The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit organization that works collaboratively with Georgia and 15 other member states to improve education at every level--from pre-K to postdoctoral study--through many effective programs and initiatives. SREB's "Challenge to Lead" Goals for Education, which call for the region to lead the…

This new Iowa Kids Count data book, "Iowa Kids Count 2008: Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children," is the latest annually produced book containing data on 18 different indicators of child and family well-being for the United States, Iowa and its 99 counties. The 18 indicators provide a wealth of health, education, welfare and…

This research is a follow up to a similar study published by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania in 2003 in which researchers examined alternative education policies and practices among Pennsylvania school districts. The current study extended the previous research to include information on the perceptions of administrators and teachers on the…

When this research report was first conceived, the current economic crisis was only just on the verge of revealing its full extent. Economic crisis or no economic crisis, over the years funding for PK-12 education has been a constant struggle. While all schools continue to face difficulties, for various reasons rural schools have different and…

Each year our college system gives twice as many bachelor's degrees (BAs) to African American females as males. Large gender gaps favoring women also exist for other groups. Indeed, on average our college system gives 35% more BAs to females than males across all racial and ethnic groups. Traditional explanations for this pattern have focused on…

This report was designed to examine the influence of a growing Latino enrollment in Minnesota's public schools. Using data from the Minnesota Department of Education, the authors observed that while overall enrollment numbers in Minnesota have declined approximately 3% since 2001, Latino enrollment actually grew by more than 38% during this same…

The Toolbox Revisited is a data essay that follows a nationally representative cohort of students from high school into postsecondary education, and asks what aspects of their formal schooling contribute to completing a bachelor's degree by their mid-20s. The universe of students is confined to those who attended a four-year college at any time,…

After reviewing research on national trends concerning private versus public schooling, the author examines how private school options in the Chicago metropolitan area might affect academic achievement for various demographic groups. Although the vast majority of students in suburban schools graduate from high school, with a high percentage going…

This study uses a widely respected method to calculate public high school graduation rates for the nation, for each state, and for the 100 largest school districts in the United States. Graduation rates are calculated overall, by race, and by gender, using the most recent available data (the class of 2003). While this report builds upon a…

Student success in college has never been more important. The economic advantage to baccalaureate degree holders remains substantial, with college graduates averaging a million dollars more in lifetime earnings than high school graduates. There is also the long list of non-pecuniary benefits of college--intellectual development and critical…

During the past two decades 2-year colleges have become an increasingly important part of the American higher education system, especially for Hispanics who are disproportionately likely to start their careers in 2-year colleges. Given that today's economy rewards college attendance more than every before [Bound & Johnson (1992). "The…

Waukesha North High School in Wisconsin is perhaps much like most schools in the United States. It was considered by the community to be a good school, one that always generated above-average scores on state assessments, graduation rates, and attendance averages. Its students drew community recognition for their service and for their performances…

Investigation of student participation in campus organizations and student retention, particularly within the community college sector, has long been neglected. This exploratory study investigates the relationships between four student retention measures and student involvement in campus organizations. Chi-square analysis revealed significant…

Although explanations for why students drop out of high school have drawn considerable attention for many years (often focusing on their deficits or background risks), researchers have recently turned their attention to ways in which school environments, structures, and practices may influence students' successful transition to high school and…

Students entering the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as freshmen in 1967-72 were followed for approximately six years after their initial enrollment to determine the number who received their bachelor's degrees from the institution. For all six freshmen classes combined, 49.9 percent received their degrees within four years, 64.8…