Discusses possible causes of grade inflation and standards deregulation. Offers examples of proficiency-based assessments. (six references) (LMI)

The relationship between performance on tests of minimum competency (MCT) required for high school graduation and dropout behavior was studied with 76,664 Florida students. Results indicate that MCT failure increases the likelihood of leaving school only for students doing well academically, but not for minority students or those doing poorly.…

An approach to fiscal accountability used at Emporia State University (Kansas) demonstrates how a student academic advising center can improve fiscal stability by increasing retention and graduation rates, thereby increasing enrollment-based appropriations. The method links retention and graduation figures and trends for each year and trends in…

Presents results from a study comparing General Educational Development (GED) certificate holders and traditional high school graduates enrolled at Florida's community colleges in terms of admissions, enrollment rates, program completions, and academic success. Indicates that GED holders have lower grade point averages and graduation rates than…

A basic writing course at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, serves students underprepared for first-year composition. The student population is culturally diverse, varying widely in ability and background. The course has evolved from a basic syllabus designed to teach writing skills to a more comprehensive, student-centered curriculum…

A structural equation modeling approach was used to investigate general education achievement gains in 6,409 students at 34 colleges and universities. Results indicated gains were highest among students attending institutions where general education requirements were under 40% of overall requirements or were not equally distributed among…

Assesses differences in academic and athletic motivation levels among white and black student-athletes, and probes two possible causal variables for graduation rates by examining postgraduate expectations of student-athletes and aspects of their social, cultural, and personal orientations. Survey responses from 327 college athletes reveal…

College costs are rising and enrollments are at an all-time high, yet the proportion of students earning degrees has stayed more or less constant for decades. This leads some to conclude that colleges aren't holding up their end of the educational bargain. The question, Do they graduate? is receiving the most scrutiny by state legislatures and by…

This research compares the study-abroad perceptions and preferences of business and non-business majors. The results suggest that the two groups have somewhat different motivations for studying abroad. On balance, business students appear more pragmatic than their non-business counterparts, expressing greater concern for financial issues, and the…

The purposes of this study were to ascertain which Texas public community colleges have been able to graduate the highest percentages of black males and to analyze the factors contributing to that achievement. An institutional questionnaire was developed, designed to elicit information regarding policies and/or practices directly related to the…

The vast disparities in college attendance and graduation rates between students from different class backgrounds is a growing social concern. "Economic Inequality and Higher Education" investigates the connection between income inequality and unequal access to higher education, and proposes solutions that the state and federal governments and…

What accounts for the differences in retention and graduation rates among large public colleges and universities that serve high numbers of low-income students? To answer this question, the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education has conducted two studies to examine the institutional characteristics, practices, and policies…

Using the national data from high school transcript studies conducted from 1982 to 2005, this special analysis addresses the following questions related to students' coursetaking patterns and trends during this period: (1) What do states require and what do schools offer for coursework?; (2) How many course credits do students earn by high school…

The Center on Education Policy (CEP) has been studying state high school exit examinations since 2002. This is the sixth annual report on our comprehensive study of exit exams. The information comes from several sources: our survey of states that have mandatory exit exams, interviews with state officials, media reports, state Web sites, and case…

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education's report,"Measuring Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher Education" found that among 27 industrialized nations, the United States has fallen to fifth in the percentage of young adults enrolled in college and has dropped to sixteenth in the proportion of those students…