In this paper, the authors estimate the effect of a high school exit exam requirement (relative to no requirement) on students' academic achievement, persistence in high school, and graduation rates. They are particularly interested in the effects of the policy on the students who have low initial skill levels in high school. The study is based on…

This report describes the total number of Virginia Community College System (VCCS) transfer students each institution of higher education enrolled, and graduated from 2001-02 to 2005-06. The number of VCCS transfer students admitted to each higher education institution is not included because the State Council of Higher Education does not require…

This Policy Information Perspective provides a status report on efforts to measure the high school graduation rate more accurately and use it more constructively. The first section of the report discusses obtaining reliable national survey data on the graduation status of young adults and of the population as a whole. The second section makes the…

This fact sheet highlights the statistics of the current status of high schools in the United States. It provides information on the following variables: (1) demography of high school students; (2) students with disabilities; (3) high school student achievement; (4) the schools; (5) school funding; (6) high school graduation rate; (7) high school…

This report provides information on degree and certificate programs offered and student program completions for fiscal year 2008-09 in North Dakota's public and private postsecondary educational institutions. Institutional programs are coded in accordance with the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP Code) system provided by the National…

Since the passage of the federal Student Right-to-Know Act of 1990 (SRTK), graduation rates have been a subject of much debate and controversy. Why all the fuss? The simple truth is that graduation from college does matter, and it matters more than ever. From the societal perspective, the United States is falling behind other nations in the…

This report, part of the Challenge to Lead education goals series, documents graduation rate performance in SREB states. It looks at recent graduation rate increases and the narrowing gap between the regional and national rates. Nearly all SREB states have shown increases -- many leading the national rate of growth. The report shows how black and…

Mentoring has oftentimes been touted as critical to the academic success of underrepresented students defined as first-generation college students and/or students of color. Several studies on traditional mentor programs have reported success increasing the retention and graduation rates among underrepresented students (Haring, 1997; Jacobi, 1991;…

An important new book on improving the stagnant graduation rates of the nation's public colleges and universities suggests that one reason so many academically talented students leave college without a diploma may be that they enroll in schools for which they are overqualified. Authors William G. Bowen, Matthew M. Chingos, and Michael S. McPherson…

In the 1960s, in the midst of Vietnam War protests and the emergence of the Black power movement, students John Garland and James Renick worked as campus advocates to change the environment and curricula at Central State University. Today, Garland, president of Central State, and his college friend Renick, who began serving as senior adviser to…

In this longitudinal study of 11,317 students, the retention and graduation rates of students with apparent and nonapparent disabilities were compared to students without disabilities. The annual retention and graduation rates (six years after matriculation) were similar for all students, regardless of the presence or absence of a disability…

Using data from the five waves of the "Italian Longitudinal Household Survey," this paper examines the dynamics of Italian higher education in the twentieth century. The main goals are to study changes in participation in higher education (enrolment, transition, and graduation rates), in performance (drop out and delayed graduation…

The author reports on a study released in April 2009 that suggests that California's high school exit exams are affecting some student demographic groups more than others. The California study, which was released by the Institute for Research on Education Policy and Practice at Stanford University, is the latest in a small spate of studies…

In classrooms across the country, when students hear the bell ring at 3 p.m., it signals the end of the school day and, for many, the start of an afternoon without supervision, without productive activities and without direction. Afterschool and summer learning programs are filling the invaluable role of providing essential services--such as a…

The United States has become more ethnically diverse, and this trend is projected to continue. Despite an increase in minority group enrollment on campus in the United States during the last decade, their rates of degree completion are not keeping pace (NCES, 2007). The question that remains to be answered is: What factors are unique to minority…