the effects of offering upper-secondary students the opportunity to pursue vocational education in high school on completion rates and subsequent earnings. Analysis of international cross-section data found that nations enrolling a large proportion of upper-secondary students in vocational programs have significantly higher…

Although studies have shown a significant wage gain associated with the possession of a college degree, few have considered at what age the degree was received to estimate this college wage premium. Given the recent increase in the enrollment of older students, this study examines how the size of the premium is affected by college timing while…

The article discusses the student credit hour (SCH). The author begins with a rethinking of the basic unit of measurement in American higher education--the SCH. The credit hour was developed at the turn of the 20th century as a measure of student time in the classroom: one hour per week in class for one semester equalled one SCH. The credit hour…

This study was conducted to determine whether states with performance budgeting and funding (PBF) programs had improved institutional performance of higher education over the five years (1997 through 2001) considered in this study. First Time in College (FTIC) graduation rate was used as the measure of institutional performance. In this study, the…

This report provides an estimate of college going rates by county for all 93 Nebraska counties for the high school graduating class of 2005-2006. Included are graduates of both public and private high schools. The report provides best-available data on graduates who attended Nebraska institutions (including public, independent, and for the first…

This is the first in a series of MPR Research Briefs published on the outcomes and experiences of California community college students. California Community Colleges (CCC) enroll roughly two-thirds of all California college students and nearly one-fourth of all community college students in the nation. Their low fees and open-admission policies…

This report describes various methods for computing graduation and completion rates, and how they compare.

In this longitudinal study of 21,243 students, the academic disqualification and persistence to graduation by financial aid category and academic ability were studied. Students who had greater financial need disqualified at higher rates and persisted to graduation at lower rates. However, when financial aid categories were stratified by academic…

The author provides one perspective on how to integrate sessions of the expanded core curriculum for students who are visually impaired into a high school schedule to support an effective balance between (a) required hours for core academic courses and appropriate pacing of the courses for those students and (b) core courses and the expanded core…

An exemplary program based at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay greatly increases the odds that at-risk youngsters will not only graduate from high school, but will go on to higher education. The program is also a model of university/community collaboration. ["Inspiring Students to Create the Future" was written with Timothy U.…

Compared with White persons, Black/African American persons in the United States continue to experience high rates of educational deficits and employment stagnation as well as lower college graduation rates. This study examined the influences on Black/African American and White college students' high school completion, college attendance, and…

Educators, economists and policymakers agree that raising the level of achievement for more learners is important. Studies of global workforce competitiveness regularly point toward the goal of nearly everyone achieving skills and knowledge commensurate with at least two years of higher education. According to this author, educators have…

Students who attend college part time are at a disadvantage relative to their full-time peers, according to a report released in June by the National Center for Education Statistics, an arm of the U.S. Department of Education. The report analyzes data from a 2004 national postsecondary student-aid study to create a profile of part-time…

This paper describes the District of Columbia's progress in implementing a comprehensive and coherent approach to education reform from the time of application through June 30, 2011. In particular, this report highlights key accomplishments over the reporting period in the four reform areas: standards and assessments, data systems to support…

This paper describes Delaware's progress in implementing a comprehensive and coherent approach to education reform from the time of application through June 30, 2011. In particular, it highlights key accomplishments over the reporting period in the four reform areas: standards and assessments, data systems to support instruction, great teachers…