The road to a college degree is often littered with potholes of self-doubt, and sometimes those are deep enough to discourage even the most ambitious students. If the transition from high school to college were easy, the average six-year graduation rate at four-year institutions in the U.S. would probably be higher than 63%. To improve those…

Three years ago, as part of a broad effort to raise academic standards in college sports, the NCAA adopted a controversial rule designed to make life difficult for athletes idling in the classroom. The measure--known as the 40-60-80 rule, or the "progress toward degree" requirement--mandates that, to remain eligible to compete, athletes must…

In an effort to answer the "Educational Call to Arms", our national public schools have turned to Advanced Placement (AP) courses as the predominate vehicle used to address the lack of academic rigor in our public high schools. Advanced Placement is believed by many to provide students with the rigor and work ethic necessary to…

The "28th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2006" follows the 2005--i.e., the 27th annual report--in sequence. The "28th Annual Report to Congress" has two volumes. Volume 1 presents a picture of how children and students are being served under the law nationwide…

Despite decades of school improvement initiatives, many young people still do not cross the finish line of secondary education with the credential that signifies success--a high school diploma. Thousands of young people give up on school and on themselves, or schools give up on them. Without effective support from schools, communities, and…

Every year, across the country, a dangerously high percentage of students disproportionately poor and minority-disappear from the educational pipeline before graduating from high school. According to a study released by The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University (CRP) and the Urban Institute in 2004, only about 68% of all students nationally…

This document consists of the 12 monthly issues of this research newsletter for 2002. The purpose of the newsletter is to inform those who formulate, fund, and administer public policy and programs about research on the condition of and influences that affect postsecondary education opportunity for all Americans. Main topics for the issues are:…

According to a new report by Linda Darling-Hammond and colleagues at Stanford University's School Redesign Network, state laws requiring students to pass an exit examination to obtain their high school diploma can harm students and schools. Evidence suggests that inflexible exit exam policies can reduce graduation rates (especially among minority…

Using five different data sets, this study explores the bidirectional relationship between standardized tests and various indicators of success. Examining student success on a variety of indicators such as cumulative grade point average and graduation rates, the study demonstrates the limited usefulness of such tests, particularly when the data…

Empirical analysis requires researchers to choose which variables to use as controls in their models. Theory should dictate this choice, yet often in social science there are several theories that may suggest the inclusion or exclusion of certain variables as controls. The result of this is that researchers may use different variables in their…

Published annually since 1997, Newark Kids Count tracks key trends in child health and well-being in New Jersey's largest city with the latest statistics available. Newark Kids Count includes the latest statistics, along with five-year trend data, in the following areas: population and demographics, family economic security, affordable housing,…

In September of 2008, the Pennsylvania Board of Education requested that the Deputy Secretary for Postsecondary and Higher Education in the Department of Education conduct research to document whether, and to what extent, the cost of postsecondary education in the state of Pennsylvania constitutes a significant barrier to college access,…

The United States Census Bureau projects that about 50 percent of the U.S. population will be black, Hispanic or Asian by 2050. As the nation's population changes, trends in the education of minority students and the characteristics of the schools they attend are especially important for today's education advocates. The Facts for Education…

Documenting that there are 62 U.S. colleges and universities where the six-year graduation rates for Black undergraduate students have recently outpaced those of their White peers, the report by the Washington, D.C.-based Education Sector, an independent education policy think tank, has pointed out that schools where underrepresented minorities…

Over half of all racial/ethnic minority students matriculating at 4-year colleges fail to graduate within 6 years. One explanation for those low graduation rates is minority students' inability to find membership in the cultures and subcultures of their respective campuses. This study was focused on understanding the role of ethnic student…