There is a growing recognition of the need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workers who provide diverse perspectives enabling companies to keep up with the demands of the 21st -century workforce. Creating a diverse workforce requires improving access to STEM education for historically underrepresented students,…

The high school dropout problem has been the focus of educational leaders and researchers for several decades. Despite efforts, students continue to drop out of high school. In an effort to prevent at-risk youth from dropping out of school, educators have paired mentors with youth in hopes of increasing graduation rates. These efforts have…

Nearly half of all postsecondary students today begin their college journey at a two-year institution (49.2 percent). Students enrolled at a community college are more likely to come from lower-income families than those at four-year institutions. Indeed, low-income students are three times as likely to start at a community college as high-income…

In 2005, the percentage of Canton City's young adults with some college or an associate degree was 33%. In addition, only 12.5% of its adults had earned a bachelor's degree or higher, and 81% of its students were in poverty. Canton's poorest neighborhoods needed a compelling example that college was possible. In response, the Canton City School…

This European University Association (EUA)-Council for Doctoral Education (CDE) report presents the results of an extensive and unique study on the state of play of doctoral education in Europe. Offering findings gathered from more than 300 institutions across Europe, it provides an overview of the deep transformation that has taken place in…

Enrolling in college and completing a degree or certificate is one of the primary pathways to economic success. In 2017, median weekly earnings of full-time workers with an associate degree was 17 percent higher than full-time workers with a high school diploma only. Despite the economic advantages of educational attainment, only 32 percent of…

This What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) report, part of the WWC's Supporting Postsecondary Success topic area, explores the effects of "Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)" on enrollment, credit accumulation, and graduation rates. The WWC identified 11 studies of "ASAP," two of which met WWC standards. The evidence…

This program evaluation is concerned with the value of online learning for academic student achievement as perceived by teachers and students. Online learning programs are becoming commonplace within traditional educational settings. These types of programs resolve a variety of educational issues related to equal access of curricula, funding, and…

The report looks at the various education pathways first-time students traversed toward a degree or certificate completion, as well as the completion outcomes for the different groups of students who followed each pathway from the fall of 2011 or the fall of 2013 through spring (June) 2019, that is, within eight years or six years of enrolling.…

We investigate the determinants of high school completion and college attendance, the likelihood of taking science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) courses in the first year of college and the probability of earning a degree in a STEM field. The focus is on women, who tend to be under-represented in STEM fields. Tracking four cohorts of…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the drivers behind the rise and fall of the Australian Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and to assess its future. Design/methodology/approach: Data covering the period 1993-2013 was sourced from the Commonwealth Department of Education and Training to provide a comprehensive…

In this article, we present a new critique of the Completion Agenda as inscribed in "Reclaiming the American dream," a policy document published in April 2012 by the American Association of Community Colleges. Our critique is grounded on the premise that community colleges should improve completion rates, but this should be motivated by…

Student affairs and adult education professionals in colleges and universities are inundated with increasing demands on resources, placing stress on allocation of time, energy, human capital, and finances. Contributing to these difficulties is an unprecedented level of oversight from government and from families of students. "Helicopter"…

Harry S Truman College (Truman), one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago, has participated in Pathways to Results (PTR) for the last three years. In each of its projects Truman has successfully improved institutional processes and academic pathway practices, resulting in improved outcomes for its students. Truman has truly been a leader, under…

Predictive analytics in higher education is a hot-button topic among educators and administrators as institutions strive to better serve students by becoming more data-informed. In this paper, the authors describe how predictive analytics are used in higher education to identify students who need extra support, steer students in courses they will…