One of the first tasks in developing the academic achievement indicator for the Plan-Canadian Education Indicators Program was to survey each province and territory about existing student assessment and examination practices. Survey results are reported. There is considerable diversity in Canadian assessment and evaluation practices because…

This report presents final school completion outcome data on students in New York City's class of 1997 as of June 2000, noting separate final outcomes for the 1997 special education class. The class of 1997's overall graduation rate was 69.7 percent. About two out of three students who continued their education beyond 4 years of high school earned…

This report details graduation and persistence rates for degree-seeking students at the seven University of Hawaii Community Colleges (UHCC) from Fall 1987-Fall 1995. The data are from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems/University of Hawaii System Longitudinal Database Project. The report focuses on full-time and part-time…

This report highlights graduation and persistence rates for degree-seeking undergraduate students at the University of Hawaii Community Colleges, as of January 1997. The report covers seven campuses: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kapiolani, Kauai, Leeward, Maui, and Windward. The data are from the National Center for Higher Education Management…

This brief examines racial/ethnic differences in educational attainment, tracking student progress from high school to a postsecondary credential and examining where in this path racial/ethnic differences arise. It uses data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, "Fourth Follow-up, 2000, which tracks students who were in 8th grade…

This report examines how successful America's high schools have been in raising high school graduation rates over the past decade and how severe the high school dropout problem actually is. It reviews existing empirical evidence on the school dropout problems of America's youth during the 1990s. It also presents evidence to support the view that…

The annual event dropout rate describes the proportion of students who leave school each year without completing a high school program. The event dropout rates for the school year 2004-2005 of 1.68% for grades 7 through 12th and 2.40% for grades 9 through 12th are at the lowest levels in the past ten years. The event completion/graduation rate…

This accountability report documents the time-to-degree of community college transfer students into the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC). It serves as a baseline measurement against which subsequent examinations can be compared. The Commission measured degree attainment of two separate groups of community…

Among 13 indicators of high school quality are planned and board-approved curricula, strong graduation requirements, strong courses beyond the basics, positive school climate, good attendance, low dropout rates, high per-pupil expenditure, low pupil-teacher ratio, superior library and media resources, good faculty, caring principals, and high…

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…