- Lumina's Big Goal
- College for all?
- Policy and ARRA
- The forgotten middle
- Closing the expectations gap
- 10 new ideas for higher education
- States and federal stimulus funds
- The other college
- Early college high schools
- Transfer policies and community colleges
- The recession's impact on higher ed
- Pell grants and college-going
- NAM certification system
- Data points
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- How is your state doing?
The NCHEMS Information Center has unveiled a new Web site that offers student success data for policymakers.
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- Achieving the Dream
Change Magazine highlights lessons learned from
Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, a national initiative to help more community college students succeed.
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- Call for nominations
The National Center for Business Champions seeks
nominations for business leaders who have made inroads to increase higher education attainment and strengthen workforce skills.
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- Lumina elects new board member
Lumina Foundation has elected Joe Loughrey to serve on its Board of Directors.
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- The economic crisis and HBCUs
Creating an "institutional" niche is the subject of an NPR report on what some Historically Black Colleges and Universities are doing to survive and thrive in times of economic uncertainty.
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- Tell us what you think
We strive to provide useful, timely information about postsecondary student success. Tell us how this newsletter can better serve the mission of improved student access and success.
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Lumina Foundation supports state policy organizations, initiatives and research that promote student success in postsecondary education. The following reports can inform policymakers as they develop policies and practices that will lead to a stronger U.S. workforce, a higher standard of living and a better quality of life for the nation's citizens.
Higher education's capacity to achieve college for all
As the national dialogue focuses on dramatically increasing higher education attainment, a report from the National Center for Education Statistics offers new data on higher education's capacity to achieve that goal. Read
Enrollment in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2007; Graduation Rates, 2001 & 2004 Cohorts; and Financial Statistics, Fiscal Year 2007.
New ideas to boost access, attainment
A college fund for every student, social insurance for college costs and an open-university concept model are among the higher education ideas proposed by the New America Foundation in
10 New Higher Education Ideas for a New Congress.
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009
State policy leaders cannot allow the current economic crisis to deter investment in higher education. The
Advisory to State Fiscal Policymakers, published by three key higher education policy organizations, suggests how states can best use the one-time infusion of federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to protect college access and quality, while improving cost effectiveness and increasing degree productivity.
Keeping track of federal stimulus funds
The creation of new agencies, commissions and Web sites are some of the ways that states intend to track and oversee forthcoming federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The National Conference of State Legislatures provides a
summary of state actions related to ARRA.
Stimulus package analyzed by ECS
The Education Commission of the States offers an
analysis of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including how much new education funding states can expect to receive.
Educating the 'forgotten middle'
Demand for "middle-skill" jobs-positions that require education and training but not necessarily a four-year college degree-is expected to remain robust over the next decade, according to the Brookings Institution. To meet this demand,
The Future of Middle-Skill Jobs advocates additional investments in workforce education and training programs for traditional-age students and adults, greater involvement from local industry and more apprenticeship training.
Closing the Expectations Gap 2009
More states are on the right track to align high school standards and graduation requirements with higher education and work expectations, says a new report from Achieve. The next step is to move from setting standards to measuring whether they're being met. Closing the Expectations Gap 2009 shows only
10 states currently have assessments rigorous enough to measure whether high school students are meeting college- and career-ready standards. | | | |
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New and positive evidence on the impact of grants on college-going
Between 1996 and 2002, increases in Pell and other grant awards and relatively stable tuition and fees charges at lower-price public colleges combined to create small but steady declines in net-of-grant prices facing traditionally underserved, lower income youth. This "natural experiment," provided an opportunity to assess the effect of grant programs on college-going among these youth. In their assessment of the results of this experiment, researchers at the Brookings Institution found that these grant-induced reductions in net prices stimulated small but meaningful increases in college-going among lower income youth; an important contribution to our understanding of how to support greater college participation and success among these youth. The findings of the research and its implications for policy and practice are summarized in a Policy Brief and reported in detail in the full research report.
Recession ends higher education financial recovery
After four consecutive years of decline, per-student state appropriations finally gained ground in 2008, says a report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers.
State Higher Education Finance: Early Release FY2008 cautions, however, that the coming year is likely to overshadow this progress, as budget cuts and enrollment demand rise during the current economic crisis.
Skills certification system aligns education with job skills
Tough economic times call for clear pathways to the skills needed by employers and job seekers. That is the intent of a new certification system unveiled by the
National Association of Manufacturers and its educational arm, The Manufacturing Institute. This certification system will focus on academic and workplace competencies required for employment in all sectors of manufacturing. | | | |
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16 million and counting
» Based on current production rates of college graduates, there will be an estimated shortage of 16 million college-educated adults in the American workforce by 2025.
Source: A Stronger Nation Through Higher Education
The future of middle-skill jobs
» Forty-five percent of future U.S. job openings are expected to be middle-skill positions. These jobs include plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, health-care workers, legal assistants, machinists and police officers.
Source:
The Future of Middle-Skilll Jobs
Community colleges and minorities
» Community colleges are a critical point of entry to higher education for minorities. In 2005, minority students represented 36 percent of community college students compared to 27 percent of students in four-year institutions.
Source:
Community College Transfer and Articulation Policies: Looking Beneath the Surface
Career, college-ready improvements
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In 2005, only two states required students to complete a college- and career-ready curriculum to earn a high school diploma. Today, 20 states and the District of Columbia have set their graduation requirements at the college- and career-ready level.
Source:
Closing the Expectations Gap 2009
Latinos and degree attainment
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The percentage of 25- to 29-year-old Latinos with bachelor's degrees or higher rose to 11 percent in 2005, compared to 9 percent in 1975. The number for Blacks rose from 11 percent to 18 percent, and Whites, 24 percent to 34 percent.
Source:
Lessons from the Lone Star State: Designing a Sustainable Financial Model to Expand Early College High School | | | |
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