In this article we examine gender differences in factors related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) education and employment between the ages of 36 and 39. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth, we identified a STEMM high school talent pool. We found early gender differences in interest in…

The data for this study was obtained from student records at North Iowa Area Community College and the National Student Clearinghouse. The National Student Clearinghouse, a non-profit organization, is the nation's source for post-secondary and secondary student degree, diploma and enrollment verification. NIACC students from 1996 to 2005 who…

Graduation rates have become a prominent feature in the landscape of high school reform and within the larger world of educational policy. Studies conducted over the past several years have repeatedly demonstrated that far fewer American students are completing high school with diplomas than had previously been realized. Whereas the conventional…

This report provides the Nebraska Legislature with comparative statistics to monitor and evaluate progress toward achieving "three key priorities" for Nebraska's postsecondary education system: (1) Increase the number of students who enter postsecondary education in Nebraska; (2) Increase the percentage of students who enroll and…

There is a federal movement to improve student outcomes targeting some of these predictors in several recently launched initiatives, but where does Arizona stand? What are we currently doing to move the needle, and what do we still need to do? This report prepared for the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council has two objectives: (1)…

The 1997 Nebraska Legislature enacted Bill 806 to promote school consolidation, which legislators believed would lead schools to become more cost-efficient and provide a significantly larger curriculum. This legislative action begged the question: Has the move to consolidate schools made Nebraska schools more efficient while providing greater…

What keeps students engaged in high school? Persisting to high school graduation is becoming more difficult for many students with the increased rigor of American high school graduation requirements. While many factors that contribute to students not completing high school have been explored, and while many interventions have been developed to…

The focus of this dissertation is on performance indicators--specifically, retention and graduation indicators--that impact allocation of the ever-dwindling public sources of money. Decreasing revenue trends make understanding the performance indicators that are often used to fund postsecondary institutions very important. There is a significant…

The study examined the academic and graduation progression of students with disabilities compared to their non-disabled students in Georgia public high schools. Specifically, the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) in math and English and graduation rates were analyzed for their progression since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind…

Several studies have examined parent expectations of schools in general (Gewertz, 2008; Carney-Hall, 2008; Keller, 2008; Stelmach, 2005; Boal, 2004; Lawson 2003; Wherry, 2003; Cheney, 2002; Bomotti, 1996; Epstein & Hollifield, 1996). Other studies have more specifically addressed parents' expectations of urban schools and their reasons for…

To encourage college students to stay enrolled and to graduate remains a challenge for educators and educational policymakers. There are basically two lines of actions in addressing the issue of student persistence. One is directed towards eliminating or reducing the risk factors such as poor student services and hostile learning environment;…

Students enter colleges and universities with the expectation that they will attain the degree to which they aspire and graduate. Colleges and universities admit students they expect to be successful using research based academic predictors of success. Students who seek a degree from community colleges similarly enter with the expectation that…

A dramatic reversal of gender inequality in education occurred when women reached parity with men in college graduation rates around 1982 and surpassed men since then. While scholars have documented this remarkable turnaround in the gender gap in college completion, few studies have offered explanations for why this reversal occurred or why women…

Little is known about the leadership practices and behaviors of the building leaders of dropout recovery schools and how these behaviors correlate with the ability of their student population to pass state-required standardized tests. This study analyzed the responses of 8 building leaders of dropout recovery schools regarding their leadership…

In the wake of concern about the diversity of cadets/midshipmen selected by the service academies, Congress requested that the Secretary of Defense conduct a comprehensive assessment of the recruiting efforts, admissions policies, graduation rates, and career success rates of entrants and graduates at the United States Military Academy (USMA), the…