The student dropout dilemma in the American educational system has remained unchanged for the past 30 years. Dropout figures show more than 6 million high school dropouts living in the United States today. The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze potential dropout variables between two groups of senior students at a local high school. …

Adults are participating in all levels of higher education in increasing numbers due to a variety of societal, cultural, technological, and economic pressures. While many adult students attend 2-year colleges and technical institutions, 4-year colleges and universities are also enrolling substantial percentages of adult students. Nevertheless,…

In this brief, the authors share what they are learning from looking beneath the averages. They identify public and private four-year institutions that appear to serve their black and white students equally well--that is, where both groups graduate at similar rates. They also identify public and private institutions that have a lot of work to do…

Dual credit is the term given to courses in which high school students have the opportunity to earn both high school and college credits. Dual credit courses are taught by regular high school faculty or by regular or adjunct college faculty either at the high school, at the college or university, or sometimes through online courses or distance…

This publication presents estimates of apprentice and trainee activity in Australia for the December quarter 2009. The figures in this publication are derived from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection no.63 (March 2010 estimates). There were 414 900 apprentices and trainees in-training as at 31 December 2009, a decrease of 0.6% from the…

The largest gains in graduation rates over the past decade have been accomplished at open-access or nearly open-access colleges and universities. In addition, states could see even bigger increases if they directed their policies and supports toward improving graduation rates at these nonselective institutions. These findings from the author's…

The Foundation for Educational Choice recently commissioned a new study to examine the economic and social costs of Oregon's high school dropouts. Emily House, the study's author, analyzed how dropouts in the state dramatically impact state finances through reduced tax revenues, increased Medicaid costs, and high incarceration rates. House's study…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) A Common Understanding: Final K-12 Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics Released on June 2; (2) "Diplomas Count":…

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is the federal government's core postsecondary data collection program. Approximately 6,800 postsecondary schools are required to complete annual IPEDS surveys on topics including enrollment, graduation rates, and finances. As policymakers have sought additional data to increase…

This version of "Retention. PEPNet Tipsheet," written in Spanish, focuses on understanding the factors that research indicates are important for persistence to graduation and suggests some approaches to reducing attrition among students who are deaf/hard of hearing attending postsecondary institutions. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing and…

In recent years, criticism of high school graduates' lack of readiness for college and work has led a number of states to raise high school graduation requirements -- particularly in terms of the number and rigor of courses students must pass. Yet states have found that without a common end-of- course measure, it is impossible to ensure that…

Using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and College Results Online--a website that lets the public access a school's enrollment and graduation statistics on the basis of categories such as race, ethnicity, and gender--Education Trust or EdTrust, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that aims to close the gaps that keep many…

Debates about gender and schooling have taken a surprising turn in the past decade. After years of concern that girls were being shortchanged in male-dominated schools, especially in math and science, there has grown a rising chorus of voices worrying about whether boys are the ones in peril. With young women making up close to 60 percent of…

In this study, the authors examined the college-ready graduate rates of all students (n = 1,099 high schools) in the State of Texas for the 2006-2007 school year. Data were analyzed for students' scores in reading, in math, and in both subject areas combined. Approximately one-third of all students were determined to be college-ready in both…

By considering heterogeneity in abilities and self-selection in educational choice, this paper adopts the heterogeneous human capital model to estimate rate of return to university education using data from the 1990 and 2000 Taiwan's Manpower Utilization Surveys. The Taiwan empirical study shows that significant heterogeneous return to education…