The purpose of this publication is to provide basic descriptive information about the 100 largest school districts (ranked by student membership) in the United States (50 states and the District of Columbia) and other jurisdictions (Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Defense schools, Puerto Rico, and four outlying areas: American Samoa, Guam,…

This study uses a widely respected method to calculate public high school graduation rates for the nation, for each state, and for the 100 largest school districts in the United States. The authors calculate graduation rates overall, by race, and by gender, using the most recent available data (the class of 2003). While this report builds upon a…

This paper, the second annual report by the Arizona Education Policy Initiative (AEPI), is a collection of policy briefs on key issues in Arizona education. The authors of these briefs are on the faculty of Arizona's three public universities: Arizona State University (ASU), Northern Arizona University (NAU), and the University of Arizona (UA).…

Tests like the Ohio Graduation Test are part of what has become known as the "standards-based" reform movement in education. Simply put, they allow states to measure whether or not students are learning according to whatever set of standards, benchmarks and indicators are adopted by that state. They also help meet, in part, the reporting…

Graduating more students prepared to meet the social, civic, and economic challenges of coming decades is a national priority. Indeed, institutional graduation rates are being scrutinized by state legislatures and by those in Congress drafting the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Every college and university can improve its graduation…

This report draws on combined sets of data to examine the relationship between students' academic performance and experiences in high school and how well they did in their initial year in college. Specifically, it looks at students who graduated from a Maryland high school in the 2003-2004 school year who enrolled at a Maryland college or…

The focus of this paper is a group of rural high school students and the factors that contributed to their participation in mathematics classes beyond those minimally required for high school graduation. The author follows Gutierrez (2002) in referring to participation as course taking, particularly in elective and advanced mathematics classes.…

This study examined the effects of mothers' assets (i.e., home ownership and savings) on their expectations and their children's educational achievement in female-headed households. The study used data from the National Survey of Families and Households, which involved interviews with a national sample of 13,017 respondents (including 3,374 blacks…

This report examines trends in enrollment, degrees awarded, and other selected data from Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) accountability reports published between 1996 and 2001. Were data were available, comparisons were made for Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the State University System of Florida (SUS). Information…

This report examines high school education in Colorado, noting the high (and underreported) level of student attrition and the achievement of those who remain. Over 40 percent of Colorado's high school students never graduate. About 15 percent of this attrition can be accounted for by published dropout statistics. Actual attrition rates, however,…

Texas has apparently achieved great success in closing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, at least in the lower grades. Texas students in all grades have made substantial gains on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). The effect of TAAS-type accountability on student performance in the higher grades is important,…

During the past 10 years, there has been a movement among state education departments to develop academic content standards, standards-based assessments of student achievement, and standards-related high school graduation requirements for students. This Digest discusses: (1) state content standards in history; (2) standards-based student…

This report examines the efficacy of the Boston Pilot Schools, an innovative model of urban schools created to promote innovation and increased choice options within the Boston school district. The report uses school and district level data to examine student demographics, achievement, and engagement at the 11 Pilot Schools that were in operation…

Through a series of tables, this document presents a profile of the system of higher education in Mississippi. The first section focuses on finances, with tables portraying the history of funding for higher education in Mississippi, appropriations per student, faculty salaries, and information on operating budgets and tuition and fees. The next…

The North Carolina State Board of Education, as part of the Quality Assurance Program, initially established a computer proficiency requirement for diplomas issued to the Class of 2000. In October of 1995, the Board modified the requirement by making it effective beginning with the graduating Class of 2001. Students who were in grade eight for the…