This is the sixth issue in a series of American Association of Community Colleges analyses of trends in community college enrollments and examination of completion rates. Two sources are used, enrollment, graduation rates, and outcomes measures information from the U.S. Department of Education and enrollment and completion rates published by the…

There is steadily growing consensus around a critical issue in our nation's higher education system: the need to modernize our postsecondary data infrastructure. Recognizing that building the Student-Level Data Network (SLDN) outlined in pending federal legislation will require the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to make key…

The United States has a growing and young Latino population. While 18 percent of the overall population is Latino, 25 percent of students in K-12 education are Latino. Additionally, the Latino population is projected to increase by 25 percent by 2030. Furthermore, the median age for Latinos is 30, compared to 44 for White non-Hispanics. As more…

This report examined college outcomes among three cohorts of 12th grade students in the Houston Independent School District (HISD), prior to the implementation of the district's college advising program. The findings showed significant racial and ethnic gaps in college enrollment and completion. High test score and grades and earning college-level…

Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in Boston is attempting a turnaround and has been for decades. In 2016, after having been designated a Level 4 school by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), a stamp that branded it "underperforming," school officials created a plan they began…

One of the first challenges state boards of education faced this spring was what to do for the roughly 3.5 million high school seniors whose graduations were derailed by the coronavirus. Most state policymakers across the country readily suspended end-of-year assessments and granted diplomas to those who were on track to graduate. A few states…

With colleges and schools moving online to curb the spread of COVID-19, state leaders will need to act quickly to ensure that policies do not prevent student-teachers from graduating and becoming licensed to teach in the fall. This brief includes immediate and longer-term recommendations to prevent pandemic closures from escalating the teacher…

Though Latinos are enrolling in postsecondary programs in record numbers, they still complete college at rates lower than their White counterparts. Not only are Latinos facing a widening college completion gap, but also a global pandemic that has led Latino college-goers to reconsider returning to school.

On March 21, 2019, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13864, "Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities" which, among other things, required the Secretary of Education to compile information about successful State and institutional efforts that promote students' timely and…

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), this quantitative study examines the impact of reading test scores as it relates to high school completion for American students with emotional behavioral disability characteristics. By analyzing the impact reading test scores have for this population, educational leaders…

Growing reliance on student loans and repayment difficulties have raised concerns of a student debt crisis in the United States. However, little is known about the effects of student borrowing on human capital and long-run financial well-being. We use variation induced by recent expansions in federal loan limits, together with administrative…

College students who are simultaneously the first generation of their families to attend college, from poor communities, and who belong to racially minoritized populations, known as first-generation low-income (FLI) college students of Color, are less likely to stay in and graduate from college compared to their more advantaged peers. As this…

The annual Performance Accountability Report (PAR) serves as an important mechanism by which public colleges and universities in Maryland are held accountable. Through a performance accountability plan, institutions are required to establish and maintain performance standards, and use metrics to assess their effectiveness in tackling institutional…

The Australian education system works well for most students. However, equitable access to secondary education is problematic for First Nations people living in remote communities. There is a strong emphasis on Year 12 completion as an indicator of successful engagement in remote First Nations education. This has been partly driven by Australian…

The Accountability Plan is an annual report that is closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This report enhances the System's commitment to accountability and strategic planning by fostering greater coordination between institutional administrators, University Boards of Trustees and the Board of Governors regarding…