The academic success of underserved students depends on their experiences within the education system. These experiences are influenced by the degrees to which their own culture and language are acknowledged and integrated into the school program, how engaged they become and are encouraged to become, and how well educators support them in…

In 2001, Missouri's K-16 project launched the K-12 Task Force on Achievement Gap Elimination, which believes that improving teacher quality is the single most important factor in eliminating the achievement gap among Missouri students. This report describes the significance of teacher quality on student achievement, emphasizing the uneven…

Delaware's secretary of education and the president of the State Board of Education asked Achieve to provide an analysis of the quality of Delaware's high school content standards and its course-taking requirements. In assisting Delaware in its commitment to raising the quality of its expectations for high school graduates, Achieve examined the…

The ACT Assessment is a measure of skills in English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning necessary for college coursework. This booklet is intended to help students do their best on the ACT. It summarizes general test-taking strategies, describes the content of each of the tests, provides specific tips for each, and lets students know…

This document discusses student transfer and outlines several goals for its enhancement. Student transfer must be made more efficient, and quality transfer education that leads to eventual attainment of the baccalaureate degree must be ensured. In achieving these objectives, California schools will adopt several goals, described in this…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 3-year project at the University of Minnesota to develop a transition program emphasizing theater for high school students "at risk" for not continuing their education. Students participated in paid internships at the Penumbra Theater, Minnesota's only African-American…

This report examines the State University of New York's (SUNY) transfer and articulation policies and enrollment initiatives, and attempts to determine how effective they are in serving transfer students. The foreword identifies the working papers, data reviews, and analyses from which the report draws. The report is separated into five sections…

This report presents an evaluation of Florida's College Reach-Out Program (CROP) and data on the 1992-93 cohort of institutions and students that the program serves. CROP is a state-wide program designed to increase the number of students successfully completing postsecondary education by providing academic enrichment opportunities and career…

In 1999 Michigan implemented the Michigan Merit Award program, a program to motivate high school students to take their studies more seriously. The program offers 1-year college scholarships to students who meet or exceed state standards on Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) tests in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. This…

Southwest Texas State (SWT) University has developed a system of communication with two-year community colleges that aims to provide information about new student performance and identify student needs. About 60% of the 7,000 new undergraduate students first enrolling in SWT each year are transfer students. In 1992, about 60% of new students at…

This study analyzed retention and graduation rates of entering minority group freshmen from the 1989-96 cohort at 232 diverse colleges and universities using data from the Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange (CSRDE), which consistently have indicated that graduation rates are lower for underrepresented minority groups of blacks,…

This paper examines some of the major problems and barriers faced by Hispanic/Latino youth who, despite high college enrollment rates, do not complete the four-year degree. An examination of five entering classes of Illinois college students found that only 30.2 percent of Hispanic students had completed their degrees at the end of four years,…

The purpose of this study has been to inquire into the extent and character of retention, transfer, and withdrawal of undergraduate students in a group of representative institutions of higher education. Attention has been given to characteristics of students, their standing in high school and on placement, their reasons for going to college,…

Examines yobiko, Japanese supplementary education system which prepares high school graduates who didn't pass college entrance examinations (ronin students) to retake tests. Examines ways yobiko tracks and places graduates. Examines system's relations to high-school tracking and subcultures. Examines current reforms and yobiko's impact on ronins'…

Founded in 1968, the Transitional Year Program at Brandeis University (Massachusetts) continues to offer intensive remedial math and English for students who might not be admitted to college otherwise. The tuition-free program has been highly successful in turning mediocre high school performance into college achievement. Most participants are…