Purpose of this study is to provide an estimate of concurrent enrollment (CE) costs and return on investment (ROI) in Colorado. This report is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) funded grant to develop a college access and success research partnership (R305H170049). This study is of Colorado…

This policy brief summarizes and critiques the findings of the US Department of Education's Section 5005 Report on Rural Education. In September of 2018, the Department of Education released the "Section 5005 Report on Rural Education: Final Report." The report was written in response to a provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act of…

Barack Obama's "My Brother's Keeper" is designed to narrow persistent gaps that boys and young men of color confront often and to help all young people achieve their potential in college and career. An important part of this initiative is comprehensive mentoring that supports students in schools and in communities. Because…

In almost any conversation about accountability for private schools, accountability for public schools is assumed. This is a dangerous myth. By assuming that the edifice that states and the federal government have created over the past several decades actually holds schools accountable, school choice advocates immediately find themselves in an…

Only 60 percent of students in post-secondary education in the United States graduate within six years of enrollment. Some minority and disadvantaged students graduate at significantly lower rates. As Congress considers reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, some consideration is being given to promoting greater use of evidence-based programs and…

The 2020 edition of "KIDS COUNT in Colorado!" examines the current state of preschool in Colorado--the need, the access, and the opportunity--as lawmakers consider expanding access to the Colorado Preschool Program and Governor Jared Polis calls for improved access to quality preschool statewide. This 27th edition of the annual focus on…

Public health insurance programs comprise a large share of federal and state government expenditure, and these programs are due to be expanded as part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Despite a large literature on the effects of these programs on health care utilization and health outcomes, little prior work has examined the long-term effects of…

This 2016 report is the fourth in an annual series of National Education Policy Center (NEPC) reports on the fast-growing U.S virtual school sector. This year's report provides a comprehensive directory of the nation's full-time virtual and blended learning school providers. It also pulls together and assesses the available evidence on the…

For any school closing policy to minimize adverse effects on student achievement, students from closed buildings should be placed in higher performing ones. To provide a more in-depth analysis of the potential academic impacts of the School District of Philadelphia's proposed school closure plan, Research for Action (RFA) compared 32 schools…

This 2015 report is third in a series of annual reports on virtual education in the U.S. It is organized in three major sections: Section I examines the policy and political landscape associated with virtual schooling and describes the current state of affairs related to finance and governance, instructional program quality, and teacher quality.…

This annual report is a snapshot of Oregon's education system that includes important statewide data about the state's students, teachers and schools. The 2017-18 Statewide Report Card includes: (1) Graduation and dropout rates; (2) Early childhood data; (3) Attendance and regular attender data; (4) Student demographics and information on specific…

As the student aid programs rapidly approach reauthorization in 2014, they continue to face severe funding and efficiency problems. With grant assistance from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through their "Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery" (RADD) project, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators…

In the five years since the first National Education Policy Center (NEPC) "Annual Report on Virtual Education" was released in 2013, virtual education has continued to be a focal point for policymakers. Proponents argue that virtual education can expand student choices and improve the efficiency of public education. In particular,…

Student loan default, defined as federal loan borrowers' failure to make any payments for at least 270 days, is an issue of increasing importance to community colleges and their students. This report takes a unique look at student loan default at nine community colleges across the nation, and how those colleges are working to help students avoid…

"A Closer Look at the Trillion: Borrowing, Repayment and Default at Iowa's Community Colleges," takes an unprecedented look at community college student borrowing and repayment behavior. The report uses data from all 16 community colleges in Iowa to examine the characteristics of borrowers and defaulters to help colleges and policymakers…