Over the past decade, Tennessee has invested in several policies addressing the educational attainment of adult learners. One of these policies, Tennessee Reconnect, is a last-dollar scholarship for eligible adults to attend community college free of tuition and mandatory fees. In 2021, two community colleges participated in a year-long pilot…

This study examines the impact of early Algebra I coursework on advanced Carnegie credits among 12th graders from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, using data from the NCES HSTS (1990-2019). Findings indicate that early Algebra students, particularly Black and Latinx, earn more advanced credits, revealing a widening gap in advanced course…

Many institutions of higher education struggle with low retention rates. One state liberal arts college addressed this concern by assigning an academic case manager to higher risk students. This project evaluated the effectiveness of the case manager on student credit hours and retention using a randomized control trial. The case manager contacted…

Child care preferences are as diverse as California's families themselves. According to one California parent, the ideal arrangement for her preschooler would be "a nanny that is embedded in our lifestyle and available for evenings […] but I will still like to keep our child in preschool for socializing." For another parent, the ideal…

In pursuit of its mission to increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary credential, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) have implemented various programs and initiatives to encourage Tennesseans to engage with higher education and support students through completion.…

College and university leaders are fighting the battle of their lives to maximize their institutions' financial wellbeing. With COVID-19 further weakening institutions' financial positions, are there any hidden sources of savings still to be had? The answer, often, is yes--even for the many institutions who have already made substantial cuts. It…

Community college transfer pathways, whereby students begin their postsecondary enrollment at a 2-year institution, are an increasingly popular option for students looking to complete a bachelor's degree. Designed to increase transfer efficiency, articulation agreements between community colleges and 4-year institutions provide structured pathways…

Volume is the dominant metaphor underlying the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). Credits are used to 'express the volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload', with the latter based on volume of student effort. But the convenience of volume can leave the first part overlooked, i.e.…

This interactive resource provides information on state private school choice policies specific to vouchers, education savings accounts and scholarship tax credits. It highlights the various ways in which states approach specific private school choice policies. It is worth noting that some states have more than one private school choice program.…

Seminaries in the United States have for more than two centuries sought to equip ministerial leaders for service within the community of faith. And yet these institutions have traditionally been the focus of very little quantitative research. This lack of data is particularly noteworthy given the existential crises many seminaries currently face,…

The concept of academic momentum links student enrollment patterns to degree completion whereby patterns of meaningful, consistent collegiate enrollment increase the likelihood of earning a degree. Academic momentum encompasses both a student's trajectory and rate of progress toward a tangible academic outcome with a core assumption that momentum…

The recent passage of H.R. 1 by a partisan Congress chooses billionaires over babies, and puts children in unprecedented peril. This Issue Brief describes some of the many ways that H.R. 1 will hurt children in the U.S. and even around the world in the very near term and in the years to come, including that it: (1) Cuts $1 trillion from Medicaid…

The House has passed a budget reconciliation bill that supporters are referring to as a "one big, beautiful bill." However, the authors of this Issue Brief believe that this budget bill threatens the health and nutrition of millions of children and pushes millions of children into poverty in order to provide tax credits for corporations,…

According to "Newark Kids Count 2024," fewer families are living below the poverty line, the city has experienced a decrease in unemployment, and median household income has increased. However, Newark's median family income of $44,625, is a stark difference from New Jersey's median income of $126,827. Since New Jersey is a more expensive…

In 2011, Virginia's General Assembly enacted legislation that required one credit in a stand-alone personal finance course for graduating students. Subsequently, the Virginia Department of Education developed Standards of Learning (SOLs) for Personal Finance and Economics (Code of Virginia §22.1-200-03B), which included a focus on personal…