A comparison of 46 college students with learning disabilities (LD) who received permission to waive a foreign language (FL) requirement with 21 students with LD who fulfilled the requirement found that more students who had petitioned had a 1.0 standard deviation discrepancy between IQ and achievement and were referred only for FL learning…

Presents statistics describing the progress of blacks in higher education, including: the black-white higher education equality index; statistics measuring the state of racial inequality; statistics on merit-based and need-based student financial aid; and statistics on blacks in higher education (e.g., there were significant increases between…

Highlights findings from a recent study on the issues of students who transfer between community colleges and public universities in Oregon. In general, transfer activity is stable, and the academic performance and graduation rates of community college students are at a similar level as those for students who began their studies at a university.…

While Canadians tend to consider the American system to be overly litigious, they are catching up fast. Their own domestic set of plaintiffs is suing the agents of obesity and pollution, but actions pertaining to education seem to be spiking as well. A few of these cases are trivial. This morning's local newspaper reports that a judge has ruled…

The current year, 2004, marks a monumental year in higher education for students of color. This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which declared racial segregation in public education settings unconsitutional. Despite the gains that have been made in increasing access to higher education for…

A new study on the link between high school coursework and postsecondary success paints a challenging picture for education advocates: African Americans can succeed in rigorous courses, but too few get the opportunity. The report from Achieve Inc., finds that few states set high curricula and content standards that prepare students for college.…

A study was conducted to assess the impact of a career-planning course in terms of time taken to graduate, graduation rate, credit hours taken, number of course withdrawals, and cumulative GPAs. Student course participants (N = 544) were compared to a matched sample of non-course participants (N = 544) after 5 years. Results showed that the 2…

In growing numbers, older women persist in pursing bachelor's degrees, although they most likely encounter significant obstacles along the path to completion and earn less than their male counterparts after graduating. The purpose of this interview. based study of twelve such women was to examine why they persisted and what value they placed on…

Using an ex post facto analysis of outcomes data, this paper tracks the academic performances of developmental and non-developmental students and examines the effects that developmental courses have on subsequent academic progress leading up to graduation. Three-year data on developmental students and graduates were analyzed to discern the…

Many states (18 of 39) use revenue generated by lotteries to help fund higher education. The revenue is generated as a regressive tax disproportionately collected. As such, do state lotteries contribute toward facilitation of equal access to higher education for low-income and minority citizens? Given population trends, college enrollment, and…

Over the past decade, state legislatures have experienced increasing pressure to hold higher education accountable for student learning. This pressure stems from several sources, such as increasing costs and decreasing graduation rates. To explore the feasibility of one approach to measuring student learning that emphasizes program improvement, we…

Dropout statistics for 1986 indicated that only 55% of dropouts under age 20 were employed, only 31% of male dropouts and one in seven female dropouts were working full-time, and although dropouts were fewer than 20% of the adult population, they constituted 66% of the national prison population. Since that time, the economic costs of dropping out…

The changing composition of Nevada's population in the next twenty years will have many ramifications for NSHE (Nevada System of Higher Education) institutions, particularly in terms of the recruitment and retention of minority students and faculty. According to the Nevada State Demographer, minority groups in Nevada will continue to grow at a…

To give states the information they need to sustain hard-fought education reform effectively, Achieve conducted research on state education reforms that have been sustained successfully for over a decade or more. Funded by the GE Foundation, Achieve hopes this work will help other state leaders, wherever they may be on their road to reform,…

Attaining a post-secondary credential has become increasingly important for securing opportunities to get high-return jobs in the United States in the 21st century. Students from low-income families are underrepresented at every milestone in the educational pipeline, limiting their ability to attain post-secondary credentials and break the…