The "State of Higher Education in California" is a series of reports that provide comprehensive data on the current state of college access and completion for the state and what it means for the economy. This report on Blacks is the second in the 2015 State of Higher Education in California series. The report provides information on…

How do students with learning disabilities or emotional and behavioral disorders fare in adulthood? Are their rates of employment, graduation from post-secondary schools, living independently similar to their non-disabled peers? What can schools and communities do to teach and support youth and young adults with learning disabilities or emotional…

NCAA data indicates that Division III student-athletes are graduating at higher rates than their non-athlete peers. Graduation rate data alone do not provide a full understanding of student-athletes' academic success. The data thus far simply show empirically that student-athletes have a higher federal six-year graduation rate, but…

Students' engagement and performance in their first year of high school offer strong signals about their prospects for earning a diploma 4 years later. These performance measures can be used to construct "on-track" indicators to measure a school's performance and to identify needs of specific students who are at risk of dropping out.…

The "Annual Joint Report on Pre-Kindergarten through Higher Education in Tennessee" complies with the requirements established in T.C.A. Section 49-1-302(a)(10). The act directs the State Board of Education and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to provide a report to the Governor and General Assembly, all public schools, and…

Community colleges have received renewed attention from policymakers seeking to increase college attendance and completion rates because they provide open access to postsecondary education for historically marginalized students. Yet, transfer rates from community colleges to 4-year institutions are low. Inequities in opportunity that are shaped by…

Technological standards appear to be needed in undergraduate nursing education, as existing research has yet to establish technological standards for undergraduate nursing students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of senior nursing students with respect to their perceptions regarding exposure to and…

Like other major school districts throughout the country, the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) has shifted its focus over the last decade from holding high schools accountable for graduation rates to holding them accountable for rates of college and career readiness. There are two major challenges facing both research and policy…

Each year millions of Americans make the decision to pursue a college education to improve their skill sets, boost their earning potential and transform their life circumstances. Yet almost 1 in 5 students leaves empty-handed after investing precious time and valuable resources. And many who amass student loan debt are crippled by the burden of…

This thesis examines two uncommon topics in the economic literature regarding college access and completion: the role of college proximity in recent high school graduates' enrollment decisions, and how structural changes to the student experience at a postsecondary institution can affect college completion. The first chapter is a review of the…

The majority of Tennessee ninth graders graduate from high school, but far fewer make the leap to postsecondary education. Recently launched statewide initiatives have fundamentally shifted the educational landscape, substantially reducing barriers to postsecondary access. The state now stands at the cusp of a historical transformation where it…

The dramatic rise in the number of university students holding BTECs [Business and Technology Education Councils] raises important questions about the purpose of the qualification and whether it should be treated by policymakers as part of an academic or vocational pathway. Scott Kelly discusses these issues and makes a number of recommendations…

The purpose of this document is twofold. First, it provides a brief summary of states' Federal Fiscal Year 2015 (FFY2015) IDEA Part B Indicators 1: graduation rates, 2: dropout rates, 13: transition components of the IEP, and 14: post-school outcomes. These Indicators pertain only to students with disabilities and are reported yearly to the Office…

First-generation and nontraditional students represent significant segments of the undergraduate population in the United States, but graduation rates for both groups lag despite extensive outreach efforts. This study utilized a mixed-methods design to examine the influence of both characteristics on student experience. The study applied…

In 2014-15, the high school graduation rate reached a record high of 83 percent (U.S. Department of Education 2016). Despite the gains, over half a million students still drop out of high school each year (U.S. Department of Education 2015). High schools have adopted various strategies designed to keep students who are at risk of not graduating in…